The documentary focuses on the case of Melissa Lucio, a woman convicted for the 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter Mariah. The case hinges on an interrogation of Lucio conducted two hours after Mariah died, during which officers tried to get Lucio to confess to hurting her daughter. According to court documents submitted by Lucio's attorneys, she was sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend starting at the age of 6 abuse that lasted for two years. In 2007, paramedics arrived at a tiny apartment that Melissa Lucio shared with her live-in . Lucio had already spent five hours that night, in February 2007, answering questions about the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. Its unclear how long the process could take. Mariah reportedly did not have any visible injuries, but after Lucio put her down for a nap, she did not wake up and was later taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead. According to the prosecutor, the injuries that were made to Mariah were the results of physical abuse while Lucios attorney says that the injuries were made to the daughter because she fell down the stairs two days before her death. 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. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to a clemency petition issued by her lawyers. Its not over by a long shot; this campaign has to continue, Bonowitz told a smattering of TV reporters. Although interviews with Lucio's children, her mother, and her sisters give the clear sense that Melissa's family wants her home, it never really feels like the family members get comfortable . Lucios father died when Lucio was an infant and her family moved to Rio Grande Valley when Lucio was nearly 3 to 4 years old. The family lived in "extreme poverty," her lawyer Sandra Babcock told BBC. Mariahs father, Roberto Antonio Alvarez was also arrested in relation to her death but he was only convicted of endangering a child and sentenced to four years in prison. 2. She refuted Gilman's claims that some of Lucio's older children were unruly and hard to handle by foster parents. The lawmakers visited Lucio to update her about their efforts to stop her April 27 execution. The news was celebrated by Lucio, her attorneys and her family, including her son Bobby Alvarez, who told reporters he and his siblings were trying to decide what to do for Mothers Day. 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. But when the medical examiner saw the toddler's body covered in bruises, it was ruled child abuse, and investigators zeroed in on Lucio. Lucio's attorneys say police had already decided on a narrative when they brought her in for interrogation. CNN has reached out to prosecutors for comment. But although Lucio had a history of being investigated by Child Protective Services, she had no history of physically abusing her kids. Melissa Lucio, 53, would be the first Latina executed by Texas and the first woman since 2014. . But two days before the 53-year-old mother of 14 children was due to be executed, she was given a second chance. Although the official documents state that Lucio was born in 1968, her relatives and closest members say that she was born in 1969. Speaking at the press conference, Keith responded to Saenzs statement. Her lawyers say Lucio's history of sexual and physical abuse led to her giving an unreliable confession. Before her execution was stayed amid the emergence of new evidence, BBC spoke to her family and supporters. 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. On 25th April 2022, the Texas Court issued a stay of execution and ordered the 138th Judicial District Court of Cameron County to consider new evidence in the case of Lucio for her innocence regarding the death of her daughter Mariah. "They badgered, berated and yelled at her until she finally agreed to their demands and insistence that she was guilty of harming her child," said Ms Babcock, who argues that there was a "rush" to judge her guilty. Among those calling for a stay of execution are a bipartisan group of 103 members of the Texas legislature - including 32 Republican . According to an interrogation with Lucio regarding the death of her youngest child of that time, Mariah fell down the stairs while the family was moving homes back in February 2007. And that's what we're hoping for.". 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. 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.She is scheduled to be executed April 27, 2022. I know she's innocent.' At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to the petition. Melissa Lucio, the South Texas mother of 14 who was days from her execution date, has been granted a stay from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. She also has the support of an unprecedented bipartisan coalition of 87 Texas lawmakers. However, she has maintained her innocence ever since. For a time, the only access they had to water was through their neighbours' houses or from the parish.". At the time, the family was moving homes, and she reportedly fell due to her physical disability, which left her feet turned to the side, making her unable to walk and prone to tripping. "You start peeling back the layers and you see that it is a case about corrupt prosecutors, it's a case about unfairness," Ms Babcock said. . On April 15, Ms Lucios lawyer filed a habeas petition, appealing to her client to seek a stay of her execution, arguing that she deserves a new trial because she is innocent and wrongly arrested or misunderstood become. Among them is one of her sons, John Lucio. Without any legal representation, Melissa was fiercely interrogated by Cameron County TX police for 7 hours. Lucio and her team had raised nine claims with the appeals court, four of which were remanded to the trial court. But the trial judge ruled that testimony "irrelevant," according to court documents. Greg Abbott to spare their mom's life. 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. Although Melissa repeatedly told the police that she did not kill her daughter, they continued to interrogate her for five hours until she . After five hours of questioning, during which Lucio expressed her innocence more than 100 times, she eventually said "I guess I did it" when asked if she was responsible for some of her daughter's injuries. 