The Death Penalty Photo Documentary Project · The Death Penalty. Photo Documentary . Project. ......

The Death Penalty

Photo Documentary

Project

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"It would become harder to executemen one after another, as is done inour country today, if those executionswere translated into vivid images int h e p o p u l a r i m a g i n a t i o n . ”

~ A l b e r t C a m u s

A Stay of ExecutionTroy Davis comes within 2 hours of death in

Georgia in September 2008

A photo essay by Scott Langley

The entrance to the Georgia Diagnostic Prison in Jackson, which houses the state's execution facilities.

A bumper sticker on a protester's car the morning of the scheduled execution.

4:03 pm

Martina Correia, Troy's sister, conducts media interviews on her mobile phone in route to the prison to meet with TV crews.

4:34 pm

Troy's chosen witnesses of his execution gather across the street from the prison in a local restaurant waiting news and phone calls. Pictured: Troy's mother, Virginia Davis (far left), Martina (center),

Troy's attorneys Jason Ewart and Danielle Garten (back right), and Amnesty International USA's Death Penalty Abolition Campaign director Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn (bottom right).

Troy's attorney Jason Ewart checks his phone to see if the U.S. Supreme Court had made any

decisions yet.

4:44 pm

Virginia Davis, retreating to a corner of the Wendy's across the street from the death house, talks to her son Troy on her mobile phone for

what is thought to be the last time.

Rev. Al Sharpton (right) talks to his driver as the suburban with Troy's family approaches the police check point. Sharpton was to serve as Troy's spiritual advisor, but was denied by the warden.

5:09 pm

A prison guard tags Troy's sister Martina as a protester after Martina and the rest of Davis's family were suddenly removed from the execution witness list.

The site of the protest area outside the prison.

5:20 pm

Troy's mother, Virginia, standing with Al Sharpton, makes her final plea for help to the press.

A Department of Corrections Special Operations officer watches over the protest area on prison grounds.

5:23 pm

Virginia Davis (left) is comforted by a friend as the crowd nervously waitsto hear from the U.S. Supreme Court.

5:24 pm

Sharpton and the family react to hearing that the U.S. Supreme Court has ordered a stay of execution.

A prayerful moment of thanksgiving is lifted up in the wake of the news, less than two hours before Troy was to be lethally injected.

5:43 pm

Martina, Troy's sister, holds her phone tight as she receives a call from Troy inside the prison to share in the good news.

6:06 pm

Troy's attorney, James Ewart, breathes a sigh of relief upon exiting the prison, where he was to have witnessed Troy's execution in less than one hour.

Other supporters call out to spread the news that Troy's life has been spared - for at least one more week.

Troy's mother Virginia, and 14-year old nephew DeJuan (second from right), share laughs in the parking lot.

6:35 pm

The celebration in the Wendy's parking lot by the prison ends in a prayer circle.

The following day's Atlanta Journal Constitution features the news that was heard around the world.