A bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers, along with medical experts, death penalty attorneys, and bestselling author John Grisham, are urging Governor Greg Abbott and the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles to halt the forthcoming execution of Robert Roberson. Roberson was found guilty of killing his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in 2002 based on the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome, which critics now argue was built on faulty scientific evidence.
The petition submitted by 84 lawmakers, including both Democrats and Republicans, highlights doubts surrounding Roberson’s conviction and emphasizes the bipartisan support for reconsidering the case. Rep. Joe Moody stressed that the issue at hand is a matter of life and death, transcending political divides.
Governor Abbott holds the authority to grant a one-time reprieve of 30 days before an execution, while full clemency necessitates a recommendation from the majority of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Although Abbott has granted clemency in only one death row case during his tenure, advocacy efforts for Roberson continue.
Roberson’s supporters argue that his conviction was based on outdated science, and experts have since discredited the original diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome in Curtis’ case. The petition asserts that Curtis may have suffered from underlying medical conditions that were not adequately considered during the trial.
Roberson, who has consistently proclaimed his innocence, brought his daughter to the hospital in 2002 after discovering her unconscious and showing signs of distress. Medical professionals at the time linked her symptoms to shaken baby syndrome, a diagnosis now under scrutiny for its potential for misinterpretation.
With Roberson being autistic, his legal team insists that his condition was unfairly used against him during the trial, leading to a flawed conviction. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals intervened in 2016, briefly delaying the execution, but subsequently allowed the case to proceed, resulting in the upcoming execution date.
While prosecutors argue that the evidence against Roberson remains strong and dispute claims of significant changes in the understanding of shaken baby syndrome, supporters, including a former chief of detectives involved in the case, advocate for a reassessment of the evidence and a halt to the execution.
