Marcellus Williams died by lethal injection on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. CT. after his murder conviction for the 1998 stabbing death of newspaper reporter Felicia Gayle. Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution. Williams was put to death despite questions his attorneys raised over jury selection at his trial and the handling of evidence in the case. His clemency petition focused heavily on how Gayle’s relatives wanted Williams’ sentence commuted to life without the possibility of parole. According to the Innocence Project, his final motion was denied after “the discovery that the trial prosecutor had contaminated potentially exculpatory DNA evidence.” (ApNews.com)
