Marcellus Williams, a Missouri man convicted of murder in the 1998 killing of Felicia Gayle, a newspaper reporter, was executed on Tuesday. Despite efforts by his attorneys and the prosecutor’s office to halt the execution, it proceeded after being rejected by the governor and the Supreme Court. Williams had maintained his innocence throughout the process.
Williams’ attorneys argued that his DNA was not found on the murder weapon and that his 2001 trial was unfair due to racial bias during jury selection. However, the requests for a stay of execution were denied. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell also sought to halt the execution, citing new DNA evidence that excluded Williams from the murder weapon.
Despite the efforts to spare Williams from the death penalty, the execution went forward, sparking outrage and calls for abolition of the death penalty. The NAACP and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush denounced the execution, accusing the system of being flawed and racist.
This was the third time Missouri sought to execute Williams, with previous stays in 2015 and 2017. In 2017, new evidence emerged that raised doubts about Williams’ guilt, leading to a stay ordered by the governor at the time. However, the recent execution, ordered by Governor Mike Parson, marks the end of a long legal battle for Williams.
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