Telethon Event for Marcellus "Khaliifah" Williams

Marcellus "Khaliifah" Williams, a 55-year-old Black man, is scheduled to be executed in Missouri on September 24th, 2024. He was convicted by an almost all-white jury in 2001 of the 1998 murder of a white woman and sentenced to death. The primary evidence at trial was informant testimony provided by two individuals incentivized by reward money and the possibility of leniency on their own charges. None of the forensic evidence ties Marcellus Williams to the crime. Male DNA on the murder weapon that was not his was contaminated by officials, meaning it cannot be used to identify a possible perpetrator.

Williams has unsuccessfully appealed and challenged his conviction for more than two decades, ultimately taking the case to the Missouri Supreme Court. Last Thursday, a judge upheld the murder conviction of Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, quashing an effort to free him, and leaving his execution set to be held one week from today.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying he was “immensely disappointed” by it and would “continue to work to prevent” Williams’ execution. He did not state how he planned to do that. Bell’s conviction and incident review unit believes the evidence shows that Williams is innocent. “(F)or something as consequential as the death penalty, the evidence must prove the defendant to be guilty without a shadow of a doubt,” Bell said. “There are detailed and well-documented concerns regarding the integrity of Mr. Williams’ conviction.”

In a letter addressed to Missouri Governor Michael Parson (R), Amnesty International urged Parson to grant clemency and to commute Williams’s death sentence. "International standards prohibit execution of anyone whose guilt is not based on “clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the facts”. This standard has not been met. There is strong evidence that the integrity of the trial in Marcellus Williams’s case was undermined by racially discriminatory jury selection tactics and ineffective defence representation," the letter states.

Tonight, Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, a statewide non-profit that works to abolish the death penalty and uplift those on death row in Missouri, is uniting with campaign partners to present 'Khaliifah's Last Chance' Telethon event. The telethon is designed to amplify and support the fight for his freedom and to prove his innocence and features the activists that have worked alongside Williams in that fights, creatives reciting Williams' poetry, and Williams' family, The telethon starts at 6pm CT and viewing information can be found on MADP's Twitter/X feed, Instagram feed, Facebook feed, and Youtube channel. 

To learn more about Khaliifah Williams' fight to prove his innocence, visit #FreeKhaliifah.org. You can also read the Urgent Action letter from Amnesty International urging Governor Parsons to grant clemency to Williams.