The Missouri Court of Appeals held a hearing on Marcellus Williams’ claim of innocence on Wednesday, August 28. Williams, who is scheduled to be executed on September 24 for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, has maintained his innocence throughout the process of his legal defense. Though an evidentiary hearing earlier last week briefly gave him hope of reducing his sentence to life without parole, he currently finds himself once again facing an uncertain future.
The evidentiary hearing of August 21 found that due to improper handling by the prosecutor’s office, the murder weapon used to kill Felicia Gayle had no traces of Williams’ DNA. As a result, the lower court judge allowed Williams to renegotiate his sentence to life without parole. The Attorney General’s office appealed the decision, however, and the Supreme Court of Missouri held that the lower court lacked the authority to accept a new plea. Though the innocence hearing was held on August 28, the court’s decision has not yet been made as of the time of this publication. With the execution scheduled to take place on September 24, it is expected that the court’s decision will be issued shortly.
The Catholic Church is strongly opposed to the death penalty because it disregards the sanctity and dignity of human life. If you would like to contact Governor Parson regarding Mr. Williams’ execution, you can reach his office via phone at (573) 751-3222 or email him here.