Marcellus Williams Executed by Lethal Injection in Missouri

Marcellus Williams, a 55-year-old inmate on death row in Missouri, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday for the brutal 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle, a former newspaper reporter. Gayle was discovered viciously stabbed in her home near St. Louis.

Williams’ execution took place at around 6:00 p.m. CDT at a state prison in Bonne Terre, roughly 60 miles southwest of St. Louis. His attorney confirmed the execution to ABC News.

The case has attracted national attention, with Williams maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings. The family of the victim has opposed the execution, and various motions for appeals have been submitted at multiple judicial levels.

Wesley Bell, the chief prosecutor for St. Louis County, expressed his disapproval of the execution, stating, “Marcellus Williams should be alive today. There were multiple points in the timeline when decisions could have been made that would have spared him the death penalty. If there is even the shadow of a doubt of innocence, the death penalty should never be an option. This outcome did not serve the interests of justice.”

The United States Supreme Court denied two separate appeals made on Williams’ behalf just an hour before his execution, despite dissent from Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor.

Following the Court’s decision, Williams’ attorney, Tricia Rojo Bushnell, released a heartfelt statement saying, “Tonight, Missouri will execute an innocent man, Marcellus ‘Khaliifah’ Williams.” She urged those who believe in justice to strive for a better future, expressing gratitude to the St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney for his efforts in seeking the truth and justice for Williams.

On the day prior to the execution, Governor Mike Parson and the Missouri Supreme Court rejected a last-minute request to halt the execution.

Governor Parson stated, “No jury nor court, including at the trial, appellate, and Supreme Court levels, have ever found merit in Mr. Williams’ innocence claims.” He reaffirmed that the guilty verdict and capital punishment sentence had been upheld, asserting that nothing in the case has led him to believe Williams was innocent.

In 1999, Williams was charged with first-degree murder for Gayle’s killing and was convicted in 2001. Prosecutors argued that he broke into her home in August 1998 and fatally stabbed her 43 times with a butcher knife. Personal items, including her purse and her husband’s laptop, were reported stolen.

Court documents indicate that the murder weapon remained lodged in Gayle’s body, with forensic evidence—including blood, hair, fingerprints, and shoe prints—suggesting a connection to the crime. However, Williams’ defense claimed that no DNA was found on the murder weapon and pointed to two unidentified DNA sources that could potentially link to the actual murderer.

Recent DNA evidence indicated that the former prosecutor and investigator in Williams’ case had not worn gloves while handling the murder weapon. This oversight resulted in their DNA being found on the knife, debunking claims linking unidentified DNA to a potential killer.

In his statement, Governor Parson criticized Williams’ legal team for muddying the issue surrounding the DNA evidence, asserting that the courts have already dismissed those claims. He reiterated his stance that there was no substantial evidence to support Williams’ protestations of innocence.

The execution of Marcellus Williams marks the third execution in Missouri this year and the 100th since the state reinstated capital punishment in 1989.

Source: ABC News