ST. LOUIS (AP) _ The Missouri Supreme Court has denied a motion from attorneys seeking to halt the execution of a man scheduled to die next week but did not explain its decision.

Attorneys for Marcellus Williams had asked the state Supreme Court and Gov. Eric Greitens to stop the execution, citing DNA evidence that they say exonerates him.

The 48-year-old Williams is scheduled to die by injection Aug. 22 for fatally stabbing former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Lisha Gayle during a robbery at her University City home in 1998.

Attorneys for Williams said Tuesday that testing conducted in December shows DNA found on the knife does not match Williams.

After the court’s ruling Tuesday, Gipson told St. Louis Public Radio that he was surprised by the quick decision and planned to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.