Marcellus Williams, convicted of the 1998 murder of journalist Felicia Gayle, faces execution on September 24 after a Missouri judge denied efforts to vacate his conviction. St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell and the Innocence Project introduced DNA evidence suggesting contamination that could exonerate Williams, but the judge ruled there was no basis to find him innocent. Despite the victim's family's opposition to the death penalty, the Missouri Attorney General's Office has consistently argued for Williams' guilt and opposed his exoneration. Williams had agreed to an Alford plea for life imprisonment, but this was contested and halted by higher courts. His legal team is now seeking clemency from Governor Mike Parson, who has previously denied all such requests.