Convicted of first degree murder, robbery, and burglary, Marcus Williams was executed by the state of Missouri on September 24, 2024. The prosecutor advocated for the governor to stall his execution, as did the family of the victim. William’s guilt was in doubt as not everyone believed he was guilty. Since his death, he can no longer prove his innocence. For this, we can blame the criminal justice system.
The criminal justice system is a group of agencies that make up the community’s voice to punish criminals for their actions.
According to Baldani Law Group, five percent of convicted criminals are wrongfully accused each year, meaning 11,500 civilians serve jail time or worse for actions they did not commit.
It’s crucial to take all sides of a story into consideration, especially when the situation is severe enough to warrant a death penalty.
For example, in Williams’ trial, evidence had been brought to court showing that none of the DNA including hair, fingerprints, and footprints matched his.
It seemed unlikely for Williams to be guilty. Due to testimonies of two unreliable witnesses (Henry Cole, a former inmate of Williams, and Lara Asaro, a brief ex lover of Williams), the decision to execute Williams was made. The witnesses were bribed by the legal system with money and promises of leniency on their own criminal charges if they testified. Both of their stories were inconsistent with each other. The judges had two different stories to decipher.
The court took the side of Cole and Asaro, and decided Williams was guilty. He was then executed by lethal injection.
The Midwest Innocence Project is trying to protect innocent Americans from being executed or punished for crimes they did not commit, such as in the case of Williams where there is little evidence he actually committed the crimes.
Though I believe in punishing criminals for their actions, if citizens cannot commit murder, then the government should not have the authority to either.
Giving the death sentence to anyone, criminal or innocent, is unjust and hypocritical.
Justice is defined by what is morally right and fair, and what the justice system is doing isn’t.
Even if Williams had committed the murder of Gayles, killing him in return only ends his sentence sooner. Death does not solve the root of the crime. Many criminals are mentally ill and deserve help rather than a harsh punishment or a life sentence. According to samhsa.gov, a website highlighting substance abuse and violence, about 44 percent of convicted criminals have a diagnosed mental illness.
The death penalty violates the right to life. The right to life means no one is able to take your life including the government. The justice system isn’t honorable for their false accusations and hypocritical assumptions. If the government can destroy someone’s life in such a disturbing and unjust way, it can happen to us too, on small or large scales. The death penalty, or Capital punishment, has been abolished in 23 states and Missouri should be next.
