A Latina Is Sentenced To Death. Was Race A Factor?

Americas Now

A prisoner is seen across a protective glass wall. She is wearing white overalls, has dark, short hair and her hands are crossed in front of her.Melissa Lucio and her family claim she’s innocent of the death of her younger child.
Published August 3, 2022 at 4:13 PM

In 2008, a Latino mother of fourteen was sentenced to Death Row in Texas for the murder of her two-year-old daughter.

She says her toddler fell down the stairs and died. The state says she beat her to death.

Her execution was scheduled for April 27, 2022. But just days before, it was delayed so the Criminal Appeals Court could examine new evidence.

Critics are calling her case one of the most egregious “falsely accused” cases in modern history.



The case has reignited the national debate over Capital Punishment in the United States, particularly when it comes to citizens who are Latino or Black.

Correspondent Mike Kirsch brings us the story of Melissa Lucio as she waits on Death Row in Gatesville, Texas to learn her fate. Mike interviews Melissa’s son, Texas state Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. (no relation) and an advocate of criminal justice reform.