Lucios supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatised if shes executed. Hopefully the message is, we should not be denying possibly innocent people their day in court, the Death Penalty Information Center director said. Her 11 older children repeatedly said she did not physically harm them or Mariah. A DEATH row inmate was convicted on a coerced confession during a five-hour interrogation and false medical testimonies, her lawyer said. Oklahoma governor stops Julius Jones execution with last-minute decision, Kim Kardashian and others are rallying to stop tragic execution of Melissa Lucio, Mother on death row for daughters death asks for clemency as execution date looms, How the femme fatale stereotype is dooming women to death row in the US, Im an expert on false confessions. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much A Cameron County jury found Lucio guilty in the beating death of her two-year-old daughter Mariah, [] Green told the jurors about how he would berate her: He would go on and on about things until I finally admitted it was my fault, and I was to blame. She framed her confession as yet another example of this dynamic. Melissa's daughter Alexandra Lucio appears in documentary. She was convicted 14 years ago of murdering her 2-year-old. One week from today, Texas plans to execute Melissa Lucio for the death of her daughter, despite widespread concern she is innocent. With all the police brutality that is being reported and visibly recorded in public, she wrote in a message from prison, can you imagine what goes on behind closed doors of an interrogation room?. The autopsy showed Mariah had a blood coagulation disorder caused by the fall, which caused the bruising, Potkin said. One of those jurors, Johnny Galvan, Jr., wrote in a recent op-ed in the Houston Chronicle, "I am now convinced that the jury got it wrong and I know that there is too much doubt to execute Lucio. All Rights Reserved. Despite that evidence of innocence, Texas officials have scheduled Melissa's execution for April 27, 2022. Melissa Lucio. On 25 March, 83 Texas House members signed a letter asking the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to either cancel or commute Lucios impending execution. Texas court grants stay of execution for death row inmate Melissa Lucio. According to the original indictment filed in 2007, Lucio's daughter has bruises all over her body, bite marks on her back, and a broken armed that healed two to seven weeks before her death. Melissa Lucio's daughter Mariah Alvarez's autopsy photos got released earlier, and the results are unconvincing to experts like Dr. Thomas Young. The prosecution characterized Lucios interrogation as evidence that she had abused her daughter, and therefore must have killed her. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. Her lawyers say Lucio's history of sexual and physical abuse led to her giving an unreliable confession. It was 3 am when she "confessed," Potkin said. When Megan Crane, a St. Louis-based lawyer with the MacArthur Justice Center, a civil rights organization, began noticing that her teenage clients may have falsely confessed after experiencing trauma, she looked for research to cite in her court arguments, and couldnt find much. Experts who have studied false confessions and trauma response said Lucio's behavior is common in abuse victims and criticized the Rangers' interrogation tactics. Following Mariah's autopsy reports, Mariah had bruises on her body, bite marks on her back, patches of hair that had been pulled out, and a broken arm. Late into the night, after hours of continuous interrogation, Texas Ranger Victor Escalon pressured Lucio to say more. She is scheduled to be executed April 27, 2022. (Its worth nothing the legal standard Lucios team sought to meet does not require proof that the state knew this testimony was false, per her habeas application, only that it gave the jury a false impression.). If they had, her attorneys argue, she likely would not have been convicted. Fourteen years after she was sent to Texas' death row, Melissa's Lucio will finally get the chance to have new evidence of her innocence claims examined in state court. Lucio, now 53, has always maintained her innocence and said that her daughters injuries were caused by a fall down the stairs two days earlier while the family was moving home. Now, the State of Texas plans to execute Lucio on April 27, 2022. Prosecutors said Lucio beat the girl to death . So she teamed up with Guarnera, as well as Virginia Commonwealth University criminal justice professor Hayley Cleary and University of Virginia Medical School psychiatry professor Jeffrey Aaron, to look at trauma among adolescents who had confessed to crimes. Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald, via Associated Press. I know its the wrong approach, Mr Leach said. Lucio and her husband were moving out of their second-story unit in February 2007 when, her lawyers claim, their 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, fell down the staircase. The execution of Melissa Lucio, who was sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, is now on hold, a Texas court determined Monday. Worn down by her grief and abuse throughout her life, Lucio admitted to a crime she didnt commit during the aggressive interrogation, her lawyers say. Lucio is set to be executed on April 27 for the 2007 death of Mariah. "You let the suspect fill in the blanks," he said. The first remanded claim asserts Lucio was convicted based on false testimony by the states medical experts and investigators who interrogated Lucio the night her daughter died. BBC Mundo On 27 April, Melissa Lucio was supposed to die. But Lucio's lawyers contend Mariah's death was an accident caused by falling down the stairs and not a crime. Despite this strong evidence against Melissa Lucio, many people question whether she should receive the death penalty for her actions and whether a life sentence would have been more appropriate. Another supporting brief from the Innocence Project and Innocence Network explained how the police interrogation of Lucio employed high risk tactics that increased the likelihood of a false confession. Lucio has been on Texas's death row since 2008 for killing her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah. The Rangers are famous for their unorthodox interrogation methods, as The Marshall Project reported recently. While prosecutors argued at trial that Lucio was an abusive mother who caused the injuries that led to the girls death, Lucios attorneys say those injuries were the result of a fall down stairs two days earlier outside the familys apartment. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Her family members, the Innocence Project and the director of "The State of Texas vs. Melissa," a Hulu documentary on the case, are all campaigning for her life to be spared. Lucios defense attorneys say there is evidence that she did not abuse her children. More than a third said threats to their children influenced their confessions. Some appeared to confess to crimes as a way to protect their children from arrest, while others were afraid of future abuse by the true perpetrator their boyfriend or husband. Josh Marcus reported on the case for The Independent. Prosecutors at Lucios 2008 trial alleged that she beat her daughter Mariah to death, but Lucios lawyers contested the cause of death and presented expert testimony from a neurosurgeon that Mariah may instead have died from head trauma caused by falling down a flight of stairs. Lucio has always maintained her innocence. A few days later, Melissa's boyfriend took her to a hospital to show them her daughter's corpse. Lucio, 53, was set. GATESVILLE, Texas Time is running out for Melissa Lucio, her loved ones and total strangers who are fighting to save her from the Texas execution chamber. If I could take back my vote, I would.". "We have overwhelming evidence that the conviction is based on false . Lucios attorneys also allege Mariahs siblings statements to police were suppressed: Rather than providing Lucios defense attorney with their sworn statements, prosecutors gave the defense summaries that omitted potentially exculpatory information, the habeas application states. Appellant was charged with capital murder for the death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah. Lucios conviction relied on a statement obtained during a five-hour interrogation by a Texas Ranger who continuously pushed Lucio for incriminating information. Paramedics were called to Melissa Lucio's home in Harlingen, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2007, after her 2-year-old daughter Mariah Alvarez was found unresponsive and not breathing. An autopsy revealed that Sophia had suffered multiple injuries consistent with blunt force trauma, including skull fractures, brain hemorrhages and other internal damage. Melissa Lucio is on Texas Death Row for the murder of her two year old daughter. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Lucio's 13 children wrote a letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Gov. Governor Greg Abbott can grant a one-time, 30-day reprieve. According to the state, Lucio repeatedly abused the toddler until she finally succumbed to her. Melissa Lucio, 53, has been detained in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility since her July 2008 conviction on capital murder charges. Melissa Lucio holds her. Whether or not Lucio is executed, her case will remain a focus for researchers trying to understand why some people are especially vulnerable in the interrogation room, and how they can be better protected. Lucio, 52, had been set to be executed by lethal injection Wednesday for the death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah in Harlingen, a city of about 75,000 in Texas' southern tip.. Melissa Lucio timeline: From her two-year-old daughter's death to her execution being halted. Its obvious the intersection exists, but its a vacuum, she said. For ten years she has been awaiting her fate, and now faces her last appeal. "The death of our sister Mariah and the prosecution of our parents tore our family apart. Serena Williams Father: Is Richard Williams Still Alive Or Dead? Lucio told the paramedics that the child had fallen down the stairs. On 18 October, the US Supreme Court denied a petition to hear Lucios case, paving the way for the state of Texas to set the date for her execution to be carried out by lethal injection on 27 April. Melissa Lucio, woman facing execution in Texas this month, meets with lawmakers as Kim Kardashian voices support April 7, 2022 / 11:15 AM / CBS/AP A group of bipartisan Texas lawmakers on. He can grant clemency if a majority of the paroles board recommends it. Legal Expert Weighs In, Derek Chauvin's Attorney Asks Minnesota Appeals Court to Void Guilty Verdict in George Floyd's Killing, Todd and Julie Chrisley's Lawyer Discusses Their Appeal and the Moment That 'Should've Stopped the Whole Case', Scott Peterson Denied a New Trial, Will Remain in Jail for Murdering His Pregnant Wife Laci, N.C. 