Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection in Missouri after more than 20 years on death row. The 55-year-old died at the Potosi Correctional Center in Mineral Point. He had always maintained his innocence following his conviction for a murder committed in 1998. Legal attempts to exonerate him, based on DNA test results, were unsuccessful.
The stance taken by St. Louis County prosecutors did not affect the outcome. According to Williams’ lawyers, “they admitted they were wrong and zealously fought to overturn the conviction and save Mr. Williams’ life.” Several organizations, and even the victim’s family, tried to stop the execution. In the late afternoon of September 24, the last hope of halting the process faded with the Supreme Court’s decision. Only 3 out of 9 justices voted in favor of stopping the execution. Williams’ execution had previously been halted twice, in 2015 and 2017.
