A Missouri judge denied a motion to vacate a condemned man's death sentence despite attorneys, including one prosecutor, saying evidence was mishandled in the 1998 trial that could have exonerated Marcellus “Khaliifah” William.

A death row inmate in Missouri who has long claimed his innocence and is scheduled to be executed in less than one week asked the US Supreme Court on Wednesday for a stay of execution, arguing his due process rights were denied during the yearslong legal battle to save his life.