Marcellus Williams, was executed for the 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle despite opposition from her family and prosecutor 

– Williams’ clemency petition argued for life in prison, aligning with the victim’s family’s wishes for his execution to be commuted – 

 Williams was convicted of stabbing Gayle 43 times during a burglary in her suburban St. Louis home –

Republican Governor Mike Parson expressed hope that the execution brought closure to the decades-long case

Williams’ attorneys raised concerns about jury selection and mishandling of DNA evidence during his trial 

The Missouri Supreme Court rejected a deal to commute Williams’ sentence to life in prison without parole 

 Despite new DNA evidence showing contamination by prosecutors, the court upheld Williams' conviction and death sentence

–Civil rights groups, including the NAACP, condemned the execution, calling it a "modern-day lynching." –

 Williams became the third Missouri inmate executed in 2024 and the 100th since the state resumed the death penalty