Cynthia McKinney Calls for New Investigation and Welcomes Stay of Execution in the Case of Troy Anthony Davis

Green Party Presidential Candidate and former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney shares the concerns of Georgians who are calling for the Attorney General to commission an independent investigation into the handling of the Troy Anthony Davis prosecution by both the Savannah Police Department and the Chattam County Prosecutors Office.

Mr. Davis was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Savannah Police Officer Mark Macphail. His conviction was secured on the basis of eyewitness identification evidence. Since his trial, seven citizens who initially testified that Mr. Davis was the shooter have come forward alleging that their respective trial testimony was false.

These witnesses—most of whom have no connection to Mr. Davis or to each other---describe the employment of improper identification techniques, police intimidation, and other forms of undue influence at the hands of the Savannah Police Department. For years, the Chatham County prosecutor has been aware of these claims that police intimidation and faulty eyewitness identification procedures resulted in the false identification of Troy Davis. Yet, to date, there appears to be no internal investigation into these troubling allegations.

More recently, an alarming report of government subornation of perjury has been brought to my attention. At a recent meeting of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, key government witness who identified Troy Davis as the person who shot Officer Macphail, disclosed that when she advised the prosecutor that her identification of Troy Davis was false, she was told to “stick with the story” and forced to testify consistently with her police report. While McKinney cannot conclusively determine the truth or falsity of these claims, without closer scrutiny, no one can. There can be no other acceptable option than a full and fair investigation of these claims by an independent panel. The failure to conduct such an investigation undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system and could result, as Mr. Davis and his lawyers’ claim, in the execution of an innocent man.

McKinney noted, “The absurdity of rushing to execute this potentially innocent man without first examining these serious accusations of police and prosecutorial misconduct compels a 30 day stay.”

The Supreme Court granted a stay this week.
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