Missouri has executed a convicted murderer who insisted on his innocence for over twenty years, despite last-minute requests for a delay from both defense and prosecution attorneys.
Marcellus Williams, 55, was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for burglary when he was convicted in 2001 of murdering Felicia Gayle, a social worker and former newspaper reporter who was stabbed to death in her home in 1998.
His conviction was based on the testimony of two informants whom his lawyers argue are unreliable.
There were hopes that his conviction might be overturned after DNA analysis of the murder weapon showed it did not match Williams. However, it was later revealed that the weapon had been mishandled, and some of the DNA belonged to police and prosecutors, which undermined its potential to exonerate him.
In 2017, Williams was scheduled for execution but received a last-minute stay from Missouri’s then-governor Eric Greitens, who formed a panel of five retired judges to review his case.
This panel was dissolved last year by Greitens’ successor, Governor Mike Parson, also a Republican, before it could complete its findings. Parson rejected requests for clemency for Williams.
Earlier this year, local prosecutors joined efforts to save Williams’ life, asking a court to vacate his death sentence. He was offered and accepted a plea deal that would have reduced his sentence to life imprisonment, but the Missouri Supreme Court blocked the deal and ordered the execution to proceed.
A last-minute appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States was denied by judges in a 6-3 vote, reflecting the court’s conservative majority.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Innocence Project said:
“Tonight, Missouri executed an innocent man. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Marcellus Williams and Felicia Gayle, who have endured unimaginable loss and trauma.”
It continued: “Mr. Williams’ story reflects the experiences of too many others trapped in our country’s flawed criminal justice system. As a Black man convicted of murdering a white woman, Mr. Williams upheld his innocence until the very end.”
“His conviction relied on the testimony of two eyewitnesses who were compensated for their statements. There was no DNA evidence connecting him to the crime.”
“The current St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney recognized that mistakes made by the trial prosecutors—such as mishandling the murder weapon and deliberately excluding Black prospective jurors in violation of the Constitution—played a role in the wrongful conviction.”
“Despite this, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office persistently sought Mr. Williams’ execution and opposed clemency. The Attorney General and Missouri Governor Mike Parson—who ultimately rejected the clemency request—disregarded the wishes of the victim’s husband, who has consistently expressed his opposition to the death penalty for Mr. Williams.”
“We are deeply thankful to everyone who supported our quest for justice.
“As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall—who, prior to his appointment, also advocated for the lives of Black men on death row—once stated: ‘America can do better because America has no choice but to do better.’”
