Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

innocenceproject.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 514 posts

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#151

Post by subsaharancoder »

tristan957 wrote: post #136
subsaharancoder wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love my children and I forgive them when they do wrong, but there's always consequences for actions.

Nobody here is saying there shouldn't be consequences. Instead we are saying that every single person should have the right to seek forgiveness from their creator(s). If you execute someone before they have have made things right (or not), you are playing the role of God.

Everyone does have the right to seek forgiveness from God, and He does forgive "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=1+John+1%3A9, but in the same breath human beings are subject to government and the rules that go with it because God has given that authority "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Romans+13%3A1 If one willingly takes the life of an innocent human being with full knowledge that by that action they forfeit the right to live then it's a fitting consequence.

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed,For in the image of God He made man." https://nasb.literalword.com/?q=Genesis+9%3A6

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#152

Post by zemo »

kergonath wrote: post #98
jzackpete wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Being Christian is about forgiving and loving your neighbours, isn’t it?

Christian is an umbrella term that describes many differing sets of beliefs. This is an oversimplification but Protestants for example believe in Sola Fide, the believe that salvation comes from faith alone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_fide), whereas Catholics believe that salvation requires "good works", the sort of thing you're likely thinking of. So ... different groups hold differing sets of beliefs with regards to what loving your neighbor means and what is expected behavior. This is a huge oversimplification, the "Salvation in Christianity" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_in_Christianity) and "Good Works" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_works) pages can help orient (or disorient) you.

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#153

Post by sam1r »

knodi123 wrote: post #59
rdtsc wrote: post #2

> Even the victim’s family believes life without parole is the appropriate sentence That is odd, if there is no evidence that links him to the crime why not argue to let him go? Is that just from a desire to have someone punished, no matter who it is.

There's plenty of evidence. He confessed to his girlfriend, and a cellmate. He pawned the victim's possessions. He was seen disposing of bloody clothes. He already had 15 felony convictions in addition to offenses related to Ms. Gayle's murder: robbery (2), armed criminal action (2), assault (2), burglary (4), stealing (3), stealing a motor vehicle, and unlawful use of a weapon. Now, as to whether this evidence is so…

[flagged]

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#154

Post by IncreasePosts »

kergonath wrote: post #98
jzackpete wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Being Christian is about forgiving and loving your neighbours, isn’t it?

Why did Jesus go into the temple and blow their shit up? Shouldn't he have forgiven the money changers and dove sellers?

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#155

Post by kelthuzad »

sparrish wrote: post #149
slibhb wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems like pretty strong evidence to me!

[flagged]

Sentencing a man to death when there is reasonable doubt of his guilt is a miscarriage of justice.

"A crime scene covered with forensic evidence contained no link to Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams has been seeking to prove his innocence throughout the 23 years he has spent on Missouri’s death row. On August 11, 1998, Felicia Gayle, a former reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was found stabbed to death in her home. The perpetrator left behind considerable forensic evidence, including fingerprints, footprints, hair, and trace DNA on the murder weapon, a knife from Ms. Gayle’s kitchen. _None_ of this forensic evidence matches Mr. Williams."

https://innocenceproject.org/who-is-marcellus-williams-man-f...

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#156

Post by sparrish »

rob74 wrote: post #42
shusaku wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I could find reading about this case, the “evidence of innocence” is very flimsy. But it’s a reasonable moral stand by the family to want to stay the execution if they think there is even a slim chance of innocence.

If you read the article, the "evidence of guilt" is equally flimsy. And if we take "innocent until proven guilty" seriously, that means he not only should not have been executed, but should never have gone to jail in the first place...

A jury of his peers thought there was enough evidence to convict him and they did. At that point, he's "guilty until proven innocent".

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#157

Post by IncreasePosts »

tristan957 wrote: post #137
ctxc wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe there are heinous crimes that do. Both fitting the crime and as a deterrent.

The US has more violent crime than other Western countries, so as a deterrent, it does not work. Perhaps instead of wasting money on death penalty appeals and killing innocent people, we should think about how we as a country can overhaul the prison system and our societal structures.

That logic doesn't follow, because it could be the case that America would be even more violent if we didn't execute people. Having said that, I find the deterrence angle suspect. Very few people would consider spending the rest of their life in jail acceptable, but being put to death unacceptable.

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#158

Post by jkhdigital »

klyrs wrote: post #146
xboxnolifes wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not hearsay to go to the witness stand and say the defendant told you something. That defendant is there in court and is able to defend themselves.

That's literally the definition of hearsay. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearsay

…did you read the link you just posted? If the person whose words are being presented as evidence is available for cross-examination then (legally) it’s not hearsay. The defendant in a criminal case is always available, so any statement they make out of court is never hearsay.

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#159

Post by yapyap »

olivermuty wrote: post #4

It doesn't say in the article, but he was executed last night :(

Thank you, was looking for this info since they did mention the 24th but hadn’t said if they really went through with it or not.

Sad shit, just as sad is the fact that it seems like nothing will change.

Re: Who is Marcellus Williams: Execution in Missouri despite evidence of innocence

#160

Post by HarHarVeryFunny »

kergonath wrote: post #98
jzackpete wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Being Christian is about forgiving and loving your neighbours, isn’t it?

Lot's of people calling themselves Christian support Trump.

I don't think you can deduce much about someone's character just because they go to church or call themselves religious.

Post reply on HN