In August of 1989 Troy Davis was convicted of the murder of Mark MacPhail, a local off-duty police officer in Savannah Georgia.

The crime occurred in a Burger King parking lot where Mark MacPhail was working as a security officer while off duty. There was an altercation between Davis and his two friends, Darrell Collins and Redd Coles, and Walter Young, a homeless man. When MacPhail came to check on the situation he was shot in the chest and face.

The next evening Coles went to the police and told them that Davis had been the one that had shot MacPhail. A few days later Davis, who was out of town, was taken back to Savannah and charged with the murder.

Davis was indicted for murder and assault. He plead not guilty. During the trial multiple witness stated that he had beaten the homeless man and shot the officer as well as shooting another person earlier in the evening while driving to the Burger King. Cole was one of the people testifying against Davis, even though there was evidence that he had the same type of gun used in the crimes, though he stated that he had given the gun to another person that night.

The jury found Davis guilty of murder and charged him with the death penalty.

The case went through both state and federal appeals. Multiple witness came forward in affidavits admitting that they felt bullied by the police running the investigation and were forced to give false testimony against Davis.

The case went before the US Supreme Court in 2011. The appeal was rejected however and the execution was carried out on the evening of September 21, 2011.

There is still question about whether Davis was guilty or innocent.