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Melissa's lawyers had contended that the young girl died from injuries from a fall down the 14 steps of a steep staircase outside the family's apartment. But it sends a message that the courts need to be paying more attention to questions of innocence, he said, pointing not just to Lucio but also Rodney Reed, another Texas death row inmate who has also claimed innocence and whose case will be heard by the Supreme Court. Melissa Lucio could not hide her joy in court and proclaimed that she loves her late daughter Mariah. I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio, said Mr Leach, the chair of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee. Her lawyers say this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession. In November 2021, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt called off the execution of Julius Jones, a Black death row inmate who has long maintained his innocence in the 1999 murder that put him behind bars. Lucio was in the process of moving when Mariah got through a screen door and fell down the stairs, Potkin said. "She took a nap but wasn't making any noise, so Melissa checked on her and found she wasn't breathing," Potkin said. Melissa Lucio is one of them as Rachel Sharp explains. The clemency application included a new forensic analysis that contradicts a physician's testimony that said it was "the absolute worst" case of child abuse he's ever seen in 36 years of practice. Lucio claimed that her daughter had fallen down the stairs . "We ask you not to tear those wounds open again. State lawmakers in New York are considering a ban on deceiving suspects. The trial court barred Pinkerman from testifying during the culpability phase of Lucios trial, asserting that his testimony was irrelevant because Lucio had denied ever having anything to do with the killing of the child. They also denied the testimony of social worker Norma Villanueva during the culpability phase of Lucios trial they were only allowed to testify at her penalty phase, after she had been convicted. Her body was discovered in a trash bin at their home. But Saenz declined. At trial, the medical examiner testified for the state the injuries could only be caused by abuse, pointing over the course of her testimony to the severe bruising across Mariahs body, a fracture in her arm from several weeks before her death and purported bite marks on her back. The death penalty has always been a controversial topic, but the case of Melissa Lucio, who murdered her daughter after years of abuse, has people more divided than ever. In the 2020 documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa, Lucio said investigators kept pushing her to say she had hurt Mariah. as a way to protect their children from arrest. Chris Owens death news Famed New Orleans performer & Bourbon Street nightclub owner who kept age a mystery passes away, Fort Stewart Army helicopter crash was 'NOT an accident' as criminal probe launched after pilot James Bellew, 26, killed, Supreme Court alert in Washington D.C. as 'suspicious package' sparks road closures and staff 'warned to avoid the area', Terrified Ukrainians desperate to flee to Britain 'asked to wait' by Home Office. The cops are telling her someone in the family is going to be held responsible, Schardl explained, and Lucio was a woman long accustomed to a life in which other people have value, but shes expendable.. On September 4th, 2018, a tweet was sent out by an account claiming to be the creators friend. She responded with: I dont know what you want me to say. She is scheduled to be executed April 27, 2022. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Her team may file new claims in court. Lucio's attorneys had filed for clemency last month, about a month before her scheduled execution date, reports Texas Public Radio. Sometimes the woman isnt afraid of a partner. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. In October 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Lucios petition to review her case. Martin & third suspect in custody after Sacramento mass shooting that killed 6, Mushrooms 'talk to each other and have a vocabulary of 50 words', Female student, 20, mauled to death by 12 sheepdogs 'while their owner was in nearby bar'. Lucio, 40, of Harlingen was found guilty of capital murder for the death of her 21/2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. This is one of the most tragic cases Ive come across in my 40-year career. "The river is supposed to flow one way; the suspect to police.". Lucio was sentenced in 2008 for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, one of Lucio's 14 children. Cameron County officials signed the execution warrant for Melissa Lucio, 53, a Harlingen woman found guilty of beating her two-year-old daughter to death in February 2007. When did Michael Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace get married? But experts say the small number who are sentenced to death usually break societys expectations of a good woman. An appeals lawyer for Lucio filed a clemency petition with the federal government, citing medical experts who say that Mariah's bruising was caused by a fall. Is Zozofit Scam or Legit? The autopsy also revealed that Mariah had suffered a head injury and bruises on her kidneys, lungs, and spinal cord. The little girl's mother, Melissa Lucio, claimed her daughter, Mariah Alvarez, had abrasions on her back and was covered in bruises because of a fall down a steep set of 14 steps two days earlier outside the family's new apartment. He threatened harm to Kristinas remaining children if she told the police what actually happened. (In a letter from prison, Castro denied committing the murder and hurting or threatening Earnest.). We will also provide information about other body-measuring devices on the market so that, Read More Is Zozofit Scam or Legit (2022) Our Honest Review!Continue, Area code 657 prefix has become notorious for scam calls and text messages in the United States. I'm just a young man with ambitions and a heart of gold . Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Latest developments in Melissa Lucio case, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Mariah had a physical disability that made her walk unsteadily, and she had fallen down a steep flight of stairs two days before her death. The autopsy photos are a stark reminder of the tragedy that befell Sophia Lucio at the hands of her mother. From 2006 through 2012 including the time he prosecuted Lucio he had accepted more than $100,000 in bribes in exchange for influence over his decisions as district attorney. Her lawyers argue she falsely admitted to killing Mariah after hours of intense police questioning and that she died from falling down a steep staircase outside their apartment in Harlingen, South Texas, and not from being beaten. Women are vastly outnumbered by men on death row across America. Melissa Lucio was facing execution on April 25th, 2022 but just two days prior, she has been granted a stay of execution. Lucio "ended up on death row through a horrific combination of investigative missteps and a prosecution . Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death after being convicted of killing her two-year-old daughter Mariah. Doctors pronounced her dead shortly afterward at a local hospital. As a result, the testimony of these witnesses was false, Lucios attorneys argue, entitling her to relief. Pic: AP Pic: AP Esperanza Trevio, Lucio's mother, tearfully thanked all of her daughter's supporters . "I thank God for my life. He claimed, according to the habeas application, he knew Lucio was guilty based on her demeanor: Her head was down and she was avoiding eye contact signs, he said, of her guilt. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in 2008 after she was convicted of killing her two-year-old child Mariah one year earlier. In February 2007, Mariah died from injuries which prosecutors claimed were caused by Lucio abusing her daughter. The photographs are gruesome and heart breaking but they also provide important evidence of the abuse that Sophia Lucio suffered before her death, highlighting the tragedy of Melissas actions and the physical trauma inflicted on Sophia by her own mother. Unknown callers and texters with this area code often try to trick people into revealing sensitive information or wiring money. Mr Leach was joined by Representatives Joe Moody, D-El Paso; Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston; Lacey Hull, R-Houston; Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas; and James White, R-Hillister. But it is the story that involved Melissa Lucio, who murdered her daughter over the course of several years of abuse has generated more controversy than any other case. All I was thinking was I need to get out of here. She didn't have visible injuries except for a few minor scrapes, according to Potkin, but two days later Mariah was sleepy and lethargic. Lucio has often claimed that her daughter wandered away from the home, lost and was killed by a vehicle which drove past while she was trying to find her. Melissa Lucio supporters rally in Dallas to stop execution, (Provided by the family of Melissa Lucio), Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Kim Kardashian shares heartbreaking letter by Melissa Lucios children in bid to stop execution, Women on death row: How being a bad mother, bad wife and bad woman became a death warrant, Im an expert in false confessions who looked at Melissa Lucios case. According to court documents paramedics showed up at the household and found the victim not breathing with no pulse. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. She married again and had nine more children. Her supporters say she was . One of the jurors who sentenced Melissa Lucio to death has written a newspaper editorial claiming he was misled and pressured during the mother's trial for murdering her two-year-old daughter . A jury found Lucio guilty of capital murder in the 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter Mariah, who fell down 14 steep steps. During her interrogation, Lucio repeatedly denied having struck her daughter. Gatesville, United States, Apr 1 (EFE).-. Avoidance is one of the key trauma symptoms, said Guarnera, the researcher. Jones will instead get a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The death penalty has always been a controversial topic, but the case of Melissa Lucio, who murdered her daughter after years of abuse, has people more divided than ever. Melissa Lucio is scheduled to be executed next week for a crime she says she didn't commit one that may not have even occurred. "Melissa had multiple vulnerabilities and susceptibilities for making a false incriminating . No matter what, you can always turn to The Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism about the criminal justice system. Mariah Alvarez was the 2-years old daughter of Melissa Lucio. Prosecutors say Lucio fatally beat Mariah but Lucio has long denied that, saying her daughter died from injuries sustained during a fall down a flight of stairs. The forensic pathologist who determined blunt force trauma was the cause of Mariahs death was told Lucio had confessed to child abuse. You feel hopeless," Deskovic told The Sun. "Do it real hard," he said. They probably never will," her kids said in the letter. On April 27, Texas plans to put Lucio to death by lethal injection for her daughters murder. It was later discovered that Mariah's arm had been broken two to seven weeks prior to her passing away. In an interview with the Texas Observer, Tivon Schardl, a lawyer on Lucios appellate defense team, called her case as clear a case of injustice as youll ever see. Melissa Lucio faces imminent execution for a capital murder that never happened, Schardl said. The child was in a very serious condition, but she died a few hours later. The announcement came just hours before Jones was set to die by lethal injection. Right there and then, I knew she did something, he later testified. But Ms. Lucio and her family never got to mourn the loss of her youngest daughter because, within hours of her passing, they were swept up into a nightmare that has lasted more than 14 years and torn