Missouri
The Death Penalty Is Anti-American. Marcellus Williams’ Execution Is More Proof Of That.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mike Parson, the governor of the benighted state of Missouri, committed a murder on Tuesday. He allowed to state to kill a 55-year old man named Marcellus Williams in retribution for a murder that Williams almost surely did not commit. Parsons did so with the support of the carefully manufactured conservative majority on the United States Supreme Court, and against the opposition of, among other people, the local prosecutor, and the family of the victim. From Parson’s chair, it was an altogether imperfect crime.
On August 11, 1998, a former St Louis Post-Dispatch reporter named Felicia Gayle was brutally stabbed to death in her home. It was a terrible, messy crime scene thick with biological evidence. DNA abounded. There were bloody footprints all over the kitchen floor and bloody fingerprints everywhere else. The knife was still in the victim’s neck.
Williams, a career criminal who already was serving a long prison term for a robbery, was fingered for the crime by a jailhouse informant and a former girlfriend. The jury took less than an hour to convict Williams of the murder.
But…DNA. Years after the conviction, a test of DNA found on the murder weapon revealed that the prosecutors’ team had mishandled the knife. The only evidence on it was from their team. Seven years ago, then-Governor Eric Greitens, whom nobody ever confused with Clarence Darrow, was so shaken by this that he triggered an obscure Missouri statute and created a board of inquiry to study the evidence from the trial. But Greitens lost his gig due to a baroque welter of personal scandals. Upon ascending to the governorship, Parson simply dissolved the panel that Greitens had created and re-scheduled Williams’ execution, which took place this week.
When he dissolved the board of inquiry, Parson explained that the search for truth in the case of Marcellus Williams had gone on long enough to suit him. From the Washington Post:
“We could stall and delay for another six years, deferring justice, leaving a victim’s family in limbo, and solving nothing,” Parson said in a press release last year. “This administration won’t do that.”
Thus do we have yet another example that the death penalty is inconsistent with all the constitutional guarantees that exist in our criminal law, that it is a surrender to passion, and not to reason, that it is entirely an act of vengeance, not justice, and therefore, it is in every way anti-American. As Albert Camus wrote in 1957:
Whoever has done me harm must suffer harm; whoever has put out my eye must lose an eye; and whoever has killed must die. This is an emotion, and a particularly violent one, not a principle. Retaliation is related to nature and instinct, not to law. Law, by definition, cannot obey the same rules as nature. If murder is in the nature of man, the law is not intended to imitate or reproduce that nature. It is intended to correct it.
An awareness walk took place in Columbia Saturday that brings attention to a genetic disorder.
The eighth annual Missouri Walk of Neurofibromatosis took place on May 30 at Stephens Lake Park.
The event helps raise money and awareness for people who have the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis (NF).
There are three types of NF: neurofibromatosis type one (NF1), neurofibromatosis type two-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN), and schwannomatosis.
While the three types of NF are genetically distinct, they share the common feature of causing tumors.
The severity of symptoms and the specific manifestations of the disorders can vary significantly from person to person.
NF1 is the most common of the conditions, affecting approximately one in 2,500.
NF2 affects around one in 25,000 and other schwannomatosis types affect around one in 40,000.
Together, the disorders affect at least 1 in 2,000 people or approximately four million worldwide.
Anyone can be born with an NF disorder, and they have a 50% chance of passing it on.
For Christina Thomas, an organizer for Missouri Walk of Neurofibromatosis, the walk means “the world” to her.
“I’ve always been about advocating for NF and bringing people together,” Thomas said. “It’s awesome to see so many people coming together who have it.”
Thomas is the third generation in her family to have NF, and three of her four kids also have the condition.
“I grew up thinking my family was the only one with it. To me, it’s very important to be able to let people know that they’re not the only ones with it.”
Thomas said she was often teased when she was younger because her father, who also has NF, had tumors all over his body.
“I was always made fun of because of his appearance. People tell me, ‘You don’t want to get close to her she’s contagious.’”
Thomas said she joined the walk because she wants to bring people together who have NF and let them know they are not alone.
Another of her goals is to get the attention from the University of Missouri.
“Our ultimate goal is to get the attention of the University of Missouri, because not for me, not for my kids, but maybe for my grandkids or the ones that are nearly diagnosed, for us to have an NF clinic here instead of having to travel to Kansas City or St. Louis for expert care.”
She said the best way for the community to support those living with NF is through education and awareness.
“We’re always about advocating. We’re always about bringing awareness.”
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 29, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 29 drawing
19-24-47-59-65, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 29 drawing
Midday: 6-4-0
Midday Wild: 5
Evening: 8-5-3
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 29 drawing
Midday: 3-4-8-0
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 6-8-4-1
Evening Wild: 0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 29 drawing
Early Bird: 10
Morning: 03
Matinee: 12
Prime Time: 14
Night Owl: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 29 drawing
07-16-25-26-36
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
SHELL KNOB, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) -A Barry County man recently broke the Missouri state record after catching a yellow bass on Table Rock Lake.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, Danny Naugle, of Cassville, reeled in the record-breaking fish while fishing on Table Rock Lake on May 13. The fish broke the state record previously set in 1995.
The fish weighed 2 pounds, 7 ounces, and measured 16.5 inches. It was just two ounces shy of the world record, the department said.
MDC said Naugle normally casts for crappie, using an ultra-light rod and lights to draw baitfish.
The previous record was set in 1995 by a 9-ounce fish caught from a slough off the Mississippi River, according to MDC.
The department said Naugle plans to get the yellow bass mounted. His catch marks the first state record fish recorded for 2026.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.
Copyright 2026 KY3. All rights reserved.
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