Despite the efforts of a strong legal team, the case against Melissa Lucio, the infamous mother of Twins, has received a major blow. The case has been compared to many other wrongful convictions and plans are now being made to hear critical testimony. This is a disturbing situation and it is time to act now.
Legal team denies false medical evidence
During Melissa Lucio’s trial, the state’s medical examiner testified that her daughter’s death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head. The medical examiner failed to consider the possibility that Mariah had a blood coagulation disorder, which causes rapid bruising across the body. The autopsy also showed that Mariah had internal injuries.
Leading international experts, such as pathologists, pediatricians, and medical experts on child abuse, reviewed the evidence in Ms. Lucio’s case and concluded that the state’s expert witnesses did not adequately explain how and why Mariah’s death was a homicide.
The legal team that represents Miranda Lucio in her capital murder case claims that the state’s evidence was withheld from the defense. In addition, the team claims that key evidence was misrepresented.
The legal team says that the prosecution’s key piece of evidence – that Ms. Lucio was guilty of beating her daughter to death – was misleading. The medical examiner’s testimony failed to account for other possible causes of death, and the prosecutor’s statement that she was able to walk from her home to the police station was false.
Case has a glaring mix of false scientific evidence and false testimony
Survivor of sexual abuse and a life of domestic violence, Melissa Lucio was found guilty of murdering her two-year-old daughter Mariah. Her legal team says the case has hallmarks of a false confession, a corrupt prosecutor, and evidence of scientific fraud.
Experts have questioned whether the medical examiner’s “tortured child” theory was scientifically accurate. They say it’s impossible to tell whether the bruising on Mariah’s body was caused by DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation), a disorder involving blood clots, or from a violent beating. They also point out that the medical examiner failed to detect signs of blood coagulation.
The medical examiner’s claims that there were injuries on Mariah’s body that were clear signs of abuse are a bit overblown. The injuries were consistent with Lucio’s account of what happened.
Lucio was sentenced to death on Wednesday, March 8, 2018. Her attorney wrote to the prosecutor asking for a stay, but the office has yet to respond. She is currently on “death watch” – prison guards are watching her 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in an attempt to prevent her from committing suicide.
Appeals court plans to hear critical testimony
Appeals court plans to hear critical testimony about Melissa Lucio, who was wrongly convicted of the death of her 2-year-old daughter. The daughter, Mariah, fell down a staircase in the family’s new home, and authorities jumped to the conclusion that she had been murdered.
According to court documents, prosecutors “omitted” potentially exculpatory information. Evidence included information from a Child Protective Services investigator, which could have helped prove Lucio’s innocence.
The attorneys argue that statements made during the interrogation were not confessions. They allege that the police used coercion to pressure Lucio into committing the crime. They allege that the Texas Ranger who coerced her to make a false statement testified falsely. In his testimony, he said that Lucio was guilty based on her demeanor. He also testified that she did not show eye contact or indicate any distress.
The attorneys also argue that the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy ignored evidence that pointed to an accident. He testified that Mariah’s injuries were a result of abuse. He pointed out a bite mark on her back. But the medical examiner failed to review her medical records.
Case has been compared to other wrongful convictions
During a five-hour interrogation, Melissa Lucio asserted her innocence 100 times. Lucio denied that she had ever physically abused her daughter. However, police claimed that she had. They used a variety of manipulative techniques to get her to confess.
The medical examiner’s testimony was inaccurate. The forensic evidence contradicted it. The pathologist jumped to conclusions when blaming Lucio for her daughter’s death. The medical examiner failed to take into account that Mariah had a blood coagulation disorder that caused profuse bruising throughout her body.
The Texas Forensic Science Commission recommended a state-wide moratorium on the use of bite mark evidence. That commission found that the medical examiner’s testimony was scientifically inaccurate. It also suggested that Lucio was likely to have been abused as a child.
After the trial, the Cameron County District Attorney, Armando Villalobos, was convicted of corruption charges. He served several years in federal prison for bribery and was involved in a scheme to conceal his crimes.
