Two death row inmates were executed in the U.S. on Tuesday, sparking outrage and raising concerns about justice, particularly in the case of Marcellus Williams. The 55-year-old Black man, who consistently maintained his innocence, was executed in Missouri for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, a former newspaper reporter. The Missouri Department of Corrections confirmed his death by lethal injection at 6:10 p.m. local time.

Williams’s case had drawn significant attention from civil rights advocates and garnered support from prominent figures. Despite the growing calls to halt the execution, including pleas from the NAACP and public figures like British billionaire Richard Branson, Missouri Governor Michael Parson allowed the execution to move forward. Parson defended his decision, stating that no court had validated Williams’s innocence claims.

On the same day, Travis Mullis, 38, was executed in Texas for the 2008 murder of his three-month-old son, Alijah Mullis. Unlike Williams, Mullis expressed regret in his final statement for his actions.

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Williams’s execution marked the 16th in the U.S. this year. His case has been a focal point of controversy, particularly due to the lack of physical evidence tying him to the crime. Felicia Gayle was brutally stabbed 43 times in her St. Louis home, and Williams was convicted largely on testimony from a former cellmate and an ex-girlfriend. Crucially, his DNA was not found on the murder weapon or at the scene. In fact, male DNA found on the knife didn’t match Williams, leading to the Missouri Supreme Court halting his execution in 2015 and then-Governor Eric Greitens staying it again in 2017.

Despite these findings, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously this week to proceed with the execution, even as local prosecutors had begun efforts to overturn his conviction.

Currently, 23 U.S. states have abolished the death penalty, with another six placing moratoriums on its use. Williams’s case is likely to further fuel debates over the fairness and reliability of capital punishment in the country.