Supreme Court Allows Execution of Marcellus Williams

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to halt the execution of Marcellus Williams, who was executed by lethal injection in Missouri for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle. Despite claims of innocence, including lack of forensic evidence linking him to the crime and concerns about racial discrimination in jury selection, the Court rejected last-minute appeals from both Williams' legal team and the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, which argued against the execution. Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated they would have granted a stay. Williams' case has drawn significant criticism, as both Gayle's family and the original prosecutor opposed the execution, calling for Williams to be allowed to live. His execution comes amid a rare cluster of scheduled executions across multiple states, raising questions about the future of the death penalty in the U.S.