Jefferson City, Missouri – Governor Mike Parson announced that the state will proceed with the execution of Marcellus Williams on September 24. Williams was convicted of the brutal murder of Felicia Gayle in 1998, where he stabbed her 43 times during a burglary. The decision to carry out the execution comes after the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the ruling in the case.
The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment, citing that Williams’ attorney failed to prove his innocence or show any constitutional error. Additionally, the court dismissed the motion to stay the execution, stating that the prosecutor did not provide any evidence that could challenge the original judgment. Governor Parson expressed the difficulty of dealing with capital punishment cases but emphasized his commitment to upholding the law and trusting the judicial system.
Over the course of 23 years, Williams has exhausted all avenues of appeal, including multiple attempts to prove his innocence and overturn his conviction. Despite claims of actual innocence and ineffective counsel, courts have consistently upheld his guilty verdict and capital punishment sentence. Governor Parson criticized the media coverage of the case, particularly regarding the DNA evidence, which has been repeatedly rejected by the courts.
DNA evidence presented in the case failed to establish Williams’ innocence as it matched investigators rather than an unknown assailant. The Governor reiterated his faith in the legal system and emphasized that the execution will proceed as ordered by the Supreme Court. Despite ongoing questions about the case, the court’s decision to uphold the conviction highlights the challenges and complexities of handling capital punishment cases.