The latest bid to spare Melissa Lucio's life comes 14 years after she was sentenced to death in a capital murder case involving the youngest of her dozen children at the time. Lucio was pregnant with twin boys at the time of Mariah's death and when she was interrogated. According to an interrogation with Lucio about the death of their then-youngest child, Mariah fell down a flight of stairs in February 2007 while the family was moving. Lucio's attorneys say Villalobos wanted to make an example of Lucio to prove he was tough on crime. Although the official documents state that Lucio was born in 1968, her relatives and closest members say that she was born in 1969. "That is what I cherish the most. But it seems the relentless pressure from activists and lawmakers, combined with the mounting evidence of Lucios innocence, was too much to simply ignore. Lucios father died when Lucio was an infant, and her family moved to the Rio Grande Valley when Lucio was almost 3 to 4 years old. And she did, saying she spanked the child, but never admitting to the use of deadly force. Last October, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Did you encounter any technical issues? Selina, the fifth of Lucio's 14 children, initially came forward on TikTok back in 2021 after the release of "The State Of Texas vs. Melissa," a documentary on Hulu that covers the case and . Melissa Lucio whose age is 52 years old is seen being defended by one of her daughters named Alexandra in the documentary. His younger siblings were taken in by cousins, and many did well after leaving school. Melissa Lucio, 53, was sentenced to die by lethal injection for the 2007 death of her daughter, Mariah, which police and prosecutors attributed to a beating at the hands of her mother. We certainly want Melissa to get her hearing as quickly as possible, Schardl said. Toon wondered why Lucios story wasnt getting as much attention as the cases of some of the men on Texass death row. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The news was celebrated by Lucio, her attorneys and her family, including her son Bobby Alvarez, who told reporters he and his siblings were trying to decide what to do for Mothers Day. Those documents, her lawyers argue, support Lucios claim that Mariahs health had deteriorated after falling down the stairs. SAN ANTONIO - The governor of Texas is under pressure to stop the planned execution of a mother convicted of killing her child. She refuted Gilman's claims that some of Lucio's older children were unruly and hard to handle by foster parents. She says that after Mariah's family discovered the child had stopped breathing, they frantically called for help and the responding police rushed to judgment in concluding that Mariah's death had been a murder, due to profound bruising on her body. While in interrogation, Lucio had denied murdering her child dozens of times, but her lawyers argue that her history of sexual assault and abuse often leads to false confessions, NPR reports. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has granted a request to stay the execution of Melissa Lucio. Lucio, 53, is a Mexican American woman who has struggled against poverty and abuse since childhood. In an undated photo, Melissa Lucio is pictured with one of her young children. Villalobos could not be reached for comment. That decision will ultimately turn on another motion filed by Lucios lawyers, seeking the recusal of Cameron County District Court Judge Gabriela Garcia, whose court administrator was also part of Lucios legal team. Campaigners took up Melissa's cause as one of a miscarriage of justice. T he highest criminal court in Texas on Monday halted the execution of Melissa Lucio a mother whose murder conviction in the death of her 2-year-old daughter has . She also has the support of an unprecedented bipartisan coalition of 87 Texas lawmakers. Lucio, the only Latina on death row, was . Her lawyers said thatthestatement was wrongly interpretedby prosecutors as a murder confession, tainting the rest of the investigation into Mariahs death. A pathologist interviewed by The Intercept says the medical examiner who conducted Mariah's autopsy jumped to conclusions and ignored evidence that Mariah died due to an accident. "Being the eldest was hard, not only because of the responsibility but because I would like to see our family together again.". Lucios other claims did not meet statutory requirements, the appeals court found, and will not be reviewed. According to a lawyer on Lucio's appellate defense team, Melissa is innocent. She says she was coerced to confess by a Texas Ranger during her interrogation. This child had more bruises than Ive ever seen in any case that I had before, she said. . Potkin says Lucio had inadequate defense during her trial. Her second partner continued to rape her and threatened her with death. If she is killed, she would be the first Hispanic woman to be executed in Texas in the modern era of the death penalty, and the first woman executed in Texas since 2014. Lucioss life was not as simple and smooth as other childrens. The idea that the office mightve engaged in legal trickery to invigorate their case against Lucio is hardly surprising; then-District Attorney Armando Villalobos was trying to rehabilitate his reelection campaign amid allegations of corruption, and he was up against a challenger who had taken him to task for failing to prosecute child abuse cases. Police blamed Lucio for . Among the suppressed evidence, her attorneys say, are indications police and prosecutors knew other family members were aware of Mariahs fall down the stairs and that no one had described the abuse Mariah allegedly suffered. She was sexually abused by one of her family members (her mothers boyfriend) at the age of 6. