Melissa Lucio’s name ought to be as familiar to American households as the many other victims of state violence against Black, Indigenous, and other persons of color in this country. Except Ms. Lucio hasn’t been killed yet. Lucio is an innocent person on death row in Texas with an execution date set for April 27, although there’s no evidence a crime took place. Prior to her arrest, Lucio had no history of violence or arrests. She has no record of violence during her fifteen years in prison. Lucio, a young mother at the time of her arrest, is being punished for having made poor life choices after suffering intense abuse and trauma throughout her childhood. Poor life choices alone aren’t a capital offense.
After her trial, Armando Villalobos, the District Attorney who prosecuted her case, began serving thirteen years in federal prison for bribery and extortion. Working to abolish capital punishment in New Hampshire, Barbara Keshan, former prosecutor with the NH Attorney General’s office, testified about the harrowing experience of very nearly getting it wrong on a case in this state. Her point: no one is immune to error. As long as the death penalty exists, innocent people will die. Please learn about this case, and then act. For more information, look up The Innocence Project, Melissa Lucio. You can also hear good, clear reporting at The Race to Save Melissa Lucio, Latino USA, WYNC.
Margaret Hawthorn
Rindge