Wed Sep 25 16:54:23 UTC 2024: ## Missouri Executes Marcellus Williams Despite New DNA Evidence, Sparking Outrage
**St. Louis, MO** – Marcellus Williams, convicted for the 1998 murder of former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Lisha Gayle, was executed in Missouri on Tuesday despite a new DNA lab report raising serious doubts about his guilt.
Williams, 55, maintained his innocence throughout the process, including two previous stays of execution. His execution was met with widespread condemnation, with critics arguing that his death sentence was unjust given the new evidence and the absence of any DNA linking him to the murder weapon.
In recent months, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell filed a motion to vacate the death sentence, citing the mishandling of the murder weapon during Williams’ trial. However, the motion was denied, and both Republican Governor Mike Parson and the Missouri Supreme Court denied Williams clemency.
“Tonight, we all bear witness to Missouri’s grotesque exercise of state power,” said Tricia Rojo Bushnell, Williams’ attorney, prior to the execution. She emphasized the prosecution’s efforts to prevent Williams from receiving a new trial despite the new DNA evidence.
Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) echoed the sentiment, stating that “the state of Missouri and our nation’s legal system failed Marcellus Williams.” She argued that upholding the death penalty perpetuates “depravity.”
Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, likened the execution to a lynching, questioning the message it sends to the nation. “#MarcellusWilliams deserved to live,” Johnson tweeted.
Billionaire Richard Branson, co-founder of the Virgin Group, also condemned the execution on X, calling it a “travesty of justice.”
The execution has sparked widespread debate, with some, including conservative radio host Dana Loesch, focusing attention on the death of St. Louis Police Officer David Lee, killed in a hit-and-run accident.
This story will continue to be updated as further developments unfold.
First Piper 