Marcellus Williams, a Missouri inmate convicted of the 1998 fatal stabbing of Felicia “Lisha” Gayle, will avoid the death penalty after DNA testing on the murder weapon did not match him. Instead, Williams, 55, will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after entering an “Alford plea” to a first-degree murder charge. This plea allows Williams to maintain his innocence while accepting the sentence without a new trial.
The decision comes after prosecutors conceded there were “constitutional errors” during Williams’ trial that undermined confidence in the verdict. The victim’s family also expressed a preference for Williams to be spared the death penalty. Despite the plea agreement, Williams’ attorney, Tricia Rojo Bushnell, emphasized that he remains innocent and vowed to continue pursuing new evidence to prove his innocence.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey opposed the court’s decision and is expected to appeal. The case has drawn attention due to the questionable reliability of the evidence used to convict Williams and the ongoing debate over the death penalty’s application in such cases.