Indeed, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole has been petitioned for its required unanimous approval by a powerful coalition that includes the widow of murder victim Amos Norwood.
Joining Mamie Norwood is the leader of Philadelphia Catholics, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, along with dozens of other religious leaders, former prosecutors and judges, law professors, and mental-health experts.
While their plea is a long shot, Williams' supporters make a compelling case. They contend that jurors in the original trial would have spared Williams' life had they heard evidence of abuse that might have been a mitigating factor, but wasn't put before them.
In the same vein, some jurors have said they voted to condemn Williams on the mistaken belief that state law permitted parole under a life sentence for first-degree murder.
But for a span of several months - the time between Williams turning 18 and the Norwood murder - this case would fall under the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ban on executing juveniles. In addition, the court this year outlawed mandatory no-parole sentences for teens.
It's Williams' sexual abuse by Norwood since age 13, though, that puts this death-penalty case in a special light warranting extraordinary action by Corbett.
Three or more additional decades behind bars for Williams, 46, would serve as ample punishment. Sparing him from lethal injection would serve justice.
