Melissa Lucio, a mother of 14 condemned to thedeath penalty, had a critical update on her case today (November 15) after a judge determined she’s “actually innocent,” and recommended her 2008 conviction to beoverturned.
Lucio, from Brownsville, Texas, was arrested in 2007 following the passing of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Álvarez, who was found unresponsive at home. Lucio was convicted of capital murder in 2008 and has since been fighting to clear her name.
The 55-year-old mother has consistently claimed that her daughter fell down the stairs accidentally and that she had nothing to do with the tragic incident.
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Image credits:Ilana Panich-Linsman / Innocence Project
Image credits:Innocence Project
Despite initially claiming that all of Mariah’s injuries were the result of an accident, Lucio retracted her claims in an interrogation afterward. The mother admitted to slapping, pinching, and biting her daughter but remained adamant that she didn’t cause her to fall.
The decision to place Lucio on death row came after authorities concluded that her physically abusing her daughter was not an accident but a pattern of behavior
Further complicating the case for Lucio were two things: the autopsy report and her history with Child Protective Services.
Investigators determined that Mariah’s bruises were not the result of a specific fight but the remains of a lifetime of physicalabuse. The report also showed that the 2-year-old had broken her arm as far as seven weeks before her death, with Lucio failing to seek medical care.
Kim Kardashian came to Lucio’s defense as the date for her execution neared in April 2022, successfully postponing it
Image credits:Chip Somodevilla / Getty
The Lucio case gained renewed attention afterKim Kardashianbecame involved in April 2022, using her platform to advocate for clemency as her execution date of April 27 got near. The media mogul shared a letter from Lucio’s children, who pleaded for their mother’s life to bespared.
The case has now been moved to the Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) and awaits its resolution.
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Renan Duarte
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