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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 26 april 2022
Melissa Lucio's execution delayed by Texas appeals court

By JUAN A. LOZANO Potkin, one of Lucio's at-
Associated Press torneys who is with the In-
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas nocence Project. "All of
appeals court on Monday the new evidence of her
delayed the execution of innocence has never be-
Melissa Lucio amid grow- fore been considered by
ing doubts about whether any court. The court's stay
she fatally beat her 2-year- allows us to continue fight-
old daughter in a case that ing alongside Melissa to
has garnered the support overturn her wrongful con-
of lawmakers, celebrities viction."
and even some jurors who A spokeswoman for Cam-
sentenced her to death. eron County District Attor-
The Texas Court of Criminal ney Luis Saenz, whose of-
Appeals granted a request fice prosecuted the case,
by Lucio's lawyers for a stay did not immediately return
of execution so a lower an email seeking com-
court can review her claims ment.
that new evidence would In its three-page order, the
exonerate her. It was not appeals court asked that
immediately known when the trial court in Brownsville
the lower court would be- that handled Lucio's case
gin reviewing her case. Supporters of death row inmate Melissa Lucio, including Tracy Fennen, left to right, Justin Rosario, review four claims her law-
Mark Anthony Vasquez, April Agosto and Amerika Leija, wait in the Governor's Public Reception
Lucio had been set for le- Room at the Capitol, in Austin, Texas, on Monday April 25, 2022, for a decision from the Board of yers have made: whether
thal injection Wednesday Pardons and Paroles about her clemency. prosecutors used false
for the 2007 death of her Associated Press evidence to convict her;
daughter Mariah in Harlin- whether previously unavail-
gen, a city of about 75,000 "Mariah is in my heart today ency application to either fession. able scientific evidence
in Texas' southern tip. and always. I am grateful commute her death sen- Her lawyers also contend would have prevented
Prosecutors have main- to have more days to be tence or grant her a 120- that unscientific and false her conviction; whether
tained that the girl was the a mother to my children day reprieve. evidence misled jurors into she is actually innocent;
victim of abuse and noted and a grandmother to my Lucio's attorneys say her believing Mariah's injuries and whether prosecutors
that her body was covered grandchildren. I will use my capital murder conviction could have been caused suppressed evidence that
in bruises. Lucio's lawyers time to help bring them to was based on an unreli- only by abuse and not by would have been favor-
say Mariah died from inju- Christ. I am deeply grateful able and coerced confes- medical complications able to her defense.
ries she sustained in a fall to everyone who prayed sion that was the result of from a severe fall. During a sometimes con-
down a steep staircase sev- for me and spoke out on relentless questioning and "It would have shocked tentious Texas House com-
eral days before she died. my behalf." her long history of being the public's conscience for mittee hearing on Lucio's
"I am grateful the court has The execution stay was an- sexually, physically and Melissa to be put to death case this month, Saenz had
given me the chance to live nounced minutes before emotionally abused. They based on false and incom- said he disagreed with Lu-
and prove my innocence," the Texas Board of Pardons say Lucio wasn't allowed to plete medical evidence for cio's lawyers' claims that
Lucio said in a statement and Paroles had been set present evidence question- a crime that never even new evidence would exon-
provided by her lawyers. to consider Lucio's clem- ing the validity of her con- happened," said Vanessa erate her. q

Michigan chief IDs officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya

native of Congo, was killed hold the officer's name un- hand off the officer's Taser.
after a struggle with the less he was charged with a A forensic pathologist who
white officer. crime. It was described as conducted an autopsy at
"In the interest of transpar- a long-standing practice the family's request said the
ency, to reduce ongoing that applied to the public gun was pressed to Lyoya's
speculation, and to avoid as well as city employees. head when he was shot.
any further confusion, I Lyoya's family and Black "Every time a young Black
am confirming the name leaders, including the Rev. man or woman is arrested
already publicly circulat- Al Sharpton, repeatedly in this town, you put their
ing — Christopher Schurr called for transparency name all over the news.
— as the officer involved in and release of the name. Every time we're suspected
the April 4 officer-involved "We want his name!" Sharp- of something, you put our
shooting," Winstrom said in ton shouted at Lyoya's fu- name out there," Sharpton
a statement. neral on Friday, saying au- said. "How dare you hold
The Associated Press left a thorities cannot set a prec- the name of a man that
A TV display shows video evidence of a Grand Rapids police of-
ficer struggling with and shooting Patrick Lyoya at Grand Rapids phone message seeking edent of withholding the killed this man? We want
City Hall on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. comment from Schurr, who names of officers who kill his name!"
Associated Press remains off the job while people unless the officer is After the funeral, Grand
state police investigate the charged. Rapids City Manager Mark
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) the head during an April 4 shooting. Lyoya, who was unarmed, Washington acknowl-
— A Michigan police chief traffic stop. Winstrom's announcement was face down on the edged the demand for the
reversed course Monday The Grand Rapids officer was a reversal. In the after- ground when he was shot. officer's name and said he
and publicly identified the is Christopher Schurr, Chief math of the shooting and Schurr was on top of him would discuss the matter
officer who fatally shot Pat- Eric Winstrom said. the release of video, Win- and can be heard on video with Winstrom and city em-
rick Lyoya in the back of Lyoya, 26, a Black man and strom said he would with- demanding that he take his ployment officials.q