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Execution of Marcellus Williams sparks outrage after Governor and State Supreme Court rejected bids to save him - despite prosecutors initiating proceedings to overturn death sentence
Daily Mail UK ^ | September 25, 2024 | Natasha Anderson

Posted on 09/25/2024 9:27:13 AM PDT by Morgana

The execution of a death row inmate whose murder conviction has been doubted by the prosecutors that convicted him has sparked a wave of outrage across the US.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has been branded 'shameful' and 'racist' and the state and federal justice systems accused of being 'flawed' after Marcellus Williams was put to death by lethal injection on Tuesday.

Williams, 55, was sentenced to death over the 1998 killing of Lisha Gayle, who was stabbed repeatedly during a burglary of her suburban St. Louis home.

The St. Louis County prosecutor's office - which originally secured his conviction in 2001 - had filed a motion to vacate the conviction after expressing concerns about the lack of DNA evidence linking Williams to the killing of Gayle. They also argued that Williams, who has insisted he is innocent, did not receive a fair trial.

But Williams' execution moved forward Tuesday after Parson and the state Supreme Court, acting on an appeal from Missouri Attorney General's office, rejected his appeals in quick succession the day before. The US Supreme Court also rejected a last-ditch request to stay his execution.

Gayle's family had also agreed to a deal that would see Williams sentenced to life in prison instead of being executed.

Civil rights campaigners and politicians alike have launched attacks on Parson and the Missouri Supreme Court over Williams' death, with the NAACP even calling the injustice a modern-day 'lynching'.

British billionaire Richard Branson, who bought a full-page advert in the Kansas City Star newspaper decrying a 'devastating miscarriage of justice,' mourned Williams's execution on social media.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: deathpenalty; feliciagayle; killthemall; marcelluswilliams; mikeparson; missouri
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To: Morgana

In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus spoke about forgiveness:

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Over time as I’ve studied the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, I’ve changed from being pro-death penalty to anti-death penalty. I honestly don’t see how anyone claiming to be a Christian can support the death penalty.


21 posted on 09/25/2024 10:04:22 AM PDT by rod5591
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To: Morgana
I want solid evidence...

Here is some solid evidence:
There's lots more evidence, but I don't have time to list them right now. The man undoubtedly was guilty of a heinous crime and received a justified penalty. As usual, the NAACP is trying to foment racial unrest leading up to an election.
22 posted on 09/25/2024 10:04:51 AM PDT by Dan in Wichita
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To: Eccl 10:2

Me too.

5.56mm


23 posted on 09/25/2024 10:05:00 AM PDT by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho have got to go. )
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To: Morgana

The prick was guilty as homemade sin. He even confessed. The case was meticulously reviewed.
Glad he is gone.

And he even got wings and tater tots for his last meal.
There’s just no pleasing some people.

Don’t fall for the libtard thing. Ever notice that every single low life on death row is innocent? Guess what? They aren’t.


24 posted on 09/25/2024 10:05:15 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: Morgana

I haven’t researched this case, but those who oppose the death penalty push the notion that without DNA evidence, no conviction is legitimate. It is false that DNA will always be present, and that testing whatever was found will be definitive. Making it impossible to convict the guilty fails the cause of Justice just as much as framing the innocent.

Did the jury convict this guy on zero evidence? No fingerprints, none of the victim’s blood, hair, etc. on the murderer or his clothes, no murder weapon connected to the killer, no surveillance video, no witnesses, nothing to place him at the scene, solid alibi, nothing stolen from the scene found in his possession, no recorded conversations/confessions, no history of robberies and violence, no means motive or opportunity, etc.? I would think the 20+ years of appeals would have mentioned flaws in the total case rather than latch onto the unknown.


25 posted on 09/25/2024 10:06:04 AM PDT by Chewbarkah
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To: pfflier

that was my thought

you can be convicted without dna

they were not saying there was someone else’s dna


26 posted on 09/25/2024 10:07:47 AM PDT by joshua c
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To: LeonardFMason

Since 1998 this has been going on— with all the FACTUAL evidence (esp the girlfriend’s first hand testimony of the confession to the crime by the perpetrator AND the physical presence of the victim’s purse and contents in the perpetrator’s car) still in evidence. The DNA request is a last ditch effort to prevent probity of justice— DNA demand testing well after the fact of the technology of getting any DNA data from items of the crime and from the victim.

26 years of back and forth and incarceration, sentenced to death with stay applications. You are correct on the gullibility.


