DUE TO NEW DNA EVIDENCE, A MAN WHO WAS JUST HOURS AWAY
FROM BEING EXECUTED WAS ISSUED A STAY OF EXECUTION.
NOW THERE WILL BE A BOARD LOOKING INTO THE MATTER TO
DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL BE EXONERATED OR IF HE IS STILL
FOUND GUILTY OF A MURDER THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE LATE 1990S.
THE DNA ON THE MURDER WEAPON DID NOT MATCH MARSALIS
WILLIAMSíS DNA.
INSTEAD IT WAS FOUND TO BELONG TO AN UNKNOWN MALE.
LET ME GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THE CRIME THAT OCCURRED.
BACK IN 1999 THERE WAS A REPORTER THAT WAS STABBED
TO DEATH IN HER OWN HOME AND PROSECUTORS ALLEGED THAT
MARSALIS WILLIAMS WAS BURGLARIZING HER HOME AND THEN
WHEN SHE APPEARED HE RETALIATED BY STABBING HER TO DEATH.
HE WAS CONVICTED, BUT AGAIN, THE NEW DNA EVIDENCE INDICATES
THAT THE DNA ON THAT KNIFE DOES NOT MATCH HIS DNA, IT
MATCHES THE DNA OF AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN.
A SENTENCE OF DEATH, THE GOVERNOR DECIDED, I AM
GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO A STAY UNTIL WE CAN REALLY LOOK
INTO THIS MATTER BECAUSE WE DO WHEN EXECUTE THE WRONG
PERSON SO HERE'S WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID.
A SENTENCE OF DEATH IS THE ULTIMATE PERMANENT PUNISHMENT.
TO CARRY OUT THE DEATH PENALTY THE PEOPLE OF MISSOURI MUST
HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE JUDGMENT OF GUILT BUT THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL AND THE STATE IS SAYING NO, THIS GUY IS GUILTY.
THE DNA EVIDENCE MIGHT INDICATE ONE THING, BUT MAYBE SOME
OTHER GUY HAD HANDLED THE NIGHT BEFORE.
MAYBE MARSALIS WAS WEARING A GLOVE WHEN HE WAS HANDLING
THE WEAPON AND THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE OTHER EVIDENCE THAT
INDICATES THAT HE IS GUILTY, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS WE NEED
TO HAVE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MATTER AND BE ABSOLUTELY
CERTAIN BEFORE CARRYING OUT THIS FORM OF PUNISHMENT.
UNDERSTAND THAT THEY DID NOT CANCEL THE EXECUTION, THEY
JUST DELETE IT TO GET MORE EVIDENCE.
IT'S BETTER THAT THEY DELETED OF COURSE.
I THINK THERE IS SOME CHANCE THE PROSECUTOR IS RIGHT BECAUSE
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER EVIDENCE, TWO WITNESSES SAY
THAT WILLIAMS CONFESSED TO THEM.
THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME DOES SOMETIMES THEY DO IT TO GET
A BETTER BARGAIN FOR THEMSELVES TO SERVE LESS PRISON TIME.
WHO KNOWS DOTTED OVER THOSE WITH WITNESSES OUR DAUGHTER KNOW
IF THEY ARE IN PRISON OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES
AND ACCORDING TO THE EVIDENCE, HE SOLD THE FELICIA GALES
LAPTOP RIGHT AFTER HER DEATH.
THAT IS PRETTY GOOD EVIDENCE.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IT WAS A KITCHEN KNIFE THAT OTHER
PEOPLE USED
THAT WERE IN HER HOUSE AND HE WAS WEARING GLOVES.
OF COURSE IT IS POSSIBLE.
SHOULD WE EXECUTE HIM?
HELL NO.
ARE YOU CRAZY?
THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEATH PENALTY.
WE CAN NEVER BE CERTAIN AND WE ARE WAY AWAY FROM CERTAIN
AND THIS CASE.
EVEN IF YOU ARE FOR THE DEATH PENALTY, I USED TO BE WITH
THIS IS WHY SWITCH MY MIND BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT THERE
WERE DOZENS OF PEOPLE ON DEATH ROW THAT DID NOT DO IT.
NOW LIKE THIS CASE, LIKE CLEARLY DIDN'T DO IT.
THEY FOUND OUT LATER THAT IT WAS SOMEBODY ELSE'S DNA.
THEY GO TO THE GUY, HE CONFESSES TO THE MURDER.
THEY GOT THE WRONG GUY DOZENS OF THEM AND WE WERE GOING TO
KILL THEM.
MURDER THEM WHEN THEY WERE IN AN ASCENT ON THE CASE LIKE
THIS I DON'T KNOW IF HE IS INNOCENT OR GUILTY.
I DO KNOW THAT WHEN EXECUTE THEM BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GO
LATER, IT TURNS OUT HE DIDN'T WORK WELL, IT REALLY WAS
THE OTHER GUY.
OOPS.
THAT ISNíT SOMETHING YOU CAN GO OOPS ABOUT.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THE BURDEN OF PROOF WHEN
YOU WERE CHARGING AND EVICTING SOMEONE OF MURDER.
IS GUILTY BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT THAT I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO OPEN THIS INVESTIGATION AND TAKE A
LOOK AT ALL OF THE EVIDENCE AND KIND OF DETERMINE WHETHER
OR NOT THE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT HE IS GUILTY BEYOND A
REASONABLE DOUBT.
AT THE BARE MINIMUM THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE YET.
WHOSE DNA IS IT ON THE KNIFE?
IF IT TURNS OUT IT'S SOMEONE WHO USED TO COME OVER TO HER
HOUSE ALL THE TIME, HER DATA WHATEVER DOES THAT DOESN'T
PROVE ANYTHING.
IF IT TURNS OUT IS SOME OTHER GUY WHO WAS A SERIAL
KILLER, THAT PROVES A LOT.
LET'S FIND OUT WHO'S DNA IT WAS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT RELITIGATING THE CASE ITSELF
WHICH THERE SHOULD BE AN ARGUMENT OVER ESPECIALLY IF WE
FIND OUT WHO'S DNA IS ON THE KNIFE.
WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT SHOULD YOU KILL THE GUY OR NOT.
DO NOT EXECUTE THIS GUY.
THAT IS NOT.
THE FINAL ARGUMENT AGAINST IT IS WEB AND SAYS ALL OF THE TIME.
THIS WOMAN WAS STABBED 43 TIMES.
IF HE INFECTED DO IT, DON'T CREATE ANY SYMPATHY FOR HIM.
WHAT IT DOES IS IT MAKES PEOPLE GO NO, DON'T KILL HIM AND
IF HE DID IT, NONE OF US SHOULD HAVE ANY SYMPATHY FOR HIM.
WE SHOULD BLOCK HIM AWAY FOR 11 NEVER LET HIM OUTSIDE WHOEVER
DID IT, BUTCHERED THAT POOR WOMAN TO DEATH.
WE WANT JUSTICE BUT WE DON'T WANT INJUSTICE.