Judge Hearing on Marcellus Williams Execution

Marcellus Williams, sentenced to death for the 1998 murder of journalist Felicia Gayle, is challenging his conviction amidst revelations of mishandled DNA evidence. St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell has expressed doubts about the conviction, contending that DNA testing excluded Williams as the knife’s user and that the evidence was contaminated by officials, including prosecutor Keith Larner, who handled the knife without gloves. An evidentiary hearing led by Judge Bruce Hilton revealed that the knife's contamination destroyed Williams's opportunity to prove his innocence. Despite the lack of forensic evidence linking him to the crime, Williams was offered a plea deal to serve life without parole, which he accepted with the support of Gayle's family. The Missouri Attorney General's Office continues to assert that evidence against Williams remains strong. The judge is expected to rule on the motion to vacate Williams's conviction by mid-September, just days before his scheduled execution on September 24.