Supreme Court Stays Execution of Georgia Man

The Supreme Court issued a stay of execution for a Georgia man only two hours before he was scheduled to die tonight, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Troy Anthony Davis has been on death row since 1991, when he was convicted of killing an off-duty police officer. Seven of nine key prosecution witnesses have since recanted their testimony, and his family and supporters have called for a new trial.

“I’ve been praying for this moment forever,” Davis’ sister said after learning the Supreme Court had postponed the execution. The court is expected to announce in the next week or so whether it will hear Davis’ appeal. “One week may not seem like a long time, but when you have only two hours to live it’s a lifetime,” said civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

(More murder stories.)