“We are here to prevent an irreversible injustice, the government execution of Melissa Lucio because if we do not do it – if the state executes her despite all the overwhelming evidence of her innocence, her execution will be a stain on the morale of the state “said Democrat Victoria Neave Criado, who attended the rally at Dallas City Hall. Lucio, now 53, was sentenced to death after a court sentenced her to death for the death of her daughter, Mariah, in February 2007. She is scheduled to be executed on April 27. According to the authorities, the first correspondents arrived at a house and found that the child did not react and later died. However, according to the leniency request, the investigators “made Melissa suspicious” when Maria stopped breathing on the night of February 17, 2007, “days after she fell down a steep staircase”. “Convinced that Mariah’s injuries must have been caused by abuse and not by accident, they began to look for evidence to substantiate their allegations and to reject evidence that testified to Maria’s downfall and deteriorating health in the following days.” the documents state. Lucio’s lawyers say investigators were convinced a crime had taken place and “focused on Melissa as alleged abuse”. Criado and six other state officials visited Lucio Wednesday at the Mountainview Women’s Prison Unit in Gatesville, Texas. “While waiting, there is a mother, a Latina, a tejana (Texan) – Melissa Lucio, dressed in white, is praying and hoping and waiting to be notified that she will not be executed on April 27, 2022,” Criado said. Republican politician Jeff Leach reiterated Criado’s defense, saying it was an “honor” to support Lucio’s leniency by partisanship with other elected officials and that there was still time to “ensure justice”. “In the darkness of the death penalty and her own imminent execution, Melissa radiated a deep and sincere joy and unspeakable hope,” Leach told CNN. “Without a doubt, Melissa’s case is the most disturbing and shocking death sentence case I have ever seen. The system has literally failed her at every step.” Lucio’s lawyer, Vanessa Potkin, said bipartisan support was encouraging. “The new evidence of innocence in Ms. Lucio’s case has never been considered by any court or tribunal, and we hope that Governor Abbott or a tribunal will intervene to stop what would be an irreversible injustice if the execution proceeds,” Potkin told CNN. . in a statement. According to the lawyers, new evidence shows that Lucio, a victim of sexual abuse and domestic violence, was unjustly convicted of the accidental death of her daughter and that her confession was forced. The leniency petition seeks to commute Lucio’s death sentence to a shorter sentence or a 120-day suspension from execution. Lucio’s case has gained national attention in recent years and was the subject of a documentary, “The State of Texas vs. Melissa,” which aired on Hulu. CNN contacted Abbott’s office, the Cameron County Attorney’s Office and the Texas Apology and Release Board for comment.
