US executes man in Missouri despite pleas for clemency
The United States has executed a man in Missouri for a fatal stabbing of a woman in 1998, despite pleas from her family and the prosecuting office that had placed him on death row to allow him to serve life in prison.
Marcellus Williams, 55, was put to death on Tuesday.
Lisha Gayle’s family and the prosecutor sought to have his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
Williams was convicted of fatally stabbing Gayle during a 1998 burglary at her home.
Although Williams’ attorneys questioned the jury selection and evidence handling during his trial, the execution proceeded.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson defended the decision, stating that it brought closure to a case that had "dragged on for decades, repeatedly traumatizing Ms. Gayle’s family."
“No juror or judge has ever found Williams’ innocence claims credible,” Parson said.
It was Williams’ third scheduled execution after previous reprieves in 2015 and 2017, but this final attempt to delay his execution failed.
Last month, Gayle's family endorsed a proposed deal between Williams' legal team and the St. Louis County Prosecutor to reduce his sentence to life. However, the state Supreme Court overturned the agreement after an appeal by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
Williams' execution was part of a week where five death row inmates across five states were scheduled for execution, reflecting an increase in death penalty cases despite a long-term decline in its use across the States.
South Carolina carried out the first of the executions on Friday.
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