The 55-year-old was sentenced to death in 2001 for killing Felicia Gayle, a former newspaper reporter found dead in her gated community home.
Marcellus Williams was sentenced to death in 2001 for killing Felicia Gayle , a former newspaper reporter found stabbed to death in her home in St Louis, Missouri.
Reporting by the St Louis Post-Dispatch, where Ms Gayle had previously worked, said at the time police had no official motive but had ruled out her husband, a radiologist."She might have been diminutive in size, but she was never afraid to stand up for what she believed in," a former colleague told the outlet.
In May 1999, Ms Gayle's family offered a reward of $US10,000 for anyone who could give them answers." jail inmate named Henry Cole, a man with a lengthy record, claimed that Mr Williams confessed to him that he committed the murder while they were both locked up in jail," the Innocence Project wrote.
The trial prosecutor "used six of his nine peremptory strikes to eliminate black jurors, resulting in just one black member of the jury", they wrote. The murder weapon, a knife left in Ms Gayle's body at the scene, had not been tested for DNA during the initial trial. Just hours before that 2017 date, Williams was granted a second stay of execution by then-governor of Missouri, Eric Greitens.Six years later, without issuing any recommendations, the inquiry board was dissolved by his successor, Governor Mike Parson.The unknown male DNA on the knife handle, they said, matched an assistant prosecuting lawyer and a former investigator for the prosecution.
Instead of accepting guilt, the defendant accepts that there is sufficient evidence to find them guilty.A statement by Ms Bushnell at the time said the plea ensured "Mr Williams will remain alive as we continue to pursue new evidence".
Felicia Gayle Lethal Injection
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Missouri to execute Marcellus Williams despite prosecutors’ objections and innocence claimsProsecutors raise concerns about lack of evidence as family of victim supports saving Williams from the death penalty
Read more »
US court declines to stop execution of death row inmate who prosecutors say might be innocentMarcellus Williams, 55, was convicted of killing Felicia Gayle, a former newspaper reporter found stabbed to death in her home in 1998.
Read more »
When Dean was locked up, he told Felicia to move on with her lifeMiner Dean told his then fiancée, a former Miss Australia winner, not to wait for him when he was sent to jail for drug trafficking. Thankfully, she ignored him.
Read more »
When Dean was locked up, he told Felicia to move on with her lifeMiner Dean told his then fiancée, a former Miss Australia winner, not to wait for him when he was sent to jail for drug trafficking. Thankfully, she ignored him.
Read more »
Intuition Toolkit author Joel Pearson explains the five times when you shouldn’t use your intuitionGayle Dickerson says relying on intuition can be useful when you’re dealing with imperfect information.
Read more »
A Missouri inmate is set to die tonight after the US Supreme Court rejected his appealMarcellus Williams, whose murder conviction was questioned by a prosecutor in light of what he described as new evidence, will be executed.
Read more »