Missouri executes man for 1998 murder of woman despite family's pleas to spare his life

A Missouri man was executed on Tuesday (Sep 24) for breaking into a woman's house and repeatedly stabbing her, leading to her death, after robbing the house. However, the prosecutor's office that secured his murder conviction 21 years ago, expressed doubts about the integrity of the case.

Marcellus Williams, 55, was executed in the US state of Missouri after spending more than two decades on death row. 

Williams was convicted in 1998 for fatally stabbing Lisha Gayle, who was 42 at the time, during a burglary of her suburban home in St. Louis. The victim's family had pleaded with authorities to spare him and to turn his sentence into a life sentence. 

Both Gayle's family and the prosecutor, wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.

According to the prosecutors, William broke into her home on August 11, 1998, heard the shower running, and found a large butcher knife with which he stabbed Gayle 43 times as she came downstairs. He also robbed her purse and her husband's laptop. 

He also stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. His girlfriend also questioned him why he was wearing a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend further said that she saw the purse and laptop in his car, however, William, sold the computer a day or two later. 

An attorney of Williams also argued that there was racial discrimination in selecting jurors and that DNA evidence in the case was mishandled.

Williams was denied a last-minute reprieve from the US Supreme Court after Missouri's top court and governor rejected his mercy requests early this week.

His clemency petition focused heavily on how Gayle’s relatives wanted Williams’ sentence commuted to life without the possibility of parole. 

"The family defines closure as Marcellus being allowed to live," the petition stated. "Marcellus’ execution is not necessary."

Williams' son and two attorneys watched his execution from another room. However, no one was present on behalf of the victim's family. 

Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he hoped the execution brings finality to a case that “languished for decades, revictimising Ms Gayle’s family over and over again.”

“No juror nor judge has ever found Williams’ innocence claim to be credible,” Parson said in a statement.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an American civil rights organisation, condemned the execution.

“Tonight, Missouri lynched another innocent Black man,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement.