Washington, D.C. (September 24, 2024) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement after the State of Missouri executed Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, despite a credible case of his innocence and mass scrutiny over the fairness of his trial. Last week, Congresswoman Bush sent a letter to Missouri Governor Mike Parson, urging him to grant clemency and halt Mr. Williams’ execution.
“Sometimes injustice is so glaring that it leaves us struggling to comprehend how such events could happen in the first place.
“Tonight, the State of Missouri and Deadly Governor Mike Parson knowingly and wrongfully executed Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, an innocent man who spent 24 years unjustly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. My heart aches for Marcellus’ loved ones as they grapple with this unimaginable loss, as well as for Felicia Gayle’s family as they continue to grieve.
“The deadly decision to execute Williams came despite urgent pleas from Missourians and people all across the country—including from Felicia Gayle’s family—who called for clemency. Governor Mike Parson didn’t just ignore these pleas and end Williams’ life; he demonstrated how the death penalty is wielded without regard for innocence, compassion, equity, or humanity. He showed us how the standard of ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ can be applied selectively, depending on who stands accused and who stands in power.
“The state of Missouri and our nation’s legal system failed Marcellus Williams, and as long as we uphold the death penalty, we continue to perpetuate this depravity—where an innocent person can be killed in the name of justice. We have a moral imperative to abolish this racist and inhumane practice, and to work towards building a just legal system that values humanity and compassion over criminalization and violence.
“Rest in Power, Marcellus Williams.”
Mr. Williams is the fifteenth person executed in the United States and the third person executed in Missouri in 2024. In the last four decades, four individuals on Missouri’s death row have been exonerated. Since 1973, at least 200 people have been exonerated nationwide.
Congresswoman Bush, alongside Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), has written similar letters to Governor Parson ahead of the state-sanctioned executions of David Hosier, Brian Dorsey, Johnny Johnson, Amber McLaughlin, Kevin Johnson and Ernest Johnson.
Since first coming to Congress, Congresswoman Bush has been a national leader in the push for clemency reform and the need to end the death penalty. In February 2021, the Congresswoman urged President Biden to use his pardon power to correct legacies of injustice in the clemency process, including a call to commute the sentences of all on federal death row. In December 2021, Congresswoman Bush, alongside Representatives Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), introduced the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, historic legislation that works to transform our nation’s broken clemency system and address the growing mass incarceration crisis. She is a proud cosponsor of the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, which would end the use of the death penalty by the federal government.
Congresswoman Cori Bush sits on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, serves as the Ranking Member of Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, and proudly represents St. Louis as a politivist in the halls of the United States Congress.
