Missouri Executes Marcellus Williams Despite DNA Evidence, Prosecutor’s Push to Overturn Conviction

Marcellus Williams, 55, was executed in Missouri on Tuesday night after spending more than 25 years on death row for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, a former journalist in St. Louis. His execution proceeded despite widespread concerns about his conviction, including DNA evidence that did not link him to the crime and support from prosecutors seeking to overturn his death sentence.

Williams was convicted of breaking into Gayle’s home and stabbing her 43 times, though no forensic evidence tied him to the murder weapon. New DNA testing on the knife found male DNA that did not match Williams, raising doubts about his guilt. The St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office, which originally tried the case, had asked for the conviction to be overturned, citing serious concerns about the handling of evidence and the exclusion of Black jurors during the trial.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson and the state’s attorney general, however, moved forward with the execution. A last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied, with the court’s three liberal justices dissenting. Advocates, including billionaire Richard Branson, and civil rights groups condemned the decision, arguing that Missouri risked executing an innocent man.

Williams had twice previously avoided execution, with stays in 2015 and 2017 after DNA testing called his conviction into question. In 2017, then-Governor Eric Greitens formed a panel to review the case, but the panel disbanded after Greitens resigned, and no conclusion was reached.

In recent months, Williams and prosecutors had reached an agreement to convert his sentence to life without parole in exchange for a no-contest plea, but the Missouri Supreme Court blocked the deal. Throughout his time on death row, Williams maintained his innocence, citing numerous procedural flaws in his trial, including the racial makeup of the jury, which had 11 white members and only one Black member.

Williams’ son and two attorneys witnessed his execution, as did his spiritual advisor. In his final written statement, Williams said, “All praise be to Allah in every situation.”

The case has sparked renewed debate about capital punishment in the U.S., particularly in cases with significant doubt about the convicted person’s guilt. Civil rights advocates and lawmakers have called for further scrutiny of the justice system’s handling of cases like Williams’, where racial bias and flawed evidence play key roles in wrongful convictions.