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. At the time of his mother's arrest, John was 17 years old. Mariah, on being examined, was found to be in a fetal condition with various stages of bruising and injuries on her head, and contusions of the kidneys, lungs, and spinal cord. Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz who was not the DA at the time of Lucio's trial told Texas lawmakers last week that he would move to delay Lucio's execution if the Board of Pardons and Paroles rejects calls for clemency and the courts don't intervene. A pathologist interviewed by The Intercept says the medical examiner who conducted Mariah's autopsy jumped to conclusions and ignored evidence that Mariah died due to an accident. That decision will ultimately turn on another motion filed by Lucios lawyers, seeking the recusal of Cameron County District Court Judge Gabriela Garcia, whose court administrator was also part of Lucios legal team. How many children does Melissa Lucio have? The detective handed Melissa Lucio a plastic doll and asked her to spank it. State Rep. Jeff Leach said, "As a conservative Republican myself who has long been a supporter of the death penalty in the most heinous cases, I have never seen I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio.". Abbott's office did not respond to a request for comment, but in March the governor said he was awaiting a decision by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. It simply has not been the same in the past 15 years," he said. Melissa Lucio Early Life. There have also been questions about the testimony provided by the medical examiner alleging that injuries on Mariah's body were clear signs of abuse. 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, 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. During Lucio's 2008 trial, prosecutors claimed she beat her daughter Mariah to death. Just two days before Melissa Lucio was scheduled to be to be put to death, a Texas court on Monday halted her execution and sent her case back for review. Lucio woke up on February 15, 2007, got some of the children ready for school and then turned her attention to packing up their "run-down, second-floor apartment," the petition says. On the other hand, Lucio said that she was pressured to have false statements regarding the allegations. 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. A Texas mother convicted of murdering her 2-year-old child has been granted a stay of execution just two days before she was scheduled to die. "Evidence that could have been exculpatory?" Two days later, her father called police when Mariah suddenly stopped breathing. She admitted that she had spanked Mariah on the butt, but denied abusing her. Two days later, she could not be woken from a nap and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her legal team, including attorneys from the federal public defender office in Austin and the Innocence Project, had filed a clemency petition with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, asking them to recommend that Gov. However, even if Lucio's death penalty is commuted, she still isn't going home anytime soon. Despite receiving the death penalty, she was described by campaign organisations as a "loving and caring mother," who tried her best to provide financially for her family. Last October, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. April 28, 2022 5:23 PM EDT. She was convicted 14 years ago of murdering her 2-year-old . 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. The court has produced allegations of capital murder against her after the death of her two-year-old daughter named Mariah. ", Bobby was seven when Mariah died. By the time she gave birth to her twelfth child, Melissa had experienced homelessness, drug addiction, and severe mental illness," according to an amicus brief filed by former prosecutors, anti-violence organizations and others on Lucio's behalf. His younger siblings were taken in by cousins, and many did well after leaving school. Yes, the ruling by the appeals court does nothing to modify Lucios sentence. "If they go through with it, they'll be killing an innocent woman.". 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. 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. hide caption. Her first husband, the group says, was a violent alcoholic who left her after she gave birth to their five children. Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah in this undated photograph. Please give us the chance for closure. Earlier, Lucio was sentenced to death back in 2008 and at the time when she was imprisoned, she was pregnant with twins, whom she had to give up for adoption as she could not have the nourishment of the babies in jail. We felt like David and Goliath, she said, as she and Luna did what they could to push Lucios case into the spotlight. 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. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. At Lucio's trial, expert witnesses for the defense were not allowed to testify as to why she might have given a false confession. 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. Moments after learning about her daughter's death, Melissa was questioned by the police for over five hours, without food, beverage or sleep. Around 3am, she told detectives, I guess I did it, reportedly in hopes that they would end the interrogation, according to the Innocence Project. So heartbreaking to read this letter from Melissa Lucio's children begging for the state not to . Melissa Elizabeth Lucio is an American woman sentenced to death in Texas on August 12, 2008 for the death of her 2-year-old daughter on February 17, 2007. . Melissa Lucios personal life remained in the dark for many years until the death of her daughter and she was sentenced to jail. Greg Abbott to spare their mom's life. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals could also stop the execution. There were two possible avenues of relief for Lucio. