The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is not giving up on the case of Marcellus Williams, a man who is facing execution in Missouri. They have decided to appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court after a judge upheld Williams’ conviction and death sentence. The appeal was filed without specifying the grounds for it.
On the other hand, a clemency petition has been sent to Governor Mike Parson, highlighting that the murder victim’s family is against Williams’ execution. The petition also mentions that Williams, a Black man, was denied a fair trial due to the exclusion of Black prospective jurors in his 2001 trial.
Williams, now 55, is facing execution by lethal injection on September 24 for the murder of Lisha Gayle in 1998. Despite efforts to challenge his guilt based on DNA evidence, the case has been met with setbacks. The evidence on the murder weapon was found to be contaminated due to mishandling by the prosecutor’s office prior to the original trial.
Despite attempts to reach a compromise for a new sentence of life in prison without parole, the agreement was blocked by the Missouri Supreme Court. Judge Bruce Hilton ruled that the conviction and death sentence would stand, emphasizing that all previous claims of error by Williams had been rejected by the courts.
The clemency petition urges Governor Parson to spare Williams’ life, emphasizing the family’s desire for him to be given a life sentence instead of facing execution. The petition also mentions that no innocent person has been executed in the U.S. since 1972, but there have been cases of individuals executed despite claims of innocence.
Williams has faced execution in the past, with a stay granted in 2017 by then-Governor Eric Greitens after reviewing DNA evidence. A petition calling for a halt to Williams’ execution has garnered over 525,000 signatures, showing public concern over his case. Governor Parson is expected to announce his decision on the matter soon.