John —
At 53, Melissa Lucio has survived a lifetime of unimaginable tragedies and trauma — the most devastating of all being the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, after an accidental fall.
Yet, in less than 30 days, the State of Texas plans to execute Melissa for Mariah’s murder, a crime that never occurred, adding another layer of tragedy to what has already been the greatest one of Melissa’s life.
Take a moment today to learn more about Melissa’s life and how, for women in particular, a tragic accident can become a wrongful conviction.
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On Feb. 15, 2007, Mariah fell down a flight of stairs while the family was in the midst of moving homes. The toddler didn’t appear seriously injured, but two days later she wouldn’t wake up from a nap. Melissa called for help, and Mariah was taken to the hospital, but she could not be resuscitated. Melissa was taken into police custody that night.
Women, especially mothers, who are accused of harming a child tend to be viewed more critically than men and are often demonized in the media. According to the data from the National Registry of Exonerations, nearly 30% of exonerated women were wrongly convicted of harming a child. And about 71% of exonerated women were wrongly convicted in cases where no crime actually occurred — cases in which the “crime” was later found to be an accident, a death by suicide, or fabricated.
For five hours, investigators showed Melissa photos of her deceased child, berated her, told her she was a bad mother, and intimidated her. During the interrogation, Melissa asserted her innocence more than 100 times. But by 3 a.m., it was clear to Melissa that the interrogation wasn’t going to end until the officers heard what they wanted to hear. Pregnant with twins, exhausted, grieving, and afraid, Melissa eventually said, “I guess I did it.” Experts on false confession have confirmed that Melissa’s history of abuse and related mental health issues make her uniquely vulnerable to falsely confessing under such coercive conditions.
Medical experts have also concluded that Mariah exhibited signs of a blood coagulation disorder that causes bruising throughout the body. But those signs and the child’s extensive health history — including a history of accidental falls and head trauma — were never even considered as potential factors in her death.
For the last 15 years, Melissa has maintained her innocence and continued her fight for justice. But time is running out — she’s currently scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas on April 27.
We need as many people as possible to know about Melissa’s case. Will you read our latest feature on her and then share her story on social media to spread the word?
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The fight isn’t over.
Thank you for your support,
— The Innocence Project Team
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The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Our work is guided by science and grounded in antiracism.
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