Williams' case demonstrates how the death penalty in America is meted out in the most arbitrary manner—to those denied adequate legal counsel, those facing racial discrimination at trial, those railroaded to death on “technicalities,” as well as to the factually innocent.
  • Maeve@kbin.earth
    0·
    2 months ago

    There is no physical evidence tying Williams to the crime. DNA evidence on the murder weapon, a large butcher knife, which would definitively rule out Williams as the perpetrator, has been rendered inconclusive through mishandling by the prosecution. Williams’ original lawyer now admits that he did not give his client’s case the attention he needed at trial. His jury included only one black juror. Two witnesses implicating Williams in the murder, his former cellmate and his ex-girlfriend, both sought $10,000 in reward money for information leading to a conviction. These witnesses, both convicted felons, are now dead. There is no forensic evidence tying Williams to the crime. Physical evidence left at the scene—bloody fingerprints, footprints and hairs—does not match Williams. The jury never heard evidence that Williams’ former girlfriend may have planted Gayle’s laptop in his car. The laptop was cited by the prosecution as evidence of his guilt. Williams has faced three execution dates. In 2015, the Missouri Supreme Court stayed his execution after testing showed his DNA was not on the murder weapon. But after reviewing the evidence, the same court rescheduled his execution.

    This man should be freed.