In 2001, Marcellus Williams was convicted for the 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle, a journalist who was found stabbed to death in her St. Louis home. Since then, concerns have been raised about the handling of the case allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, mishandled evidence, and racially biased jury selection. With scrutiny surrounding Williams’ innocence and the fairness of his trial, Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) has called on Governor Mike Parson to commute his sentence and stop the execution to ensure justice is served and restore confidence in the legal system.
“I urge you to grant Mr. William clemency for his wrongful conviction of the 1998 stabbing of Felicia Gayle. By its own admission, the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s office engaged in gross misconduct in the prosecution of Mr. Williams’ case, violating his right to counsel and his right to due process under the Missouri State Constitution and the United States Constitution.” wrote Bush in a letter to the governor. “Proceeding with the execution of Marcellus Williams would be a grave injustice and would do serious and lasting harm.”
Representative Bush has repeatedly called on Governor Parson to use his authority to grant clemency and stop the executions of David Hosier, Brian Dorsey, Johnny Johnson, Amber McLaughlin, Kevin Johnson, and Ernest Johnson. Since arriving in Congress, she has been a national leader in clemency reform and the fight to abolish the death penalty. In February 2021, she urged President Biden to use his pardon power to correct injustices in the clemency process, calling for the commutation of all federal death row sentences.
In December 2021, alongside Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Hakeem Jeffries, Bush introduced the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, a groundbreaking bill aimed at overhauling the flawed clemency system and tackling mass incarceration. She is also a proud cosponsor of the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, which would eliminate the federal death penalty.
“We must dedicate ourselves to actually achieving the fundamental principles of liberty and justice that animate our laws and our governance. Within the last four decades, four individuals who were on death row have been exonerated in Missouri,” Bush wrote. “We must not allow innocent individual to be murdered at the hands of the state. You have it in your power to save a life today by granting clemency to a man who has already unjustly served 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. I am urging you to use it.”
