Missouri executed Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams on Tuesday for the 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle, despite protests from the prosecutor and the victim’s family. Williams, who maintained his innocence, was the third inmate executed in Missouri this year. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. following a lethal injection. Williams had claimed innocence, a claim supported by his defense team and prosecutors, as no DNA evidence connected him to the crime scene.
Williams’ attorney, Tricia Rojo Bushnell, criticized Missouri’s execution of her client, calling it a “grotesque exercise of state power.” The victim’s family also pleaded for Williams’ life to be spared, defining closure as allowing him to live. However, Governor Mike Parson and the Missouri Supreme Court denied Williams clemency, leading to his execution.
Williams was previously set to be executed twice, in 2015 and 2017, but both were halted for further DNA testing and investigation. Williams argued in his appeals that evidence was mishandled during his 1998 trial and presented DNA evidence that did not match his profile. Despite these claims, the courts upheld Williams’ conviction and sentence.
Nine people currently sit on death row in Missouri, with two more back-to-back executions expected in Alabama and Oklahoma. Williams’ case highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the death penalty and the challenges faced by those seeking clemency in capital punishment cases.
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