A hearing with life-or-death implications for Missouri inmate Marcellus Williams is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has filed a motion seeking to vacate Williams’ 1998 murder conviction, as he is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 24 and there is no sign of delay from Missouri Governor Mike Parson or Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Williams was previously granted a stay of execution in 2017 after DNA evidence showed that DNA on the murder weapon did not match his, prompting a reexamination of the case.
The motion argues that new DNA evidence, combined with other factors such as ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts doubt on Williams’ conviction. Williams, who is Black, was convicted by a mostly white jury. Despite the new DNA claims, Bailey maintains that the evidence supporting the conviction was overwhelming.
A 2021 Missouri law allows prosecutors to file motions to vacate convictions they believe were unjust, resulting in the release of three men who spent decades in prison. Williams’ case is the first death row inmate whose innocence claim is being considered under this law. He is receiving support from another former condemned inmate who was later exonerated.
The prosecution at Williams’ trial alleged that he broke into the victim’s home and stabbed her to death before stealing her husband’s laptop. Witness testimony from a cellmate claiming that Williams confessed to the crime was also presented. However, Williams’ attorneys argued that these witnesses were not credible as they were convicted felons seeking rewards.
The case highlights broader issues of wrongful convictions and the implications of executions, with the hope that the Attorney General’s office will acknowledge the impact of their actions on human lives.
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