Missouri Supreme Court Denies Execution Stay for 1998 Murder Convict

Marcellus Williams, a 55-year-old inmate, is scheduled for execution by lethal injection on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for the 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle, a social worker who was brutally stabbed in her home in St. Louis. Despite his claims of innocence, the Missouri Supreme Court and Governor Mike Parson have denied requests to halt the execution, citing previously rejected allegations regarding racial bias in jury selection and DNA evidence. Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, has expressed doubts about Williams' guilt and intends to appeal the state Supreme Court's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. He argues that the irreversible nature of the death penalty should not be applied when there is any doubt about a defendant's guilt. The case has drawn attention from organizations like the Midwest Innocence Project, which asserts that Missouri is on the verge of executing an innocent man, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the criminal justice system. Williams' past includes a near-execution in 2015, which was postponed to allow for further DNA testing. This upcoming execution would mark the third carried out in Missouri this year and the 100th since the state resumed executions in 1989. The case highlights ongoing debates about the death penalty, racial bias, and the reliability of evidence in capital cases.