INSIDER
Texas can schedule Robert Roberson’s execution — but lawmakers still expect his testimony first
Read full article: Texas can schedule Robert Roberson’s execution — but lawmakers still expect his testimony firstRoberson was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in a “shaken baby” case that many say led to an innocent man’s death sentence.
“Actually innocent”: Judge recommends overturning death row inmate Melissa Lucio’s conviction, sending case to Texas high court
Read full article: “Actually innocent”: Judge recommends overturning death row inmate Melissa Lucio’s conviction, sending case to Texas high courtThe Cameron County judge also found the state relied on false testimony during her capital murder trial, according to court documents.
There are warring depictions of Robert Roberson’s murder case. Here’s what to know.
Read full article: There are warring depictions of Robert Roberson’s murder case. Here’s what to know.Even before the Texas man’s death sentence became a political lightning rod, law enforcement and medical experts had differing opinions on the evidence that convicted him.
Ken Paxton calls on Rep. Jeff Leach to resign over texts to judge in Robert Roberson case
Read full article: Ken Paxton calls on Rep. Jeff Leach to resign over texts to judge in Robert Roberson caseThe AG also said he’d make a criminal referral against the lawmaker, who apologized for texting a Court of Criminal Appeals judge about a new trial for the death row inmate.
Ken Paxton resisting Texas House members’ bid to hear Robert Roberson’s testimony
Read full article: Ken Paxton resisting Texas House members’ bid to hear Robert Roberson’s testimonyMembers of a Texas House committee say in a Texas Supreme Court filing that Paxton’s office is blocking the death row inmate from complying with a legislative subpoena.
Ken Paxton and Texas House members accuse each other of mischaracterizing Robert Roberson’s case
Read full article: Ken Paxton and Texas House members accuse each other of mischaracterizing Robert Roberson’s caseAfter the attorney general insisted on the death row inmate’s guilt in a graphic press release, four lawmakers issued a point-by-point rebuttal.
Robert Roberson juror says new evidence would have prevented his conviction in shaken baby case
Read full article: Robert Roberson juror says new evidence would have prevented his conviction in shaken baby caseThe death row inmate was expected to testify before a Texas House committee, but those plans were scrapped amid a dispute over whether he should appear in person or virtually.
As Robert Roberson’s execution neared, Gov. Greg Abbott stuck to silence
Read full article: As Robert Roberson’s execution neared, Gov. Greg Abbott stuck to silenceIt’s rare for governors to step in to halt executions. In the case of Robert Roberson, it ended up being state lawmakers who took extraordinary steps.
A legal battle spared Robert Roberson’s life, for now. Here’s what happens next.
Read full article: A legal battle spared Robert Roberson’s life, for now. Here’s what happens next.The effort to spare Roberson sparked a conflict between the executive and legislative branches that must be resolved. When it is, the death row inmate will likely be back on the path to execution.
With little say over Robert Roberson’s fate, Texas lawmakers take extraordinary steps to buy him more time
Read full article: With little say over Robert Roberson’s fate, Texas lawmakers take extraordinary steps to buy him more timeWith Roberson’s options dwindling, a House panel used its bully pulpit to prove his case and excoriate the failures of the state’s junk science law.
Texas Supreme Court temporarily stops Robert Roberson’s execution
Read full article: Texas Supreme Court temporarily stops Robert Roberson’s executionThe state’s highest civil court said it wants a lower court to resolve a separation-of-powers issue raised by a group of Texas lawmakers who subpoenaed the death row inmate the night before he was set to be put to death.
Texas executes Brazoria County man for stomping death of infant son
Read full article: Texas executes Brazoria County man for stomping death of infant sonTravis James Mullis was sentenced to death in 2011 for killing his 3-month-old son in Galveston. He was the fourth person executed in Texas this year.
Bipartisan Texas House majority urges clemency for man facing execution in shaken baby case
Read full article: Bipartisan Texas House majority urges clemency for man facing execution in shaken baby caseLawmakers cite new scientific evidence that they say proves Robert Roberson, who is set for execution on Oct. 17, did not kill his daughter.
When the science crumbles, Texas law says a conviction could, too. That rarely happens.
Read full article: When the science crumbles, Texas law says a conviction could, too. That rarely happens.Texas’ 2013 law that allows for new trials in cases with flawed scientific evidence was pioneering. But the state’s highest criminal court has rejected most of those challenges.
