John,
In November 2001, Robert Roberson was granted custody of his chronically ill two-year-old daughter Nikki. She tragically passed away from prior medical conditions after a short fall from bed. Instead of being able to mourn, Robert was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to death using a now-discredited version of the shaken baby syndrome (SBS) hypothesis.
We’re working hard every day to get justice in his case but we need your help. This Father’s Day, learn how you can support a loving dad who’s spent over 20 years on death row in Texas for a crime that never occurred.
Robert had undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder and hospital staff judged his response to his daughter’s grave condition as lacking emotion. Because of this prejudicial treatment and inaccurate and misleading medical testimony, Robert was convicted.
In more recent years, overwhelming medical and scientific evidence now shows that Nikki died of accidental and natural causes. Even Brian Wharton, the lead detective who testified for the prosecution, now believes he contributed to an innocent person being sent to death row.
While the State has not yet sought a new execution date, Robert’s life is still in jeopardy every single day he remains behind bars. He never really had a fair shot, but we’re trying to fix that.
In honor of Father’s Day, please take a moment and see how you can help out in Robert’s case and then share on social:
Thank you so much for your support,
— The Innocence Project Team
P.S. Read this attorney’s op-ed on why shaken baby syndrome is junk science. |