Marcellus Williams. Scheduled Execution 9.24.2024, 18:00. Wrongfully incarcerated for nearly 24 years. 21 days until execution.

John, this is urgent: There’s only 21 days left until Missouri executes Marcellus Williams, an innocent man. Here’s his story: 

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Marcellus has been on death row for nearly 24 years, seeking to prove his innocence for a crime he didn’t commit. On Aug. 11, 1998, Felicia Gayle was found stabbed to death in her home. And while the perpetrator left behind considerable forensic evidence, none of it matches Marcellus.

Marcellus Williams has never had a fair shot at justice. The case against him relied heavily on:
* The testimony of two unreliable, incentivized witnesses driven by promises of leniency in their own pending criminal cases and reward money.
* A racially discriminatory jury selection that removed six of seven qualified Black prospective jurors, leaving a jury of 11 white people and one Black person to decide the fate of a Black man wrongfully convicted of murdering a white woman.

Beyond that, the Missouri Supreme Court refused to postpone Marcellus' execution date after scheduling the Circuit Court of St. Louis County’s hearing, which would give the circuit court more time to consider the exculpatory DNA results that no court has previously considered.

Now, we’re waiting for a decision from the Aug. 28 hearing, where the office of St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell conceded that their own office mishandled evidence that contributed to Marcellus Williams’ unreliable murder conviction and death sentence. 

We hope that the circuit court will agree with PA Bell’s office that under these circumstances, it would be unconscionable to allow his execution. But we can’t leave Marcellus’ fate to the courts alone, John.

With only 21 days left until Missouri makes an irreversible mistake and executes an innocent man, we need to act now. So please, will you sign the petition, join the advocacy team, and share Marcellus’ story before it’s too late?

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Thank you, 

Innocence Project



— The Innocence Project
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The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Our work is guided by science and grounded in anti-racism.

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