BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — Marcellus Williams, a Missouri man convicted of a 1998 home invasion and murder, was executed Tuesday despite opposition from the victim’s family and the prosecuting attorney, who had sought to have his death sentence reduced to life imprisonment.
Williams, 55, was found guilty of killing Lisha Gayle, a former reporter and social worker, during a burglary at her suburban St. Louis residence.
Defense attorneys for Williams had raised concerns regarding jury selection and evidence management during his trial. His clemency petition highlighted the victim’s family’s desire for his sentence to be commuted to life without parole. “The family defines closure as Marcellus being allowed to live,” the petition stated. “Marcellus’ execution is not necessary.”
During his final moments, Williams was seen speaking with a spiritual adviser. Covered by a white sheet up to his neck, he moved slightly before becoming still.
Williams’ son and two attorneys observed the execution from a separate room. No representatives from Gayle’s family were present.
The Department of Corrections released a pre-written statement from Williams: “All Praise Be to Allah In Every Situation!!!”
Missouri Governor Mike Parson expressed hope that the execution would bring closure to a case that had “languished for decades, revictimizing Ms. Gayle’s family over and over again.” He added, “No juror nor judge has ever found Williams’ innocence claim to be credible.”
The NAACP, which had urged Governor Parson to halt the execution, condemned the act. “Tonight, Missouri lynched another innocent Black man,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
This marked the third execution attempt for Williams, who had previously received reprieves in 2015 and 2017. However, his recent appeals were swiftly denied by Governor Parson, the state Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Last month, Gayle’s family agreed to a deal between the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney’s office and Williams’ attorneys to commute his sentence to life imprisonment. However, the Missouri Supreme Court nullified the agreement following an appeal by Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office.
Williams was one of several death row inmates scheduled for execution across five states within a week, against a backdrop of declining support for the death penalty in the U.S. The first execution in this series occurred in South Carolina on Friday.
Gayle, aged 42 at the time of her death, was stabbed 43 times during the burglary. Prosecutors argued that Williams broke into her home, found a knife, and attacked her when she came downstairs. He then stole her purse and husband’s laptop.
Authorities claimed Williams used a jacket to hide bloodstains on his shirt. His girlfriend testified that she saw the stolen items in his car and that Williams sold the laptop shortly after the incident. Jailmate Henry Cole also testified that Williams had confessed the crime to him.
Williams’ defense countered that both the girlfriend and Cole were felons seeking a reward. They also noted that several pieces of evidence from the crime scene did not match Williams.
Concerns over DNA evidence led Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to request a hearing challenging Williams’ guilt. However, new tests showed that DNA on the knife matched members of the prosecutor’s office who had mishandled the evidence.
As a result, Bell’s office and Williams’ attorneys proposed a new plea deal for life imprisonment without parole. While Judge Bruce Hilton and Gayle’s family endorsed the agreement, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered an evidentiary hearing, ultimately upholding the original death sentence.
Williams, who was Black, faced additional scrutiny over the fairness of his trial. Only one of the 12 jurors was Black, and the prosecutor removed six of seven Black prospective jurors. The prosecutor justified one removal by saying the juror resembled Williams, a statement Williams’ attorneys argued was racially biased.
This execution is the third in Missouri this year and the 100th since the state resumed the death penalty in 1989.
