In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding one of her sons, John. 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. The local hospital declared the child dead. As the interrogation dragged on, Lucio told detectives that she had hit Mariah in the past, but did not say she killed the little girl. On Feb. 8, attorneys for Ms. Lucio, to withdraw or modify her looming execution date, and on March 22, her legal team, to the governor and Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. She would be the first Latina to ever be executed in the state. A psychologist who reviewed recent testing of Melissa said that Melissa has highly abnormal levels of vulnerability to police coercion because of her background. Lucio, sentenced to death for killing her daughter, maintains her innocence. Lucio, born in Lubbock, Texas, endured years of abuse and violence, according to her attorneys. Liza Soberano children: Does Liza Soberano Have Children? I'm responsible for it," she said, according to the petition. The woman, Melissa Lucio, a mother of 14, was found guilty back in 2008 in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: Ms. Lucio is facing execution on April 27 for a crime that never occurred. [25], A 2020 documentary by Sabrina Van Tassel titled The State of Texas vs. Melissa follows Lucio's case. [9][23] The Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma, announced on April 22 that he sent a letter to Governor Abbott asking him to grant executive clemency to Lucio, as "Mexico has historically manifested an unwavering commitment in its opposition to the death penalty. 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. Ms. Lucio had nine more children, including Mariah. Her young daughter Mariah died and had many injuries like bruises on her head kidneys lungs spinal cord and other places. The board plans to vote on Lucio's clemency petition two days before the scheduled execution, Rachel Alderete, the board's director of support operations, said in an email. We're asking the governor and Board of Pardons and Paroles and the district attorney, which are the three [political] entities that can do something about this, to watch the filmbecause we believe anybody that watches this film will come away at least with doubt if not being convinced of Melissa's innocence," Bonowitz said. In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding one of her sons, John. Hours after Mariah's death, Lucio was interrogated by police for over five hours, according to her lawyers. She was scheduled for execution on April 27, 2022. Lucio asserted her innocence more than 100 times by verbally saying 86 times that she did not kill Mariah and by shaking her head no 35 other times, the petition said. They used coercive methods known to produce false confessions. 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. All Rights Reserved. These conditions led her to be manipulated into admitting she caused her daughter's death despite Lucio asserting her innocence over 100 times throughout the interrogation, according to her lawyers. But Ms. Lucios life is still in jeopardy. In this undated photograph, Melissa Lucio holds one of her sons, John. The tragic incident that took away a young life happened in her own house. 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. The death penalty is wrong. Texas Innocent Project. On April 12, attorneys for Melissa filed a supplemental clemency application including a new declaration from a fifth juror Melissas jury foreperson who joins the calls of four other jurors and the alternate to halt Melissas pending execution or grant her a new trial where new evidence of her innocence can be considered. Lucio is set to be executed on April 27 for the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah. By way of history, Mr. Alvarez found his daughter pale and not breathing in the family home and attempted to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation until EMS arrived. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? CPS records used in the trial do not evidence that suggests Lucio was abusive. Selina recalls her mother excluding Mariah, keeping her separate from her other children on a number of occasions. On the other hand, her lawyers have been claiming that she was wrongfully convicted of beating her own child. Lucio also has a lower-than-average IQ. The Innocence Project is affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Ms. Lucio, who was given the death penalty, is filing an appeal. Eighty-three Texas representatives signed a letter asking that she be granted clemency. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Lucios lawyers say that Mariahs death was due to falling down the stairs but prosecutors say that Mariahs injuries were from someone hitting or hurting her. Lucio had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age 6, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands. [8] She admitted to having spanked Mariah, but denied ever having abused her, which she repeated more than 100 times. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone. Mariah was Lucio's twelfth child. Ms. Lucio struggled at times to provide for her family, but was a caring mother, who did her best given her incredibly difficult circumstances. Prosecutors say Lucio fatally beat her 2-year-old daughter but Lucio has long denied that, saying Mariah died from injuries sustained during a fall down a flight of stairs. He claims that before his deceased daughter Mariah Alvarez passed away, he was unaware of her fatal injuries. It would be an absolutely devastating message for this execution to go forward. 