Fourteen years ago, Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death for killing the youngest of her 12 children, Mariah, in Harlingen. She is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on April 27. Unless the courts or the governor intervene before then, she will become the first Latina woman to be put to death in Texas.
As the date draws closer, the outcry for clemency has reached fever pitch. Lucio’s lawyers have asked Governor Greg Abbott for a 120-day reprieve or to commute her sentence, citing evidence that was not presented to the jury. Eighty-three members of the Texas House of Representatives, including Republicans and Democrats, have petitioned the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to cancel the execution. On Tuesday, even reality television star Kim Kardashian—who has previously expressed support for Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed—joined the chorus of voices yelling, “stop.”
“She has been on death row for over 14 years for her daughter’s death that was a tragic accident,” Kardashian wrote on Twitter. “Her 2-year old daughter Mariah fell down a flight of stairs and two days later passed away while taking a nap. After she called for help, she was taken into custody by the police.”
