"You can see this in Melissa Lucio's case. Greg Abbott and other elected officials to stop her execution. Lucio is seeking clemency as her April 27 execution date approaches. Only 17 women have been executed in the U.S. since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on the death penalty in 1976, most recently in January 2021. Lucio was convicted in the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, and sentenced to be executed. Her supporters say she was . Melissa Lucio was first sentenced to death in 2008 for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. And that's as much as people want to know," he said. Alexander Molony Net Worth: How Much Is Alexander Molony Worth? In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding one of her sons, John. Selina claims that none of her other siblings were abusive towards Mariah. At the time of her death, Mariah was healing from an injury to her arm, which the medical examiner also said was a sign of abuse. 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. FilmRise By Maurice Chammah The detective handed Melissa Lucio a plastic doll and asked her to spank it. But worn down from a lifetime of abuse and the grief of. Nearly 15 years later, Lucio, 53, remains on death row at Mountain View Unit prison in Gatesville, Texas. Keep up with her Twitter for more. Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death, July 10, 2008, in Brownsville, Texas. Abraham Bonowitz, co-founder and director of anti-death penalty advocacy group Death Penalty Action, said he believes that filmmaker Sabrina Van Tassel's Hulu documentary, "The State of Texas vs. Melissa," which follows Lucio as she appeals her case, speaks to her innocence. She has maintained her innocence, and Cornell Law School professor Sandra Babcock has called the prosecution "by far the weakest capital case I've ever seen". [15], A 2011 appeal against the conviction was denied by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In late 2006 Lucio got back the other kids after three older kids went to live with their father in Houston. On April 15, Ms. Lucios attorneys filed a habeas petition with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals seeking a stay of her execution and arguing that she deserves a new trial because she is innocent and the State relied on false evidence,and hid favorable evidence, to convict her. Hours after Melissa Lucio's 2-year-old daughter died in 2007, Texas Rangers took Lucio to an interrogation room where they yelled at her, threatened her and showed her pictures of her dead child, her attorneys said. But Ms. Lucios life is still in jeopardy. According to Dr. Young, Melissa Lucio should not be executed because he believes she is innocent. So right there and then, I knew she did something," he said. Lucio was addicted to cocaine and tested positive shortly after Mariah was born; this prompted authorities to place her children in foster care. Ms. Lucio received a death penalty sentence and is appealing. Photos: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy - Melissa Lucio is the first Hispanic woman to receive a death sentence in the state of Texas. They also claim that Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos had previously been accused of inadequately investigating over 100 claims of child abuse. "The Innocence Project recognized the urgency that an innocent woman was headed for execution," Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation for the organization, told ABC News. BROWNSVILLE - Melissa Elizabeth Lucio was formally sentenced to death by lethal injection in the 13th Judicial District Court, according to a Cameron county District Attorney's Office release. "My mother is an innocent woman. Lucio that her teenage daughter, Alexandra, may have been responsible for the bruises found on Mariahs body after her death. That's what crossed my mind. Now, are you a cold-blooded killer or were you a frustrated mother who just took it out on [Mariah]?" Lucio, who is an inmate on Texas death row, is set to be executed on Apr. She is . The Cameron Countys new district attorney, the courts, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Gov. The application also states that the state medical examiner who performed Mariah's autopsy was told that Lucio admitted to abusing the girl and was accompanied by two of the interrogating officers during the autopsy. Paramedics were called and Lucio was quickly taken in for questioning about the death of her youngest child. In their clemency petition, Lucio's lawyers say that while she had used drugs, leading her to temporarily lose custody of her children, she was a loving mother who worked to remain drug-free and provide for her family. Hundreds of anti-domestic violence/sexual assault organizations and 18 Texas exonerees have voiced support for clemency for Ms. Lucio. Her lawyers say this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession. He spoke in emotional support of his mother at a press conference on Friday held by civic engagement nonprofit Somos Tejas, Texas state Rep. Victoria Neave Criado and other Texas state legislators saying that his family "hasn't been the same" since her incarceration. Child Protective Services was present in the family's life, but there was never an accusation of abuse by any of her children, Potkin said. The Texas Attorney General's Office maintains evidence shows