27 posted on 09/25/2024 10:08:24 AM PDT by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: rod5591

>>normally I am not on the same side as NAACP, but there are enough history of death penalty errors and men wrongfully executed that I would like to see an end to the death penalty altogether.<<

The earliest example I can think of an innocent man condemned to the death penalty was Jesus of Nazareth who was executed by the Romans in AD 33 outside of Jerusalem.


28 posted on 09/25/2024 10:11:08 AM PDT by rod5591
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To: Chewbarkah
I figure even if he wasn't guilty of this particular crime, he probably committed
other crimes for which he was never caught. It sort of all evens out in the end.


29 posted on 09/25/2024 10:11:54 AM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie
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To: rod5591
You can not "forgive" someone who has done harm to someone else on behalf of that person.

If someone punches you in the face I can not coo to the thug, "I forgive you" and everything is now ok.

God has no problem with the death penalty and in fact commanded it in the case of murder.

And of course "Forgiveness" does not mean you will not be punished for your actions.

30 posted on 09/25/2024 10:14:28 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Not my circus. Not my monkeys. But I can pick out the clowns at 100 yards.)
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To: Morgana
Re: "The execution of a death row inmate whose murder conviction has been doubted by the prosecutors that convicted him..."

Look at that language.

The Daily Mail makes it sound like the original prosecutors were claiming the murderer was innocent.

Completely bogus.

Bottom Line...

75% of USA murder scenes have zero DNA from the killer.

40%-50% of USA murders do not even result in a prosecution.

31 posted on 09/25/2024 10:15:00 AM PDT by zeestephen (Trump "Lost" By 43,000 Votes - Spread Across Three States - GA, WI, AZ)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie
Yeah, I don't want government murdering citizens based on "he probably did other things". The DNC would have us all at the gallows within a week.

I'm for retaining Capital Punishment, and I'm for keeping it EXTREMELY difficult for the government to actually accomplish.

32 posted on 09/25/2024 10:18:59 AM PDT by Teacher317
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To: DarrellZero

“The only DNA they found was from someone in the prosecutor’s office who handled the knife without gloves.”
.
.

DNA doesn’t always show up on a crime scene.

DNA evidence isn’t always correctly collected by the police agency.

Gloves can slough-off DNA evidence.

Gloves can even ADD fingerprints to evidence!

Blood, however, can be typed. None of the defendant’s clothes/shoes were impounded?


33 posted on 09/25/2024 10:20:02 AM PDT by Does so (Why is our PRINT-MEDIA being crafted by foreigners? 🇺🇦.....)
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To: pfflier

Woke lefty appologists have infecfted prosecutor’s offices all over America. the biggest problem they have with this is that he’s black, not yhat he was innocent.


34 posted on 09/25/2024 10:20:19 AM PDT by Bullish (...And just like that, I was dropped from the ping-list)
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To: rod5591

There are many here that put America and “conservatism” above Christianity. Similar to what liberals do.


35 posted on 09/25/2024 10:22:26 AM PDT by Rural_Michigan
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear
And of course "Forgiveness" does not mean you will not be punished for your actions.

Exactly

36 posted on 09/25/2024 10:24:48 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: rod5591
Over time as I’ve studied the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, I’ve changed from being pro-death penalty to anti-death penalty. I honestly don’t see how anyone claiming to be a Christian can support the death penalty.

GOD established the death penalty for murder.

Christians can support it because society needs to be protected and justice is done.

The death penalty is justice done to someone who is guilty of a capital crime, like murder.

That said, I am absolutely for restraint in its use to only cases where there is no doubt. And what with DNA testing and video surveillance these days, it does remove a lot of doubt.

37 posted on 09/25/2024 10:34:27 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Thank you!


38 posted on 09/25/2024 10:36:39 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”)
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To: rod5591

I would restrict the death penalty to people who already have two or more prior felony convictions. That way, even if it turns out he didn’t do the crime he was executed for, he almost certainly would improve the world by departing it.


39 posted on 09/25/2024 10:43:19 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Either you will rule. Or you will be ruled. There is no other choice.)
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To: rod5591

In re Christian’s supporting the death penalty

Gods law is clear and there is only one God.

Jesus as part of the Trinity established that if you take a man’s life your life is to be forfeit.

He didn’t just “change His mind”


40 posted on 09/25/2024 10:43:43 AM PDT by Persevero (You cannot comply your way out of tyranny. )
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