On September 25th, Marcellus Williams was executed by a lethal injection at 6:10 pm. This news comes after the victim’s family and the prosecutor, both shockingly agreed to stop Williams’ execution stating that it’s “not necessary.” Despite this, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against the appeal, abiding by the original decision to execute. His death has led the public to wonder about Marcellus Williams’ Wikipedia information and details of the case.

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Marcellus Williams’ Wikipedia

Williams was a Black Muslim with a keen interest in poetry. According to people who knew him, he had a strong belief in his religion and even served as an imam for the prisoners inside the jail. According to Marcellus Williams’ wikipedia, the other prisoners called him “Khalifa” meaning leader. In his last statement before his execution, William wrote one line on the entire page, “All praise be to Allah in every situation!”

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On August 11, 1988, journalist Felicia Gayle was stabbed 43 times in her home with a knife from her kitchen. The murder was pinned on Marcellus Williams after two witnesses claimed that he confessed to the crime. In 2001, Williams’s execution was announced. However, during the torturous time of Williams being on death row, it was discovered that the DNA found from Gayle’s house did not match that of Williams.

Details of the Case

In 1999, the victim, Felicia Gayle’s family publicly announced $10,000 for clues regarding her case. This led to the two key witnesses of the case, Henry Cole and Lara Asaro, who claimed that Marcellus confessed to the brutal crime. However, the Innocence Project questions the testimonies as the witnesses had no proof to back up their statements. Marcellus had already been serving a 50-year sentence for a robbery he was found guilty of when his execution was announced for the murder of Felicia Gayle.

Williams’ legal team appealed the decision based on the discovery of new evidence. According to The Innocence Project, among the new findings were bias in jury selection, the question of the chain of custody of the murder weapon, and more. The victim’s family also filed a request asking for Williams to be spared of his execution stating that imprisonment for life was enough.

However, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against the appeal for a stay of the death penalty. A day later, The US Supreme Court also denied the grant of a stay.

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Marcellus Williams’ Execution

The Missouri Department of Corrections released a report confirming Marcellus, 55, had been executed by a lethal injection at 6:10 pm on September 24. He died 9 minutes after the dose was injected.

After his death, Marcellus’ attorney made a statement acknowledging the prosecutor’s efforts to stop his execution. He further highlighted the state’s “grotesque exercise of power” for their decision to execute Williams despite evidence of innocence. Marcellus’ son, Marcellus Williams Jr was outraged at the state for their decision and called the execution of his father as a “murder.”

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Marcellus’ last meal included chicken wings and tater tots. He chose to spend the last 90 minutes of his life with his spiritual advisor, Imam Jalahii Kacem.

Marcellus Williams’ execution has sparked a huge debate on death penalty laws. Many are criticizing The Supreme Court for ignoring the pleas of clemency by the victim’s family and for not acting based on new evidence proving Williams’ innocence. The public has termed this as a classic case of bias based on the allegation of a “black man killing a white woman”. Williams maintained his innocence till his last breath.

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Fatima Abid: Obsessed with books since childhood, Fatima Abid now pens down her own words. Her favorite part about writing is transforming the ideas flying in her head into words on a screen. Her abundance of articles are a testament to her passion for writing.