Prosecutors raise concerns about lack of evidence as family of victim supports saving Williams from the death penalty

Missouri is slated to execute a man on death row on Tuesday, despite objections from prosecutors who have suggested he was wrongfully convicted.

Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, 55, is due to be killed by lethal injection even after the office of the St Louis county prosecuting attorney, which originally convicted him, sought to have his case overturned. Prosecutors have raised concerns about the lack of DNA evidence linking Williams to the 1998 killing of Lisha Gayle and have said that Williams did not get a fair trial.

Although the prosecuting office and victim’s family backed an agreement to have Williams avoid the death penalty, Missouri’s Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, has fought to allow the execution to proceed.

“The public doesn’t want this execution to move forward. The victim’s family doesn’t want this execution to move forward and the St Louis county prosecuting attorney’s office doesn’t want this execution to move forward,” said Jonathan Potts, one of Williams’s attorneys, in an interview Monday. “The attorney general’s office, who had nothing to do with this whatsoever, are the ones who are trying to lead him to the death chamber. It’s pretty startling and extraordinary.”

  • @BradleyUffner
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    132 hours ago

    Holy shit, even the prosecutors have concerns? When they have concerns about the punishment, you know you seriously screwed up and need to reevaluate.

  • @IndustryStandard
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    62 hours ago

    You would think they would never execute someone without conclusive undeniable evidence. Yet here we are.

  • @BigBenis
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    296 hours ago

    The “pro life” party sure seems to get something out of killing people

    • NιƙƙιDιɱҽʂ
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      155 hours ago

      I wonder if it has anything to do with the colour of his skin… 🤔

  • _haha_oh_wow_
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    778 hours ago

    If they know he’s innocent and they kill him anyways, that sounds like murder.

  • Noble Shift
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    126 hours ago

    Man do the Republicans / GOP / Conservatives / Religions right L O V E violence. They absolutely love it.

  • @Viking_Hippie
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    197 hours ago

    At which point do we start calling Andrew Bailey what he is, a murderer?

    • @draneceusrex
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      45 hours ago

      This here is a perfect reason why you should.

  • Lad
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    228 hours ago

    “Fuck the facts, kill the man and we’ll talk later”

  • @[email protected]
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    399 hours ago

    Andrew Bailey is the absolute worst and wasn’t even elected. He was appointed by the governor after his predecessor was elected to the Senate. Somehow it looks like he is going to win in November which is so depressing.

  • @Makeitstop
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    5910 hours ago

    Isn’t this the same attorney general that refused to release prisoners that had been exonerated?

    • @[email protected]
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      389 hours ago

      Yes, and wasted taxpayer dollars trying to get involved in the Trump documents case for some reason and trying to delay sentencing in the hush money case.

    • Kairos
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      8 hours ago

      Mmmm

      Wrongful Imprisonment (kidnapping)

  • @[email protected]
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    11 hours ago

    Missouri’s Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, has fought to allow the execution to proceed.

    "The attorney general’s office, who had nothing to do with this whatsoever, are the ones who are trying to lead him to the death chamber. It’s pretty startling and extraordinary.”

    I recognize that this is a horrible tragedy for this man and his family, and I hope there is somehow a last-second reprieve, but let this be yet another reminder - R is the party for those with no empathy, no compassion, no concern for anyone not like them. (and that includes the ones jumping from Trump’s sinking ship to cozy up to Harris.) If a Republican is running for any position in your town, any at all, vote for someone else.

    • @Feathercrown
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      259 hours ago

      It’s almost comical how easily you can predict the party affiliations in these stories.

      • ArxCyberwolf
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        158 hours ago

        And yet people here still try to push a “bOtH SiDeS” narrative…

        • @Feathercrown
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          158 hours ago

          Rule 465: Anyone pushing both sides is actually just pushing one side with plausible deniability.

        • @Soggy
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          25 hours ago

          But I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that .ml and hexbear were the instances full of people arguing in bad faith…

  • @IndustryStandard
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    4 hours ago

    Astounding they are willing to execute this man on a paid testimony.

  • @apfelwoiSchoppen
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    8511 hours ago

    The “pro-life” party is filled with genocide apologists, pedophiles, and murderers.

    • @AshMan85
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      11 hours ago

      you left out racists

      • @PapaStevesy
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        2011 hours ago

        That’s technically covered by “genocide apologists” I think.