Missouri Decided To Execute An Innocent Man
Marcellus Williams has maintained his innocence since the murder of Felicia Gayle in 1998. He was convicted of this crime without evidence, with the case against him resting upon two unreliable witnesses. Recently, DNA testing has confirmed that Williams’ DNA was nowhere to be found at the crime scene. Yet at 6 pm today, the State of Missouri is set to execute Williams for a crime that he did not commit.
In January of 2024, prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County Wesley Bell asked to vacate Marcellus Williams’ murder conviction based on “clear and convincing evidence” of Williams’ innocence. As stated in Bell’s motion to vacate, “DNA evidence supporting a conclusion that Mr. Williams was not the individual who stabbed Ms. Gayle has never been considered by a court.”