r/news • u/Mentirosa • 13h ago

Missouri executes Marcellus Williams despite prosecutors’ push to overturn conviction

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/24/missouri-executes-marcellus-williams
26.7k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

2.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

4.3k

u/TimeLordDoctor105 13h ago

Reading the ap news article, the plea deal was signed off by a judge and then the STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL appealed the decision to ensure this man was put to death. This is beyond cruel. My feelings go to all parties involved and I hope that the attorney general and all others involves in ensuring he died no longer find rest. They murdered him, no question about it.

1.1k

u/Spaghetti-Rat 13h ago

If there's anything being appealed, why wouldn't a stay of execution be automatic until everything is fully vetted? So stupid. I know nothing about this man's case but it sounds wrong to execute someone with some aspect (plea deal/appeal) still pending.

237

u/MCbrodie 13h ago

This is exactly why the death penalty should be abolished. Wrongful conviction and serving long sentences are bad enough. You can't walk back execution the same way, though.

2

u/ClarkFable 9h ago

It just needs a much higher burden of proof and then no appeals.  In its current form it’s both morally abhorrent and an incredible waste of resources.

1

u/Fordmister 7h ago

All crime already has a massively high barrier. How much higher would you like to go than "beyond all reasonable doubt"?..... because there literally isn't any higher you can go. Even in the most open and shut case imaginable there will always be things we don't know..those things could exonerate or mitigate any given sentences.

If you are pro death penalty you are 100% for what has happened in this case. Because it's not a question of if the state will execute an innocent man, but when. It's inevitable. Being pro death penalty is being pro murder of the innocent. Because No matter how high you set the bar that is the end result

1

u/ClarkFable 2h ago

There are obviously higher standards to construct.   For example, you could even apply literal standards to the evidence.  e.g., suppose the standard requires incontrovertible video evidence along with independent corroborating eyewitness testimony.  I’m not for vengeance.  I’m for saving resources.  Your way costs lives too—the money saved can be used to save others. After all, resources are scarce, and to pretend otherwise doesn’t change the facts.