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Murder of Felicia Gayle

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Felicia Gayle "Lisha" Picus was an American journalist murdered during a burglary in her gated community in University City, Missouri, on August 11, 1998. Gayle, a 42-year-old reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was found dead in her home, having been stabbed up to 43 times with a butcher's knife taken from her kitchen.[1]

Murder of Felicia Gayle
LocationUniversity City, Missouri, United States
DateAugust 11, 1998
Attack type
Homicide by stabbing
ConvictedMarcellus Williams
ConvictionsFirst-degree murder
SentenceDeath

Marcellus Williams was charged with the murder of Felicia Gayle. Prosecutors based evidence mainly on alleged confessions WIlliams had made, including one alleged by a jailhouse snitch.[2] In August 2001, Williams was sentenced to death. On appeal, he raised several issues, including claims of errors in evidentiary rulings, jury instructions, and victim impact testimony. He also challenged the use of his prior criminal history and alleged improper prosecutorial comments during closing arguments. The death sentence was incredibly controversial, as DNA evidence had been claimed to prove his innocence, and the family of Gayle repeatedly stating they did not want Williams executed.[3] The court rejected these arguments, finding no abuse of discretion by the trial court.

The Missouri Supreme Court rejected Williams's appeal, concluding that it was neither disproportionate nor influenced by prejudice. They found sufficient statutory aggravating circumstances, such as the brutality of the crime and Williams' prior convictions. The court affirmed both the conviction and the death sentence. Williams was executed on September 24, 2024.

Victim

Felicia "Lisha" Gayle was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in journalism. By 1981, she was working as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where she stayed until 1992. She left the newspaper to pursue more philanthropy and volunteer work.[4]

Investigation and trial

There was an abundance of forensic evidence including fingerprints, footprints, hair, and a DNA trace on the murder weapon at the crime scene.[5] In May 1999, Gayle's family announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.[6] In response, two individuals, Henry Cole and Lara Asaro, named Marcellus Scott Williams (December 30, 1968 - September 24, 2024)[7] as the culprit. Williams had an extensive criminal record. Cole volunteered that Williams had made a jailhouse confession to him when both were in jail on charges unrelated to the murder. Cole had already been released before volunteering his information. Williams had started serving a 20-year sentence for robbing a doughnut shop.[2] Lara Asaro, the girlfriend of Williams at the time of the crime, gave testimony that Williams had confessed to her and detailed what had happened. This is after she discovered evidence from the crime scene in Williams' car. Unlike Cole's deposition, which was compatible with news reports, she is said to have provided details that had not been mentioned in the public accounts of the crime,[8][9] a point contested by the Innocence Project.[5][10]

A witness testified that Williams had sold the victim’s laptop to him.[11]

During the trial, the judge had refused to allow testing of some of the DNA evidence found at the scene. Williams was convicted of Gayle's murder in 2001 by the jury after testimony from 22 witnesses.[12]

Death penalty, dates, and stays

Williams was held on death row at Potosi Correctional Center after his trial. He maintained his innocence in the Gayle case until he accepted an Alford plea of guilty in August 2024.[13][14] His case was appealed unsuccessfully several times. He was first scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in 2015.[15] In appeals, his defense produced evidence that DNA taken from the knife at the scene revealed an unknown male profile and did not match that of Williams.[15][8][16] Nevertheless, Williams was rescheduled for execution on August 22, 2017.

Questions continued to be raised as the state Supreme Court would neither hear the new DNA evidence nor stay the execution. The prosecutor said they were confident about the case despite the DNA.[17] Gov. Eric Greitens issued a last-minute stay of execution that day.[15][18] The governor initiated a Board of Inquiry to examine the new DNA evidence and other aspects of the case.[19] The Board was headed by Carol E. Jackson, former federal judge of the Eastern District of Missouri, and consisted of five retired federal judges to review the case.[20] It subpoenaed both prosecution and defense.[21][22] The Board was also to meet with the state and defense attorneys in June 2018. Greitens resigned as governor in June 2018. The DNA evidence and new analysis suggested that another man was a suspect; DNA on the knife did not match that of Williams. The Board had hearings in August 2018. Governor Mike Parson was to receive the Board's conclusion and make his decision.[23]

In June 2023, Parson decided to dissolve the panel of five judges without receiving their report and lifted the stay on Williams' execution as he claimed it was time for the court to make a decision.[4] Later, State Attorney General Andrew Bailey asked the state Supreme Court to set a date for Williams' execution.[8][24]

In August 2023, The Midwest Innocence Project filed a lawsuit, stating that the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney is on record as stating he has convincing evidence of Williams' innocence.[25] According to the Innocence Project, the Missouri Attorney General's Office has a record of dismissing DNA evidence that points to an accused person's innocence.[26]

On January 26, 2024, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell filed a motion in the St. Louis County Circuit Court, asking the Court to vacate Marcellus Williams' death sentence. A 2021 Missouri law allows a prosecutor to intervene where there is information suggesting a convicted person may be innocent. He cited potential "ineffective assistance of counsel", apparent bias in jury selection, and potential weakness of the police investigation. He asked the Court for a hearing to consider the new evidence and other aspects of the investigation and trial.[8] The new evidence consisted of a special prosecutor's review of the case, including the findings of 3 independent DNA experts who unanimously concluded that the male DNA on the murder weapon was not Williams'.[27] Rather, it belonged to an investigator and assistant prosecuting attorney who had handled the murder weapon improperly, without wearing gloves.[28] A hearing was scheduled for August 21, 2024, to determine his innocence.[29]

On June 4, 2024, Williams was again scheduled to be executed on September 24, 2024.[30] On July 2, the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri, scheduled a hearing for August 21, 2024, to evaluate the "clear and convincing evidence" of Williams' innocence.[31] On July 12, 2024, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that his execution would move forward despite the pending lawsuit to overturn his conviction. In the court's opinion overruling the motion, Justice Zel Fischer ruled that "they do not have the procedural authority to withdraw the execution order at this time."[29]

On August 21, 2024, Williams accepted a plea bargain offered by the prosecution to commute his death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[15][13][14] The prosecutors argued in favor of Williams during the hearing, pointing out that the DNA on the murder weapon was not his and that they had duly considered this fact before offering him an Alford plea to vacate his death sentence. However, the state attorney general Andrew Bailey opposed this decision and wanted the execution to move forward as scheduled.[32]

The Missouri Supreme Court blocked the plea deal agreement[15] on the same day, and Williams' execution date remained September 24, 2024. A hearing was scheduled to consider Williams' claims of innocence.[33]

On September 12, 2024, St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hilton rejected Williams' appeal, stating that the counsel was rehashing their arguments from previous appeals, all of which had been rejected multiple times by the state and federal courts, and ordered that the execution should move forward as scheduled.[34]

On September 24, 2024, Parson denied Williams clemency and the case was reviewed by the United States Supreme Court hours before the scheduled execution.[35] The Supreme Court denied the request to halt the execution, although Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson stated that they would have granted the request.[36]

Execution of Williams

Despite pleas from the public and the family of Gayle stating they were opposed to the execution,[37] on September 24, 2024, 55-year-old Williams was executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. CT at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri.[38][39] For his last meal, Williams was served chicken wings and tater tots.[40] Williams's last statement, which was written down and witnessed on September 24, 2024, was, "All Praise Be To Allah In Every Situation!!!"[41][40]

See also

References

  1. ^ Peterson, Deborah; Williams, Lance (August 13, 1998). "Police check out leads in slaying of former Post-Dispatch reporter". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 39. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Jordan (January 14, 2024). "Crime A trace amount of DNA on the knife handle could not be matched to Marcellus Williams. Missouri May Fast-Track His Execution Anyway". The Intercept. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  3. ^ "Missouri executes a man for the 1998 killing of a woman despite her family's calls to spare his life". AP News. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Death penalty case to continue against man citing new DNA evidence in stabbing death of former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter". CBSnews.com. Associated Press. June 30, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Who Is Marcellus Williams: Man Facing Execution in Missouri Despite DNA Evidence Proving Innocence". Innocence Project. August 15, 2023. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Skrivan, Laurie (May 17, 1999). "Police no longer believe 2 slayings are linked". St Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "Missouri Department Of Corrections Offender Search". web.mo.gov. Retrieved January 1, 2021. As of July 2024: "163729 Williams Marcellus 12-30-1968 Black 6'4" 217 lbs Male"
  8. ^ a b c d "After Attorney General's Request for Execution Date, St. Louis County Prosecutor Files Motion to Vacate Marcellus Williams' Death Sentence". deathpenaltyinfo.org. Death Penalty Information Center. February 1, 2024. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Mittman, Jeffrey (August 20, 2017). "Opinion: Stop the execution of Marcellus Williams". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ Innocence Project 2023:'Both of these individuals were known fabricators; neither revealed any information that was not either included in media accounts about the case or already known to the police. Their statements were inconsistent with their own prior statements, with each other's accounts, and with the crime scene evidence, and none of the information they provided could be independently verified.'
  11. ^ Quednow, Cindy Von; Yan, Holly (September 24, 2024). "Marcellus Williams is executed despite prosecutors and the victim's family asking that he be spared". CNN. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Appendix: https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-5561/326211/20240918110023708_Williams%20-%20Application%20-%20Appendix.pdf
  13. ^ a b Honderich, Holly (August 21, 2024). "Missouri death row inmate in plea deal to avoid execution". BBC.
  14. ^ a b Andone, Dakin (August 21, 2024). "Missouri death row inmate expected to be resentenced to life without parole under new agreement". CNN.
  15. ^ a b c d e Levin, Sam (September 24, 2024). "Missouri to execute Marcellus Williams despite prosecutors' objections and innocence claims". The Guardian. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  16. ^ Zhou, Li (September 24, 2024). "Why there are urgent calls to halt Marcellus Williams's imminent execution". Vox. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  17. ^ Regnier, Chris (August 22, 2017). "Missouri is set to execute a convicted killer. His lawyers say new DNA evidence proves he's innocent". fox2now.com. CNN Wires. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  18. ^ Kohler, Jeremy (August 18, 2017). "Death row inmate asks U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution for former P-D reporter's murder". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  19. ^ "Marcellus Williams: Missouri governor stays execution". BBC News. August 22, 2017. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  20. ^ Mannies, Jo (September 12, 2017). "Missouri governor names panel to examine new DNA evidence in Marcellus Williams' case". St. Louis Public Radio.
  21. ^ Didcock, James (April 26, 2018). "Marcellus Williams: Board of Inquiry Set to Meet with State and Defence Attorneys in June". Criminal Justice Reform Journal.
  22. ^ "After governor's resignation, fate of Missouri man on death row in doubt". CBS News. June 14, 2018. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022.
  23. ^ Marshall, Griffin (August 22, 2018). "Williams death penalty review panel hears new evidence". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  24. ^ Swain, Jordan (January 14, 2024). "Crime Scene DNA Didn't Match Marcellus Williams. Missouri May Fast-Track His Execution Anyway". The Intercept. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  25. ^ Czachor, Emily Mae (June 5, 2024). "Missouri sets execution date for death row inmate Marcellus Williams, despite doubts over DNA evidence". CBS News. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  26. ^ Innocence Project:'In a 2003 oral argument before the Missouri Supreme Court, Justice Laura Denvir Stith asked Assistant Attorney General Frank Jung, "Are you suggesting … even if we find that Mr. Amrine is actually innocent, he should be executed?" "That is correct, your honor," Jung replied. The Missouri Supreme Court ultimately disagreed, and Mr. Amrine was exonerated. But over 20 years later, the same arguments are still being made..'
  27. ^ Bradshaw, Robin (September 12, 2024). "Marcellus Williams faces execution in Missouri despite new DNA evidence". thetelegraph.com. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  28. ^ Heuer, Mike; Coote, Darryl (September 24, 2024). "Marcellus Williams executed despite contaminated DNA evidence". United Press International. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Missouri execution plans move forward despite prosecutor trying to overturn murder conviction". AP News. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  30. ^ Schmidt, Heidi (June 4, 2024). "Missouri sets execution date for inmate who claims innocence". KCTV 5. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  31. ^ "Who Is Marcellus Williams: Man Facing Execution in Missouri Despite DNA Evidence Proving Innocence". Innocence Project. August 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  32. ^ "US death row inmate to get life in prison after DNA testing weakens conviction". The Straits Times. August 22, 2024.
  33. ^ "Missouri Supreme Court blocks agreement that would have halted execution". AP News. August 22, 2024.
  34. ^ Salter, Jim (September 12, 2024). "Missouri judge rejects innocence claim of Marcellus Williams who faces execution". Associated Press.
  35. ^ Lieb, David A.; Salter, Jim (September 24, 2024). "Missouri inmate's lawyers seek Supreme Court intervention hours before his planned execution". Associated Press. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  36. ^ Quinn, Melissa (September 24, 2024). "Supreme Court allows execution of Marcellus Williams in Missouri, denying bid for delay". CBS News. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  37. ^ "Missouri executes a man for the 1998 killing of a woman despite her family's calls to spare his life". AP News. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  38. ^ Lieb, David A.; Salter, Jim (September 24, 2024). "Missouri executes a man for the 1998 killing of a woman despite her family's calls to spare his life". Associated Press. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  39. ^ "Missouri man executed despite prosecutor's opposition". The Straits Times. September 24, 2024.
  40. ^ a b Yan, Holly; Quednow, Cindy Von (September 24, 2024). "Missouri executes Marcellus Williams despite prosecutors and the victim's family asking that he be spared". CNN. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  41. ^ First Alert 4 Staff (September 24, 2024). "Missouri carries out execution of Marcellus Williams". First Alert 4. Retrieved September 24, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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