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

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.”

  • brvslvrnst@lemmy.ml
    0·
    10 months ago

    “Tough on crime, damn the torpedoes, full speed!”

    My guess: elections are almost here, so that need to be “tough on crime.” This is just despicable

    • boydster@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      0·
      10 months ago

      This murder will be an actual example of a post-term abortion that the right has been pretending to be scared of, ironically enough

    • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
      0·
      10 months ago

      We don’t have a legal system. That assumes that figuring out if the law was broken is the primary goal. We have a punishment system. The primary goal is to hand out the harshest punishment that they can get away with, provided you don’t have the financial means to be fast tracked over to the slap on the wrist system set aside for rich folks.

      The system is working as intended.

    • Roflmasterbigpimp@lemmy.world
      0·
      10 months ago

      I’m pretty sure Republicans are quite content with the current legal system, but they hate abortions, so it’s more like…a burning homeless shelter? A Puppy- stomping-Yard? An all-you-can-touch daycare?..uhm… What do republicans like else?

  • octopus_ink@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    10 months 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.

        • Soggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          10 months ago

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

  • Jay@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    10 months ago

    So at what point can this just be called what it is? Murder. A republican is trying to take advantage of his position to murder a black man.

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
    0·
    10 months ago

    This morning I was driving behind a blue Honda fiach. I looked at the driver at the stop before the usual speed trap by the Lynnwood WA highschool. And just like clock work bam! The guy gets the lights right in front of me. I’m just wondering what shit story I’m going to be ending with when I get stopped. I can I’m just not going to drive thru that street. It’s the most direct way to the freeway but obviously business wants to route us thru areas where there are stores. So probably a felony.

  • alekwithak@lemmy.world
    0·
    10 months ago

    It’s too late, they killed him despite the prosecutors and victims family and DNA evidence all saying pointing towards his innocence. I have seen stories about him everywhere for the last week but apparently Missouri isn’t bothered by negative press, they just love killing black people. An aptly named state; I hope its residents riot but I’ve been to St. Louis and know better than that. The new status quo.