St. Louis County judge pulls deal that would have spared Marcellus Williams

Williams was sentenced to death for the killing of Felicia Gayle, a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter. No forensic evidence, such as DNA, hair or footprints, had ever linked him to the scene, though police did find Gayle’s purse and other belongings in Williams’ car. He also pawned a laptop belonging to her husband. Williams was convicted largely based on the testimony of a former girlfriend, Laura Asaro, and a jailhouse informant named Henry Cole.

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… prosecutors revealed additional testing done earlier in the week had found DNA consistent with Ed Magee, an investigator in the office at the time, on the knife handle. That meant the evidence had been mishandled at some point but also undermined Williams’ claim of innocence. The findings prompted prosecutors and attorneys for Williams to begin negotiations to settle the case.

The deal would have seen Williams enter an Alford plea to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence. In an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but accepts that there is evidence that could persuade a jury to convict.

“Literally, his only way to find innocence was that knife, and they botched it up so much that we can’t even rely on the knife at this point,” said Nimrod Chapel, president of the Missouri state chapter of the NAACP and the board chair of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty. “That’s an impossible situation, to be trapped in jail for a crime you didn’t commit.”

Bailey’s office objected to the deal in court, saying it did not agree to its terms. As the attorney general, he said he represents the state in all civil matters, including motions to vacate, and a judge cannot accept a deal when all parties do not agree.