Texas Appeals Court Rejects Innocence Ruling for Melissa Lucio, Keeping Her on Death Row
A Texas appeals court has rejected a lower court's ruling that Melissa Lucio, a woman on death row for 18 years, is innocent of capital murder. Lucio was convicted in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah, who prosecutors claimed died from abuse. The trial judge had previously issued a 62-page ruling in 2024, concluding that Lucio was 'actually innocent' and citing false testimony, suppressed evidence, and new scientific evidence that contradicted the state's case. Prosecutors had even conceded that material evidence was withheld during her trial. However, the all-Republican appeals court, in a sharply divided 5-4 decision, stated that the trial judge's ruling relied too heavily on Lucio's interpretation of events. This decision leaves Lucio on death row, where she narrowly avoided execution in 2022 when the same court ordered a review of her case.
