Melissa Elizabeth Lucio would have been the first Latina to be put to death in Texas in the modern era, and the first Texas woman executed in nearly a decade. On February 17, 2007, paramedics were called to the Lucio family residence after they claimed Mariah, Lucio’s two-year-old daughter, was found unresponsive at Lucio’s Harlingen, Texas, apartment.
According to the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, Mariah was found at the home with signs of abuse on her body. Lucio claimed the injuries were from two days prior when Mariah had fallen down a set of stairs. In 2008, Lucio was convicted of capital murder for the death of her daughter, Mariah.
This, year, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted on Monday, April 25, a stay of execution for Melissa Lucio, halting her execution scheduled for Wednesday, April 27, and sending her case back to the trial court to review new evidence. I believe Lucio is innocent on the charge of capital murder.
Lucio is innocent because there is no factual evidence from CPS at the time of the death or even prior to the incident that Lucio was at fault for her daughter’s injuries. Aside from this, Lucio’s own children stated in interrogation that it was never confirmed that she was abusive.
If there is no evidence that can state that Lucio is guilty, then she must be set free. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, “Since 1973, at least 187 people who had been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated.” Let’s not make it 188 individuals.
Lucio has already spent her last 15 years on death row and is now set for lethal injection. I don’t see why she should still be punished; isn’t 15 years enough?
If you would like more information on the case, you can watch The State of Texas vs. Melissa documentary on Amazon Prime, VUDU, Apple TV or Hulu.
