Melissa Lucio, who was convicted of capital murder for the 2007 death of her daughter Mariah Alvarez, is set to be executed on Wednesday, April 27.
Lucio was convicted of capital murder for the 2007 death of her daughter Mariah Alvarez in the South Texas city of Harlingen. Prosecutors had said at the time Mariah was the victim of child abuse as her body was covered in bruises and a medical examiner testified Mariah died from a blow to her head. Authorities say Lucio had a history of drug abuse and at times had lost custody of some of her 14 children.
Lucio’s attorneys argue the child’s death was an accident and that the injuries she died of were not caused by abuse but from falling down a steep staircase. They believe Lucio, who has a "low IQ, PTSD, depression" and is a lifelong victim of abuse, was coerced into giving a confession. They also say Lucio wasn’t allowed to present evidence questioning the validity of her confession, which they allege was given under duress after hours of relentless questioning. Several jurors at her trial have also expressed doubts about her conviction.The clock is ticking for a Texas woman on death row this month. Melissa Lucio was convicted of the death of her two-year-old daughter after police said they found signs of abuse.
15 years later, Lucio's supporters say too much is on the line. "This is a life, we can't go back and say oops, we got it wrong," said Maggie Luna with the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition.
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