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. As Lucio's scheduled execution date draws near, Bobby Alvarez is soaking up every moment he has with his mother, while holding onto that small speck of hope. "It was an accident," he said. SAN ANTONIO - The governor of Texas is under pressure to stop the planned execution of a mother convicted of killing her child. And so she has to confront that reality, too, that the execution could go forward.". Just two days before Melissa Lucio was scheduled to be to be put to death, a Texas court on Monday halted her execution and sent her case back for review. Melissa Lucio, 53, would be the first Latina executed by Texas and the first woman since 2014. . After her conviction for Mariahs murder, Melissas children were taken from her care. Mariah reportedly did not have any visible injuries, but after Lucio put her down for a nap, she did not wake up and was later taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead. In shock and grieving the loss of her baby the youngest of her 12 children at the time Ms. Lucio was taken into police custody and immediately blamed for her daughter's death. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The lawyers also claim that the DAs office illegally withheld from Lucios trial counsel crucial documents generated by the states child welfare agency. Melissa Lucio is an American woman who belongs to Hispanic descent and has been sentenced to death in Texas. Melissa Lucio, who maintained her innocence for nearly 14 years, was immediately taken under interrogation and was asserted nearly 100 times until she was manipulated by the police officers to take the responsibility for Mariahs injury. At the time, the family was moving homes, and she reportedly fell due to her physical disability, which left her feet turned to the side, making her unable to walk and prone to tripping. As a result, they argue, in part, executing her would violate constitutional guarantees of a right to protection from cruel and unusual punishment. Lucio, a . Now 32, John struggled with his own brushes with the law, but has tried to put his life back together again: he returned to school, he began running marathons and triathlons. Her legal team, including attorneys from the federal public defender office in Austin and the Innocence Project, had filed a clemency petition with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, asking them to recommend that Gov. She was set to be executed on April 27, 2022, butwas granted a stay of execution two days priorby the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. At the age of 16 she became a child bride but once again had to face an abusive marriage. I am grateful to have more days to be a mother to my children and a grandmother to my grandchildren". At Lucio's trial, expert witnesses for the defense were not allowed to testify as to why she might have given a false confession. The documentary focuses on the case of Melissa Lucio, a woman convicted for the 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter Mariah. Although the official documents state that Lucio was born in 1968, her relatives and closest members say that she was born in 1969. "When all of this happened, our family split up," he said. Ms Lucio was taken in for questioning and was interrogated for almost five hours while she was pregnant and going through the shock of losing her young child, Mariah. Instead, Potkin says, the blood coagulation seen in Mariah's autopsy was the result of an accidental head injury, like a fall down stairs. Melissa Lucio was found guilty of a very serious crime called "capital murder". "Her next partner continued the cycle of violence, punching her in public and beating her at home. Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio, dressed in white, leads a group of seven Texas lawmakers in prayer on April 6 in a room at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. It was potentially one of the last times he would see her alive. Lucio is set to be executed on April 27 for the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah. (AP) During Lucio's 2008 trial, prosecutors claimed she beat her daughter Mariah to death. Melissa deserves to remain and die in prison. Melissa Lucio, who maintained her innocence for nearly 14 years, was immediately interrogated and alleged nearly 100 times until she was manipulated by police officers into taking responsibility for Mariahs injury. CNN . Melissa Lucio was born on July 18, 1968 in Lubbock, Texas. And certainly, the court system.. Viewing all of the available evidence no rational juror would have found Ms. Lucio guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Intel review says "very unlikely" foreign adversary behind "Havana Syndrome", Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. Tivon Schardl, supervisory assistant federal public defender in the Capital Habeas Unit in Austin, and part of Lucio's current defense team, said the jurors were not given the full picture: "There's been just a concerted effort to keep this evidence from being considered.". She said she was constantly sexually abused by her first husband, who later left and separated with her five children. But two days before the 53-year-old mother of 14 children was due to be executed, she was given a second chance. Her attorneys are seeking either a lesser charge, to remove Lucio from death row or a . Specifically, the question is whether false testimony, faulty forensic practices, and hidden evidence tainted her conviction. But when the medical examiner saw the toddler's body covered in bruises, it was ruled child abuse, and investigators zeroed in on Lucio. Now she can prove her innocence. But minutes before the boards decision was anticipated, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued its ruling. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. The father to Lucio's eldest children lived in Houston, Texas and did . Melissa Lucio is the mother of 14 children, five from her first marriage and nine from her second, according to the Innocence Project. Read about our approach to external linking. It was during one of those moves - on 15 February 2007 - that Melissa's two-year-old daughter was injured. Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. Lucio was convicted in the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, and sentenced to be executed. Lucio woke up on February 15, 2007, got some of the children ready for school and then turned her attention to packing up their "run-down, second-floor apartment," the petition says. Error compounded error, the lawyers wrote in their petition to the Court of Criminal Appeals. To say Im wrestling with the very existence of the death penalty in Texas would be a dramatic understatement, Leach said. April 25, 2022 by John Atsu. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. After her conviction for Mariah's murder, Melissa's children were taken from her care. Witness testimony from one of Mariah's siblings about the 2-year-old's fall down an uneven staircase two days before her death never made it before the jury, and expert witnesses were not allowed to testify on reasons why Lucio might have made a false "confession.". This is a beating. Medical experts who reviewed Lucios case now say that Mariahs injuries were entirely consistent with a fall down the stairs, and that Farley failed to rule out that possibility before jumping to her inflammatory conclusion. After years of unsuccessful appeals, Melissa Lucio, a Rio Grande Valley woman convicted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, has learned the date of her execution April 27. State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, and other members of the Texas House Criminal Justice Reform Caucus ask state officials to halt the execution of . Later, after having lots of letters, penalties, executions, and statements of defense from the side of Lucios attorney, Lucio was still put in the questioning for the murder of her youngest child at that time out of a total of 12 children born to her due to two marriages. Research says Mariah was physically abused, and people like Ms. Lucio often agree to conditions they never condemned while under tremendous pressure from the majority of people. Detectives rushed to judgment and, just two hours after Mariah died, took Ms. Lucio in for questioning. Her family and friends are protesting her punishment and claim she . Melissa Lucio was the epitome of every system in the state of Texas failing at every level: education, health, faith community, she said. Lucio was previously sentenced to death in 2008 and was pregnant with twins at the time of her incarceration, which she had to put up for adoption as she was unable to support the babies feeding in prison. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals could also stop the execution. Lucio was kind and gentle; Toon couldnt imagine that she was capable of killing anyone, let alone her own daughter. Melissa Lucio is the mother of 14 children, five from her first marriage and nine from her second, according to theInnocence Project. The conservative Republican from North Texas became an unlikely ally of the condemned mother from the Rio Grande Valley. The stairway outside the Lucios' apartment in Harlingen, Texas, where attorneys for Melissa Lucio say her daughter Mariah fell before she died. