But today, multiple expert pathologists agree Mariah could have suffered a head injury from a fall, leading to a disorder that causes extreme bruising. Ms. Lucio was taken for questioning and was interrogated for nearly five hours, at the time she was pregnant and was going through a shock of the loss of her young child Mariah. 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. The lawmakers say they are troubled by Lucio's case and believe her execution should be stopped as there are legitimate questions about whether she is guilty. According to an interrogation with Lucio about the death of their then-youngest child, Mariah fell down a flight of stairs in February 2007 while the family was moving. Among their arguments is that Lucio was particularly prone to providing a false confession as a lifelong survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Instead, police subjected Lucio to a punishing late-night interrogation lasting more than five hours. DeSantis won't say he's running. Melissa Lucio was born on 18th July 1968 in Lubbock, Texas. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They wrote: "[A] history of trauma significantly reduces the resilience of the trauma victims to cope with interrogative pressure. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Lucio's attorneys say Villalobos wanted to make an example of Lucio to prove he was tough on crime. Meg & Harry 'stunned' by King's 'cruel' Frogmore eviction 'punishment', Harry and Meghan evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles after Spare memoir, Emmerdale's Amy Nuttall caught cheating hubby after sexy lingerie slip-up, Shoppers are rushing to buy 23 beauty staple for just 99p at Home Bargains, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Its unclear how long the process could take. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to a clemency petition issued by her lawyers. "Right now, what I have is my family," Alvarez said. She was set to be executed on April 27, 2022, but was granted a stay of execution two days prior by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. 2023 BBC. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. In recordings of an interrogation, Lucio who was pregnant with twins at the time is heard denying guilt. Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio, dressed in white, leads a group of seven Texas lawmakers in prayer on April 6 in a room at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. According to Melissa's statements to the police, the little girl was left without adult supervision while her parents were busy. She gave birth to the twins while in jail and was forced to give them up for adoption. She was sexually abused by one of her family members (her mothers boyfriend) at the age of 6. Leach, a co-chair of the House Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, worked with Democratic Rep. Joe Moody to muster an unprecedented level of support for Lucio among an ideologically diverse group of more than 80 state representatives more than half of the members of the Texas House, a body that rarely comes to a decisive consensus about anything. Juanita Hernandez and her son Juan hug Esperanza Hope Trevino, the mother of Melissa Lucio, during a vigil in San Juan, Tex., on April 22, 2022. In fact, the court had twice ruled against Lucios appeals. The fact that Lucio was granted a stay at all is also relatively unusual; the Court of Criminal Appeals rarely sticks its neck out to pause the states machinery of death. "Melissa didn't observe the fall herself. According to the Innocence Project, it was an abusive marriage. "I hit her like this," she demonstrated by spanking a doll, sealing her fate. They probably never will," her kids said in the letter. "It was an accident," he said. If the execution is not postponed or stopped, she will receive a lethal injection on April 27, despite the mounting doubts over her guilt. Melissa Lucio is an American woman who belongs to Hispanic descent and has been sentenced to death in Texas. Please allow us to reconcile with Mariah's death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish, and grief. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? But jurors didn't hear testimony from any of Lucio's kids. But when the medical examiner saw the toddler's body covered in bruises, it was ruled child abuse, and investigators zeroed in on Lucio. In issuing a stay of execution on Monday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said Melissa's case deserved further scrutiny given mistakes made during the original prosecution, as well as new information that has emerged over the past decade and a half while she has been in jail. They probably never will," her kids said in the letter. Are you serious!? Similarly, film personalities have produced the story of Melissa Lucio either in documentaries, short films, or movies, but no one could deny the fact that she would be getting a sentence to death. On Monday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution, indefinitely delaying Lucios execution and ordering her trial court to review several claims of relief her team had highlighted, including her assertion that she is innocent. