The death row inmate’s final moments were marked by a call for justice as new evidence of his innocence was ignored.

Marcellus Williams, a 55-year-old death row inmate in Missouri, was executed despite growing calls for clemency from key figures, including the prosecutor in his case and the victim’s family. Williams had been convicted of the 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle, a former reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but his execution went ahead on Tuesday despite concerns over new evidence suggesting his innocence.

Williams’s final words were “All praise be to Allah in every situation!!!” He was attended by his Imam, Jalahii Kacem, and his son, Marcellus Williams Jr., as officials administered the lethal injection at 6:10 pm CT. Williams’s last meal included chicken wings and tater tots. His execution was part of a grim series of five executions across the US in one week, with Missouri marking its third execution of the year.

The case attracted widespread attention, with more than a million petitions sent to Governor Mike Parson requesting a stay of execution, and high-profile individuals such as British entrepreneur Richard Branson and Missouri Representative Cori Bush joining the call for mercy. Despite this, Governor Parson and the state Supreme Court declined to intervene.

Williams’s legal team had filed last-minute appeals to the US Supreme Court, arguing that new DNA evidence, which did not match Williams, indicated the possibility of his innocence. However, these appeals were denied, and the court upheld the conviction, dismissing any grounds for a hearing on the new evidence.

In 2017, Missouri Governor Eric Greiten had issued a stay of execution for Williams, pending further investigation. However, Governor Parson later lifted the stay and dissolved a board of inquiry that had been established to review the case. In their campaign, Williams’s attorneys pointed to inconsistencies in the evidence and a growing sense that Williams may have been wrongfully convicted.

During his trial, prosecutors presented Williams as the perpetrator of a violent crime, claiming he broke into Gayle’s home, stole her possessions, and murdered her in a brutal attack. However, even the prosecution office had recently moved to vacate the conviction, citing new concerns over Williams’s potential innocence.

Williams’s family, including his son, expressed the profound emotional toll of his execution, describing the lasting impact it would have on their lives. In an emotional interview, Williams Jr. vowed to stand by his father in his final moments, emphasising his commitment to support him despite the injustice he believed was unfolding.

The execution has sparked renewed debate on the death penalty in the US, with organisations like The Independent and the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) calling for an end to capital punishment, highlighting cases like Williams’s as emblematic of the system’s failures.