their family apart. According to Lucios lawyers, men in her family began sexually abusing her when she was 6 years old, and her mother allowed her to get married at age 16 to a man who abandoned her after shed given birth to five children. Its not clear how long the process will take. Jan . The 53-year-old domestic violence victim and mother of 14 has been on death row since her trial over the 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter. The state says Lucio beat her daughter to death. Her lawyers have argued they should have also been allowed to testify when the jury decided whether Lucio was guilty at all. But after hours of questioning, they say, she parroted back the language suggested to her by interrogators and then demonstrated the alleged abuse on a doll at interrogators instruction, the habeas application says. The Lucio family and friends went to the event to urge the governor to watch the documentary "The State of Texas vs. Melissa" and halt Lucio's execution set for April 27th. Greg Abbott, who have to give a recommendation for clemency and approve the application, respectively. A Warner Bros. Publisher - Celebrity News, Biographies And Social Content. Many object to the inconsistency with which the US death penalty is applied across the country. Lucio has repeatedly claimed her daughter wandered out of the home, bought misplaced, and was killed by an automobile that drove by whereas she was looking for her. His father, who survived, led the effort to save Whitaker, saying he would be victimised again if his son was executed. The state of Texas has issued a death warrant seeking to execute Melissa Lucio (pictured), a battered woman who was sentenced to death for what may have been an accidental fall that killed her two-year-old daughter. This purportedly suppressed evidence, the document says, would have shown: authorities knew there were witnesses who said Lucio did not abuse her children; there were other family members aware Mariah fell down the stairs; and Mariah hadnt shown any sign her arm was injured in the weeks before her death, among others. American death map: Which US states have capital punishment and who uses it the most? It also serves as evidence of violence in the household before Melissa Lucio was arrested and the death penalty was sought. CNN has reached out to prosecutors, the Texas Rangers and the medical examiner for comment. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. as The Marshall Project reported recently. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. If Lucio is put to death, she would become the first Latina woman in Texas history to be executed. Please spare the life of our mother, Lucios children wrote in a letter to Governor Abbott and the board. According to Dr. Young, Melissa Lucio should not be executed because he believes she is innocent. The images have also provoked controversy about the issue of whether Lucio should be punished with the death penalty for her crimes. Melissa Lucio holds her son, John, in an undated photograph. Laura B. Martinez, Execution date set for Harlingen mom for murdering daughter, The Brownsville Herald, January 14, 2022; Lise Olsen, ATEXAS MOTHER COULD BE EXECUTED IN APRIL. Do it real hard, he said. appreciated. Lucio claimed Mariah had fallen down a flight of stairs two days prior and suffered the wounds. Texas is about to execute an innocent woman, Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, Editorial: Why it is beyond time for the US to end the death penalty, 5% off all bookings with this Travelodge discount code, Save 200 on 2023 holidays with this TUI discount code, Extra 15% off Balearic Islands reservation with Barcelo promo code, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. I ain't perfect! Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Greg Abbott to either grant an execution reprieve or commute her sentence. The documentary raises a question - aided by family members . Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Only 17 women have been executed in the US since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on the death penalty in 1976, most recently in January 2021. Melissa, an innocent woman, faces execution in less than 100 days because a corrupt prosecutor relied on a statement coerced by an overzealous Texas Ranger who badgered a traumatized woman into making a false confession.. "As each hour passed, my fear increased more and more, and you just get so worn down. Deskovic, who went on to become a lawyer after his conviction was overturned and wrote his thesis on false confessions, said law enforcement questions are supposed to be open-ended. Came just hours before jones was set to die, he later.! Stories to read or reference later but Lucio 's history of sexual and abuse! Hurting or threatening Earnest. ) in New York are considering a ban deceiving... S death row across America convicted on a statement obtained during a five-hour interrogation and false medical testimonies her. Incriminating information can opt-out if you wish I comment death of our parents tore our family apart was... Interrogation methods, as the Marshall Project as a way to protect their children influenced their.. Come across in my 40-year career at a local hospital plans to put to. You visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in 2020! Save my name, email, and therefore must have killed her a crime get a life without... For comment object to the Texas Rangers and the death penalty for her daughters.... To bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later Potkin said want to bookmark your favourite and. Then, I would. `` a false confession year old daughter of melissa Lucio should punished. Mundo on 27 April, melissa Lucio was sentenced to death by lethal injection Latina woman Texas. 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