Robert Roberson, a Texas death row inmate, is scheduled for execution on October 17 despite new evidence suggesting his innocence. Roberson's case, rooted in the now-discredited Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) diagnosis, has garnered attention from medical experts, legal professionals, and advocacy groups, some of which are now urging the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.
Roberson was convicted in 2003 for the 2002 death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki, after she suffered head trauma. The prosecution's case relied heavily on the SBS theory, which attributes specific injuries—brain swelling, bleeding over the brain, and bleeding in the eyes—to forceful shaking. However, new medical research has cast significant doubt on this hypothesis, with experts calling it scientifically unreliable.
