Missouri executed Marcellus Williams on Tuesday night, adding to the national debate over the death penalty. Williams, 55, was executed by lethal injection for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, a former reporter who was brutally stabbed in her suburban St. Louis home.
The execution took place despite strong opposition from a variety of groups. Both the victim’s family and local prosecutors, along with some legal experts, had advocated life in prison without parole rather than the death penalty. Their concerns were heightened by doubts surrounding the DNA evidence used in the case. New tests showed that DNA found on the murder weapon belonged to members of the prosecution team who mishandled it, raising questions about the reliability of the forensic evidence presented at Williams’ trial.
Williams has consistently maintained his innocence, arguing that the absence of his DNA on the murder weapon and the presence of unidentified DNA suggest the possibility of another perpetrator. His defense has pointed to criticism of the prosecution’s handling of evidence, particularly the knife, which could have compromised any DNA that could have identified the real killer.
The case attracted national attention not only because of concerns about the evidence but also because of the unusual alliance between the victim’s family and the prosecutor’s office, both of whom sought clemency for Williams. Despite their appeals, Missouri Governor Mike Parson and the state Supreme Court refused to intervene, allowing the death sentence to remain in place.
In contrast, death penalty supporters in this case point to the confirmation of the conviction through multiple appeals and other evidence, including testimony from fellow inmates that Williams confessed, as reasons to uphold the sentence.
