Mike Parson, the governor of Missouri has never granted clemency in a death penalty case- even amidst millions of signatures, op eds, and local and national pleas for him to save the life of an innocent man on death row, Marcellus Khaliifah Williams. But despite his self-proclaimed pro-life position, Gov. Parsons failed to act, and Williams was executed on September 24, 2024. The execution was a disappointment to many given no DNA evidence linked Williams to the crime and the prosecution’s original case against Mr. Williams was based solely on the uncredible and unreliable testimony of two incentivized witnesses. The case was so flawed that the current District Attorney, many of the original jurors, and the victims’ families all spoke out against the execution.
Missouri is among just a handful of U.S. states that still regularly execute its residents. A two-thirds majority of states have either formally ended the death penalty or haven’t carried out an execution in more than 10 years. Over the past 10 years, Missouri has carried out 20 executions, the third highest number (tied with Alabama) in the country behind Texas and Georgia, but only one person has been sentenced to death by a Missouri jury in that time, demonstrating that executions are not representative of current attitudes but rather those of previous decades. Though situated in the midwest, Missouri’s recent policy behavior is reminiscent of the historical discrimination and racism that many deep Southern states employ.
Gov. Parson, like Gov. Stitt in Oklahoma, Gov. Kay Ivey in Alabama and Gov. Abbott in Texas all boast proudly of strong Christian values and morals. They have all supported Days of Prayer and boldly stood on policy that protect Christian values. One of the foundational core values of Christianity and many Southern Baptists’ churches include; grace, mercy and redemption. In 2022, Gov. Parson became vehemently opposed to appointing a state health director that did not share his same Christian values. In fact, in a 2017 in an interview with the Word & Way publication, (regarding the suicide of Tom Schweich- a Missouri state auditor and a Republican candidate for governor who before his death was criticized for being Jewish):
“They’ll spend millions of dollars to destroy one’s honor, to destroy their lives. That’s just not who I am. That’s just not what I believe in. Somebody’s got to stand up at some point and say, “It’s wrong.” …”We Christians, we need to stand up to that and say, “I’m not going to do that.”
That’s what many of Williams’ supporters were calling for on that Tuesday, for Governor Parson to stand up and say, “I’m not going to do that”- but he didn’t. Between 2020 and 2024, Parson granted clemency to more than 760 people (the most for any Missouri governor since the 1940s). In July 2020, Parson pledged to pardon Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a St. Louis couple who pointed guns at unarmed George Floyd protesters walking past their home on a private street. However, in 2021 he declined to pardon Kevin Strickland, an African-American man who was wrongfully imprisoned since 1978, remarking it was not a “priority”. Strickland, who was convicted by an all-white jury, maintained his innocence and was eventually exonerated and released from prison after 42 years.
Gov. Parson continues to pretend that he is pro-life while making clear that state sanctioned murder will remain “business as usual” in the state of Missouri. Grab your drinks, picnic baskets, cotton candy and souvenirs – death lives in the state of Missouri – this is how it feels, looks, and sounds when the pleas of millions, asking for mercy, go unanswered. As a society, we have to ask ourselves, who is the death penalty for? Data has confirmed that the death penalty does not deter violent crime in states that sustain its use, that the death sentences are highly influenced by the race of the victim, that more than 70% of the world’s countries have abolished the death penalty, and that the death penalty is significantly more expensive than life in prison. Executions are also irreversible, so if DNA or other new evidence is found, nothing can be done to reverse the injustice.
Out of the 50 U.S. governors, approximately 33 identify with Christian denominations, including 16 Catholics, 7 unspecified Christians, and other smaller groups such as Baptists, Protestants, Presbyterians, Methodists, and others. Almost all of the governors in the Southern region identify with Christian values, yet many Southern pro-life governors ignore their constituents who believe pro-life extends from those in the womb to those on death row. The time is now to challenge governors of faith who continue to serve as executioners and urge them to live up to their values by honoring the sanctity of all life.
Joia Erin Thornton is an avid human rights advocate, lobbyist, writer, and policy leader. Ms. Thornton has a unique hometown experience growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana; two cities on the mighty Mississippi River with deep histories of class hierarchy, racial tension and overall systemic challenges. Joia created the Faith Leaders of Color Coalition (flocc) to honor the work of Black & Indigenous faith leaders who have contributed to civil/ human rights movements throughout American history. Joia uses the framework of faith, race, and historical accounts from the Southern diaspora to boldly confront America’s relationship with the death penalty system.
Joia has 20 years of combined experience in grasstops organizing, lobbying, program implementation, and model design. Joia has led successful policy change in state and federal legislation. Joia has a Bachelor of Arts in English and French (BA) from Louisiana State University and a Master of Public Administration-Policy & Legal Studies (MPA | MPP) from the University of Memphis. In 2024, Joia along with members of the flocc community visited the White House, the Department of Justice and the Pardon’s Attorney office to discuss the Federal Death Row system. In 2024, Joia was selected as a recipient of the Duke Divinity Reflective Leadership Grant. Joia collaborates with and advises attorneys, policy analysts, faith leaders, and strategists all working to eliminate the use of the capital punishment system.
Unbound is a space for life-giving experiences and perspectives. Opinions are the views of the author.
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