Marcellus Williams Faces Uncertain Future Despite Exonerating DNA Evidence
Marcellus Williams, who believed DNA evidence would exonerate him from Missouri’s death row, remains in a precarious position due to a decades-old prosecutorial oversight.
Williams, 55, is set to be executed on September 24 for the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle in University City, a suburb of St. Louis. St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hilton will preside over an evidentiary hearing on Wednesday to reassess Williams’ guilt. However, the key DNA evidence supporting Williams is now deemed nonviable.
Missouri law offers hope, but challenges persist
A 2021 Missouri law permits prosecutors to file motions to vacate convictions they believe to be unjust. In January, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell utilized this law after reviewing DNA tests unavailable during Williams’ 2001 conviction. These tests revealed that Williams’ DNA was not present on the murder weapon. A hearing was initially scheduled for August 21.
New DNA evidence raises questions
Recent testing identified DNA from Edward Magee, an investigator for the prosecutor’s office during Williams’ trial, on the knife. The tests also failed to exclude the original prosecutor, Keith Larner.
“Additional investigating and testing demonstrated that the evidence was not handled properly at the time of (Williams’) conviction,” Jacober informed the judge. “As a result, DNA was likely removed and added between 1998 and 2001.”
In response, Williams’ lawyers and the prosecutor’s office reached a compromise: Williams would enter a no-contest plea to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence without parole. Judge Hilton approved the agreement, as did Gayle’s family. However, lawyers for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office did not.
At the urging of Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey, the Missouri Supreme Court blocked the agreement and instructed Hilton to proceed with the evidentiary hearing. The execution, now less than four weeks away, remains scheduled. Hilton is expected to rule by mid-September.
Williams has faced imminent execution before. In August 2017, hours before his scheduled lethal injection, then-Governor Eric Greitens granted a stay after testing indicated the DNA on the knife matched an unknown individual. This finding prompted Bell to reexamine the case.
A rising star in Missouri Democratic politics, Bell recently defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Cori Bush in a primary and is heavily favored in the upcoming November general election. Bell’s office has successfully challenged convictions under the 2021 law, leading to the release of three other men: Christopher Dunn, Lamar Johnson, and Kevin Strickland.
The 1998 crime and trial
Prosecutors at Williams’ trial claimed he broke into Gayle’s home on August 11, 1998, discovered a butcher knife, and stabbed her 43 times when she came downstairs. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, a social worker and former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter, was found murdered.
Authorities alleged Williams wore a jacket to hide blood stains, which his girlfriend found suspicious. She later saw the stolen laptop in Williams’ car and claimed he sold it shortly after. Testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a cell with Williams, stated Williams confessed to the murder and provided specific details.
Williams’ attorneys countered that both the girlfriend and Cole were convicted felons motivated by a $10,000 reward.
The path ahead
As the legal proceedings continue, the case of Marcellus Williams highlights the complexities and challenges within the justice system, particularly regarding the role of DNA evidence and prosecutorial conduct. The outcome could significantly impact future cases involving wrongful convictions and the death penalty.