BREAKING: Missouri Governor Denies Clemency to Marcellus Williams 

John

Yesterday evening, Missouri Gov. Parson denied Marcellus Williams's appeal for clemency, who is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 24. Additionally, the Missouri Supreme Court rejected a request to cancel Marcellus’ execution to allow the lower court to make a new determination about the trial prosecutor’s improper removal of Black prospective jurors on the basis of their race. Marcellus' legal team is still in active litigation with the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The governor’s decision ignores the widespread support for clemency based on serious doubts about the integrity of Marcellus’ conviction and death sentence. More than 1,400,000 concerned citizens petitioned Gov. Parson to commute his death sentence. The papal nuncio expressed support for clemency, as did a group of nearly 70 Missouri faith leaders from the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities.

“Missouri is poised to execute an innocent man, an outcome that calls into question the legitimacy of the entire criminal justice system. Given everything we know about Marcellus Williams’ case—including the new revelations that the trial prosecutor removed at least one Black juror because of his race, and opposition to this execution from the victim’s family and the sitting Prosecuting Attorney, the courts must step in to prevent this irreparable injustice.”

– Tricia Rojo Bushnell, attorney for Marcellus Williams

We still have a pending appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, so once again Marcellus's fate is down-to-the-wire, after having been previously granted a stay of execution just four hours before his scheduled execution in 2017.

Please continue to check our website for the latest updates and share Marcellus’ case.

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Thank you for your continued support,

— 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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