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: 

Why is this important?
Donald Trump—who presided over 13 executions in just seven months during his term, 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—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. 

With hope and a humble heart,
— ML Smith
Co-Director of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty