"This is a woman who has a history of being threatened, being yelled at," she said. Studies have shown that even trained forensic dentists cant agree whether or not an injury is a bite mark. [11][12] A pathologist, Dr. Norma J. Farley, testified that the childs autopsy indicated that she did not die from falling down stairs, and instead her injuries were consistent with a death from blunt force trauma. Mariah was the twelfth child of Lucio. Her lawyers say that statement was wrongly interpreted by prosecutors as a murder confession tainting the rest of the investigation into Mariah's 2007 death, with evidence gathered only to prove that conclusion, and helping lead to her capital murder conviction. 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. Guadalupe Lucio and Melissa Lucio had their first five children together when they were just 16 years old. Melissa Lucio: 10 Facts You Should Know Ab 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. 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. 2023 Innocence Project. 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. Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death, July 10, 2008, in Brownsville, Texas. 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. "I was not gonna admit to causing her death because I wasn't responsible," Lucio said. She had many bruises bite marks on her back patches of hair pulled out and a broken arm. Her father died when she was an infant, and the family moved to the Rio Grande Valley, where her mother had grown up, when she was a toddler. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Lucios defense team has pointed out many issues in the case that suggest Lucio never got a fair trial. Whitaker was convicted of masterminding the fatal shootings of his mother and brother. 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? if(isYTTikTok == 1){ "I think there's this thought or belief that if we give up the accusatory, guilt-presumptive, coercive style of American interrogations, it'll have bad consequences and we won't be able to convict people," she said. The State of Texas has scheduled Ms. Lucios execution for April 27, for a crime that never occurred. Daughter Of Woman Kim Kardashian Wants Saved From Death Row Claims Mom Abused Sister Before Her Death, Photo: Twitter / Instagram / Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock, Oklahoma Gov. Melissa Lucio's daughter Mariah Alvarez's autopsy photos got released earlier, and the results are unconvincing to experts like Dr. Thomas Young. Paramedics were called and Lucio was quickly taken in for questioning about the death of her youngest child. [4] As of 2022, Lucio is being held on death row[14] at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. In 2008 a Cameron County jury found Lucio guilty on one count of capital murder for causing the death of her daughter, Mariah Alvarez. You can also receive help via online.rainn.org, which is available 24/7. 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. [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. Ms. Lucio has maintained her innocence on death row for more than 14 years. Research has shown that survivors of sexual abuse and violence, like Ms. Lucio, are even more vulnerable to falsely confessing under such coercive conditions. Lucio was married at the age of 16 and had her first five children with Guadalupe Lucio. Melissa Lucio was found guilty of a very serious crime called capital murder. In late 2006 Lucio got back the other kids after three older kids went to live with their father in Houston. 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. 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. He is now serving a 13-year federal prison sentence for bribery and extortion. But Ms. Lucios life is still in jeopardy. In this undated photograph, Melissa Lucio holds one of her sons, John. In a March 2022 letter to the Board of Pardons and Paroles and to Governor Abbott, eighty-three members of the Texas House of Representatives, including both Democrats and Republicans, signed a letter stating that executing Lucio would be "a miscarriage of justice". 03/23/2022 by Anne Tyler Melissa Lucio, a middle-aged mother, was sentenced to death for allegedly killing her two-year-old son. 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. According to court documents, Melissa Lucio was born on June 18, 1969, in Lubbock, Texas. The district attorney's office said in a statement to the Brownsville Herald that Mariah had been "severely beaten," had "bruises in various states of healing covering her body" and had missing portions of her hair. Melissa Lucio, only Latina on Texas death row, seeks clemency as execution looms. 89.44.32.192 AP Despite the defense's arguments, Lucio was found guilty of capital murder and later sentenced to death in 2008. Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah. Additionally, court documents state that the emergency room physician said he had not seen a case of child abuse worse than Mariah's. Lucio's supporters have said her clemency request is similar in that her family would be retraumatized if she's executed. The brief states that Lucio's subdued behavior and acquiescence during interrogation were the result of prior trauma as a survivor of abuse. 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. Ms. Lucios execution for April 27, for a crime that never occurred. The hourslong interrogation ended with Lucio being coerced into confessing, her legal team has said, arguing that her past experiences with physical abuse and sexual assault made her susceptible to taking responsibility for her daughter's death even though, they said, she was innocent. See additional information. 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. My moms sisters said that she would get a lesser sentence if we said we abused my sister, Selina adds. "I guess I did it," police say Lucio told them. Hours after Mariah's death, Lucio was interrogated by police for over five hours, according to her lawyers. However, Ms. Lucios husband perpetuated the cycle of abuse. Paramedics were called to the Lucio home on February 17, 2007, as two-year-old Mariah was not breathing and was unresponsive. 