Is Melissa Lucio Innocent on Death Row?

Written By Guest User

Sabrina Van Tassel is an investigative reporter, director and producer, and she joins us today for the second time to update us on the development of Melissa Lucio’s case, explored in her documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa.

Melissa Lucio has spent  over a decade on death row for the alleged murder of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah. In 2008, Lucio became the first Latina woman sentenced to death in Texas. She is now scheduled to be executed on April 27, 2022.

However, when we look back at Melissa’s case, there is a huge amount of doubt about what really happened and how the trial process went. 

IF YOU WANT TO HELP, HERE’S HOW: 

Sign this petition sponsored by Death Penalty Action, asking the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to watch The State of Texas vs. Melissa and to recommend that Governor Greg Abbott grant clemency to Melissa Lucio. 

Time Stamps:

00:00 - Introducing our guest and her documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa.
03:20 - The trailer for the film.
08:39 - The parallels between The State of Texas vs. Melissa and Making a Murderer.
10:28 - Who Melissa Lucio is and why she shouldn’t be on death row.
13:49 - The bizarre speed that Melissa was given her execution date.
15:02 - The corrupt history of the District Attorney and his team.
17:07 - The huge amount of doubt there is in Melissa’s case.
19:45 - Why the District Attorney was arrested and the level of corruption in The Valley.
22:19 - Other cases in Cameron County that haven’t been given the death penalty.
23:06 - The issue with the forensic experts testimony in Melissa’s case.
26:10 - When Melissa’s execution date is and the racial bias behind the death penalty.
31:45 - The cost of deathrow and the conditions the prisoners live in there.
33:22 - What Melissa’s behavior has been like since she’s been in prison.
34:45 - The petition to free Melissa and the outcome Sabrina hopes for.
38:57 - The different ways people can help Melissa.
41:49 - Why Melissa being innocent or guilty is not the central issue with this case.
46:50 - The problem with police interrogations and the need we have for fair trials.

Guest User
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