Marcellus Williams, a man on Missouri’s death row for the 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle, may finally have a chance at justice due to crucial DNA evidence. Despite upcoming an evidentiary hearing challenging his guilt, new DNA testing has revealed that the DNA of a prosecutor’s office investigator and the original prosecutor were found on the murder weapon, not Williams’.
A 2021 Missouri law allows prosecutors to seek vacating unjust convictions, resulting in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney filing a motion to vacate Williams’ conviction in light of the new DNA evidence. Williams had a plea deal for life in prison without parole but Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey blocked it, leading the Missouri Supreme Court to order Hilton to proceed with the evidentiary hearing.
The execution is still on for now, but the case has shed light on potential miscarriages of justice. Bell’s successful challenges of other convictions have shown a pattern of possible wrongful convictions in Missouri. Williams has consistently maintained his innocence, with his attorneys pointing to the unreliable testimonies of felons as the main evidence against him.
As the case unfolds, Williams may finally have a chance to prove his innocence after decades on death row. The upcoming ruling by Judge Hilton will determine Williams’ fate, as the legal battle continues to unfold with the weight of a man’s life hanging in the balance.
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