Melissa Lucio case: Family of Texas woman on death row holds out hope as board meets to consider clemency

As the times, hours and minutes tick down to the scheduled execution of Melissa Lucio, her mom – true to her personal title – nonetheless holds on to hope. “She’s coming home,” Esperanza “Hope” Correa Treviño, mentioned. “I told her she was coming home.”

Lucio, a mom of 14, is on death row for the 2007 homicide of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah. New proof suggests the death could have been an accident – and right this moment, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles is predicted to make its advice on the case, which it should ahead to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

The board might suggest commuting Lucio’s sentence, grant a 120-day reprieve to give extra time for the courts to resolve Lucio’s destiny or uphold Wednesday’s execution.

If the date does stand, Lucio would be the first Latina executed in Texas.

Treviño instructed CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano, “I have children, and they hurt. It hurts for me to lose one of my children.”

In 2007, Lucio’s 2-year-old daughter Mariah died. Detectives, and an post-mortem, settled on youngster abuse as the trigger, and Lucio as the offender. But new proof from forensic specialists suggests the bruises have been in keeping with a mind harm from an unintentional fall down steep stairs two days earlier, as Lucio and a few of her kids instructed officers and youngster protecting providers.

But jurors by no means heard from them. What they did hear was what testimony specialists now consider a coerced confession. Lucio was convicted and sentenced to death.

In an unprecedented transfer, a bipartisan coalition of greater than 100 Texas legislators has come collectively to attain a transparent consensus: Lucio ought to get a brand new trial.

Republican State Representative Jeff Leach mentioned, “If this execution is allowed to go forward, I believe it would severely weaken our criminal justice system. And we’re doing everything we can to lock arms and try to prevent that from happening.”

Democratic State Representative Joe Moody added, “We need to push the pause button, and let’s get this case right.”

Lawmakers have implored Luis Saenz, the Democratic district lawyer of Cameron County, to step in. On April 12, they requested what he wanted so as to decide about issuing a keep in Lucio’s execution date. His reply: “At this point it’s not my decision; it’s the court’s decision to make.”

Lucio’s protection has filed 4 requests to keep the execution; Saenz has by no means intervened.

He has declined to communicate with CBS News.

Lucio’s conviction, and now her looming execution, proceed to take a toll on the household. Lucio’s sister, Sonya Alvarez, mentioned, “It’s very stressful. Sometimes I just want to put myself in a hole and I don’t want to know nothing. But, it’s reality.”

While Lucio has religion somebody will intervene, even her mom’s hope is being examined: “She’s very hopeful,” Treviño instructed Luciano.

“Are you?”

“Well, sometimes I am. And sometimes I’m not,” mentioned Treviño. “The D.A., he’s got children of his own. I don’t think he’d like that to happen to his kids.”