St. Louis County Prosecutor Seeks to Vacate Death Penalty Conviction of Marcellus Williams
Citing crime scene DNA that belonged to someone else, Wesley Bell asked a Missouri court to consider evidence of Williams’s innocence.
Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith is a state and national award-winning investigative journalist based in Kansas City, Missouri. She has covered the criminal legal system for more than 25 years and, during that time, has developed a reputation as a resourceful and dogged reporter with a talent for analyzing complex social and legal issues. She spent more than 20 years reporting in Texas where she was regarded as one of the best investigative reporters in the state. Her investigative work in wrongful conviction cases has helped to exonerate six people. A longtime staff writer for the Austin Chronicle, her work has also appeared in The Nation, the Crime Report, and the Texas Observer, among other places.
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Trials of Richard Glossip
Will the Supreme Court Force Oklahoma to Kill Richard Glossip?
Almost 10 years after the court greenlit Glossip’s execution, the justices have agreed to hear evidence of his innocence.
Crime Scene DNA Didn’t Match Marcellus Williams. Missouri May Fast-Track His Execution Anyway.
Gov. Mike Parson dissolved a panel that was reinvestigating Williams’s case before it could report its findings.
The Prosecutor and the Snitch Ring
What Happened When a Star Prosecutor Was Accused of Running a Jailhouse Snitch Scheme
Kelly Siegler’s talent for solving cold cases made her a TV celebrity. Then she was confronted about her use of informants.
The Prosecutor and the Snitch Ring
How Two Men Convicted by Kelly Siegler Uncovered the Dark Secret to Her Success
Jeffrey Prible and Hermilo Herrero always insisted on their innocence. From prison, they tracked down the man who could help them prove it.
The Prosecutor and the Snitch Ring
Kelly Siegler Is a True-Crime Celebrity. Did She Frame an Innocent Man for Murder?
As a Houston prosecutor, Kelly Siegler won 68 murder convictions and 19 death sentences. But the case of Jeffrey Prible raises questions about her record.
Police Are Getting DNA Data From People Who Think They Opted Out
Forensic genetic genealogists skirted GEDmatch privacy rules by searching users who explicitly opted out of sharing DNA with law enforcement.
Dozens of Witnesses Say Rodney Reed Is Innocent. Texas Court Says They’re All Wrong.
The Court of Criminal Appeals has repeatedly ignored evidence of Reed’s innocence. Its latest ruling borders on the absurd.
Trials of Richard Glossip
The “Power, Pride, and Politics” Behind the Drive to Execute Richard Glossip
The Supreme Court spared Glossip’s life — for now. But his fight is far from over.
Trials of Richard Glossip
Shocking Vote by Oklahoma Parole Board Clears the Way for Richard Glossip’s Execution
Over the unprecedented pleas of the attorney general and state lawmakers to spare Glossip’s life, board members voted to deny clemency.