LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- Attorneys for the eight inmates scheduled for lethal injections next month filed a motion Monday asking a federal judge to block their client’s executions.
This comes the same day the Arkansas Parole Board announced it would not recommend clemency for death row inmates, Stacey Johnson and Ledell Lee, who both claimed innocence and asked for a sentence reduction Friday.
Monday, Marcel Williams asked for clemency. Though, he didn't try to claim innocence, he instead begged for forgiveness and the chance to make a positive impact by reducing his sentence to life without parole.
“This man has turned his life around, and he’s found God," said Dina Windle, who claims she was abducted, raped, and tied up by Marcel Williams 22 years ago. She managed to escape and is now asking the parole board to give Williams another chance at life.
“So he can help others who can see that example he has set and to say ‘that’s the wrong path,’” said Windle.
Williams asked for forgiveness from his victims during the hearing, saying, “To those I’ve hurt, ‘I’m sorry’ is not enough.”
An emotional Williams reflected on his past actions and on his childhood. He was abused and neglected. Now, he claims to be a changed man and wants clemency.
"Being in this situation has forced me to look at myself, and sometimes you don’t like the person you see looking back at you. So, you do what you can to change that, and I’ve tried," said Williams.
Williams is on death row for killing 22 year old Stacy Errickson in 1994. He was found guilty of abducting her from a gas station, raping, and suffocating the young mother of two. Her body was found in a shallow grave weeks later.
“Stacy wasn’t raised by a daddy. She didn’t have one, and her twin brother Tracy didn’t have one," said Carolyn Moore, Errickson’s mother who wants Williams executed. “Neither one of those were in jail, so that’s no excuse for these convicts."
"I still think of her every day and always will," said Trista Wussick who was babysitting Erickson's kids at the time of her disappearance. “Marcel Williams is my boogie man. He doesn’t deserve any mercy."
The Arkansas Parole board has announced that they are denying clemency for Williams. The Governor will have the final say. His execution date is April 24. Another clemency hearing is scheduled for Friday for two more men.