Marcellus Williams set for execution today after Missouri Supreme Court rejects appeal in '98 murder

With new DNA evidence and racial bias concerns, Williams faces lethal injection for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle.

 Marcellus Williams, a Missouri death row inmate who has long maintained his innocence, is set to be executed by lethal injection on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT. 

The Missouri Supreme Court and Governor Mike Parson have denied requests to halt the execution, leaving Williams’ fate in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Williams was convicted of killing former newspaper reporter Felicia Gayle in 1998, but newly revealed DNA evidence suggests the murder weapon may have been mishandled, casting doubt on his involvement.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell filed a motion in January to vacate Williams’ 2001 conviction, but it was denied. 

During Monday's hearing, Williams’ attorney, Jonathan Potts, highlighted racial bias in the original trial, stating a prosecutor struck a potential juror because “he was a young Black man with glasses.” 

Potts added, "There was a racial component to this." However, the Missouri Attorney General’s office disputed the claim, with Assistant Attorney General Michael Spillane saying, “He [the prosecutor] said no, absolutely not” when asked if race was a factor.

Governor Parson stood by the court’s decision, stating, "Mr. Williams has exhausted due process and every judicial avenue, including over 15 hearings attempting to argue his innocence and overturn his conviction." 

Parson added, "No jury nor court… have ever found merit in Mr. Williams’ innocence claims." Prosecutor Wesley Bell, however, expressed his concerns: "Even for those who disagree on the death penalty, when there is a shadow of a doubt… execution should not be an option."

Tricia Rojo Bushnell, Williams' attorney, condemned the decision: "Missouri is poised to execute an innocent man, an outcome that calls into question the legitimacy of the entire criminal justice system." 

As Williams faces his scheduled execution, the case has reignited debates on capital punishment and wrongful convictions.