Calls for Mercy Mount as Texas Death Row Inmate Faces Execution
Robert Roberson, a Texas death row inmate, is set to be executed on Thursday despite advocates claiming he is innocent. His conviction is based on a shaken baby syndrome diagnosis, which his attorneys argue is flawed.
Roberson was convicted of capital murder for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in 2003. However, his advocates argue that Nikki died from undiagnosed pneumonia that progressed to sepsis, not from being shaken. They also point out that Roberson’s behavior at the hospital was misjudged due to his undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder, which was only identified in 2018.
The defense team has filed multiple appeals, including a recent request to the US Supreme Court for a stay of execution. They claim that Roberson’s due process rights were compromised when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused to review additional evidence supporting his claims of innocence.
A bipartisan coalition of over 80 Texas legislators has rallied behind Roberson’s case, urging clemency. The Texas Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence is set to hold a hearing on Wednesday to discuss matters related to capital punishment, with the hope of halting the execution.
If executed, Roberson would be the first person in the U.S. to be put to death based on a shaken baby syndrome conviction, according to his legal team. His advocates are pleading for the state to reconsider the execution, citing the potential miscarriage of justice in this case.