Supreme Court to review death penalty appeal challenging Texas’s DNA testing law
Read full article: Supreme Court to review death penalty appeal challenging Texas’s DNA testing lawRuben Gutierrez was sentenced to death for the 1998 Brownsville murder of an elderly woman. His execution was stayed in July.
Texas’ highest criminal court declines to stop execution of man accused in shaken baby case
Read full article: Texas’ highest criminal court declines to stop execution of man accused in shaken baby caseLawyers for Robert Roberson say the science used to sentence him to death is questionable and that prior health issues could explain the death of his 2-year-old daughter in 2002.
Texas criminal appeals court removes Tomas Gallo from death row because of his intellectual disability
Read full article: Texas criminal appeals court removes Tomas Gallo from death row because of his intellectual disabilityThe court re-sentenced Gallo to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter.
State district judge recommends overturning Melissa Lucio’s death sentence
Read full article: State district judge recommends overturning Melissa Lucio’s death sentenceIn a rare joint statement, the district attorney and the defense agreed that prosecutors withheld evidence that could point to a Rio Grande Valley woman’s innocence in the death of her toddler.
Texas criminal appeals court takes man off death row over intellectual disability
Read full article: Texas criminal appeals court takes man off death row over intellectual disabilitySince Randall Mays was sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of two sheriff’s deputies, his lawyers have argued his intellectual disability exempts him from execution.
Texas executes Ivan Cantu for Dallas murders despite doubts of his guilt
Read full article: Texas executes Ivan Cantu for Dallas murders despite doubts of his guiltFaith leaders and jurors from the original trial launched a public campaign to reconsider recanted testimony in Cantu’s case. Texas courts declined.
Despite mounting doubts about his guilt, Ivan Cantu running out of time to avoid Texas’ death chamber
Read full article: Despite mounting doubts about his guilt, Ivan Cantu running out of time to avoid Texas’ death chamberConvicted of killing his cousin and his cousin’s fiancée, the death row inmate hopes recanted testimony and other new details spur a review of his case.
Texas executes David Renteria for 2001 murder of El Paso girl
Read full article: Texas executes David Renteria for 2001 murder of El Paso girlRenteria’s attorneys unsuccessfully argued that the El Paso District Attorney’s Office violated his constitutional rights by not releasing all documents in his case. He was the eight person executed in Texas in 2023.
Texas’ top criminal court halts William Speer’s execution hours before he was scheduled to die
Read full article: Texas’ top criminal court halts William Speer’s execution hours before he was scheduled to dieSpeer has been on death row for decades after strangling another inmate at a Texas prison. The victim’s sister and faith leaders have both called on the parole board to halt the execution.
Convicted murderer Scott Panetti isn’t sane enough to be executed, federal judge rules
Read full article: Convicted murderer Scott Panetti isn’t sane enough to be executed, federal judge rulesPanetti murdered his in-laws in 1992. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 set new court precedent with his case, raising the bar on the constitutional restriction against executing the insane.
Texas courts struggle to resolve criminal appeals that got lost in Harris County for decades
Read full article: Texas courts struggle to resolve criminal appeals that got lost in Harris County for decadesOverlooked in the churn of one of the country’s busiest courthouses, the forgotten appeals included two death penalty cases, and one from a man who’s already finished his 20-year sentence.
Texas’ highest criminal court emphatically rejects death row inmate Rodney Reed’s claim of innocence
Read full article: Texas’ highest criminal court emphatically rejects death row inmate Rodney Reed’s claim of innocenceReed, a Black man on death row for more than 25 years, has gained international support for his claims that he did not kill 19-year-old Stacey Stites, a white woman. Another appeal over DNA testing of evidence is still pending.
Texas judge cancels Ivan Cantu execution after new evidence suggests he might be innocent
Read full article: Texas judge cancels Ivan Cantu execution after new evidence suggests he might be innocentTwo jurors from Cantu’s 2001 double-murder trial now support his appeals, which claim prosecutors relied on false testimony and withheld crucial evidence.
Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ attorneys apply for clemency, citing mental illness
Read full article: Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ attorneys apply for clemency, citing mental illnessAt issue is whether Thomas, who gouged out his eyes after confessing the 2004 murders of his estranged wife, their son and her daughter, is competent to be executed in April.
Texas death row prisoners spend decades in solitary confinement. A lawsuit wants to end that “cruel” treatment.
