Virgin Group Founder Posts Full-Page Ad Calling for Clemency for Marcellus Williams, Scheduled for Execution on Sep. 24
Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson is calling on Missouri Governor Mike Parson to stop the execution of Marcellus Williams, scheduled for September 24. Williams’ conviction has come under increased scrutiny in recent months, due to the substantial lack of evidence linking Williams to the crime for which he was sentenced to death.
On Monday, Branson placed a full-page ad in the Kansas City Star, urging “the people of Missouri” to call the Governor and oppose what he calls “a devastating miscarriage of justice.” The ad includes a phone number to contact the Governor and a website detailing Williams’ case.
Williams, who has maintained his innocence throughout his 24 years on death row, was convicted of the 1998 fatal stabbing of former reporter Felicia “Lisha” Gayle. Despite investigators collecting forensic evidence from the scene, none of it was linked to Williams. His conviction hinged solely on the inconsistent and unverified testimony of two incentivized witnesses.
In 2016, DNA testing confirmed Williams was not the source of the male DNA found on the murder weapon.
A board of inquiry set up to look into Williams’ innocence claim was abruptly dissolved by Governor Parson in 2023. And just a few weeks ago, it was discovered that the trial prosecutors had corrupted the DNA evidence on the murder weapon that could have exonerated Williams. Following the discovery, a plea deal that would have spared Williams’ life was struck down by Missouri’s Supreme Court.
With just a day remaining before this scheduled execution, Williams’ fate lies in the hands of Governor Parson, who has the power to grant clemency and commute Williams’ sentence or issue him a stay of execution until further appeals can be resolved.
Branson’s Kansas City Star ad follows a blog post he wrote about Williams’ case and a video campaign he launched last week urging business leaders across the globe to sign the Business Leaders’ Declaration Against the Death Penalty. To date, over 350 leading business figures – including Paul Polman, Sheryl Sandberg, Arianna Huffington, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield – have signed this declaration, which is part of a global campaign against capital punishment launched by Branson and the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) in 2021.