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. At the age of 16, she turned into a child bride but again had to face abusive marriage. When the news broke, the small crowd gathered outside the governors public reception room at the Texas Capitol erupted with cheers: The states Court of Criminal Appeals had stayed Melissa Lucios impending execution. But she has always maintained her innocence, saying that the toddler had died from an accidental fall, not from "beating and torturing", as prosecutors in Texas claimed. "Her so-called confession was the result of highly coercive interrogation tactics," said Potkin, "some of which are so coercive that they're no longer used today.". Many were put up for adoption while others were split up and sent to live with relatives or placed in the custody of the . When the . The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles Clemency Office declined to comment, and Abbott didn't return a request for comment. April 25, 2022 by John Atsu. The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. This is terrifying it should be terrifying for everybody.. On 27 April, Melissa Lucio was supposed to die. She was convicted 14 years ago of murdering her 2-year-old . They implored him to step up and withdraw it. Melissa Lucio is a cochina asquerosa who, over many years, created the horrifically abusive conditions and allowed her innocent baby to die. The appeals court order sends Lucios case back to her trial court in the 138th Judicial District in Cameron County, along the border with Mexico at Texass southernmost tip. She refuted Gilman's claims that some of Lucio's older children were unruly and hard to handle by foster parents. Lucio's children previously wrote a letter to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, pleadingGov. We put our hands up to the glass, and we all began to cry., The press conference was still underway when Saenz, the Cameron County district attorney, released a statement responding to the stay of execution: I welcome the opportunity to prosecute this case in the courtroom, where witnesses testify under oath, where witnesses can be cross-examined, where evidence is governed by the rules of evidence and criminal procedure, and where the court rules pursuant to the rule of law, it read. ", Speaking to CBS Mornings he said: 'If they go through with it, they'll be killing an innocent woman.. Lucios lawyers argue that Dr. Norma Farley, the forensic pathologist who autopsied Mariah, misled the jury when she insisted that Mariahs injuries could only have resulted from a fatal beating. "Evidence that could have been exculpatory?" In 2008, Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in Texas for the murder of her 2-year old daughter Mariah, who died two days after a tragic fall down a flight of stairs. Keith knew all too well what Lucios loved ones had just been through: His own brother, Kevin Keith, came less than two weeks from execution in Ohio despite doubts over his guilt. Even after none of her children accepted their mothers physical abuse from Lucio, the police and pathologists continued to claim that Mariahs death was not a result of the fall from the stairs. There were two possible avenues of relief for Lucio. What does that mean?. Babe, he said to Michelle, his voice filled with emotion. Her lawyers argue that credible science demonstrates that Mariahs death was caused by an accident and that Lucio was sentenced to death for a crime that never happened. From the moment he walked into the interview room, Escalon testified, he knew that Lucio had done something. The notion that a person can determine anothers guilt or deception through their body language has been roundly discredited. Lucio has always maintained her innocence. Her attorneys are calling for a stay of her execution so her case may be reviewed. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles Clemency Office declined to comment, and Abbott didn't return a request for comment. Her cause was taken up by everyone from her living children - her eldest son the most vocal among them - to Kim Kardashian, the celebrity turned would-be lawyer. Naturally, she has brown hair and almost no eyebrow. Similarly, movie personalities have produced Melissa Lucios story in either documentaries, shorts, or movies, but no one could deny the fact that she would be sentenced to death. The lawmakers visited Lucio to update her about their efforts to stop her April 27 execution. Following her conviction, she was sentenced to a death sentence by lethal injection in the year July of the . New FDA-approved drug can slow vision loss, Lawsuits claim dental device wrecked teeth, Pandemic-era SNAP benefits end for millions of Americans as costs rise. Opinion is divided on her guilt, though - many of her living children have backed up her claim of innocence, and five of the jurors who convicted her have since expressed misgivings over the verdict. Her second partner continued to rape her and threatened her with death. "If they go through with it, they'll be killing an innocent woman.". So heartbreaking to read this letter from Melissa Lucio's children begging for the state not to . Valley Morning Star via AP. On 27 April, Melissa Lucio was supposed to die. "At some point they didn't hear Mariah playing anymore, went to check on her, and she had managed to get out of the screen door and was at the bottom of the staircase," says Potkin, the Innocence Project attorney. An autopsy later showed that the toddler had bruising to her kidney and lungs, according to local media. Two days later, Mariah went to sleep and didnt wake up. Moments later, he interrupted the interview. Lucios story resonated with Luna; a mom of three, Luna had struggled with drug addiction, lost her children to the states child welfare system, and gone to prison. Texas mother Melissa Lucio, who was convicted in the death of her two-year-old daughter Mariah, is scheduled to be executed April 27. However, she has maintained her innocence ever since. ", Speaking to CBS Mornings he said: 'If