Black Man Insists He Didn't Kill Reporter, Executed in the US

On Tuesday, the United States witnessed the execution of two men on death row, a notable event marked by the execution of Marcellus Williams, a 55-year-old Black man who maintained his innocence throughout his legal battles. Williams was sentenced to death in Missouri for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, a former newspaper reporter. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 PM local time, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections.

In addition to Williams, 38-year-old Travis Mullis was executed in Huntsville, Texas, for the brutal murder of his three-month-old son, Alijah Mullis, in 2008. In his final statement, Mullis expressed regret, saying, "I do regret the decision to take the life of my son, I apologize to the mother of my son, the victim's family."

Both executions were carried out by lethal injection, bringing the total number of executions in the U.S. this year to 16.

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Williams’ case has drawn significant attention, particularly from civil rights groups, including the NAACP, which had urged Missouri Governor Michael Parson to halt the execution. Despite these pleas, Governor Parson affirmed that the execution would proceed. "No jury nor court, including at the trial, appellate, and Supreme Court levels, have ever found merit in Mr. Williams's innocence claim," Parson stated. He underscored that the guilty verdict and the capital punishment sentence were upheld across various legal avenues.

The U.S. Supreme Court also denied a last-minute appeal to stay Williams's execution. His case was highly contentious; Williams was convicted based largely on the testimonies of a former jail cellmate and an ex-girlfriend, despite the absence of his DNA on the murder weapon or at the crime scene.

Felicia Gayle was discovered dead in her St. Louis home, having been stabbed 43 times with a kitchen knife. Initially believed to be a burglary gone wrong, the case took several turns as Williams, who had previous convictions for burglary and robbery, was arrested based on circumstantial evidence.

In a significant twist, the Missouri Supreme Court had previously stayed Williams's execution in 2015, and again in 2017, after new evidence surfaced. Male DNA found on the knife did not match Williams, prompting local prosecutors to pursue a reconsideration of his conviction. However, on Monday, the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled against delaying the execution.

British billionaire Richard Branson expressed his dismay over Williams’s execution, purchasing a full-page advertisement in the Kansas City Star to denounce what he termed a "devastating miscarriage of justice." On social media, he referred to the day as "shameful for Missouri" and criticized Governor Parson for allowing the execution to proceed.

In a broader context, the death penalty remains a contentious issue in the United States. While 23 states have abolished capital punishment, six others, including Arizona, California, and Pennsylvania, have imposed moratoriums.

The execution of Marcellus Williams serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and challenges surrounding the justice system, particularly regarding the death penalty and claims of innocence.