US man executed by lethal injection after appeals fail
Marcellus Williams was convicted in 2001 of the fatal stabbing of reporter Felicia Gayle during a burglary in her home in 1998.
WASHINGTON - A man convicted of murder was executed by lethal injection in the US on Tuesday, despite questions over his guilt, reported German news agency (dpa).
Marcellus Williams, 55, was convicted in 2001 of the fatal stabbing of reporter Felicia Gayle during a burglary in her home in 1998.
Aid organisation the Innocence Project said the US state of Missouri executed an innocent man.
"Williams' story echoes that of too many others caught in our country's broken criminal legal system," the organisation said in a statement.
"A black man convicted of killing a white woman, Mr Williams maintained his innocence until the very end. His conviction was based on the testimony of two eyewitnesses who were paid for their testimony. No DNA evidence linked him to the crime."
The US Supreme Court denied two separate appeals to halt Williams’ execution, while the public prosecutor's office pushed for his sentence to be converted to life and Gayle's family had also spoken out against an execution.
"Our hearts are with the family and friends of Marcellus Williams and Felicia Gayle, who have suffered unimaginable loss and trauma," the Innocence Project said.
According to the Death Penalty Information Centre, 16 people have been executed in the US so far this year. In 2023, 24 death sentences were carried out in the US. - BERNAMA-dpa
