Wed Sep 25 02:27:43 UTC 2024: ## Two Men Executed in US, Sparking Outrage Over Innocence Claims
**St. Louis, Missouri and Huntsville, Texas** – Two men were executed on Tuesday in separate states, drawing criticism and protests over one man’s persistent claims of innocence.
**Marcellus Williams**, 55, was put to death in Missouri for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, a former newspaper reporter. Williams, who had a history of burglary and robbery convictions, was convicted based on testimony from a former cellmate and ex-girlfriend, despite his DNA not being found at the crime scene.
Despite a 2015 stay of execution due to the discovery of male DNA on the murder weapon that did not match Williams, and subsequent efforts to overturn his conviction, the Missouri Supreme Court ultimately ruled against him.
Civil rights groups, including the NAACP, had urged Governor Michael Parson to grant clemency, arguing that Williams’s execution was a “devastating miscarriage of justice.”
British billionaire Richard Branson, who took out a full-page ad in the Kansas City Star newspaper protesting the execution, also condemned Parson’s decision on social media.
**Travis Mullis**, 38, was executed in Texas for the 2008 death of his three-month-old son, Alijah. In his last statement, Mullis expressed regret for his actions and apologized to his son’s mother and family.
The executions bring the total number of executions in the United States this year to 16. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 US states, with six others having moratoriums in place.
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