missouri, where we're joined by kent gipson, a criminal defense attorney who has been representing marcellus williamsr the past 12 years. kent gipson, welcome to democracy now! talk about what happened this week and the dna evidence that was finally allowed to be used marcellus' here in case in the stay of execution. >> thank you for having me. i have been representing marcella's for about 12 years now. we have been trying to get new dna testing during that entire time. finally in 2015, we succeeded in doing that. and through the new technique called touch dna, dna profile was developed on the knife handle. it was an unknown male, but it did not match marcellus williams' dna. jail for,s been in what, 17 years about? how come this just came out on the day that he was going to be executed? >> well, we had the results and we tried to get a stay from the missouri supreme court, who summarily denied it. so we could get a court hearing. we have never got a court a trial judge or any other judge evaluate whether the dna is sufficiently exonerating towards a new trial. -- two war it a new trial. when they ha

it excludes marcellus williams. it's a male's dna. there to compare to others, to compare to a similar crime, a woman about the same age, this victim was 42, the other one 40, white female, long brown hair, both of them stabbed with their own kitchen knives, both of them, the knife is left in the body. it's obviously potentially related. the medical examiner thought so in 1998. that second crime is unsolved. we certainly want the dna compared from both knife handles and from all the other evidence. but all the forensic evidence from the scene, including hairs, including footprint, all of it excludes marcellus williams. >> okay. greg, thank you very much. as we reported, the governor in missouri has issued a stay in his execution for tonight. thanks again, greg. >>> i want to turn now to a former death row inmate. he joins me now with a personal side of this story. joe sat on ohio's death row for more than 20 years. his murder conviction eventually tossed out after federal courts found the state of ohio had withheld key evidence from t

marcellus williams is inside the prison outside st.aiting to be injected at 6:00 local time. he, as you mentioned, was convicted of the 1998 brutal stabbing murder of a former newspaper reporter in st. louis. the case relied heavily on testimony from two other criminals, but there was never physical evidence linking williams to the crime scene. now, his lawyers say new dna evidence proves he is innocent. it will be up to the supreme court to decide whether or not that execution should go ahead. for the state, an execution would mean justice for williams son. >> this is a man who murdered, it's not right, with a lack of dna evidence and other things going on, being a white woman, him being black, muslim, they have to make an example. but, i would want him to be released. you know, be around, be able to see his grandchildren. >> you used the word murder deliberately, why? >> because, that's what it is. he is innocent. it's a person, their life taken away for something they didn't do or have control over. that's murder. >> reporter: to cl

josh holly said based on the another non-dna evidence in this case our office is confident in marcellus williamsilt. as he waits for a decision the younger williams says his father is at peace with whatever comes next. >> i mean if tomorrow is his last day i'll be with him and watch, to be there for him and support him in his last time, his last hour. >> reporter: the supreme court is expected to have a decision later today. if it rules the execution can go ahead, then williams will have only one lifeline left, the governor, who has yet to comment on this case. and even if williams is to be eventually exonerated for this crime as his lawyers hope, he has almost no chance of walking free, because of separate convictions for unrelated crimes, chris. >> appreciate it, thank you very much. let us know where that story develops. it's got a very compressed time line. >>> another legal story called a cold-blooded attempted murder of an ohio judge but it really took a twist. the gunman is dead because the ambush turned into a shoot-out with the judge and a nearby probation officer returning fire. now po

there's a lot to unpack here, but the bottom line is that marcellus williams has been handed a lifelinessouri governor, at least for now. she announced that he would create a board of inquiry to look into whether williams actually committed the murder that she's accushe's accused of 1998. so for now, he will not -- the execution will not go ahead as plan. it was scheduled for just about four hours from now, 6:00 local time, 7:00 eastern. that board of inquiry will be made up of retired judges. it will have full subpoena power to ultimately get to the bottom of this. keep in mind, this issue was at the supreme court in washington. we were still waiting to hear from justices as to whether or not they would issue a stay of williams' execution. we hadn't heard yet but obviously the governor has power regardless of what the court decides to spare a man's life and in this case, that's exactly what he's done. >> right. that request went to justice neil gorsuch. just to give us some background on this case. what are his lawyers relying on to stay the execution in terms of the dna that has been

>> reporter: yeah, so the governor has essentially handed marcellus williams a lifeline, albeit a verye risk of executing a potentially innocent man, the governor said, hey, let's look into this. so he is forming a board of inquiry which will essentially comprise offormerjudgeswho will have full subpoena power to look into whether or not this man deserves any clemency. but also keep in mind, jake, this case is also working its way, at least parts of it, through the supreme court. so it's unclear at this point what impact that decision at the supreme court could have on this board of inquiry. >> scott mcclain, thank you very much. appreciate it. >>> when she was attacked on social media for naming her designer clothes while traveling on a jet to another state in the union, they fought back calling the mother of three out of touch. now she's apologizing. that story next. seafood lover'h weekdays just $9.99 iso being cool comes naturally. on car insurance, hmm. i can't decide if this place is swag or bling. it's pretzels. word. ladies, you know when you switch, you get my bomb-diggity di

