BREAKING: Stop the Sept. 24 Execution of Marcellus Williams

Case update from Sept. 24: Missouri executed Marcellus Williams. 

Case update from July 2: The Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri, scheduled a hearing for August 21, 2024, to assess the “clear and convincing evidence” of actual innocence that led Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to move to vacate Marcellus Williams’s wrongful conviction and death sentence

The Missouri Supreme Court scheduled Marcellus Williams to be executed on Sept. 24, 2024 at 6 p.m. for a 1998 murder — despite DNA evidence supporting his innocence.

After the news broke, attorneys for Marcellus released a statement:

“The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney has asserted that he has clear and convincing evidence that Marcellus Williams is innocent. It is alarming that an execution date has been set in spite of this. To date, no court has ever reviewed the DNA evidence proving Mr. Williams was not the individual who wielded the murder weapon and committed this crime. Yet, the State successfully sought an execution date, highlighting the system’s emphasis on finality over innocence. That is not justice. We will continue to fight for Mr. Williams’ exoneration and seek a hearing on the prosecutor’s motion to vacate.”

For the past 24 years, Marcellus has been on death row for a murder that DNA evidence proves someone else committed.

We have less than 112 days to stop the execution of an innocent person. Here’s how you can help:

1. Sign the petition to stop Mr. Williams’ execution.

Mr. Williams was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery, and burglary in the 1998 killing of Felicia Gayle, a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter who was stabbed 43 times in her own home. His conviction primarily relied upon the inconsistent testimonies of two incentivized witnesses, with no physical evidence linking him to the crime scene. 

In 2016, post-conviction DNA testing of the murder weapon proved that Mr. Williams did not commit the crime, contradicting the testimony of the unreliable informants. This crucial DNA evidence has not been presented in court. 

Text “Marcellus” to 97016 to join his advocacy team and include your name with more than 58,000+ people in signing this petition to stop Mr. Williams’ execution. 

@innocence Despite DNA evidence pointing to his innocence, Marcellus Williams faces execution in Missouri for a crime that DNA proves he did not commit. Add your name to our petition at the link in our bio and share Marcellus’ story far and wide to stop this injustice before it’s too late. #innocence #deathrow #missouri #criminaljustice ♬ Emotional Cinematic Sad Violin and Piano – ISAo

2. Read and share Mr. Williams’ story.

The national attention surrounding Mr. Williams’ story has underscored the State’s blatant disregard of the exculpatory evidence that could clear his name. 

Share these social media posts on your own platforms and with family or friends to spread the word about this miscarriage of justice or use our toolkit:

BREAKING NEWS: The Missouri Supreme Court has scheduled @The_MIP and our client #MarcellusWilliams to be executed on Sept. 24, 2024 for a crime DNA proves he didn’t commit. We have three months to stop the execution of an innocent person: https://t.co/eofSDX6Eja

— Innocence Project (@innocence) June 4, 2024

 

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3. Use your voice. 

You’ve done it before for our clients Pervis Payne, Rodney Reed, Julius Jones and Melissa Lucio, the last of whom was just two days away from execution when the court granted a stay. In all, more than 1 million advocates online and on the ground used their voices to call for change.

So here’s what to do: Create an Instagram post, reel, or TikTok to share the background of Mr. Williams’ case, the reasons he’s innocent, and all the missteps in this miscarriage of justice, and urge your followers to sign our petition. Use these five facts to share your story.