Mariah suffered the "absolute worst" case of child abuse her emergency room doctor had seen in 30 years. The Innocence Project, a criminal justice reform nonprofit that aims to exonerate wrongly convicted persons using DNA and other evidence, joined Lucio's legal team soon after her execution was scheduled in January. "Her autopsy revealed bruised kidneys, a bruised spinal cord and bruised lungs," the D.A. Instead of taking the steps to learn about Mariahs health history and investigating the causes of her injuries, authorities immediately jumped to the conclusion that she had been murdered and, through a coercive interrogation, pressured Ms. Lucio to make a false statement. Lucio and her children struggled through poverty. Studies have shown that even trained forensic dentists cant agree whether or not an injury is a bite mark. Unprecedented pictures of Melissa Lucio 's examination have surfaced because of the absence of life column prisoner inside the narrative " Death by Mama" airs on ABC. the youngest of her 12 children at the time Ms. Lucio was taken into police custody and immediately blamed for her daughters death. After several hours of interrogation, Ms. Lucio said, I guess I did it, and made other incriminating statements, to get the officers to end the interrogation. If I could take back my vote, I would, Johnny Galvan Jr., one of the jurors in Ms. Lucios case, wrote in, An innocent person is misclassified as a guilty suspect, Police coerce an innocent person into falsely incriminating themselves. The local hospital declared the child dead. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The State of Texas has scheduled Ms. Lucios execution for April 27, for a crime that never occurred. Lucio's supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatized if she's executed. During the interrogation, officers berated and intimidated Ms. Lucio, who was pregnant and in shock from the loss of her child, for five hours. Lucio has said that her daughter who had a condition that caused her foot to be turned in fell down a flight of outdoor stairs as the family was preparing to move to a new apartment. [1] Lucio's execution was set for April 27, 2022, but an appeals court granted her a stay on April 25, 2022. Lucio claims that starting when she was seven years old, her mothers boyfriend sexually abused her for approximately two years. Updated on March 25, 2022, 2:30 p.m. Ms. Lucio is a survivor of life-long, repeated sexual assault and domestic violence. As noted in the appeals court opinion document, one of the investigators described Lucio's behavior. Lucio's lawyers say the evidence shows it was a tragic accident. Lucio is set to be executed on April 27 for the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah. Later on, Lucio had seven children with Robert Alvarez. Lawyers for Lucio deny those claims and say the bruising was a result of the fall. Abbott can grant a one-time, 30-day reprieve. He also stated that Lucio's execution would be a terrible tragedy. In a letter last month to the Board of Pardons and Paroles and to Abbott, 83 Texas House members said executing Lucio would be "a miscarriage of justice.". While Lucios attorneys contend that Mariahs death was brought on by a fall down the stairs two days earlier, prosecutors contend that Mariahs injuries were caused by physical abuse. Selina, the fifth of Lucios 14 children, initially came forward on TikTok back in 2021 after the release of The State Of Texas vs. Melissa, a documentary on Hulu that covers the case and Lucios fight to have her conviction overturned. There is now evidence that all three of these things happened in Ms. Lucios case. Lucio regained custody of the other kids in late 2006 after three older kids moved in with their father in Houston. "The fact that we are all here today and why almost 90 state representatives, the majority of the Texas House, have rallied behind this cause to save Melissa Lucio's life is because of the injustices in her case. After several hours of interrogation, Lucio stated, "I guess I did it. said, adding that an emergency room doctor said it was the "absolute worst" case of child abuse. ", The investigator went on to say that he knew Lucio wanted to confess "because she's giving that slouched appearance.". "People generally confess falsely to get out of the interrogation room," Guarnera said. The Texas Rangers did not respond to repeated phone calls and emails for comment about the case. Despite the defense's arguments, Lucio was found guilty of capital murder and later sentenced to death in 2008. As two experts on false confessions have determined, due to the officers tactics and Ms. Lucios vulnerability, her incriminating statements are not a reliable confession of her guilt, but rather are a regurgitation of information relayed to her from investigators throughout the interrogation.. To date, over 100 bipartisan Texas lawmakers signed letters urging the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend clemency for Melissa. Abbott has granted clemency to only one death row inmate, Thomas Whitaker, since taking office in 2015. Abbott and the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Mariah was the twelfth child of Lucio. I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio," said state Rep. Jeff Leach, who signed the letter. 