The Missouri Supreme Court has made a significant decision regarding the case of death row inmate Marcellus Williams. In a ruling issued late Wednesday, the court blocked an agreement that would have spared Williams' life and instead ordered a hearing to proceed on his innocence claim. This ruling comes just over a month before Williams' scheduled execution date.
Earlier on the same day, St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton had approved a plan that would have allowed Williams to enter a new no-contest plea to first-degree murder in connection with the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Despite the plea, Williams' legal team maintained his innocence, but acknowledged that the evidence was sufficient for a conviction.
