Troy Davis' Sister Dies

Martina Davis-Correia died yesterday after a long battle with breast cancer—much of which coincided with her battle on behalf of her brother, controversial death row inmate Troy Davis, who was put to death in September. Davis-Correia, 42, had campaigned for Troy, delivering speeches and attending rallies in between her stints in the hospital, USA Today reports. She was originally diagnosed with cancer in 2000.

News of Davis-Correia’s death first broke in a Facebook post by a death penalty opponent who had worked with her. The CEO of Amnesty International called Davis-Correia "a powerful example of how one person can make a difference ... she remained brave and defiant to the core of her being, stating her conviction that one day [her brother's] death would be the catalyst for ending the death penalty." She was the third Davis-family death this year; her mother, Virginia Davis, died a few months before Troy was executed. (More Troy Davis stories.)