by Marcus Crawford
Timothy Leech holds a sign and his son David at a vigil for Troy Davis on Tuesday, May 19, 2009. (Photo/Marcus Crawford)On Tuesday, dozens of University of Georgia alumni flocked to the historic arches during a vigil for Troy Davis, a Georgia death row inmate. Unfortunately for Davis, the bulk of these UGA graduates were simply there to be photographed in their caps and gowns.
Members of Amnesty International and the Athens chapter of Women in Black, an anti-war group, braved the unseasonably cold weather in order to show support for Davis. The vigil, which lasted from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., coincided with a similar demonstration at the state capitol in Atlanta.
Troy Davis was convicted of murdering Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail in Aug. 1991.Since his conviction, new evidence has surfaced that may prove Davis'innocence. According to Amnesty International, seven of the nine eyewitnesses who testified in the Davis case have recanted their testimony and signed affidavits to that effect.
Editor: Jordan Stepp
Sources: Charles Gardner, Carpenter, Athens, Ga.,
Amnesty International
