AT2W

Troy Davis sister Martina Davis-Correia Dies of Cancer, 44

Sister of Executed Inmate Troy Davis Succumbed to Breast Cancer at 44

We are saddened to hear Troy Davis’ sister has died of breast cancer very soon after her brother was executed three months ago. We know the final decision to kill Troy Davis after several stayed executions deemed too much for her physical state.

We pray for the family and may God give them all strength at this time of grief.

Read report from USA Today:

Martina Davis-Correia, the sister of late cause celebre death row inmate Troy Davis, has died, NAACP senior communications associate Derek Turner confirmed.

Martina Davis-Correia was 42 and had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, according to WSAV television.

NOTE: USA Today states she was 42 years old but WSAV stated she was born in 1967 which made her 44 years old. She also spoke out about breast health to women all over the world.

Robert Nave, a death penalty opponent who long worked with the Davis family in attempting to stay Troy Davis’ execution, wrote on Kimberly Davis’ Facebook page that Davis-Correia died earlier in the evening, and in an e-mail said she passed away at 5:45 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Amnesty International issued a statement Thursday night hailing Martina-Correia as a “Hero of the Human Rights Movement.”

“Our hearts are breaking over the loss of this extraordinary woman,” Amnesty International CEO Curt Goering wrote. “She fought to save her brother’s life with courage, strength and determination, every step of the way. She was a powerful example of how one person can make a difference as she led the fight for justice for Troy Davis, even as she endured her own decade-long battle with cancer. And despite the terrible blow of his execution, she remained brave and defiant to the core of her being, stating her conviction that one day his death would be the catalyst for ending the death penalty.”

RIP Martina