Missouri Supreme Court Denies Attorney General’s Request To Go Forward With Marcellus Williams’ Execution

Missouri Attorney General, Andrew Bailey is hellbent on executing Marcellus Williams Sr. and attempted to use the Missouri Supreme Court to help him do it.

The Missouri Supreme Court has denied an overnight request from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to move forward with the execution of Marcellus Williams Sr. Williams, who is the father of professional boxer Marcellus Williams Jr., was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle—a crime he has consistently maintained he did not commit.

New DNA evidence had surfaced, proving that Williams Sr. was not involved in the crime. A hearing had been scheduled yesterday to vacate his conviction. However, the St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that they had reached an agreement with Williams. The deal would vacate his death sentence in exchange for an Alford plea, a legal maneuver where the defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges that the prosecution has enough evidence to likely secure a conviction.

Despite the acceptance of this agreement, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office quickly intervened. Bailey’s office argued that the circuit court lacked the authority to overturn Williams’ conviction or resentence him based on the new plea. In an overnight filing, Bailey requested that the Missouri Supreme Court vacate the Alford plea and prohibit the circuit court from taking further action.

While the Missouri Supreme Court acknowledged Bailey’s concerns, it did not entirely side with the Attorney General. The court ruled that the circuit court judge, Judge Hilton, erred by bypassing the procedural step of holding a hearing before accepting the Alford plea. As such, the court ordered that the plea could not be accepted without a hearing or a sufficient explanation as to why one wasn’t held.

However, the Missouri Supreme Court stopped short of granting Bailey’s emergency stay, effectively putting the case on hold until Judge Hilton responds to the court’s ruling. This means that, for now, Marcellus Williams’ fate remains in limbo as the legal process continues to unfold. A new hearing is set for August 28.

Brunch Boxing reached out to the office of Attorney General Bailey for comment on the situation, but his office stated that he was unavailable.

Contact Andrew Bailey and let him know how you feel:

Missouri Attorney General’s Office
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High St.
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
573-751-3321

Sign the petition:

https://innocenceproject.org/petitions/stop-the-execution-of-marcellus-williams-an-innocent-man/