A Missouri man has been executed, marking the beginning of a string of executions scheduled in various states in the coming days, despite certain objections.
A Missouri man on death row was executed on Tuesday for the brutal 1998 killing of a woman in her home, marking the commencement of a series of executions scheduled in multiple states over the next few days.
In Missouri, Marcellus Williams, 55, was put to death by lethal injection shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. Williams' death sentence stemmed from the 1998 killing of Lisha Gayle, a social worker and former newspaper reporter who was stabbed over 40 times during a burglary at her St. Louis home.
Death Row Executions Resume in the United States
Williams' attorney argued that the state supreme court should halt his execution due to alleged procedural errors in jury selection and the prosecution's alleged mishandling of the murder weapon. However, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell had sought to set aside Williams' sentence, citing doubts about his guilt.
Despite these objections, Republican Governor Mike Parson and the state supreme court denied Williams' requests to avoid his execution.
Death Row Executions Resume in the United States
In Texas, Travis Mullis was scheduled to be executed on Tuesday for the killing of his 3-month-old son. Mullis, 38, was condemned to death for stomping his son Alijah to death in January 2008.
Prosecutors alleged that Mullis drove to Galveston with his son after a fight with his girlfriend and sexually assaulted the infant. When the child began crying uncontrollably, Mullis strangled him and then stomped on his head, leaving his body by the roadside.
Mullis fled Texas but later surrendered to authorities in Philadelphia. His attorney, Shawn Nolan, indicated that he did not intend to file further appeals prior to the execution.
These executions come amid ongoing debate about the death penalty in the United States. Some argue that capital punishment is an appropriate retribution for heinous crimes, while others believe it violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
The Missouri execution marked the first in the state since 2021 and the 10th in the United States this year. Several more executions are scheduled in Texas, Arizona, Alabama, and Oklahoma in the coming days and weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
