Death Sentence Reinstated for 1999 Murderer

0:00Over 20 years after a brutal murder in St. Clair County, Alabama, a federal appeals court just reinstated the death sentence for Marcus Bernard, Williams. He got convicted back in 1999 for raping and killing 20-year-old Melanie Raul, a single mom with two little kids. Prosecutors laid out how Williams broke into her home in the dead of night, made sure the toddlers were asleep, then raped and strangled her at. Knife point for more than 15 minutes. The next morning, her young children discovered her body, turning a nightmare into reality. A jury heard his confession, plus solid forensic links, and voted 11-to-1 for the death penalty. But years later, a federal court tossed the sentence, saying his lawyers blew it by not bringing up his compulsive hypersexuality as a way to dial. Down his blame. The state pushed hard against that, arguing such evidence could have backfired big time by opening the door to another assault he allegedly pulled off. Right after, the case bounced to the Supreme Court, which kicked it back down for a fresh

1:01look. On April 3, 2026, the 11th Circuit Court sided with Alabama, locking in the death sentence once more. Attorney General Steve Marshall gave props to his team for finally securing justice for Raul and her family after all these years. From your city, powered by AI, this is Birmingham News Today.