A Missouri death row inmate set to be executed in less than a week asks the US Supreme Court to halt his execution

By Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN

(CNN) — A death row inmate in Missouri who has long claimed his innocence and is scheduled to be executed in less than one week asked the US Supreme Court on Wednesday for a stay of execution, arguing his due process rights were denied during the yearslong legal battle to save his life.

Marcellus Williams, 55, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2001 in the death of Felicia Gayle, a one-time newspaper reporter found stabbed to death in her home in 1998. His execution is set for September 24.

In court documents, lawyers for Williams note former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens previously halted Williams’ execution indefinitely and formed a board to investigate his case and determine whether he should be granted clemency.

“The Board investigated Williams’ case for the next six years — until Governor Michael Parson abruptly terminated the process,” the lawyers write.

When Parson took office, he dissolved the board and revoked Williams’ stay of execution, the petition notes. Parson’s decision denied Williams his right to due process, Williams’ lawyers say.

“The Governor’s actions have violated Williams’ constitutional rights and created an exceptionally urgent need for the Court’s attention,” the court documents state.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney said earlier this year that there were constitutional errors in Williams’ original criminal trial, the court documents state, citing issues including the removal of at least one prospective Black juror due to race.

“These would be key issues for the Board of Inquiry’s consideration in whether to recommend clemency instead of execution — if the Governor had not wrongly dissolved the Board,” the documents state.

Prosecutors raised some of those issues in a motion to vacate Williams’ conviction, which a judge rejected earlier this month.

The NAACP is calling on Parson to halt Williams’ execution, noting that the death penalty has been “historically applied in a racially disparate manner,” particularly in Missouri.

“Killing Mr. Williams, a Black man who was wrongfully convicted of killing a White woman, would amount to a horrible miscarriage of justice and a perpetuation of the worst of Missouri’s past,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson and Missouri State Conference President Nimrod Chapel Jr. wrote in an open letter to Parson.

On Wednesday, US Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri also sent a letter to Parson urging him to stop Williams’ execution.

“As lawmakers, we are committed to building a Missouri that is a beacon of justice, and we strive daily to represent the needs and demands of Missourians across the state,” the letter states. “For this reason, we are urging you to immediately commute Mr. Williams’ sentence and halt his execution.”

Highlighting the efforts of Williams’ attorneys to prove his innocence, Bush said executing Williams would be a “grave injustice and would do serious and lasting harm.”

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CNN’s Dakin Andone, John Fritze and Evan Perez contributed to this report.