CLAYTON, Mo. – The execution date for Marcellus Williams is quickly approaching, as Wednesday marks the deadline for attorneys in this case to submit all of their filings to the judge.

Wednesday’s deadline comes after a critical evidentiary hearing took place last week inside the St. Louis County courthouse. Williams is currently scheduled to be executed on September 24th.

Marcellus Williams was convicted of stabbing to death former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Lisha Gayle inside of her University City home back in 1998. But Williams has always maintained his innocence.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell filed a motion to vacate Williams’ conviction because of DNA analysis done on the murder weapon, which was not available when Williams was originally convicted.

The testing revealed that Williams’ DNA was not on the knife used in the murder, leading some to argue that he could not have been the killer. But then questions were raised about the DNA evidence being mishandled and contaminated by original members of the prosecution team.

Williams agreed to take a plea deal where he would spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole but would avoid execution. However, Missouri Attorney Andrew Bailey opposed that deal and went to the Missouri Supreme Court to stop it.

The high court agreed with Bailey, leading to last week’s hearing. Questions about the DNA and other issues in Williams’ original trial were argued during the six-hour hearing.

Bell’s office, the Attorney General, and attorneys for Williams all made their cases to judge Bruce Hilton.

By Wednesday, everything has to be filed in the case so Judge Hilton can make a ruling that will likely decide Williams’ fate.

The judge has to make a decision soon. Williams is set to be executed on September 24th.