Missouri lynched another innocent Black man: The alarming reality of wrongful convictions in the US

By Charlie Sawyer

Published Sep 25, 2024 at 11:49 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

61770

On Tuesday 24 September 2024, Missouri death row inmate Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection. Williams, who was 55 at the time of his death, was convicted back in 1998 for the alleged murder of Lisha Gayle, a former reporter for the St Louis Post-Dispatch. While prisoner executions are unfortunately not uncommon in the US, Williams’ particular case stands out as an overwhelming miscarriage of justice. Indeed, having looked at testimonies from celebrities and ordinary individuals alike to the prosecution team and the victim’s own family, it’s evident that this decision was not a favourable one.

What was Marcellus Williams accused of?

Marcellus Williams’ conviction in 1998 revolved around the killing of Lisha Gayle. The inmate was accused of breaking into Gayle’s home, stabbing her to death and stealing several of her belongings. However, Williams has always maintained his innocence. Furthermore, as reported by The Guardian, there is zero forensic evidence tying Williams to the crime.

What were Marcellus Williams’ last words?

Marcellus Williams’ last words were “All Praise Be to Allah in Every Situation!!!” as reported by Missouri Department of Corrections Communications Director Karen Pojmann. During his time in prison, Williams had converted to Islam and had subsequently become an Imam, a religious Muslim leader.

A national outcry over Marcellus Williams’ execution

According to The Independent, more than a million petitions were delivered to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s office requesting a stay of execution. It should also be noted that the Gayle family even contributed to Williams’ clemency petition, explaining that they wanted his sentence commuted to life without parole.

This case clearly hasn’t just impacted the lives of those involved in it. High profile celebrities took to social media to express their disdain and anger over Williams’ execution. One of the most vocal was British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson:

Missouri United States Representative Cori Bush, who had played a key role in trying to convince Parson to grant Williams clemency, also released a statement following the execution. It read: “The deadly decision to execute Williams came despite urgent pleas from Missourians and people all across the country—including from Felicia Gayle’s family—who called for clemency. Governor Mike Parson didn’t just ignore these pleas and end Williams’ life; he demonstrated how the death penalty is wielded without regard for innocence, compassion, equity, or humanity. He showed us how the standard of ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ can be applied selectively, depending on who stands accused and who stands in power.”

“The state of Missouri and our nation’s legal system failed Marcellus Williams, and as long as we uphold the death penalty, we continue to perpetuate this depravity—where an innocent person can be killed in the name of justice,” the statement continued.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) told news outlets: “Tonight, Missouri lynched another innocent Black man.”

TikTok has also played a role in platforming hundreds of unassociated citizens who have been explaining the case and really delving into how truly upsetting and unjustified Williams’ death is:

https://www.tiktok.com/@loloverruled/video/7418371744064425258?lang=en
@rileyluenews

Replying to @riley.lue Missouri has executed an innocent man after millions petitioned to halt it. There was never forensic evidence tying him to the crime, the victims family and prosecuting attorney even said they did not want the death penalty carried out. However, the system failed him. #marcelluswilliams #breakingnews

♬ original sound - RileyLueNews
@therosesavage

My heart goes out to Marcellus’ entire family. I’m so sorry. #marcelluswilliams

♬ original sound - TheRoseSavage

An increasing amount of criticism and blame has been put on Missouri Governor Parson, whose office declined to intervene despite a national outcry.

So far, 16 prisoners have been executed across the US in 2024, three of which took place in Missouri. The Innocence Project, an organisation that works to free wrongly convicted prisoners and pursue a more equitable justice system, have done extension work into the discriminatory nature of the death penalty, finding that the vast majority of people exonerated from death row are Black or Latinx, and more than half of death row exonerees are Black. This explicitly proves that official misconduct is more often than not present in cases involving marginalised defendants.

Speaking of the execution, Williams’ attorney, Tricia Rojo Bushnell, said in a statement: “Tonight, we all bear witness to Missouri’s grotesque exercise of state power. Let it not be in vain. This should never happen, and we must not let it continue.”

Keep On Reading

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Boycott BrewDog trends on X after allegations of racism, EDL association, and employee discrimination circulate

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

From Michelle Obama’s braids to Puerto Rico’s new law, we unpack the global issue of hair discrimination

By Eliza Frost

Jessie Cave was banned from a Harry Potter fan convention because of her OnlyFans account

By Eliza Frost

How fans manifested Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

By Charlie Sawyer

SHEIN faces fines from EU for deceiving customers with fake discounts and misleading information

By Abby Amoakuh

I sat down with two professional matchmakers to solve Gen Z’s dating fatigue

By Charlie Sawyer

President Trump and JD Vance angry over the DNC setting up a taco truck outside RNC headquarters

By Eliza Frost

Does the SKIMS Face Wrap actually work, or is it just another TikTok trap?

By Charlie Sawyer

Everything you need to know about toxic gossip site Tattle Life and how its founder finally got revealed

By Eliza Frost

Taylor Swift’s Release Party of a Showgirl is coming to cinemas everywhere, and it’s already made $15M

By Charlie Sawyer

First look at $1 billion UK mini city where controversial HBO Harry Potter series will be filmed

By Abby Amoakuh

New video game that allows men to r*pe female family members triggers backlash amid incel concerns

By Charlie Sawyer

Penn Badgley praised for opening up about fatherhood and raising sons on Call Her Daddy

By Alma Fabiani

BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Lisa and Rosé caught saying the N word in newly leaked videos

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Chris Briney is at the centre of a new love triangle, but this time for an audio erotica story 

By Charlie Sawyer

Johnny Depp plays the victim once more and anoints himself crash test dummy for #MeToo

By Eliza Frost

Will Belly choose herself in the final episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty?

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno caught in political drama

By Charlie Sawyer

Harry Potter star defends Tom Felton over his controversial comments on JK Rowling’s transphobia

By Eliza Frost

Skibidi, tradwife, and delulu are among new words added to Cambridge Dictionary for 2025