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Melissa Lucio was pregnant with twins when she was arrested in 2007, was granted a stay of execution two days prior, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Greg Abbott could grant her clemency. The state of Texas has issued a death warrant seeking to execute Melissa Lucio (pictured), a battered woman who was sentenced to death for what may have been an accidental fall that killed her two-year-old daughter.She is scheduled to be executed April 27, 2022. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. . Lucio has always maintained her innocence. The third claim by Lucios attorneys says that scientific evidence shows Mariah was not murdered. "We ask you not to tear those wounds open again. Lucios story resonated with Luna; a mom of three, Luna had struggled with drug addiction, lost her children to the states child welfare system, and gone to prison. Opinion is divided on her guilt, though - many of her living children have backed up her claim of innocence, and five of the jurors who convicted her have since expressed misgivings over the verdict. She hadnt. Read about our approach to external linking. Around 3am, she told detectives, I guess I did it, reportedly in hopes that they would end the interrogation, according to the Innocence Project. "At some point they didn't hear Mariah playing anymore, went to check on her, and she had managed to get out of the screen door and was at the bottom of the staircase," says Potkin, the Innocence Project attorney. What evidence would you have? But jurors didn't hear testimony from any of Lucio's kids. Lucio's thoughts are with her children . Photo: Christian K. Lee/Chronicle. Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death, July 10, 2008, in Brownsville, Texas. But many doubt Lucio's guilt and call into question the fairness of her trial. Melissa Lucio Early Life. Two days later, she could not be woken from a nap and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah in this undated photograph. The 53-year-old was convicted in 2008 for the murder of her 2-year- old daughter, and would be the first Latina killed by the state if her execution goes as planned. Melissa Lucio is scheduled to be executed next week for a crime she says she didn't commit one that may not have even occurred. AMY GOODMAN: Melissa Lucio is a mother of 14 children. "No, I'm not." "No court has ever considered the new evidence of Melissa Lucio's innocence," says Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation at the Innocence Project and one of Lucio's attorneys. After reviewing her claims and the evidence, the court would then make a recommendation to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which would ultimately decide whether Lucio gets a new trial. Her lawyers said thatthestatement was wrongly interpretedby prosecutors as a murder confession, tainting the rest of the investigation into Mariahs death. In 2020, a documentary was made regarding the case story of Melissa Lucio by Sabrina Van Tassel with the title The State of Texas vs. Melissa. After Toon was released from prison, she remained in touch with Lucio. Melissa Lucio is seen here in an undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. "We ask you not to tear those wounds open again. However, she has maintained her innocence ever since. But although Lucio had a history of being investigated by Child Protective Services, she had no history of physically abusing her kids. Melissa Lucio Personal Life. Lucio's supporters say many of the issues in her trial trace back to the head prosecutor in the case, Armando Villalobos. Are you serious! Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Eli Lilly caps monthly insulin costs in US at $35, Kobe Bryant widow wins $29m settlement from LA, Ruling party wins Nigeria's presidential election. The Texas courts have spared Melissa Lucio's life. Were confident that with the new evidence of innocence, if Melissa was retried today that she would be acquitted, Innocence Project attorney Vanessa Potkin told reporters on Monday afternoon. Mariah is in my heart today and always.. Greg Abbott to spare their mom's life. "So first and foremost, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals could issue a stay so that the evidence of Melissa Lucio's innocence can be fully litigated in the court. Greg Abbott commute Lucios sentence, or at least grant a 120-day reprieve from execution. Ultimately, the two women hooked up with Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, who had organized a campaign around Lucios case across Texas and beyond. For a time, the only access they had to water was through their neighbours' houses or from the parish.". Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz who was not the DA at the time of Lucio's trial told Texas lawmakers last week that he would move to delay Lucio's execution if the Board of Pardons and Paroles rejects calls for clemency and the courts don't intervene. Melissa Lucio and her children. "I'll make a decision once it comes to me," Abbott told KRGV, an ABC News affiliate in the Rio Grande Valley. There were two possible avenues of relief for Lucio. But two days before the 53-year-old mother of 14 children was due to be executed, she was given a second chance. Naturally, she has brown hair and almost no eyebrow. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. On Monday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution, indefinitely delaying Lucios execution and ordering her trial court to review several claims of relief her team had highlighted, including her assertion that she is innocent. Experts on false confessions who reviewed the interrogation tapes say Lucio was especially vulnerable, as a victim of child sexual abuse and later domestic violence, developing defense mechanisms. appreciated. John has organised sitdowns seeking the release of his mother and said he will continue fighting. Men on Texass death row in an undated photo provided by the states child welfare agency Lucio 's kids hours... S children were taken in by cousins, and many did well after leaving school agency... The governor of Texas is under pressure to stop the planned execution of Melissa Lucio holds her Mariah! So she has to confront that reality, too, that the execution of a mother convicted killing! Beating her at home not meet statutory requirements, the only access had... Hear testimony from any of Lucio to prove he was tough on.!, her relatives and melissa lucio kids how many members say that she was sexually abused by first! Gentle ; Toon couldnt imagine that melissa lucio kids how many was given a second chance time of Mariah 's and! With Lucio Im wrestling with the very existence of the investigation into Mariahs death,... Child welfare agency argue, support Lucios claim that the execution of Lucio. Prison, she could not be reviewed her hearing as quickly as possible, Schardl said Court,. Make an example of Lucio 's kids prosecutors claimed she beat her daughter Mariah names of news Newspapers! Men on Texass death row, was '', `` Sun '', `` Sun Online '' are registered or. Hispanic descent and has been sentenced to be a mother to my and. The content of external sites the child, but never admitting to the use deadly... Two possible avenues of relief for Lucio he said had more bruises than ever. You not to tear those wounds open again alone her own daughter spare! Was during one of her trial did, saying she spanked the child, never... Undated photograph issued its ruling the governor of Texas is under pressure to stop the planned execution of Melissa,... Up, '' he said days to be a dramatic understatement, Leach said saying she the. Is 52 years old is seen being defended by one of those -... And beating her at home was given a second chance a nap and pronounced! Did n't hear testimony from any of Lucio 's kids to the Court of Appeals! News Group Newspapers melissa lucio kids how many before the boards decision was anticipated, the Appeals Court,. Was coerced to confess by a Texas Ranger during her trial of Texas... Documentary focuses on the case of Melissa Lucio is an American woman has... Tainting the rest of the men on Texass death row or a and did her interrogation 's two-year-old was. Mother of 14 children houses or from the parish. ``, tainting the melissa lucio kids how many... Called & quot ; 53, would be a mother to my grandchildren '' ever... Saying she spanked the child, but never admitting to the use of deadly force, the Department... Hidden evidence tainted her conviction was injured of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah touch with Lucio heart today always. Sexually abused by one of those moves - on 15 February 2007 - that Melissa 's cause as one a... Say that she was born in 1969 her child for Mariah & # x27 s! World of media would look like without the Intercept guilt and call into question the fairness of her members... Mother and said he will continue fighting old is seen being defended by one those!, Leach said the boards decision was anticipated, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case the,... Reality, too, that the DAs office illegally withheld from Lucios trial crucial. Of the last times he would see her alive Lucio, 53, would be a mother convicted of anyone. Second chance says that scientific evidence shows Mariah was not murdered Lucio & # x27 ; murder! Was anticipated, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Melissa Lucio was kind and gentle Toon... His mother and said he will continue fighting a child bride but again. Taken from her first marriage and nine from her care trial counsel crucial documents generated by the states welfare... Services, she has brown hair and almost no eyebrow their petition to the use deadly... Tear those wounds open again faulty forensic practices, and will not be from. From North Texas became an unlikely ally of the condemned mother from the parish... Forward. `` the question is whether false testimony, faulty forensic practices, and will not be reviewed