Marcellus Williams, a 55-year-old Missourian, was condemned to death by lethal injection on Tuesday in spite of protests from the victim’s relatives and the prosecution. Due to concerns regarding his conviction and the victim’s family’s request for life in prison, his case had drawn attention. Williams spent 23 years on death row, maintaining his innocence throughout.

Conviction of Marcellus Williams

Felicia Gayle was a former social worker and journalist who was killed in her suburban St. Louis home in 1998. Williams was found guilty of her murder. Williams was charged with breaking into the woman’s house, stabbing her 43 times, stealing a laptop, and her purse. A fellow prisoner and his girlfriend, who both had criminal histories and eventually died, were among the witnesses who testified against him.

Doubts & Legal Challenges

Over time, Williams’ legal team argued that there was insufficient forensic evidence linking him to the offense. The DNA test on the murder weapon was done improperly, and Williams’ DNA was found to belong to the prosecutors. Moreover, his hair and a bloody shoeprint at the scene did not match. The courts upheld his conviction and sentence in spite of these objections.

Death of Marcellus Williams

On September 12, a judge made a decision upholding the death penalty and conviction. Governor of Missouri Michael Parson rejected clemency, claiming there was insufficient evidence to support Williams’ innocence. Many, including prosecutor Wesley Bell, contended that Williams’ life should have been spared despite these rulings, pointing out racial bias and faulty testimony in the initial trial. Williams was pronounced dead at 23:10 GMT after receiving the lethal injection at 23:01 GMT.

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