Missouri governor halts Tuesday execution of Marcellus Williams

Missouri Governor Eric Greitens halted the execution of a man scheduled to be put to death on Tuesday for killing of a woman during a robbery after his attorneys argued that recent DNA evidence shows he is innocent.

Greitens issued the stay of execution for Marcellus Williams, 48, who was scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. CDT in a Bonne Terre state prison for the stabbing death of former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Felicia Gayle during an August 1998 robbery at her home.

He said in a statement he would appoint a Board of Inquiry to further consider Williams' request for executive clemency.

(Reporting by Chris Kenning; Editing by Sandra Maler)