they go through with it, they'll be killing an innocent woman.. For 14 years, Lucio had been on death row for the 2007 death of her then-two year old daughter, Mariah. More on The Lone Star Plate www.lonestarplate.showSabrina . Lucio's supporters say many of the issues in her trial trace back to the head prosecutor in the case, Armando Villalobos. We felt like David and Goliath, she said, as she and Luna did what they could to push Lucios case into the spotlight. Melissa Elizabeth Lucio (born June 18, 1969) is the first woman of Hispanic descent to be sentenced to death in the U.S. state of Texas.She was convicted of capital murder after the death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah, who was found to have scattered bruising in various stages of healing, as well as injuries to her head and contusions of the kidneys, lungs and spinal cord. Melissa Lucio (Provided by the Lucio family) Lucio and her children struggled through poverty. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. He has spent his entire adult life fighting for her release. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Experts on false confessions who reviewed the interrogation tapes say Lucio was especially vulnerable, as a victim of child sexual abuse and later domestic violence, developing defense mechanisms. Among the suppressed evidence, her attorneys say, are indications police and prosecutors knew other family members were aware of Mariahs fall down the stairs and that no one had described the abuse Mariah allegedly suffered. Who is Melissa Lucio? 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Melissa Lucio was pregnant with twins when she was arrested in 2007. Speaking at the press conference, Keith responded to Saenzs statement. Specifically, the question is whether false testimony, faulty forensic practices, and hidden evidence tainted her conviction. (Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach via AP), halted her execution and sent her case back for, But she, her family and attorneys say she is innocent and was wrongfully convicted. Melissa Lucio is seen here in an undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Melissa Lucio, who maintained her innocence for nearly 14 years, was immediately taken under interrogation and was asserted nearly 100 times until she was manipulated by the police officers to take the responsibility for Mariahs injury. Dozens of politicians from both parties have backed her. It was Lucios son John, calling to say that the court had intervened. Attorneys for Lucio have long argued that Saenz has a conflict of interest due to the fact that Lucios defense attorney at trial, Peter Gilman, now works for him. Viewing all of the available evidence no rational juror would have found Ms. Lucio guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.. On the other hand, Lucio said she was pressured into giving false information about the allegations. She is scheduled to be put to death on April 27. Toon had been the inmate librarian at the Mountain View prison unit where Texass female death row prisoners are housed, and shed gotten to know Lucio over the years. In an undated photo, Melissa Lucio is pictured with one of her young children. At Lucio's trial, expert witnesses for the defense were not allowed to testify as to why she might have given a false confession. The father to Lucio's eldest children lived in Houston, Texas and did . The appeals court remanded, or sent back, several claims Lucio raised in an application for a writ of habeas corpus which demands a public official show a valid reason for a persons detention and ordered the trial court to conduct a merits review.. 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A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reviewed Lucio's case and overturned it, finding that she had been denied the opportunity to present a full defense at her trial and that a new trial was warranted. She says she was wrongfully convicted of killing her 2-year-old daughter Mariah after a tragic accident in 2007. After her conviction for Mariahs murder, Melissas children were taken from her care. Lucio learned of the stay from Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach, who along with a bipartisan majority of the state legislature has championed her case, calling for clemency or a new trial. In an undated photo, Melissa Lucio is pictured with one of her young children. After the death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah, the court charged her with capital murder. AMY GOODMAN: Melissa Lucio is a mother of 14 children. Lucios son John was in Gatesville, Texas, on Monday afternoon, preparing for a visit with his mother at the nearby Mountain View unit. If youre gonna bring it, bring it right. Many people believe Lucio's case is a clear case of injustice, while others believe she deserved the punishments. Later, Lucio had nine more children with her next husband, who also turned out to be abusive to her. "Her next partner continued the cycle of violence, punching her in public and beating her at home. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Her family and friends are protesting her punishment and claim she . Melissa deserves to remain and die in prison. A majority of the judges said the conviction had to be upheld because they were barred by a procedural rule that limits a federal court's ability to review state court findings. Two days later, Mariah went to take a nap and did not wake up. On April 27, the day Lucio was set to die, they held another rally outside the Cameron Country DAs office, this time calling on Saenz to drop the charges. As Lucio's scheduled execution date draws near, Bobby Alvarez is soaking up every moment he has with his mother, while holding onto that small speck of hope. Melissa Lucio was found guilty of a very serious crime called "capital murder". In 2008, she was found guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to a clemency petition issued by her lawyers. "They refused to listen to her, sending the clear message that this interrogation wasn't going to stop until she told the officers what they wanted to hear.". Lucio was married at the age of 16 and gave birth to five children with her husband, who constantly abused Lucio throughout their relationship. In 2020, a documentary was made regarding the case story of Melissa Lucio by Sabrina Van Tassel with the title The State of Texas vs. Melissa. Photograph: The Guardian. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Son Bobby Alvarez, who was seven when his little sister died, described how he cried every night wanting my momma back after she was taken away. Now she can prove her innocence. Last October, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Error compounded error, the lawyers wrote in their petition to the Court of Criminal Appeals. In an interview with the Texas Observer, Tivon Schardl, a lawyer on Lucio's appellate defense team, called her case "as clear a . But the trial judge ruled that testimony "irrelevant," according to court documents. The biased investigation supported a prosecution led by a criminally corrupt prosecutor centered on an unreliable, contaminated confession and false scientific evidence that misled and inflamed the jury. Son Bobby Alvarez, who was seven when his little sister died, described how he cried every night wanting my momma back after she was taken away. hide caption. Separately, all eyes on Monday had been on the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which had been expected to vote on a recommendation for clemency in Lucios case. Later, after receiving many letters, punishments, executions and defense statements from Lucios lawyer, Lucio was still being interrogated for the murder of her then youngest child of a total of 12 children born to her due to two marriages. "The older ones, we were more or less of age, we were the losers," he said woefully. But as new details have emerged about her case, a growing chorus of lawmakers, faith leaders, anti-domestic violence organizations and celebrities has called for clemency. My mom got a stay., After sobs and hugs in the lobby, the family raced to see Lucio. Police blamed Lucio for . It was 2007, and Melissa was living a difficult life with her then-husband Robert Antonio Alvarez and her 12 children, while she was pregnant with twins. Please give us a chance for peace. How many children does Melissa Lucio have? Legal team for Melissa Lucio Melissa Lucio, who maintained her innocence for nearly 14 years, was immediately interrogated and alleged nearly 100 times until she was manipulated by police officers into taking responsibility for Mariahs injury. "The death of our sister Mariah and the prosecution of our parents tore our family apart. Alexandra is also another of Melissa Lucio's elder daughters. The conservative Republican from North Texas became an unlikely ally of the condemned mother from the Rio Grande Valley. This makes my day, he said. The stairway outside the Lucios' apartment in Harlingen, Texas, where attorneys for Melissa Lucio say her daughter Mariah fell before she died. Who Are Melissa Lucio Kids? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She was sexually abused at the age of 6 by one of her family members (her mothers boyfriend). The two women friends and formerly incarcerated activists had joined a broad coalition of supporters pressing every lever they could think of to try to stop the execution, scheduled for April 27. Toon wondered why Lucios story wasnt getting as much attention as the cases of some of the men on Texass death row. Lucio, a mother of 14, has been on Texas death row since 2008, when she was convicted in the murder of her 2-year-old daughter the prior year. Lucios life wasnt as easy and smooth as other childrens. She says she was coerced to confess by a Texas Ranger during her interrogation. In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding one of her sons, John. Her lawyers say Lucio's history of sexual and physical abuse led to her giving an unreliable confession. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). His younger siblings were taken in by cousins, and many did well after leaving school. The state of Texas has scheduled the execution of the case of Melissa Lucio for the 27th of April. AP And they say that Lucios interrogators a phalanx of investigators that included Texas Ranger Victor Escalon engaged in their own junk science. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Villalobos could not be reached for comment. The lawmakers visited Lucio to update her about their efforts to stop her April 27 execution. However, even if Lucio's death penalty is commuted, she still isn't going home anytime soon. Lucio's current lawyers say new evidence shows that Mariah's injuries, including the blow to the head, were caused by a fall down a steep staircase, as Melissa and some of her children have . John and his wife, Michelle, were filming an interview with Univision in their hotel lobby when John stepped away to take a phone call from Assistant Federal Public Defender Tivon Schardl. Into the interview room, Escalon testified, he said woefully local media Lucio is mother! 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