Read full article: Texas death row prisoners spend decades in solitary confinement. A lawsuit wants to end that “cruel” treatment.Men sentenced to death in Texas are held in isolation until their execution dates, with little human contact, medical care or legal help, according to a lawsuit filed to improve treatment of the condemned.
Judge orders Texas to stop using expired lethal injection drugs, throwing Tuesday’s execution of Robert Fratta in doubt
Read full article: Judge orders Texas to stop using expired lethal injection drugs, throwing Tuesday’s execution of Robert Fratta in doubtFratta was convicted in the 1994 murder-for-hire of his wife. Lawyers are challenging Texas’ routine of extending the expiration dates of its lethal drugs, a practice begun when many pharmacies began refusing to provide doses for executions.
Texas’ execution of Stephen Barbee was prolonged while officials searched for a vein
Read full article: Texas’ execution of Stephen Barbee was prolonged while officials searched for a veinBarbee, convicted in the 2005 murders of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her child, was unable to straighten his arms, which caused the delay. Courts allowed Barbee’s execution despite concerns from his lawyer that his disability would make the process “torture.”
Texas executes Tracy Beatty for strangling mother to death
Read full article: Texas executes Tracy Beatty for strangling mother to deathBeatty’s lawyers argued unsuccessfully that the 2003 Smith County murder didn’t qualify for the death penalty. Neither the Supreme Court nor Texas Gov. Greg Abbott intervened on Wednesday.
Texas tries again to prove that Scott Panetti is just sane enough to be executed
Read full article: Texas tries again to prove that Scott Panetti is just sane enough to be executedThe convicted murderer’s lengthy history of schizophrenia and delusions is well documented, from trying to call Jesus Christ as a trial witness to believing that prison dentists put a transmitter in his tooth.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects request to review Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ case
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court rejects request to review Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas’ caseThomas’ attorneys appealed saying that some members of the jury that sentenced him had expressed racist views. In their dissent, the court’s three liberal justices wrote that Thomas’ conviction and death sentence were unconstitutional.
Texas judge won’t let prosecutor cancel scheduled execution of John Ramirez
Read full article: Texas judge won’t let prosecutor cancel scheduled execution of John RamirezNueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez said he is ethically opposed to the death penalty, but an employee wrongfully requested the execution date against his wishes. Gonzalez sought to cancel the execution two days later.
Texas executes Carl Buntion, the state’s oldest death row prisoner, for Houston police officer’s murder
Read full article: Texas executes Carl Buntion, the state’s oldest death row prisoner, for Houston police officer’s murderBuntion, 78, was sentenced to death for the 1990 murder of a Houston police officer. His Thursday execution was the first Texas has carried out this year.
Prosecutor moves to stop execution of inmate whose religious freedom case reached U.S. Supreme Court
Read full article: Prosecutor moves to stop execution of inmate whose religious freedom case reached U.S. Supreme CourtThe Nueces County district attorney, Mark A. Gonzalez, has moved to withdraw the death warrant for John Henry Ramirez, convicted of a 2004 robbery and murder.
TribCast: Two death penalty cases draw attention in Texas
Read full article: TribCast: Two death penalty cases draw attention in TexasIn this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Andrew and Jolie about Texans’ role in the confirmation hearing of Ketanji Brown Jackson and two important death penalty cases.
U.S. Supreme Court tells Texas to let a condemned man’s pastor touch him and pray aloud during execution
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court tells Texas to let a condemned man’s pastor touch him and pray aloud during executionThe Supreme Court ruled that the state likely violated death row inmate John Ramirez’s religious liberties when it denied his request to have his pastor lay his hands on him and pray during his upcoming execution.
Rejecting claims of innocence, judge says Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed should not get a new trial
Read full article: Rejecting claims of innocence, judge says Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed should not get a new trialDoubts over Reed’s guilt in the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites have lingered for more than 20 years and gained international attention. But a judge decided against recommending a new trial.
As Texas prepares to execute Quintin Jones for murdering his great-aunt, his relatives hope for last-minute reprieve
Read full article: As Texas prepares to execute Quintin Jones for murdering his great-aunt, his relatives hope for last-minute reprieveJones was sentenced to death in 2001 in Tarrant County after he fatally beat his great-aunt, 83-year-old Berthena Bryant, with a baseball bat. But two relatives say they’ve forgiven him and want his sentence commuted to life in prison.