Man executed for 1998 killing of social worker in her own home
Marcellus Williams, 55, had always maintained his innocence in the fatal stabbing of the 42-year-old social worker and former newspaper reporter in her home, and had had two previous executions stayed, in 2015 and 2017. Lawyers representing Williams had previously argued that there was racial discrimination in selecting jurors, that there was no forensic evidence connecting Williams to the crime scene, and that DNA evidence in the case was mishandled.
At his trial, prosecutors said Williams broke into Ms Gayle’s home in August 1998, stabbing her 43 times with a large butcher knife before stealing her purse and her husband’s laptop.
The St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney’s Office had conceded the “constitutional error of mishandling evidence” in Williams’ trial, and said “clear and convincing evidence” of numerous constitutional errors in his prosecution were presented. The victim’s family had previously said they opposed executing Williams.
Earlier this year, prosecutors joined the legal efforts to save Mr Williams’ life, asking a court to vacate his death sentence. He was offered and accepted a plea deal, which would have seen his sentence reduced to life imprisonment.
However, the plea deal was blocked by the Missouri Supreme Court, which ordered the execution to go ahead. A last-minute appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States was rejected by judges in a 6-3 vote.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, attorney Tricia Rojo Bushnell, of the Midwest Innocence Project, said: “The victim’s family opposes his execution. Jurors, who originally sentenced him to death, now oppose his execution. The prosecutor’s office that convicted and sentenced him to death has now admitted they were wrong and zealously fought to undo the conviction and save Mr. Williams’ life.”
Following the execution on Tuesday, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, Wesley Bell, who had sought to have the conviction overturned, said, “This outcome did not serve the interests of justice.”
In a statement, he said: “Marcellus Williams should be alive today. There were multiple points in the timeline when decisions could have been made that would have spared him the death penalty. If there is even the shadow of a doubt of innocence, the death penalty should never be an option.”
In In a statement issued this week, the Innocence Project said: ‘Tonight, Missouri executed an innocent man.
‘Our hearts are with the family and friends of Marcellus Williams and Felicia Gayle, who have suffered unimaginable loss and trauma.
‘Mr. Williams’ story echoes that of too many others caught in our country’s broken criminal legal system. A Black man convicted of killing a white woman, Mr. Williams maintained his innocence until the very end. His conviction was based on the testimony of two eyewitnesses who were paid for their testimony. No DNA evidence linked him to the crime. And the current St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney acknowledged that errors made by the trial prosecutors – including mishandling the murder weapon and intentionally excluding Black prospective jurors in violation of the Constitution – contributed to a wrongful conviction.
‘Nonetheless, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office relentlessly pursued Mr. Williams’ execution and opposed clemency. The Attorney General and Missouri Governor Mike Parson – who ultimately denied the request for clemency – ignored the wishes of the victim’s husband who has consistently made clear that he opposed the death penalty for Mr. Williams.
‘We are profoundly grateful to everyone who joined our fight for justice.
As United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall – who, before his appointment to the Court, also fought for the lives of Black men condemned to death – once said: “America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.”
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SOCIAL WORK NEWS originally published the Story,
Source: https://www.mysocialworknews.com/article/man-executed-for-1998-killing-of-social-worker-in-her-own-home