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. Nearly 15 years later, Lucio, 53, remains on death row at Mountain View Unit prison in Gatesville, Texas. Family photo via AP That's what crossed my mind. "We've had her interrogation reviewed by leading experts in interrogation and false confessions. hide caption. She died two days later. Lucio regained custody of the other kids in late 2006 after three older kids moved in with their father in Houston. She is now fighting to stop her April 27 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. "Please allow us to reconcile with Mariah's death and remember her without fresh pain, anguish and grief. They used coercive methods known to produce false confessions. 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. Melissa Lucio was born in Lubbock Texas on June 18 1969 as stated in court documents. 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. Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is set to be executed on April 27. "What am I going to say? In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding one of her sons, John. 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 action you just performed triggered the security solution. IE 11 is not supported. Call Gov. I'm responsible for it," she said, according to the petition. Photos: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy Melissa Lucio is the first Hispanic woman to receive a death sentence in the state of Texas. pic.twitter.com/QZc5YyJZvo (@truecrimewitch) January 15, 2019 The Cameron County District Attorney's Office, which prosecuted Lucio, declined to comment. 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. Lucio is set to be executed on April 27 for the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah. It was later discovered that Mariahs arm had been broken two to seven weeks prior to her passing away. Abbott must undertake a meaningful review of Ms. Lucios innocence claim, the coercive tactics used in her interrogation, and the tragic circumstances of Mariahs accidental death, before an irreversible injustice occurs. "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. 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. No physical evidence showed otherwise. He claims that before his deceased daughter Mariah Alvarez passed away, he was unaware of her fatal injuries. [13], Lucios defense argued that Mariah's injuries were from falling down the stairs, and that Lucio's psychological functioning contributed to her conflicting reports given to authorities. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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. Research has shown that survivors of sexual abuse and violence, like Ms. Lucio, are even more vulnerable to. A woman facing execution in Texas for killing her daughter is seeking clemency, claiming she was coerced into confessing to the crime. Grants Clemency To Julius Jones Hours Before Scheduled Execution Amid Public Pressure. Photos: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy. Updated on April 18, 2022, 7:30 p.m. Lucio says she regrets the confession and her advocates suggest that police and prosecutors were wrong to assume that she was the only one in the home capable of abusing Mariah. Lucio, 40, of Harlingen was found guilty of capital murder for the death of her 21/2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. Mechanic agreed, describing dissociation as a coping mechanism. "[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. She allegedly suffered abuse by multiple partners that continued throughout her teenage years and into adulthood. After Mariah was born authorities found out that Lucio had taken cocaine. } I am now convinced that the jury got it wrong and I know that there is too much doubt to execute Lucio. [21] Lucio subsequently petitioned for clemency. The Cameron Countys new district attorney, the courts, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Gov. Melissa Lucio has spent the last 15 years on death row after she was convicted of capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah. To date, over 100 bipartisan Texas lawmakers signed letters urging the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend clemency for Melissa. Prosecutors, however, painted a different picture. Child Protective Services had previously investigated Lucio for allegations of child neglect, and they reported that Lucio's youngest children were often left in the care of their teenaged siblings. I believe that she should be in prison. He can grant clemency if a majority of the paroles board recommends it. "When you get to this point, you find there's so many layers that most people aren't aware of and don't care about, frankly. Melissa Lucio Mariahs mother was found guilty of capital murder. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Ms. Lucio is a survivor of life-long, repeated sexual assault and domestic violence. Lucio told police Mariah fell asleep and did not wake up. Mariah Alvarez: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy Viral on Twitter & Reddit. Prosecutors said that Mariah's injuries were the result of physical abuse, while Lucio's attorneys say that her death was caused by a fall down the stairs two days prior. She was sexually abused by family members beginning at the age of 6. 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. After nearly 15 years on death row in Texas, Lucio was granted a stay of her scheduled . RELATED: 5 Death Penalty Facts That Will Make You Want To Abolish It Now. Lucio's legal team submitted an application for clemency to Texas Gov. They implied that if she did not confess, she wouldn't be allowed to attend Mariahs funeral. "[10], One of Lucio's sons was also questioned by law enforcement shortly after Mariah's death. Her husband and Mariah's father, Robert Alvarez, was sentenced to four years in prison for child endangerment. [4], Mariah Alvarez was born to Melissa Lucio and Robert Alvarez in September 2004. Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in Texas after she confessed to beating her 2-year-old daughter, who later died. She had numerous bruises, bite marks on her back, pulled-out hair patches, and a broken arm. Convicted of murdering one of her 9 children, her 2 year old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. Selina claims that none of her other siblings were abusive towards Mariah. The toddler had a mild physical disability that made her unstable while walking and prone to tripping. 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. The only person who abused my sister was my mother, Melissa Lucio, she claims in another video. All she had was us," she said. Her inadvertent statement was then characterized by the prosecution as a confession to murder. He is accused of neglecting to take his daughter to the doctor. 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. She said she believes she falsely confessed in part because of a learned fear of violence. MELISSA ELIZABETH LUCIO, Appellant v. THE STATE OF TEXAS ON DIRECT APPEAL CAUSE NUMBER 07-CR-885-B IN THE 138TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT CAMERON COUNTY Hervey, J., delivered the opinion of the Court in which Meyers, Johnson, Keasler, Cochran, and alcala, JJ., joined. Isla Bryson Parents: Who Are The Parents Of Isla Bryson? They contend Mariah died from injuries from a fall down the 14 steps of a steep staircase outside the family's apartment in the South Texas city of Harlingen. Lucio that her teenage daughter, Alexandra, may have been responsible for the bruises found on Mariahs body after her death. Two more children (twins) were born while she was imprisoned. The interrogating officers refused to hear the truth: that Melissa did not, and would not, ever hurt her children. HOUSTON During hours of relentless questioning, Melissa Lucio more than 100 times had denied fatally beating her 2-year-old daughter. As Lucio's case hangs in the balance, a group of bipartisan Texas lawmakers led by Republican Rep. Jeff Leach is pleading with Gov. 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. 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. Questions over Mariah Alvarez's death and Lucio's role in it have lingered since the now-53-year-old mother was sentenced to death in 2008. She was especially vulnerable, her lawyers say, as she was grieving for her daughter, pregnant with twins at the time, and a victim of abuse and trauma throughout her life. Guarnera said she believes a practice used by police in Europe, called the Peace model, would help people in situations similar to Lucio's. Her supporters say she was . The State presented no physical evidence or witness testimony establishing that Lucio abused Mariah or any of her children, let alone killed Mariah, Judge Catharina Haynes wrote on behalf of the seven dissenting judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in response to the States scheduling of Lucios execution on April 27, 2022. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. However, pathologists who have reviewed the evidence have concluded that this testimony was false. On the other hand, her lawyers have been claiming that she was wrongfully convicted of beating her own child. Five of Lucios children were not living with her at the time of Mariah's death. 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. 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. 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. There is now evidence that all three of these things happened in Ms. Lucios case. Detectives rushed to judgment and, just two hours after Mariah died, took Ms. Lucio in for questioning. Court documents show that prosecutors argued at Lucio's trial that she had repeatedly abused Mariah and killed her by hitting her in the head. The photos current inside and out . "People generally confess falsely to get out of the interrogation room," Guarnera said. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Lucio was convicted for the death of her daughter Mariah Alvarez. Mariah was Lucio's twelfth child. Thank you for visiting us. 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. He concluded that Dr. Farley appeared to have jumped to wrong conclusions. In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding her daughter Mariah. A juror from the trial has since expressed concerns and regret over the verdict, according to the Innocence Project. Shortly after Mariah was born, Lucio tested positive for cocaine use; as a result, authorities decided to place her children in foster care. Lucio was convicted of killing her daughter, Mariah Alvarez, 15 years ago in . 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. As experts explain, particularly when wielded by male police officers the type of interrogation used against Ms. Lucio simply recapitulates the psychodynamics of domestic abuse. So, it makes sense that women, like Ms. Lucio, who learned to survive domestic abuse by accommodating and conforming to the wishes of the violent partner will likewise accommodate and conform to the demands of a threatening, armed male police officer in the interrogation room. "My mother is an innocent woman. 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. Lucio had been sexually assaulted multiple times, starting at age 6, and had been physically and emotionally abused by two husbands. var tiktokscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; In 2008, She was convicted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. Prosecutors say the now-53-year-old abused her daughter, Mariah, while Lucio maintains that her death was a result of injuries sustained from falling down a flight of stairs outside their Texas home.
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