Alicia Maule
During the last three years, Innocence Mission supporters have helped forestall three harmless individuals from being executed — Pervis Payne, Rodney Reed, and Julius Jones. Tens of 1000’s of you’ve taken motion to cease these irreversible injustices, and now Innocence Mission shopper Melissa Lucio wants your assist.
Melissa Lucio at Mountain View Unit Texas. (Picture: Courtesy of the Innocence Mission)
Ms. Lucio is dealing with execution on April 27 in Texas for against the law that by no means occurred — the tragic, demise of her daughter. In 2008, Ms. Lucio was convicted and sentenced to demise primarily based on a biased and insufficient demise investigation and a surprisingly insufficient protection. However that’s simply the tip of the iceberg.
Ms. Lucio has maintained her innocence for 14 years.
She was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to demise after her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, died in 2007 following an unintended fall. Though Ms. Lucio repeatedly advised the police that she didn’t kill or abuse her daughter, they continued to interrogate her for 5 hours the identical evening her daughter died. Round 3 a.m., Ms. Lucio, exhausted and in shock from the lack of her little one, agreed, falsely, to take accountability for a few of Mariah’s accidents. Ms. Lucio, a life-long survivor of abuse, succumbed to the detectives’ calls for to deliver the nightmarish interrogation to an finish.
The lifetime of sexual abuse and home violence that Ms. Lucio had endured made her particularly susceptible to the police’s coercive interrogation techniques. However her protection was not allowed to current this proof at trial. Her lawyer did not mount a correct protection or current proof pointing to her innocence.
Missing strong bodily proof, Cameron County District Legal professional Armando Villalobos introduced Ms. Lucio’s assertion to the jury as a “confession” to murder and sought the demise penalty, a “win” he thought would assist him get re-elected. At present, the previous district lawyer is serving a 13-year federal jail sentence for bribery and extortion.
There is just too a lot doubt on this case, and folks should converse out to stop Texas from executing an harmless individual on April 27.
Whereas Ms. Lucio’s attorneys are working diligently inside Texas’ authorized system to have Ms. Lucio’s execution date withdrawn, to hopefully get hold of a brand new trial, the ability to cease this irreversible injustice could lie within the arms of Gov. Greg Abbott — the one individual within the state who can cease Ms. Lucio’s at present scheduled execution.
Listed here are 4 methods you possibly can take motion and encourage Gov. Abbott to intervene.
1. Add your identify to this petition.
Greater than 100,000 individuals have already signed, however we need more signatures. If Gov. Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole see the overwhelming assist for Ms. Lucio, that may make a giant distinction. If the courts don’t weigh in earlier than April 27, solely Gov. Abbott can cease Ms. Lucio from being executed.
Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville Texas. (Picture: Wikimedia Commons)
2. Call the Cameron County District Attorney and ask him to withdraw Ms. Lucio’s execution date. Not from Texas? Ship this to family and friends who do dwell within the state.
When elected officers hear from their constituents, they concentrate, particularly once they obtain telephone calls. Assist us get as many telephone calls in assist of Ms. Lucio as attainable. Name 956-300-3881 or click on here (In case you’ve by no means known as an official earlier than and don’t know what to say, don’t fear! We’ve supplied an instance of what you possibly can say, however elected officers at all times take discover of personalised messages, so we encourage you to make it your individual.)
3. Make a video, a submit, or story about Ms. Lucio’s case on Instagram, TikTok, or every other platform. Use the hashtag #SaveMelissaLucio. Try these speaking factors under to get began.
Not on social media? No drawback! These speaking factors work simply as properly in conversations with family and friends, simply assist unfold the phrase.
- Melissa Lucio is scheduled to be executed on April 27 for a tragic accident.
- Mariah’s demise was a tragic accident, not a homicide.
- Melissa is a survivor of abuse and was coerced by officers into giving an announcement that they painted as a false confession.
- Authorities rushed to judgment.
- Nobody investigated Mariah’s intensive historical past.
- A number of judges agree Melissa’s trial was unfair.
- There may be an excessive amount of doubt on this case. Cease Texas from finishing up this irreversible injustice
4. Put on your assist for Ms. Lucio and assist deliver consideration to her case. Purchase Save Melissa gear.
In case you dwell in Texas, we encourage you to attend the twenty sixth Annual Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice in San Antonio on Saturday, March 26, 2022, starting at 8:30 a.m. CST. Particulars here. Convey your Save Melissa indicators and be part of supporters.
