A submitted photograph shows Marcellus Williams in prison.
In September, a man from Missouri who is facing execution will have an opportunity to present DNA evidence to a court that he believes will clear his name.
On August 21st, Marcellus Williams is scheduled to have a hearing, as per the request of St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to vacate the conviction after conducting a thorough review of the case. They came across “clear and convincing evidence” that proves Williams’ innocence.
Felicia Gayle was murdered in 1998 and Williams was found guilty of the crime.
Bell has emphasized in his motion to vacate the conviction that Williams cannot be held responsible for the DNA found on the murder weapon which was used to kill Gayle. The defense attorney argues that Williams should be excluded as a suspect since other forensic evidence also clears him of the crime.
Attorney General Andrew Bailey stands against Bell’s proposal, stating that Williams was convicted by a jury of his peers. The Attorney General’s Office has opposed all cases of innocence in the past 30 years, even those presented by a local prosecutor seeking to overturn a conviction based on innocence.
Tricia Bushnell, the attorney representing Williams, expressed her disagreement with the attorney general’s attempt to impede the court’s review and is calling for the Missouri Supreme Court to halt Williams’ execution.
The execution of Williams was halted by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2015, and a special master was appointed to review the DNA testing of potential exculpatory evidence. However, two years later, without conducting a hearing, the court rescheduled Williams’ execution.
In the same year, former Governor Eric Greitens intervened by issuing a second stay and forming a board of inquiry to investigate the matter.
In June 2023, Governor Mike Parson lifted the stay and dissolved the board. Recently, the state Supreme Court issued the execution warrant, which sets the execution date for September 24th.