Missouri death row inmate agrees to new plea in deal that calls for a life sentence without parole

A Missouri death row inmate has dropped his innocence claim and entered a no-contest plea in an agreement that calls for a new sentence of life in prison without parole. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office opposes the new consent judgment and will appeal in an effort to move ahead with the scheduled Sept. 24 execution of Marcellus Williams. The turn of events happened Wednesday when a judge was supposed to oversee a hearing requested by prosecutors aimed at vacating Williams’ first-degree murder conviction in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle.