Prosecutors say Marcellus Williams is innocent. He’s scheduled to be executed tonight.

What does Marcellus Williams look like?

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The evidence against him is the testimony of two eyewitnesses — a jailhouse informant and Williams’ former girlfriend.

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Even the office that prosecuted Williams, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, has led the charge to free Williams from prison.

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Wild

Used to be that stories like this always supplied the Last Meal Request.

So he was convicted purely off of circumstantial evidence??? Something's off here.

The VAST majority of people when asked would consider the gov't inept when it comes to doing things. Why we think they can effectively arbiter life and death is comical. I understand wanting the death penalty, but even being wrong ONE time makes it not worth it and there's NO WAY the gov't can get it right 100% of the time.

The details are always more complicated. I expect that's a pretty one-sided slant account.

Nonetheless, this contributes to why I'm generally anti-death penalty (as practiced in the US). It takes forever, leads to all sorts of second guessing, and by the time you get to the punishment it often feels empty.

I have no moral objection to it in theory, and there are plenty of people who are executed where there is no real reason they shouldn't.

But executing some dude a quarter century after the crime (especially if there are doubts about it) when he might be a completely different person anyway and no family is going to get peace from it and no criminal activity will be deterred by it - hollow.

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Williams has a robust criminal history, including 15 felony convictions in addition to offenses related to Ms. Gayle's murder: robbery (2), armed criminal action (2), assault (2), burglary (4), stealing (3), stealing a motor vehicle, and unlawful use of a weapon, which is all consistent with entering the home, attacking Ms. Gayle, and taking her items.

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When speaking with law enforcement, the jailhouse informant provided information about the crime that was not publicly available, yet consistent with crime scene evidence and Williams’ involvement.

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Gayle’s personal items were found in the trunk of Williams’ car.
Williams sold Ms. Gayle’s husband’s laptop to another individual who later identified Williams as the seller.

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Williams’ disrespect for others’ well-being and aversion to order have continued in prison, including attacking other inmates and threatening correctional officers.

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LINK

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There is no physical or forensic evidence linking Williams to the crime scene. Fingerprints taken at the crime scene were inexplicably destroyed. Neither bloodied footprints nor hair at the crime scene could be linked to to Williams. The evidence against him is the testimony of two eyewitnesses — a jailhouse informant and Williams’ former girlfriend. His attorneys argue that both implicated Williams because they wanted to claim a $10,000 reward.

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This makes 0 sense. I'm sure there is more than being told here.

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So he was convicted purely off of circumstantial evidence???

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circumstancial evidence is evidence. Happens all the time.