The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office will appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court a judge's ruling upholding the conviction and death sentence for Marcellus Williams , whose execution is one week away.
A notice of appeal filed Monday night did not include any details about the basis for the appeal.
Meanwhile, attorneys for Williams have submitted a clemency petition to Gov. Mike Parson that emphasizes how relatives of the murder victim oppose the execution.
Williams, 55, is set to die by injection Sept. 24 for the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle inside her home in University City, Missouri. It would be the third execution in Missouri this year and the 14th nationwide.
Democratic St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell cited questions about DNA evidence on the murder weapon in requesting a hearing challenging Williams' guilt. Bell said the evidence indicated that someone else's DNA was on the butcher knife used to kill Gayle, but not that of Williams.
