Missouri Supreme Court blocks agreement that would have halted execution

The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked a plea deal that would have spared death row inmate Marcellus Williams’ life, ordering instead a hearing on Williams’ claim of innocence with just over a month to go before his scheduled…

CLAYTON, Missouri — The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked a deal that would have spared the life of a death row inmate Marcellus Williams and instead ordered a hearing on Williams’ claim of innocence, just over a month before his scheduled execution.

The ruling Wednesday night came hours after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton approved a plan that allowed Williams to enter a new plea without contest to first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Though Williams’ attorneys said he still maintains his innocence, the plea acknowledged that the evidence was sufficient for a conviction.

Williams would have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday. Instead, the Execution on September 24 The date is still being set, pending a hearing before Hinton on Williams’ claim of innocence.