Time is running out. Marcellus Williams faces execution on September 24, despite troubling evidence that he is very likely innocent. A St. Louis County judge recently upheld his murder conviction, ignoring concerns about the contamination of crucial evidence — the murder weapon. Not only is this a potential violation of Williams's rights; it could very well mean he will die for a crime he didn't commit.
Sign this petition to demand that the Department of Justice step in to prevent the execution of Marcellus Williams until a thorough and unbiased review of his case is conducted.
Multiple aspects of Williams' conviction show that he could very well be innocent. First, the murder weapon, crucial to the case, was mishandled by a prosecutor. He handled it with his bare hands, possibly destroying DNA evidence that could exonerate Williams. Also, there is a lack of direct evidence linking Williams to the murder. The initial trial and subsequent hearings have been marred by allegations of racial bias and procedural errors that may have impacted the fairness of the trial.
With new DNA analysis suggesting other individuals may have been involved, executing Williams without exhaustive review risks a grave miscarriage of justice. This is a prime example of why the death penalty is never true justice. The risks of executing an innocent person are too great, and it should be abolished entirely. But for Marcellus Williams, his family, and his loved ones, this is an utter emergency and time is of the essence.
Sign the petition to demand that the Department of Justice immediately stop Marcellus Williams' execution and investigate the mishandling of evidence in Williams' case.