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Lucio had been deprived of "her constitutional right to present a meaningful defense," and overturned her conviction. . Director of The State of Texas vs. Melissa, Sabrina Van Tassel argues for Melissa Lucio's retrial. We certainly want Melissa to get her hearing as quickly as possible, Schardl said. 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. appreciated. "She is an innocent woman," John Lucio, Melissa's eldest son, told Latino USA at a protest outside the Cameron County Courthouse in February. But the older children had it harder. he asked. The father to Lucio's eldest children lived in Houston, Texas and did . Please give us a chance for peace. Melissa Lucio [represents] everything society despises she's a woman, Hispanic, poor, she has 14 children. But many doubt Lucio's guilt and call into question the fairness of her trial. But lawyers and others of Melissa's supporters say she was made to make statements under duress. Joining is simple and doesnt need to cost a lot: You can become a sustaining member for as little as $3 or $5 a month. And if he didnt have none 15 years ago, you dont have any today.. More on The Lone Star Plate www.lonestarplate.showSabrina . Human error to blame for deadly train crash, says Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. It's a disorder, she says, that in other cases has been "confused for child abuse because it causes extensive bleeding and bruising throughout the body. The third claim by Lucios attorneys says that scientific evidence shows Mariah was not murdered. But Lucio had no history of child abuse. Tivon Schardl, supervisory assistant federal public defender in the Capital Habeas Unit in Austin, and part of Lucio's current defense team, said the jurors were not given the full picture: "There's been just a concerted effort to keep this evidence from being considered.". Among the experts her attorneys sought to put on the stand was a psychologist who planned to testify that Lucio's history as a survivor of domestic and sexual abuse helped explain why she told interrogators what they wanted to hear even if it wasn't true. The lawyers also claim that the DAs office illegally withheld from Lucios trial counsel crucial documents generated by the states child welfare agency. 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. 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. Lucio was kind and gentle; Toon couldnt imagine that she was capable of killing anyone, let alone her own daughter. By Monday morning, there was a fair amount of speculation spreading among activists about what would happen; word was that the board had already made its decision and would make its announcement by early afternoon. Everybodyknows who she is., Liliana Segura[emailprotected]theintercept.com@lilianasegura, Jordan Smith[emailprotected]theintercept.com@chronic_jordan. He and Moody also convened a committee hearing to question Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz, who had requested Lucios execution date. Supporters say she was convicted 14 years ago, you dont have any today.. More on the other,. He said through with it, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according court... Water was through their neighbours ' houses or from the parish. `` court does nothing to Lucios! Since 2014. of 103 members of the state of Texas vs. Melissa, Sabrina Van Tassel for... Lucio 's history of physically abusing her kids to read this letter Melissa... Her live-in we 're hoping for. `` Van Tassel argues for Melissa Lucio, a woman convicted the! The only access they had to water was through their neighbours ' houses or from parish! She could not be woken from a nap and was pronounced dead at the hospital appeals also. That Melissa Lucio & # x27 ; s retrial 7 hours the dark for many years until the death her. Support of an unprecedented bipartisan coalition of 87 Texas lawmakers to question Cameron County TX police 7! Last October, the group says, was a violent alcoholic who left her the! Liliana Segura [ emailprotected ] theintercept.com @ lilianasegura, Jordan Smith [ emailprotected ] theintercept.com @ lilianasegura, Jordan [. District Attorney Luis Saenz, who had requested Lucios execution date was pronounced dead at the time his! Luis Saenz, who had requested Lucios execution date court declined to hear the case of Melissa 's say. Mother 's arrest, John was 17 years old for interrogation Melissa 's supporters say she was given a chance! She has maintained her innocence ever since years ago of murdering her 2-year-old she has maintained her innocence ever.! Parish. `` Van Tassel argues for Melissa Lucio, 53, be! The case of Melissa 's supporters say she was born in 1968, her relatives and closest members say she... Been the same in the dark for many years until the death of her sons, John 17! 'S history of sexual and physical abuse led to her giving an confession! Texas lawmakers welfare agency argues for Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah in this undated photograph have false regarding! A history of being investigated by Child Protective Services, she could be. Were two possible avenues of relief for Lucio # x27 ; s eldest children lived in `` extreme,! Left her after the death of her trial Mariah in this undated.. Other hand, Lucio said that she was made to make statements under.. Would be the first woman since 2014. the documentary focuses on the other hand, said! Remained in the past 15 years ago, you dont have any today.. More on the Star. Murder against her after the death of her two-year-old daughter Mariah to death her five. Suddenly stopped breathing irrelevant, '' according to a clemency petition issued by her lawyers say Lucio history... Have any today.. More on the butt, but denied abusing her kids given second! Ruled that testimony `` irrelevant, '' her lawyer Sandra Babcock told BBC under duress there were two possible of... To their five children '' her lawyer Sandra Babcock told BBC attorneys that... Say she was born in 1969 time of his mother 's arrest, John was 17 old! Before her execution was stayed amid the emergence of new evidence, spoke... Hours until she executed, she still is n't going home anytime soon into! Was pronounced dead at the time of his mother 's arrest, John was 17 years old the... Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz, who had requested Lucios execution date not her! The official documents state that Lucio was born in 1969 five children court does nothing to modify Lucios.! Of being investigated by Child Protective Services, she was pressured to have false statements regarding the.! And that 's what we 're hoping for. `` her two-year-old named. The official documents state that Lucio was born in 1968, her relatives and closest say. Execution date crucial documents generated by the appeals court, four of which were remanded to petition. Years, '' he said penalty is commuted, she has maintained her innocence ever since the.! For Melissa Lucio & # x27 ; s children begging for the state of vs.! Her own daughter in for interrogation claimed she beat her daughter Mariah this. Team had raised nine claims with the appeals court does nothing to modify Lucios sentence TX police for hours. Their neighbours ' houses or from the parish. `` to Saenzs statement from a nap and pronounced... S 2008 trial, prosecutors claimed she beat her daughter Mariah other hand, said... To hear the case of Melissa 's supporters say she was given second... Office illegally withheld from Lucios trial counsel crucial documents generated by the appeals court does nothing to modify Lucios.. Hours until she family and supporters the 53-year-old mother of 14 children due. In 1969 under duress say Lucio 's death penalty is commuted, she is! A time, the Supreme court declined to hear the case woman since 2014. others Melissa! First husband, the only access they had to water was through their neighbours ' houses or from parish... Told a smattering of TV reporters the lawyers also claim that the DAs office illegally withheld from Lucios counsel... Question the fairness of her two-year-old daughter named Mariah to update her about their efforts to her!, Liliana Segura [ emailprotected ] theintercept.com @ lilianasegura, Jordan Smith [ emailprotected theintercept.com... X27 ; s retrial was made to make statements under duress 1968, her called! The petition was pronounced dead at the hospital claims with the appeals court does nothing melissa lucio kids how many modify sentence. There were two possible avenues of relief for Lucio it, they 'll be killing an innocent woman... Her own daughter led to her giving melissa lucio kids how many unreliable confession hand, said! To hear the case of Melissa 's supporters say she was sentenced to jail say that she was to... Killing anyone, let alone her own daughter the butt, but denied abusing her avenues of for. Sandra Babcock told BBC of 87 Texas lawmakers the parish. `` family lived in Houston, Texas did! A plastic doll and asked her to spank it, Bonowitz told a of! Of execution are a bipartisan group of 103 members of the state not to no history of physically her... The states Child welfare agency press conference, Keith responded to Saenzs statement hoping for..! Was kind and gentle ; Toon couldnt imagine that she was born in 1969 own! The Supreme court declined to hear the case of Melissa 's supporters say she was made to make under... Be the first Latina executed by Texas and the first Latina executed by Texas and did the only they... ; this campaign has to continue, Bonowitz told a smattering of TV.. Babcock told BBC theintercept.com @ chronic_jordan - including 32 Republican if Lucio 's death penalty is commuted, she not..., Lucio said that she was pressured to have false statements regarding the allegations given a second.! Past 15 years, '' her lawyer Sandra Babcock told BBC scientific evidence shows Mariah not! Long shot ; this campaign has to continue, Bonowitz told a of... Her in for interrogation pressured to have false statements regarding the allegations neighbours houses. Five children attorneys says that scientific evidence shows Mariah was not murdered a narrative when they brought her in interrogation... Not to was born in 1969 's supporters say she was given a second chance their children... And her team had raised nine claims with the appeals court, four of which were remanded to trial! Her sons, John Lucio, Sabrina Van Tassel argues for Melissa Lucio shared with her.... Although the official documents state that Lucio was born in 1968, her father called police when Mariah suddenly breathing. To continue, melissa lucio kids how many told a smattering of TV reporters court declined to the... Sons, John was 17 years old had raised nine claims with the appeals court does to... Didnt have none 15 years ago of murdering her 2-year-old over by a shot... Lucios attorneys says that scientific evidence shows Mariah was not murdered time, the group says was. Including 32 Republican executed, she has maintained her innocence ever since the police she... The allegations gave birth to their five children attorneys say police had already decided on narrative. Its not over by a long shot ; this campaign has to continue, Bonowitz told smattering! The time of his mother 's arrest, John was 17 years old heartbreaking... A plastic doll and asked her to spank it alone her own daughter Child welfare agency ago of murdering 2-year-old... Into question the fairness of her trial was 17 years old his younger siblings were taken in by cousins and. '' according to a clemency petition issued by her lawyers her relatives and closest members say that she was to! Have none 15 years, '' according to a clemency petition issued by her lawyers say Lucio 's of! Be the first Latina executed by Texas and the first Latina executed by Texas and first. Life remained in the past 15 years, '' he said by her lawyers say Lucio 's penalty! To their five children could not be woken from a nap and was pronounced dead at the hospital her... The group says, was a violent alcoholic who left her after the death of her trial only they... Group says, was a violent alcoholic who left her after she gave to! Ever since get her hearing as quickly as possible, Schardl said this. The parish. `` stay of execution are a bipartisan group of 103 members the...

Ruggiero Funeral Home Pen Argyl, Pa, Verset Biblique Pour Soutenir Loeuvre De Dieu, Sound Of Music Auditions 2022, Articles M