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[ [link removed] ]Dream.org logo: a purple letter D and an orange letter O intersecting
John,
My name is ML Smith, Co-Director of Missourians to Abolish the Death
Penalty, and I want to tell you about my friend, Marcellus “Khaliifah”
Williams. I will speak for him because he can no longer speak for himself.
In 1999, Khaliifah was accused of a brutal home invasion and murder in
Missouri. Despite the lack of forensic evidence tying him to the crime and
multiple prosecutorial irregularities, he was convicted and sentenced to
death.
Years later, testing revealed that his DNA wasn’t even present on the
murder weapon. In fact, the prosecutor’s own office had critically
mishandled the evidence by touching it without gloves! This, plus many
other irregularities, moved both the victim's family and a new prosecuting
attorney to demand a stay to his execution earlier this year, but to no
avail. Missouri’s governor, attorney general, and supreme court all
refused to consider Khaliifah’s new exculpatory evidence. On September 24,
2024, Khaliifah—a father, friend, mentor, and grandfather—was executed,
despite overwhelming proof of his innocence.
The pain of his death was felt by millions of Americans who screamed to
save him and that is why I am here today, because you—that’s right— people
like you and thousands of voices across the country helped stop
37 executions all done in our name. This morning President Biden commuted
the 37 federal death sentences to life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole, fulfilling the promise he made while campaigning
for office in 2020. I am determined to end the scourge of this barbaric
practice in my state, but today I commend President Biden for his
leadership in securing justice and am thankful for everyone who worked so
diligently to #CommuteTheRow. Join us and share this historic news:
Huge win for justice! 🙌 President Biden commuted the sentences of 37
people on federal death row, changing them to life in prison. This is a
monumental step towards a more humane justice system. Let's keep fighting
for clemency! #CommuteTheRow
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Why is this important?
Donald Trump—who presided over 13 executions in just seven months during
his term, [ [link removed] ]more than any president in the last 130 years—has already
vowed to restart federal executions as soon as he enters the White House
on January 20th.
Like the MO governor Mike Parsons and attorney general, Andrew Bailey,
Trump has an almost singular desire to flip the switch, whether they are
guilty or not. Just as Parsons and Bailey ignored clear evidence that
supported Khaliifah’s claims of innocence, Trump too has previously
ignored concrete proof of innocence, going so far as to insist on the
guilt and punishment of five Black and Brown young men—[ [link removed] ]known as the
Central Park 5—who were wrongfully convicted, then exonerated for, a
brutal crime in New York City. Take a stand against the death penalty with
me and thank President Biden for listening to our collective movement to
#CommuteTheRow.
Huge win for justice! 🙌 President Biden commuted the sentences of 37
people on federal death row, changing them to life in prison. This is a
monumental step towards a more humane justice system. Let's keep fighting
for clemency! #CommuteTheRow
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With hope and a humble heart,
— ML Smith
Co-Director of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty
[ ] [ ]
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