Melissa Lucio was the first Hispanic woman sentenced to death in Texas. For ten years she has been awaiting her fate, and now faces her last appeal.
Said to be the first Hispanic woman sentenced to death in Texas, Melissa Lucio was charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter Mariah on February 18th in 2007. After viewing head to toes bruises on the body and trauma to the head, the Forensic Pathologist on the case concluded it to be a homicide and the worst case of child abuse she’s ever seen. As someone who didn’t fit the criteria of a child killer and was considered non-violent by her children and family, I’m shocked none of this or other important information was used in the trial. After being interrogated for seven hours straight without a lawyer, food, or water, Melissa was coerced to finally confess.
Information is gradually revealed throughout this story that could have been helpful in her case. After trying to figure out who was responsible for this little girl’s death, her children’s testimony is revealed, stating the sister Alexandra had been physically abusing the little girl repeatedly and was responsible for pushing her down a flight of stairs. Evidence shows the lawyer assigned to defend Melissa purposely hid this information and the full interrogation video from the jury that I believe would have been substantial in their final decision. As I think about this story and the many others like it, I truly believe there is an excessive amount of individuals who will die in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. Melissa is poor, uneducated with no power, and no means for proper legal representation which describes many others behind bars just waiting for their fate.
This documentary does a great job exploring many questions about the justice system including factors that affect who gets a fair trial and who doesn’t. It also incorporates political issues that weigh on who is targeted and arrested for specific crimes in order to raise a politician’s status. I feel hopeful there are many in the legal and medical field dedicated to uncovering the truth involving cases like this, bringing awareness to injustice in murder trials. This is a very strong documentary that surprisingly left me feeling just a little bit more optimistic that more cases like it, hopefully, it will get a second chance.
“The State of Texas vs. Melissa” premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival