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. She is . Many family members and supporters say the girl's . 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. The Innocence Project notes that Lucio was pregnant with twins at the time and was likely overwhelmed and grief-stricken after Mariahs death. . [1] Lucio's execution was set for April 27, 2022, but an appeals court granted her a stay on April 25, 2022. Melissa Lucio and Robert Alvarez welcomed Mariah into the world in September 2004. "What victims learn to do in these relationships in order to survive the abuse or violence is they learn to capitulate, they learn to comply, they learn to appease. Melissa Lucio was found guilty of a very serious crime called capital murder. The parole board was scheduled to vote on Lucio's clemency petition two days before the execution. 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. Lucio was found guilty of abusing and killing her two-year-old daughter, Mariah, in 2007. Melissa Lucio, only Latina on Texas death row, seeks clemency as execution looms. American woman controversially sentenced to death, Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, List of death row inmates in the United States, List of people scheduled to be executed in the United States, List of women on death row in the United States, "Woman with Lubbock ties to be executed, many take up the cause to stop it", "Melissa Lucio is scheduled to be executed for a crime that may not have occurred", "Is Texas Sending Melissa Lucio to Die for a Crime That Never Happened? 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. Trauma victims who dissociate may not fully grasp the severity of the situation they are in so "they're not going to be able to track and pay attention as carefully and this can make you potentially prone to accepting suggestions from officers," Guarnera said. Keep up with her Twitter for more. Some of the children living with Lucio were previously taken from the home by Child Protective Services and placed into foster care when Mariah was three weeks old, in 2004. Melissa , a documentary set to be released in 2020, is based on her case. Lucio's legal team submitted an application for clemency to Texas Gov. Isla Bryson Husband: Is Isla Bryson Married? Website by MADEO. Greg Abbott and other elected officials to stop her execution. A woman facing execution in Texas for killing her daughter is seeking clemency, claiming she was coerced into confessing to the crime. Lucio has 14 children and was pregnant with the youngest two when Mariah died. She had her head down. Lucio, 40, of Harlingen was found guilty of capital murder for the death of her 21/2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding her daughter Mariah. The omission of this crucial evidence was particularly damaging because the prosecution had a weak case for capital murder, and an even weaker case for a death sentence. Experts said these conditions are all risk factors that make a person more likely to falsely confess. Though Selina believes her mother is guilty, she does not want her to be killed and says she signed the petition to request clemency for Lucio. Email: [emailprotected] "She was not evil. Guadalupe Lucio and Melissa Lucio had their first five children together when they were just 16 years old with their youngest daughter Lucio being the most recent addition. 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. [6][failed verification] According to Lucio, Mariah had sustained the injuries when she fell down a flight of stairs two days earlier. Officers used powerfully manipulative techniques many of which rise to the level of risk factors for false confession to coerce Ms. Lucio to incriminate herself. At the time, Mr. Villalobos was seeking re-election, and came under fire for failing to thoroughly investigate or prosecute more than 100 previous allegations of child abuse. Two days later, she took a nap and didnt wake up. Mariah was the twelfth child of Lucio. Bite mark analysis has been. While she was in prison she gave birth to twins which made a total of four children. [9] She was then told by Escalon: "Right now, it looks like you're a cold-blooded killer. New evidence suggests the death may have been an accident - and today, the Texas Board of Pardons . This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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. However, pathologists who have reviewed the evidence have concluded that this testimony was false. Alexander Molony Children: Does Alexander Molony Have A Child? Abbott has granted clemency to only one death row inmate, Thomas Whitaker, since taking office in 2015. 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 it was the result of an intentional act or abuse This was an extremely common type of injury among toddlers that can result from a fall from standing height. Lucio then had seven children with Robert Alvarez. Were they convicted? Texas lawmakers push for clemency or reprieve for Melissa Lucio, woman on death row accused of killing her child . My mother was never the abusing woman -- the monster that the district attorney Armando Villalobos, former district attorney, made it seem like," John Lucio said. She said she believes she falsely confessed in part because of a learned fear of violence. Melissa Lucios husband Roberto Antonio Alvarez testified in the case about the death of his daughter Mariah Alvarez. Melissa Lucio was found guilty of a very serious crime called "capital murder". [26], On March 6, 2022, in the main segment of an episode of the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver called "Wrongful Convictions", her case was the main one to be mentioned as a reason for the reform of the American justice system and specifically, the abolition of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA). Two of the officers who interrogated Ms. Lucio were present at Mariahs autopsy, leading to a biased autopsy process, and an incomplete investigation into Mariahs health history and causes of her injuries and death. After several hours of interrogation, Lucio stated, "I guess I did it. Ahead of the election, Mr. Villalobos sought to make an example in Ms. Lucios case, which helped him appear tough on crime. Today, the former district attorney is serving a 13-year federal prison sentence for bribery and extortion. Despite the defense's arguments, Lucio was found guilty of capital murder and later sentenced to death in 2008. At the time, Lucio said, the toddler didn't appear to be hurt, ABC News reported, citing court records. Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah. During the interrogation, officers berated and intimidated Ms. Lucio, who was pregnant and in shock from the loss of her child, for five hours. Detectives by law are also not allowed to lie to suspects. Unfortunately for her, this is also around the time that she claims to have been sexually abused by her mothers boyfriend for two years starting at age seven. 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. [7] The child was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Alexander Molony Siblings: Who Are Alexander Molony Siblings? Ms. Lucio has maintained her innocence on death row for more than 14 years. I believe that she should be in prison. "My mother is an innocent woman. Convicted of murdering one of her 9 children, her 2 year old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. To date, over 100 bipartisan Texas lawmakers signed letters urging the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend clemency for Melissa. The model was developed with the help of psychologists and takes a nonconfrontational approach to interrogations. [4] As of 2022, Lucio is being held on death row[14] at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. He is now serving a 13-year federal prison sentence for bribery and extortion. [22], In April 2022, a juror on the trial, Johnny Galvan Jr., wrote in the Houston Chronicle that he had wrongly succumbed to peer pressure during deliberations and had changed his vote from a life sentence to the death penalty. RELATED: Oklahoma Gov. "[10], One of Lucio's sons was also questioned by law enforcement shortly after Mariah's death. She was interrogated for five hours by armed police officers who reportedly berated her. Studies have shown that even trained forensic dentists cant agree whether or not an injury is a bite mark. 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. Photos: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy Melissa Lucio is the first Hispanic woman to receive a death sentence in the state of Texas. Photos: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy. were wrongly convicted of harming children or other loved ones in their care and over 70% were wrongly convicted of crimes that never took place at all events that were accidents, deaths by suicide, or fabricated according to data from the, Detectives rushed to judgment and, just two hours after Mariah died, took Ms. Lucio in for questioning. "This is a woman who has a history of being threatened, being yelled at," she said. "She gets very emotional because no one believed her for so many years that she was innocent. 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. "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. "I think that's really significant that, you know, the individuals who heard the evidence against Melissa feel that the new evidence is so powerful that they may have voted differently in the case, and it just underscores the need for a court to consider the new evidence of Melissa's innocence," Potkin said. Lawyers for Lucio deny those claims and say the bruising was a result of the fall. Tema, Ghana, Phone: +233 24 137 5919 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. 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.". Liliana Segura, Jordan Smith. "I guess I did it," Lucio responded when asked if she was responsible for some of Mariah's injuries. . Only a barbaric people allow such depravity. As her April 27 execution date nears, Lucio's lawyers are hopeful that new evidence, along with growing public support including from jurors who now doubt the conviction and from more than half the Texas House of Representatives will persuade the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles and Gov. She is now fighting to stop her April 27 execution. But worn down from a lifetime of abuse and the grief of. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to the petition. Lucio received the death penalty for the death of Mariah. 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