Marcellus Williams, a Missouri inmate languishing on death row since 2001, met his fate on Tuesday, September 24th, as the grim schedule of justice was fulfilled. At precisely 6 p.m. Central Time, Williams breathed his last through the cold embrace of a lethal injection, his life extinguished for a crime he had steadfastly denied committing – the brutal stabbing murder of newspaper reporter Felicia Gayle in 1998.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a decision that sealed his fate, denied a last-minute stay of execution, as reported by NBC News and the Associated Press. The execution was carried out at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri, where Fox2Now witnessed the somber proceedings.
In a poignant final statement, Williams declared, "All Praise Be To Allah In Every Situation!!!" echoing his unwavering faith amidst the darkest hour.
Felicia Gayle, a dedicated journalist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was discovered brutally slain within the confines of her gated community home in University City, Missouri, on August 11, 1998, as previously recounted by PEOPLE. The investigation revealed a harrowing tale of violence, with Gayle suffering at least 43 stab wounds, ultimately succumbing to 16 fatal injuries inflicted upon her head, neck, chest, and abdomen.
Despite Williams' persistent assertions of innocence, a jury comprising 11 Whites and a single Black individual convicted him in 2001 of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, armed criminal action, and robbery. The Innocence Project has since highlighted the prosecutor's alleged misconduct, including the exclusion of six qualified Black jurors through peremptory challenges, casting doubt on the fairness of the trial.
One such challenge, as revealed in court documents, saw the prosecutor, Keith Larner, strike a Black juror due to his perceived resemblance to Williams, stating they looked like brothers, sharing similarities as Black men wearing glasses and possessing "piercing eyes."
Remarkably, even the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office, which originally secured Williams' conviction, now stands in solidarity with his innocence claims. A 73-page joint brief, filed collaboratively by county prosecutors and defense lawyers, acknowledges the absence of forensic evidence linking Williams to Gayle's murder.
Yet, Republican Governor Mike Parson, in a recent statement, stood firm, blocking any further appeals, stating that "no jury nor court, including at the trial, appellate, and Supreme Court levels, have ever found merit in Mr. Williams’ innocence claims."
Tricia Rojo Bushnell, Williams' attorney, spoke out on behalf of the Innocence Project, lamenting, "Missouri is poised to execute an innocent man, an outcome that shakes the very foundations of our criminal justice system."
Williams' execution marked the third such instance in Missouri this year and the 15th nationwide, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, underscoring the ongoing debate surrounding the fairness and morality of capital punishment.
