A Texas appeals court decided on Monday to suspend the execution of American Melissa Lucio just 48 hours before her scheduled execution related to the death of her daughter, amid international support for her after a controversial trial that led to this penalty. Several calls for mercy for this Mexican American, a mother of fourteen children, were made by figures such as Kim Kardashian, and the movement in her favor has extended beyond the United States.
Currently, Lucio remains on death row despite the suspension of her sentence. Another court in Texas is reviewing requests from her defense agents, according to court documents related to this case. Her attorneys stated that she "cried and was unable to speak" when she received the news. Melissa Lucio, who has maintained her innocence for the past 15 years, later stated in press remarks, "I thank God for my life," adding, "I am grateful to the court for giving me the chance to live and prove my innocence and to have more time to be a mother to my children and a grandmother to my grandchildren." Her sister, Sonia Valencia, mentioned that Melissa's family is waiting for her return home.
Her attorney, Vanessa Potkin, clarified in a press conference that the suspension of the execution is "a first step towards a new trial for her, but it does not mean that a decision has been made to conduct this trial," as there are still several stages to go through. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian described the decision to suspend the execution as "the best news ever." Melissa Lucio's defense attorneys specifically assert that new scientific evidence guarantees her exoneration and that false testimony led to her conviction. Supporters characterize the death of her daughter Maria as an accident rather than homicide.
**Background of the Case**
In 2007, her two-year-old daughter, Maria, was found dead in their home, with bruises covering her body, days after falling down the stairs. At that time, Melissa Lucio, mother of twelve children and pregnant with twins, lived a life marked by physical and sexual abuse, drug addiction, and unstable circumstances. She was immediately suspected of having harmed the child.
Lucio had made confessions that were "entirely made under duress," according to Sabrina Van Tassel, director of the successful documentary "The State of Texas vs. Melissa" released in 2020, who supports the American mother. Lucio told investigators, "I think I did it," in response to a question about the bruises.
Executing women in the United States is rare, with only 17 cases since 1976, when the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Texas is the state with the highest number of women executed, totaling six. If executed, Melissa Lucio would be the first Latina woman to receive this penalty in Texas.
