Missouri is scheduled to execute a death row inmate on Tuesday despite his unresolved claims of innocence, CBS News reported.
Marcellus Williams, 55, is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 25. He was convicted in 2003 of the murder of Felicia Gayle, a social worker and former reporter. The murder took place in 1998 in the St. Louis suburb of University City. according to According to CBS News, Williams’ conviction was based primarily on the testimony of his then-girlfriend, who claimed to have found evidence linking him to the crime and what appeared to be a confession to his cellmate.
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday set the execution date for death row inmate Marcellus Williams for Sept. 24. Williams is awaiting a court hearing on his claims that he was not involved in the murders that landed him on death row. #MONews #KTLONews https://t.co/ZQCBn6qiba pic.twitter.com/F1o5dqZhH5
— KTLO Radio (@ktloradio) June 5, 2024
But subsequent developments have cast doubt on his guilt: In 2017, just hours before his scheduled execution, then-Republican Missouri Governor Eric Greitens halted execution proceedings to allow for further examination of new DNA evidence that showed the DNA on the murder weapon did not match Williams’, the outlet reported. This evidence wasn’t available at his original trial.
Greitens created a committee to look into these allegations, but the committee was disbanded by Missouri’s current Republican governor, Mike Parson, without completing its investigation. Additionally, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell has filed a motion to vacate Williams’ sentence in early 2024, citing a new Missouri law that allows for such measures when there is evidence suggesting a wrongful conviction. The motion has not been resolved, according to CBS News.
Exterior of the wing of the building that houses the Alan B. Polansky Correctional Facility and Texas Men’s Death Row in Livingston, Texas, on May 25, 2022. Hank Skinner, who has been on death row in Texas for nearly 30 years, says he’s still hopeful. (Photo by Cécile Clocheret/AFP via Getty Images)
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the governor’s power to grant clemency means Williams’ scheduled execution does not violate new state law, the media reported. Judge Zell Fisher stated that Williams has no statutory or due process right to an investigative committee. The Midwest Innocence Project, along with other advocacy groups, is frustrated by the court’s decision, noting that key DNA evidence has never been considered in court. (Related article: Number of executions worldwide rises to highest level in 10 years)
According to CBS News, they argue that moving forward with the execution without examining this evidence prioritizes procedural outcomes over justice and highlights problems in the system. Advocates continue to call for a hearing to overturn Williams’ conviction based on the new evidence.
