287: Melissa Lucio: Child Murderer or Wrongful Conviction? (Part 2)

In 2008, 39-year-old Melissa Lucio became the first Hispanic woman sentenced to death in the state of Texas. She’d been tried and convicted of capital murder in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez. On February 17th, 2007, first responders were called to Melissa’s home to find Mariah in cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts, Mariah was pronounced dead at the hospital. She was found covered in bruises, with a cause of death ultimately determined to be from a significant head injury. Melissa had no documented history of abuse, but before investigators had even left her home that night, they’d formed their opinion of what happened, despite Melissa’s explanation. Since her sentencing, people across the world have been lobbying on Melissa’s behalf, petitioning for a stay of execution and, hopefully, a full exoneration. Was Melissa wrongly convicted and sentenced to death or was she responsible for the death of her youngest child? TRIGGER WARNING: sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, child death, drug use Hang with us: Follow Us on Instagram Like Us on Facebook Join our Case Discussion Group on Facebook Get Killer Queens Merch Bonus Episodes Support Our AMAZING Sponsors: Simplisafe: For a limited time, get 20% off your new system when you sign up for Fast Protect Monitoring. Visit SIMPLISAFE.com/killerqueens. Lume: As a special offer for listeners, new customers GET $5 OFF a Lume Starter Pack with code Queens at LumeDeodorant.com. Embrace: Don't wait for the unexpected to happen— join the massive community of pet owners who trust Embrace Pet Insurance to protect their pet.  Head to EmbracePetInsurance.com/QUEENS and sign up for pet insurance today. Canva: Collaborate with Canva for Teams! Right now, you can get a FREE 45-day extended trial when you go to Canva.me/QUEENS. © 2023 Killer Queens Podcast. All Rights Reserved Audio Production by Wayfare Recording Music provided by Steven Tobi Logo designed by Sloane Williams of The Sophisticated Crayon YouTube Editing by Jennifer Da Silva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices