Missouri Supreme Court Rules to Proceed with Marcellus Williams’ Execution

The scheduled execution of Marcellus Williams will proceed as planned on Tuesday after both the Missouri Supreme Court and Governor Mike Parson declined requests to halt the process.

Williams, 55, is set to be executed at 6 p.m. for the stabbing death of Lisha Gayle, which occurred in 1998 in University City, a suburb of St. Louis. His attorney, Jonathan Potts, argued that Williams’ trial was compromised due to racial discrimination during jury selection, specifically claiming that a black juror was removed because he resembled the defendant.

While Williams has consistently maintained his innocence, Potts focused on procedural errors rather than the innocence claim during the court hearing. He urged the state Supreme Court to either acknowledge the racial bias in excluding the juror or send the case back to a lower court for further examination.

Meanwhile, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office has opposed delaying the execution, defending the actions of the trial prosecutor. Assistant Attorney General Michael Spillane asserted that the prosecutor acted in accordance with the procedures at the time and refuted claims of misconduct regarding the handling of the murder weapon.

The U.S. Supreme Court is also considering an appeal for Williams. He had asked Governor Parson for clemency, emphasizing the wishes of Gayle’s family who prefer a commutation to life imprisonment without parole. However, Governor Parson, following the state Supreme Court’s decision, announced that the execution would move forward.

In a statement, Parson highlighted the complexities involved in capital punishment cases but emphasized his commitment to the judicial process. He noted that Williams had exhausted all legal avenues and that no court had ever substantiated his claims of innocence.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has called upon Parson to intervene and prevent the execution. If carried out, this would mark Missouri’s third execution this year and the 100th since the state resumed executions in 1989.

Williams narrowly avoided execution in January 2015 when the Missouri Supreme Court postponed it to allow further DNA testing. Another near-execution occurred in August 2017, when then-Governor Eric Greitens issued a stay after DNA evidence failed to link Williams to the murder weapon. A panel of retired judges was formed to review the case but did not provide a conclusion before Greitens resigned over unrelated issues.

Recent developments concerning DNA evidence prompted St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to request a hearing regarding Williams’ guilt. Unfortunately, just before the scheduled hearing, it was revealed that the DNA evidence had been compromised when members of the prosecutor’s office touched the knife without gloves before the initial trial.

With the DNA evidence unavailable, Williams’ attorneys reached an agreement with the prosecutor’s office allowing him to plead no contest to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence without the possibility of parole. This agreement was approved by Judge Bruce Hilton and Gayle’s family, but was later blocked by the Missouri Supreme Court at Bailey’s recommendation, leading to an evidentiary hearing on August 28.

Ultimately, Judge Hilton affirmed the original conviction and death sentence on September 12, stating that there was no basis for concluding that Williams was innocent. He pointed out that previous appeals had already been rejected by the courts.

During the August evidentiary hearing, Williams’ attorney contended that the trial prosecutor had not been properly questioned about the exclusion of the specific juror. The trial prosecutor, Keith Larner, testified that the juror was excluded partly due to his resemblance to Williams, although he did not elaborate on the significance of that factor.

The clemency petition filed by the Midwest Innocence Project highlighted the sentiments of Gayle’s relatives, who wish for Williams’ sentence to be commuted. Governor Parson, who has presided over 11 executions without granting clemency, reiterated his position.

At the original trial, prosecutors asserted that on August 11, 1998, Williams broke into Gayle’s home, encountered her in the shower, and subsequently stabbed her 43 times. They claimed he stole personal items, including a laptop. Williams’ girlfriend later testified that Williams wore a jacket on a hot day, and that she spotted the stolen items in his car.

Additionally, a fellow inmate, Henry Cole, testified that Williams confessed to the murder while they were incarcerated in 1999. Williams’ legal team argued that both the girlfriend and Cole were unreliable witnesses seeking financial gain.

As the execution date draws near, the legal and ethical questions surrounding the case continue to evoke significant debate.