Las Vegas, NV – The Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty is intensifying its push for the abolition of capital punishment in the state, following the controversial execution of Marcellus Williams in Missouri. Williams was executed despite pleas for clemency from both the prosecutor and the victim’s family, reigniting the national debate surrounding the death penalty.

Mark Bettencourt, executive director of the Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty, highlighted Nevada’s long and troubled history with capital punishment. “Nevada was the first state to execute by means of the gas chamber in 1924 and moved to lethal injection in 1979,” Bettencourt stated. “A recent survey of death notices filed in Nevada over a 10-year period showed more than half were filed against people of color, although they make up a fraction of the state’s population.”

Bettencourt also pointed to the risk of executing innocent individuals, citing studies that indicate 1 in 8 people executed in the US are innocent. “The death penalty is irreversible. Once it’s carried out, there’s no way to rectify a mistake,” he emphasized.

The coalition is urging Nevada lawmakers to introduce a bill that would abolish capital punishment in the state during the next legislative session. If passed, Nevada would join 23 other states that have already abolished the death penalty.

The execution of Marcellus Williams has brought renewed attention to the ethical and logistical issues surrounding capital punishment. The case has also raised questions about racial bias in the application of the death penalty and the possibility of executing innocent people.

The Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty hopes that the momentum generated by the Williams case will finally lead to the abolition of capital punishment in the state.

Source: News3LV