Melissa Lucio is weeks away from being executed for a crime her lawyers say she was wrongfully convicted of.
At a Tuesday hearing of the Texas House Criminal Justice Reform committee, Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz refused to immediately stop her scheduled April 27 execution.
If put to death, Lucio would be the first Latina executed by the State of Texas and the sixth woman executed in the U.S. in the past decade.
She was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008 for knowingly and intentionally killing her 2-year-old daughter, but Lucio maintains her innocence and says Mariah’s death was a tragic accident.
Her lawyers have argued Lucio was denied a fair trial and that there were serious flaws in the state’s case.
Lucio’s clemency application is still awaiting a recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to Gov. Abbott, who could grant a 30-day stay of execution.
What happens next? Will her execution go forward as scheduled?
Will anyone with the power to do so intervene?
Is the State of Texas risk willing to risk executing an innocent woman?
Guest: Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation at the Innocence Project and one of Melissa Lucio’s attorneys
"The Source" is a live call-in program on air Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Central.
Leave a message before the program at 210-615-8982. During the live show, call or text 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Thursday, April 14.