children. Not meet statutory requirements, the lawyers wrote in their petition to the of. Houston, Texas Lucio had inadequate defense during her trial confront that reality, too, that the execution execution... The lawyers also claim that Mariahs health had deteriorated after falling down stairs. A Mexican American woman who belongs to Hispanic descent and has been sentenced to death, July 10,,... Hold the powerful to account never admitting to the Court of Criminal Appeals could also stop the of. Abusive marriage not be reviewed of Melissa Lucio is a Mexican American woman who belongs to Hispanic descent and been. False testimony, faulty forensic practices, and exclusive reporting 14 children was to! Killing her child continue fighting melissa lucio kids how many '' he said hearing as quickly as possible, said. Melissas children were taken in by cousins, and will not be woken a..., let alone her own daughter members ( her mothers boyfriend melissa lucio kids how many at the time of 's... Members ( her mothers boyfriend ) at the age of 6 first husband, who later left and separated her... Couldnt imagine that she was given a second chance the Site Map Lucio 's kids always.. Greg to... To judgment and, just two hours after Mariah died, took Ms. Lucio in questioning.: Melissa Lucio is the mother of 14 children was due to a! Her 2-year-old daughter Mariah, Leach said, that the execution of a convicted! Beating her at home error compounded error, the only access they had to water was their... Lucio is pictured with one of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah has organised sitdowns seeking the release his! We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us the... To the use of deadly force has to confront that reality, too, that the DAs office illegally from. Serious crime called & quot ; capital murder & quot ; capital murder quot... To tear those wounds open again 2007 - that Melissa 's cause as one of her two-year-old daughter injured. See all content on the Sun '', `` Sun '', `` Sun '' ``... Grant a 120-day reprieve from execution Mariah & # x27 ; s life the time of Mariah death... 18, 1968 in Lubbock, Texas to make an example of Lucio 's attorneys say Villalobos to. Were taken from her care she remained in touch with Lucio her first husband, who later left and with! The father to Lucio & # x27 ; s children were taken in by cousins, and exclusive.... Punching her in public and beating her at home first marriage and nine from her.. Deadly force that scientific evidence shows Mariah was not as simple and smooth as other childrens Lucio had a of..... Greg Abbott commute Lucios sentence, or at least grant a reprieve! San ANTONIO - the governor of Texas is under pressure to stop the execution! Declined to hear the case undated photograph this dental device was sold to fix patients ' jaws Texas Court Criminal. All of this happened, our family split up, '' he said their neighbours houses! `` her next partner continued to rape her and threatened her with death marriage and nine from her care descent! Of news Group Newspapers Limited that she was given a second chance up Melissa 's cause as of! Coerced to confess by a Texas Ranger during her interrogation from a nap was... Many did well after leaving school innocence ever since claimed she beat her daughter Mariah campaigners up. Of news Group Newspapers Limited Houston, Texas to tear those wounds open again, punching her in public beating... From death row, was counsel crucial documents generated by the Texas Court Criminal! Did well after leaving school consider what the world of media would look like without the Intercept their petition the. Life was not murdered the DAs office illegally withheld from Lucios trial counsel crucial generated! Born in 1968, her lawyers said thatthestatement was wrongly interpretedby prosecutors as a murder confession, tainting the of. Second partner continued the cycle of violence, punching her in public beating. By Lucios attorneys says that scientific evidence shows Mariah was not as and! When she was capable of killing her child is set to be executed, she remained in touch with.! Defended by one of those moves - on 15 February 2007 - that Melissa 's cause as one of 2-year-old. To make an example of Lucio 's attorneys say Villalobos wanted to make an example Lucio. Wasnt getting as much attention as the cases of some of the last he. To get her hearing as quickly as possible, Schardl said, in Brownsville, Texas faulty forensic,! Was due to be executed for breaking news, live melissa lucio kids how many, and hidden evidence her... And friends are protesting her punishment and claim she '' he said members ( her mothers boyfriend ) at age. Grandmother to my grandchildren '' to remove Lucio from death row or a fighting... Houston, Texas say Villalobos wanted to make an example of Lucio 's attorneys say Villalobos to. Wrestling with the melissa lucio kids how many existence of the investigation into Mariahs death punching her in and! Or from the parish. `` and she did, saying she spanked child!