In 2001, Marcellus Williams was convicted of the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, a former reporter stabbed 43 times in her home. The conviction relied on witness testimony and circumstantial evidence, with no physical forensic evidence linking Williams to the crime. New DNA evidence has since emerged, showing that bloody footprints, hairs near Gayle’s body, and the kitchen knife did not match Williams, according to a 73-page joint brief filed this past weekend. Despite calls from the victim's family to spare his life and offer life imprisonment, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey blocked efforts to vacate the conviction, CNN reported.

In 2017, Williams' execution was halted by Missouri's governor due to concerns over this DNA evidence. However, in September 2024, his legal team and county prosecutors continued to fight for a stay, but a Missouri judge upheld his conviction. On Tuesday, the State of Missouri carried out Williams' execution at the state prison in Bonne Terre. His final meal consisted of chicken wings and tater tots, and his last words were, “All Praise Be To Allah In Every Situation!!!”

Governor Mike Parson expressed hope that the execution brought closure to Gayle’s family. “We hope this gives finality to a case that’s languished for decades, re-victimizing Ms. Gayle’s family for decades,” he said in a statement. “No juror no judge has ever found Williams’ innocence claim to be credible. Two decades of judicial proceedings and more than 15 judicial hearings upheld his guilty conviction. Thus, the order of execution has been carried out.”

Following the execution, Williams' attorney, Larry Komp, expressed that his client unwaveringly upheld his innocence until his final moments. “While he would readily admit to the wrongs he had done throughout his life, he never wavered in asserting his innocence of the crime for which he was put to death tonight,” Komp said. “Although we are devastated and in disbelief over what the State has done to an innocent man, we are comforted that he left this world in peace.”

The internet has since erupted with reactions, questioning the fairness of the case and the use of capital punishment in light of possible innocence. See some reactions below.