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Kate Moss Was 'Scared' & 'Couldn't Get Out Of Bed For Weeks' After Working With Mark Wahlberg. Eighty-three Texas representatives signed a letter asking that she be granted clemency. ", "Texas mother is set for execution as evidence suggests she did not kill her child", "I voted to sentence Melissa Lucio to death. Thank you for visiting us. Melissa Lucios husband Roberto Antonio Alvarez testified in the case about the death of his daughter Mariah Alvarez. She said she believes she falsely confessed in part because of a learned fear of violence. According to Selina, the documentary mischaracterizes the accusations against Lucio and adds to the belief that Lucio is innocent. Courtesy of the family of Melissa Lucio via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Office of Justice Programs, an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice that focuses on crime prevention through research and development, said in a published report on interviewing domestic violence victims that detectives should "give credibility to the victim without expecting a high level of cooperation.". [8] She admitted to having spanked Mariah, but denied ever having abused her, which she repeated more than 100 times. [21] Lucio subsequently petitioned for clemency. She said that her boyfriend was often violent and used drugs and alcohol. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. Lawyers in Melissa Lucio case request retrial, push for death sentence to be dropped, Rangers believed Lucio had killed Mariah on Feb. 17, 2007, fighting to stop her April 27 execution date, published report on interviewing domestic violence victims. April 7, 2022, 9:13 AM, CDT Fourteen years ago, Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death for killing the youngest of her 12 children, Mariah, in Harlingen. var isYTTikTok = 1; Were they convicted? Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in Texas after she confessed to beating her 2-year-old daughter, who later died. "And we intend on keeping that promise.". The International Association of Chiefs of Police, a Virginia-based association for police leaders, has a guide on the best practices law enforcement should follow for successful trauma-informed interviewing. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. He can grant clemency if a majority of the paroles board recommends it. And 30 groups that work on behalf of the Latinx community in Texas have said they support clemency, too. Selina says that Lucio was, not abusive to all of us. RELATED: 5 Death Penalty Facts That Will Make You Want To Abolish It Now. Abbott's office, the Cameron County District Attorney's Office and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment. He is now serving a 13-year federal prison sentence for bribery and extortion. Isla Bryson Parents: Who Are The Parents Of Isla Bryson? They also argued that a judge's order to exclude expert testimony on the effects of trauma had "deprived Melissa of the only means she had of explaining that, notwithstanding her demeanor and self-incriminating statements, she was innocent of her daughter's murder. "We've had her interrogation reviewed by leading experts in interrogation and false confessions. Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. This undated handout photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Melissa Lucio. In a now-deleted tweet, Kardashian described the crime as a tragic accident. However, some of Lucios children have spoken out, insisting that their mother is guilty. Officers contaminated the confession by repeatedly showing Ms. Lucio photographs of relevant evidence and suggesting certain words and facts, which she ultimately parroted back to the officers. Alexander Molony Parents: Who Are Alexander Molony Parents? Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. I was wrong", "I am sending a letter to Governor @GregAbbot_Tx", "Texas death row prisoner Melissa Lucio granted stay of execution", "Hulu Acquires U.S. Rights to Tribeca Documentary, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melissa_Lucio&oldid=1139933110, Articles with failed verification from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 16:02. [13], Lucio was pregnant with twins at the time of Mariah's death, and authorities compelled her to place them for adoption after delivering them while in jail. During the interrogation, Lucio claimed her innocence over 100 times before eventually saying, I guess I did it, when asked if she was responsible for Mariahs injuries. Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah. However, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who reviewed the evidence concluded that the medical examiners testimony was misleading and there is nothing about Mariahs fracture that indicates that, was the result of an intentional act or abuse. At 6 years old, she was sexually assaulted by one of her mother's partners, her legal team said in the clemency petition. She had scattered bruising, bite marks on her back, patches of hair that had been pulled out, and a broken arm. Bite mark analysis has been. 16th Street, 2nd Avenue, Batsona Community 18 The boy then responded: "No, I saw her fall. [16] In 2019, a three-judge panel of the Federal Appeals Court overturned the sentence and ordered a retrial because of the trial court's interference in Lucio's right to present a defense. ET:This article has been updated to reflect the latest news in this case. Mariah was the twelfth child of Lucio. Kim Kardashian has joined the fight to stop the execution of Melissa Lucio, a woman sentenced to the death penalty for the death of her 2-year-old daughter in 2007. During the interrogation, officers berated and intimidated Ms. Lucio, who was pregnant and in shock from the loss of her child, for five hours. And experts who have reviewed Ms. Lucios case, including her interrogation records, have concluded that Ms. Lucio was relentlessly pressured and extensively manipulated during the interrogation. The autopsy showed that Mariah also had a head injury and bruises on her kidneys lungs and spinal cord. A spokeswoman for Abbott's office did not return an email seeking comment. The U.S. Supreme Court in October declined to review a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that upheld her conviction, paving the way for her execution. Calls are growing for Texas to stop the approaching execution of Melissa Lucio, who says she was wrongfully convicted of killing her toddler Mariah in 2007. Lucio then had seven children with Robert Alvarez. "Please allow us to reconcile with Mariah's death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish and grief. You can also receive help via online.rainn.org, which is available 24/7. Without that context, the jury was undoubtedly swayed by Ms. Lucios statement and the Texas Rangers testimony about her demeanor during the interrogation. In a previous investigation into Lucio for alleged child neglect, Child Protective Services found that his youngest kids were frequently left in the care of their older, teenage siblings. Melissa Lucio was born in Lubbock Texas on June 18 1969 as stated in court documents. In the similar case of Manuel Velez, a man who was initially convicted for murdering a one-year-old baby and whose death sentence was overturned after further investigation, Farley's conclusions had also been contradicted by other medical experts. 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. In 2019, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Read and share these key facts before Texas makes the irreversible mistake of killing an innocent woman. Advertisement : [emailprotected] TODR - 10 years. Lucio is set to be executed on April 27 for the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah. At one point, a ranger got within inches of Lucio's face and said there was evidence that did not look good, the petition stated. "This is a woman who has a history of being threatened, being yelled at," she said. RELATED: Rumors Swirl That Kim Kardashian May Eventually Run For Office What A Kardashian Presidency Could Look Like. Afterward, Lucio had seven kids with Robert Alvarez. And experts who have reviewed Ms. Lucios case, including her interrogation records, have concluded that Ms. Lucio was relentlessly pressured and extensively manipulated during the interrogation. Hours after Mariah's death, Lucio was interrogated by police for over five hours, according to her lawyers. Following Mariah's death, Lucio was arrested and questioned for seven hours by Texas Ranger Victor Escalon without a lawyer present, and without receiving food or water. The state argued that Lucio confessed to a pattern of abusing Mariah and to inflicting fatal blows to the . Lucio had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age 6, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands. Death Penalty Action started the Free Melissa Lucio project shortly after Lucio was notified of her execution date. "When I walked in, she was not making eye contact with the investigator. She is now fighting to stop her April 27 execution. Lucio Successor Writ Application, at 136 (quoting David Thompsons Expert Report). Neave Criado who visited Melissa Lucio on death row earlier this week spoke at the conference about the bipartisan support her case has received. On Feb. 8, attorneys for Ms. Lucio filed a motion to withdraw or modify her looming execution date, and on March 22, her legal team filed a petition for clemency to the governor and Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. However, the full court in 2021 said the conviction had to be upheld for procedural reasons, "despite the difficult issue of the exclusion of testimony that might have cast doubt on the credibility of Lucio's confession.". She claimed that he was frequently physically abusive and drug and alcohol-dependent. However, the case of Melissa Lucio, who murdered her daughter after years of abuse, has sparked more debate than ever before. [9] She was then told by Escalon: "Right now, it looks like you're a cold-blooded killer. She had many bruises bite marks on her back patches of hair pulled out and a broken arm. Melissa , a documentary set to be released in 2020, is based on her case. Attempts to reach Crain were unsuccessful. Tema, Ghana, Phone: +233 24 137 5919 Mariah's mother, Melissa Lucio was convicted of capital murder in this case. Lucio, sentenced to death for killing her daughter, maintains her innocence. She was just struggling. Melissa Lucio, only Latina on Texas death row, seeks clemency as execution looms. "[10], During the trial, Lucio's recorded statements from her interrogation were described as a confession by Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos, who was seeking re-election at the time. 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