A judge has declined to vacate the conviction and death sentence of Missouri inmate Marcellus Williams, who is facing execution for killing of a woman in her home in 1998. A St. Louis County circuit judge presided over an August evidentiary hearing challenging Marcellus Williams’ guilt in the stabbing death of social worker Lisha Gayle.
Joseph Amrine, who was exonerated two decades ago after spending years on death row, speaks at a rally to support Missouri death row inmates Marcellus Williams on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Clayton, Mo. FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Missouri Department of Corrections shows Marcellus Williams. Joseph Amrine, who was exonerated two decades ago after spending years on death row, speaks at a rally to support Missouri death row inmates Marcellus Williams on Wednesday, Aug.
on the murder weapon in seeking a hearing to consider vacating Williams’ conviction. Bell said the evidence indicated that someone else’s DNA was on the butcher knife used to kill Gayle.that allows prosecutors to ask a court to review a conviction they believe is unjust. That and the setting of an execution date saw Williams facing the prospect of everything from having his conviction overturned and being set free, to having it confirmed and facing pending execution.
With the DNA evidence spoiled, lawyers working on behalf of Williams from the Midwest Innocence Project reached a compromise with the prosecutor’s office: Williams would enter a new, no-contest plea to first-degree murder in exchange for a new sentence of life in prison without parole. An attorney for Williams, Jonathan Potts, said during the hearing that the mishandling of the murder weapon was devastating for Williams because it “destroyed his last and best chance” to prove his innocence.“In light of this report, cannot demonstrate that the genetic material on the knife handle can form a basis for a ‘clear and convincing showing’ of Williams’ innocence,” Hilton wrote.“They refer to the evidence in this case as being weak. It was overwhelming,” Spillane said at the hearing.
Capital Punishment Legal Proceedings General News MO State Wire Michael Spillane A Homicide Mike Parson N Missouri U.S. News
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