A judge has recommended that the conviction and death sentence of Melissa Lucio, a Texas woman, should be overturned due to suppressed evidence in her murder trial. The evidence, including witness statements from Lucio’s children and a report by Child Protective Services, would have corroborated Lucio’s defense that her daughter Mariah died of a head injury sustained in an accidental fall down a steep staircase two days before her death.
The agreement between prosecutors and Lucio’s attorneys stated that she would not have been convicted in light of the suppressed evidence. The recommendation has been sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for a final decision on whether Lucio’s conviction and death sentence will be overturned.