now the commander of the entire fleet has lost his job. >>> marcellus williams' attorneys say the newn. the governor plans tooi app ant board to recommend whether williams should be granted clemency. >>> behind me, this is the last place that the woman was seen alive over two months o.ag her family has been waiting ever since and they are heartbroken. >>> president trump said attack we will. yeah. and trump introduced his new military strategist general mad dog yoda. what is that? attack, we will. >>> i'm gayle king, charlie, as you might have guessed is off. phoenix investiga will look into protesters who got violent. >> president trump fired up supporters with a serious of full throated attacks. he blasted arizona senators john mccain and jeff flake without mentioning their names. >> the president got a lot of cheer by suggesting a pardon for former sheriff joe arpaio who faces jail for defying a court order. the president accused the media of misreporting his response to the violence in charlottesville. >> i spoke out forcefully against hatred. bigotry and violence and strongly con

marcellus williams was scheduled to be put to death last night for the 1998 murder of felicia gayle. arcellus' attorneys say the dna matched an unknown person. a board will decide whether he should be executed or be granted clemency. >> he's an innocent man. >> reporter: marcellus williams knows his father's exoneration is long shot. williams was convicted of stabbing a former newspaper reporter 43 times with a butcher knife inside her home in 1998. >> it's sad because this woman, she was murdered. her killer is still walking the streets. >> reporter: in 2015, missouri supreme court delayed williams' execution to allow for dna testing that was not available during trial. larry cop is one of williams' attorneys. >> we're looking at an execution a couple hours from now and the governor interceded and we get our day in court and talk about what the results mean. >> reporter: the governor's executive order says the board has the ability to gather information whether or not admissible in a court of law. the innocence project took notice after an online petition received more than 250,000 s

a last-minute stay of execution was issued for death row prisoner marcellus williams, only hours before he was slated to be put to death tuesday night. the stay of execution came after dna found on the murder weapon did not match williams, but instead matched another man. williams, who is african american, was convicted in 2001 of killing a former st. louis post-dispatch reporter lisha gayle, who is white, during a robbery. he was convicted by 11 white jurors and 1 black juror, after the prosecution was allowed to preemptively strike out other six prospective black jurors. williams has always maintained his innocence. amnesty international and other groups are now urging governor greitens to grant marcellus williams clemency. more information is emerging about the e deliberations thatad to president trump's new commitment to the ongoing war in afghanistan, the longest war in u.s. history. in a televised address monday night, president trump announced the u.s. is doubling down on the war, a reversal from his earlier position that "we should leave afghanistan immediately." "the washington

marcellus williams' attorney says the new dna evidence found on the murder weapon matched an unknown rson and not their client. the governor's plans to apoint a five-member board to recommend whether williams should be executed or now granted clemency. >> an innocent man and they didn't look at him like that and give him a chance. >> reporter: marcellus williams knows his father's exoneration is still a long shot. williams was convicted of stabbing a former newspaper reporter, felicia gayle, 43 times with a butcher knife inside her home back in 1998. >> it's sad, because this woman, she was murdered. her killer is still walking the streets. >> in 2015, missouri's supreme court delayed williams' execution to allow for dna testing that was not available during trial. larry komp is one of williams' attorneys. >> we are looking at an execution a couple of hours from now. the governor interceded and now we get our day in court and talk about what these results mean. >> reporter: the government's executive order says the inquiry board has the power to gather information, whether or not admi

. >> marcellus williams due to be executed last night, convicted in the fatal stabbing after newspaperr, recent testing show that dna found on the murder weapon matched a different person. the governor now pointing a five member panel to take another look at that case. >>> preventing the hobby from becoming a hazard. >> still to come: crying foul. a warning about our backyard chickens, now, you know i got my chickens, i'll little skeptical. they say there is important new information you need to know specially if you have young children. when you make a pb&j with smucker's, that's the difference between ordinary everyday and exquisitely delicious in an everyday sort of way. because with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. and exquisitely delicious in an everyday sort of way. how dixie ultra plates?roved with two pounds of steak. in each hand. dixie ultra. stress tested so you can stress less at dinner. >> 4:45, train is running every 20 minute on the force town high-speed line, same deal as yesterday, no express service, so all trains making all stops, expect delays specially ori

the governor of missouri has issued a stay of execution in the case of forty eight year old marcellus williams today a man scheduled to die tonight despite d.n.a. evidence and removing him from the crime governor area greetings and nouns to you will appoint a five member board of retired missouri judges to look into the case this comes after opponents of the death penalty organized rallies and vigils throughout the state in response to plans to kill the man and using lethal injection tonight. in august of one thousand nine hundred eight the death row inmate was convicted for the murder of forty two year old felicia gail his jury consisted of eleven white jurors and one black juror however a d.n.a. profile developed from the handle of the murder weapon did not match williams's d.n.a. furthermore the a.c.l.u. reported there was no forensic evidence or eyewitness testimony linking him to the crime additionally the jury had not been made aware of his history of severe abuse and mental disability. the trumpet ministration is planning to oversee a tremendous building boom at america's most notorious

the governor of missouri has stayed the execution of a convicted killer amid new dna evidence marcellus williamsastern time williams was convicted in 1997 in the death of a former newspaper reporter. >>> police in denmark are running test to see if some body parts are those of a journalist who disappeared after board tag private submarine last week. officials believe the sub's owner and inventor killed her and deliberately sank the sub. peter madsen told investigators that she died accidentally. >>> in harrisonville, missouri workers have plugged a leak in the dam there. officials warned residents that a lower third of the dam had a strong possibility of breaking and the area was evacuated, but the dam is no longer at risk and do not forget. you've got to be in it to win it tomorrow night's powerball jackpot is the now $700 million. the second largest in the u.s. history. the cash payout would be more than $433 million. >>> that's the news update this number back downtown to you, kelly. >> thank you very much, sue. >> our sue herera. >>> house speaker paul ryan saying yesterday that tax reform i