On Tuesday, September 24, 2024, the state of Missouri carried out the execution of Marcellus Williams for the 1998 murder of former newspaper reporter Lisha Gayle. This decision came despite pleas for clemency from prosecutors, social media activists, and even the victim’s own family.
Williams, a 55-year-old Black man, was pronounced dead at 6 p.m. local time after being injected with a lethal dose at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri. In his final statement, he proclaimed, “All praise be to Allah in every situation!”
Gayle, who previously worked at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was found stabbed at least 43 times in her home, with 16 wounds to her head, neck, chest and abdomen. Though Williams maintained his innocence, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder, burglary, armed criminal action and robbery in 2001. However, the Innocence Project has argued that the prosecutor improperly removed several qualified Black jurors from the pool using peremptory challenges.
In the wake of the execution, several celebrities and activists have spoken out against the decision. Rapper Meek Mill, who has been outspoken about social justice issues, referenced his 2015 track “Ambitionz” in an Instagram post: “Holding, never folding, we was on the top tier. Shackled to our ankles, it was like a nightmare.” He added, “God bless his soul!”
Fellow rapper Toosii simply tweeted, “RIP Marcellus Williams. [Shaking my head at] this country.” Another Twitter user emphasized the futility of activism in the face of the state’s disregard for public opinion: “From Gaza to Marcellus Williams, the state has made it clear that it does not care how many letters you sign [or] how many times you call. These people do not care [about] what you want them to do.”
Approximately 3 hours before Williams’ scheduled execution, rapper JT urged her supporters to contact Missouri Governor Mike Parson, writing, “Marcellus Williams faces execution on Sept. 24 for a crime that DNA proves he didn’t commit. Join me, [Innocence Project] and [the Midwest Innocence Project] in taking action to prevent this irreversible injustice.”
The execution of Marcellus Williams has reignited debates around the death penalty, racial bias in the criminal justice system, and the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Despite the efforts of activists and the doubts surrounding his guilt, the state of Missouri has moved forward with the ultimate punishment, leaving many to question the fairness and morality of capital punishment in America.
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