A Missouri judge is set to conduct an evidentiary hearing on Wednesday regarding the innocence claim of death row inmate Marcellus Williams. Williams, 55, faces a scheduled execution date of September 24 for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle. Despite being convicted in 2001 of first-degree murder, burglary, and robbery, Williams has consistently professed his innocence.
The Missouri Supreme Court directed St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Hilton to oversee the hearing after blocking an agreement that would have spared Williams' life. The case has sparked a legal battle between local prosecutor Wesley Bell and state Attorney General Andrew Bailey.