Is Melissa Lucio innocent?
Women on Death Row tells the stories of women who have been convicted of murder and sentenced to the ultimate punishment—the death penalty.
The series delves into the lives of those in prison and features exclusive interviews with the convicted, as well as witnesses and officials who recount the harrowing crimes and trials of those who have been accused.
One woman featured in the series is Melissa Lucio who was sentenced to death for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah.
In this article, we take a look at Melissa Lucio’s case and ask the question: Is Melissa Lucio innocent?
What crime did Melissa Lucio allegedly commit?
Melissa Lucio was born in Lubbock, Texas, on June 18, 1969. She was married at the age of 16 and had her first five children to a man named Guadalupe Lucio, who she claimed was physically abuse. Melissa later had other children with a man named Robert Alvarez, one of whom she named Mariah.
On February 17, 2007, officials were called to Melissa’s home when two-year-old Mariah was found unresponsive and not breathing.
According to reports by the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, Mariah had signs of abuse on her body. These included marks on her back and a fracture on her arm.
Melissa claimed Mariah sustained the injuries when she fell down the stairs two days earlier. However, it was later determined that Mariah’s arm had been broken two-to-seven days before her death.
In 2008, Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos prosecuted Melissa for the murder of her daughter and she was sentenced to death.
In the years since, Melissa has lived in the Patrick O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville Texas, where women on death row are housed.
Melissa’s execution date was sometime in April 2022 but two days before that date, she was granted a stay of execution by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals who ordered the 138th Judicial District Court of Cameron Country to consider new evidence related to her innocence.
Is Melissa Lucio innocent?
According to The Innocence Project, Melisssa’s daughter Mariah died after a tragic fall down the stairs. The young girl had a mild physical disability that caused her to be unstable on her feet. On February 15, 2007, she fell down a flight of stairs while the family was moving house and two days later took a nap from which she never woke up.
Allegedly, the investigating authorities didn’t take steps to learn more about Mariah’s health history. Instead, they jumped to the conclusion that Melissa had killed her daughter and manipulated her into taking responsibility.
There was no evidence that Melissa had ever abused any of her children, so the suggestion that she might be innocent is certainly a valid one. But in 2008 she was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
So, is Melissa Lucio innocent?
We don’t know but Melissa has protested her innocence for over 16 years. The latest update we have on her case is from April 12, 2024. The judge who presided over her original trial has recommended that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturn her conviction and death sentence. (source)
Melissa’s fate now lies with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which is the only court that can overturn a criminal conviction.
To keep up to date with information related to Melissa’s case, you can use the source linked here.
What do you think about Melissa Lucio’s case? Let us know in the comments below.