Melissa Lucio cries when she learns that her life has been saved
The Texas Court of Appeals allowed Melissa Lucio to postpone her execution Monday and ordered the court to consider new evidence in her case, just 48 hours before she was sentenced to be killed.
Lucio was told the news in an emotional phone call with Texas spokesman Jeff Leach, where the Latin American mother of 14 was sobbing and gasping, asking, “Are you serious?”
In a statement, the 53-year-old thanked God for saving her life and paid tribute to her late daughter Maria, who “is in my heart today and forever.”
Lucio’s lawyers and supporters also celebrated the decision, including Kim Kardashian, who called it “the best news ever.”
The last-minute stay came minutes before the Texas Pardon and Parole Board recommended that Lucio’s death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment or granted a 120-day reprieve. The Early Release Council said it would not recommend a pardon after the announcement of the stay.
Lucio was sentenced to death for the murder of her two-year-old daughter Mariah in 2007.
Her lawyers say she was forced to make false confessions during an aggressive police interrogation and that scientific evidence shows Mariah died of a fall.
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Melissa’s son Lucio says “15 long years have passed”
Melissa’s son Lucio said “15 long years have passed” as his mother is on death row pending execution for the death of his younger sister.
John Lucio, 32, spoke at a news conference Monday night in Gatesville, Texas, after the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals postponed her execution.
“It’s been a long 15 years,” he said, adding that “there are no more excuses.”
John Lucio spoke at a press conference after his mother was allowed to postpone the execution
Record (KHOU)
Rachel Sharp April 26, 2022 00:00
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Melissa Lucio’s mother thanks her daughter’s supporters and God “for the miracle”
Melissa Lucio’s mother thanked all the people who supported her daughter in her difficult situation and thanked God “for the miracle” of her execution.
“Thank you for supporting Melissa and thank everyone and God,” she told a virtual news conference with members of Lucio’s legal team on Monday afternoon.
“Thank God for the miracle.”
Melissa Lucio’s family members join her lawyers at a press conference on Monday
(The Innocence Project)
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 11:20 p.m.
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Melissa Lucio’s lawyer says appeals court “did the right thing”
One of Melissa Lucio’s lawyers called the decision of the appellate court to postpone the execution of the mother of 14 children “the right thing”.
Vanessa Potkin, director of the Special Litigation Unit at the Innocence Project and one of Melissa’s lawyers, issued a statement following a statement from the Criminal Court of Appeals that she suspended Wednesday’s execution and ordered the trial court to review the case.
“The appellate criminal court did the right thing by stopping Melissa’s execution. Medical evidence shows that Mariah’s death was in line with the incident. “If the state does not use false testimony, no juror would vote to convict Melissa for murder because no murder was committed,” she said in a statement.
“It will shock the public conscience that Melissa was killed on the basis of false and incomplete medical evidence of a crime that did not even happen.
“All new evidence of her innocence has never been considered by any court. The Court’s stay allows us to continue to fight with Melissa to overturn her wrongful sentence. “
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 22:45
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Listen: Melissa Lucio cries when she is told that her life has been saved
An emotional audio clip captures the moment when Melissa Lucio learned that her life had been saved after the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals postponed her execution.
The 53-year-old mother of 14 was told the news in a prison phone call with Republican Secretary of State Jeff Leach on Monday afternoon.
“Haven’t you heard the news yet?” Rap Leach asks.
– No, what happened? Lucio answers.
“The Criminal Court of Appeal has postponed your execution until Wednesday,” she said.
Lucio gasps before saying, “Are you serious? You serious?”
Her voice breaks and you can hear her laughing and sobbing with emotion.
“When did this happen?” She cries.
“We just received information about 15 minutes ago,” he told her.
“My God!” she says, laughing.
“That’s wonderful! My God!”
Melissa Lucio cries when she learns that her life has been saved
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 22:12
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Melissa Lucio’s family is “relieved and grateful,” the lawyer said
Melissa Lucio’s family is “relieved and grateful” that the 53-year-old woman’s life was saved, according to one of her lawyers.
Tyvon Shardle said in a statement that the family was pleased with the Texas Court of Appeals’ decision to allow her to stay, saying it “honored” the memory of two-year-old Mariah in the trial.
“We know that Melissa’s children – Mariah’s brothers and sisters – and Mariah’s grandparents, aunts and uncles are relieved and grateful that Melissa’s life will not be taken away from Texas,” he said.
“And we believe that the court honored Mariah’s memory because Melissa is innocent. Melissa is entitled to a new, fair trial. Texas residents have a right to a new, fair trial.
“Texans should be grateful and proud that the Court of Appeals has given Melissa’s legal team the opportunity to present new evidence of Melissa’s innocence before Cameron County Court.
Mr Chardl thanked the “hundreds of thousands of Texans and people from the US and around the world” who have shown support for Lucio in recent months.
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 9:45 p.m.
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What happens next?
The Texas Court of Appeals order means Wednesday’s execution has already been overturned.
However, this does not mean that Melissa Lucio is now free or acquitted.
Instead, her case will now be returned to the Court of First Instance – the 138th District Court of the District of Cameron – to consider the new evidence presented in the case, which supports her claim of innocence.
It is unclear when the lower court will begin hearing the case.
Lucio’s lawyer told The Independent last week that if the adjournment was granted, the next step for her legal team would be to request a hearing of evidence to present new evidence.
There they would ask Lucio to be given a new trial.
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 9:35 p.m.
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US Joaquin Castro joins postponement of execution postponement
US representative Joaquin Castro joined the celebrations that the upcoming execution of Melissa Lucio has been stopped.
The congressman, who represents the 20th Texas Congressional District, said there was “strong evidence” of Lucio’s innocence.
“I am glad that the execution of Melissa Lucio has been stopped! “There is strong evidence that she did not commit the crime she is accused of,” he tweeted.
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 9:25 p.m.
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Melissa’s lawyer Lucio says “Melissa’s life matters”
Sandra Babcock, director of the Cornell Center for the Death Penalty around the world and one of Melissa Lucio’s lawyers, said Monday’s ruling by the Texas Court of Appeals showed that “Melissa’s life is important.”
“The court’s decision paves the way for Melissa to present evidence of her innocence, which should have been heard by a jury that sentenced her to death fourteen years ago,” she said in a statement.
“As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and intimate partner violence and now imprisoned for the past 15 years, Melissa’s voice and experiences have never been appreciated.
“The court’s decision signals his readiness to finally hear Melissa’s side of history. If the district court hears all the evidence of Melissa’s innocence and gender bias that has infected the police investigation and the prosecutor’s office, we are confident that she will return home to her family.
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 9:18 p.m.
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Supporters gathered at the State Capitol to celebrate the news of their stay
Supporters of Melissa Lucio, who gathered at the state Capitol on Monday to demand a halt to her death sentence, were spotted celebrating the news that she had been allowed to postpone her execution.
The group, wearing “Free Melissa Lucio” T-shirts, welcomed the Texas Court of Appeals’ decision to suspend her execution and order a lower court to review the new evidence in the case.
Rachel Sharp April 25, 2022 9:12 p.m.
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Republican MP reveals the moment when Melissa Lucio learned that her life was saved
A Republican lawmaker spoke about the moment Melissa Lucio learned that her life would be saved.
U.S. Attorney Jeff Leach told The Texas Tribune that he told Lucio on the phone that the Texas Court of Appeals had allowed her to postpone the execution.
The mother of 14 was overwhelmed with emotion and laughed through tears, he said.
“You serious?” she asked. That’s wonderful … Oh, thank you, God.
Rap Leach has become one of Lucio’s most vocal supporters in recent weeks and – in partnership with Democrat Joe Moody – led a bipartisan group of 83 government officials calling for an end to her execution.
Last week, Rap Leach spoke about the case, saying that even “conservatives in favor of life” who support the death penalty and believe that the death penalty is a “God-ordained institution” must acknowledge that the state has “royally confused” it. in the case of Lucio.
Earlier this month, seven lawmakers visited and prayed Lucio’s death sentence at the Gatesville Mountain View Department.
A bipartisan group of 20 Texas Senate members also publicly opposed Lucio’s execution.
The bipartisan group of deputies even includes members who are …
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