[9][23] The Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma, announced on April 22 that he sent a letter to Governor Abbott asking him to grant executive clemency to Lucio, as "Mexico has historically manifested an unwavering commitment in its opposition to the death penalty. Despite this, Frank got a second chance to apply. Earlier this month, the popular HBO show "Last Week Tonight" discussed her case in an episodeon wrongful convictions. Antoinette Frank is on Louisiana death row for the murders of three people including a fellow police officer. In. Carty appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. LCIW was damaged by 2016 flooding, so its prisoners, including Frank, were moved to other prisons.[24]. Updated: 21:50, 10 Dec 2020 Chiara Fiorillo Published: Invalid Date, DARLIE Routier has spent the last 23 years on death row. Then both Stevens and Frank also jumped into the fray, and the weapon discharged. [13] Michael Goldberg of Baker Botts accuses Guerinot, who never won a death penalty case over his entire career, of failing to call any witnesses who might have persuaded the jury that she did not deserve execution. Additionally, court documents state that the emergency room physician said he had not seen a case of child abuse worse than Mariah's. She is scheduled to be executed on April 27. At that point, Wallace saw Lacaze and noticed he was holding a gun. [9], Officer Williams was interred in Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery on March 7, 1995. She frequently had to go through supervisory review. [14], On September 11, 2008 the day that the state supreme court stay was to end, a new death warrant was signed by the same judge. [3] Carty has claimed that she was framed by three men for her work as an informant with the Drug Enforcement Administration. You are about to exit Hulu.com to visit the Shop Hulu site, where a different Terms of Use and Privacy Policy apply. As the two were leaving the party, a verbal altercation between Stevens and Lacaze ensued, but Wallace suggested they leave. Prisoners on death row in the U.S. tend to be men. Death Row Family (2017) by Yuki Kobayashi. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. On the surface, she checks all the boxes of the ideal culprit. More for you. Seven of those calls were placed between 1:09a.m. and 1:14a.m. Sarah Hernandez testified that she met Carty while they were both serving time in jail. [10][29], Carty, her lawyers, and her supporters contend that she has been unjustly sentenced to death for a murder she did not commit. In 2020, Hulu produced the mentioned documentary, " The State of Texas vs. Melissa ," which detailed how she could be innocent. When Chau had let her out on the last visit, she could not find the front door key, and with Frank returning for the third time, she sensed something was wrong. It is an adaptation of John Grisham's non-fiction book, 'The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town,' published in 2006. Sentenced to the death penalty, her execution is scheduled for April 27 at the Huntsville Penitentiary.. As the deadline nears, her attorneys have asked the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles . When asked why she would continue the relationship, knowing that Lacaze had been involved in dealing drugs and a shooting, she responded that she would not disassociate herself from him just because of his past. The association between Frank and Lacaze became noticeable after other police officers witnessed Lacaze driving her car, and even observed him moving her police unit at the scene of an accident she was investigating. Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald, via Associated Press Were not saying Miss Lucio is innocent, were not saying shes guilty, were saying for the board to provide her some clemency, so we can get her into a trial, said State Rep James White. Prosecutors said that Mariah's injuries were the result of physical abuse, while Lucio's attorneys say that her death was caused by a fall down the stairs two days prior. Never before and probably, never again will such unlimited access ever be given again.Brace yourself to go on an extremely emotional journey as a man, considered by everyone, including the PRISONS WARDEN, to be completely innocent is fighting to stop a seemingly, unstoppable execution.If you would like to end capital punishment in your country (U.S) or any country, visit https://reprieve.org/ to find out what you can do.THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN UPLOADED TO TEACH/EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT THAT IS CARRIED OUT IN THEIR NAME \u0026 WHAT IT REALLY MEANS. The filmmaker continued: But through the film we discover who the real Melissa wasthe abuse she suffered as a child, the harshness of her life, how she was accused without any proof and interrogated for hours until she surrendered. Shes a mother of 14 children, with a history of drug abuse and a life of poverty, who is accused of abusing her younger daughter to death.. Carty's fingerprints were in both cars. [18][19] No female has been executed by the State of Louisiana since Toni Jo Henry died in the State's Electric chair in 1942. French-American filmmaker Sabrina Van Tassels heart-wrenching documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa, now streaming on Hulu, chronicles the case of Melissa Lucio, the first Hispanic woman in Texas on death row, where she has languished for 13 years. There are days where I wish I could leave this place and be with Mariah., Melissas original defense attorney, Peter Gilman, now works for the Texas district attorneys office. However, since she is already facing the death penalty for the Kim Anh murders, they have made no effort to try her for her father's death. [14], Forensic pathologist Dr. Thomas Young, the former chief medical examiner in Kansas City, Missouri, reviewed the case at the request of Lucio's post-conviction attorney. NOPD officials also thought having more African-Americans like Frank on the force would ease longstanding racial tensions in the majority-black city. An investigator with the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DOC) believed this was the first contact between the two, although in her statement, Frank claims that they met some eight months before the murders. Who are they? [26] The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has the option to recommend clemency to the Governor of Texas. At the time, commissioned law enforcement officers were legally barred from sitting on a jury. In total, there are around 2,500 people on death row in America. Was her child's death really a murder? Frank heard the 911 call on her portable police radio saying that an officer was down at the Kim Anh restaurant. The baby stopped breathing, and resuscitation attempts left bruises that led police to accuse Butler of child abuse. Ind. Detained in Arizona, Shawna Forde, head of an anti-immigration militia, was convicted, along with his accomplices, for murdering a father and his daughter. [13], Lucios defense argued that Mariah's injuries were from falling down the stairs, and that Lucio's psychological functioning contributed to her conflicting reports given to authorities. Thats a fact. In May, however, the Louisiana Supreme Court issued a 90-day stay of execution effective June 10 pending ongoing appeals. Kirby's ruling has no effect on Frank's conviction. [9][28][10] The British government filed an amicus brief in her support. Their decision, made public November 25, 2008 effectively voided the death warrant signed by Judge Marullo in September. The next day, they needed only 45 minutes to recommend the death penalty. Yarris' accounts of his life, what got him to death row, and what it's like to be an inmate are so captivating that you'll forget he is the only person featured in this entire prison . Lucio's case was the subject of a 2020 documentary, The State of Texas vs. Melissa. Lucio's sister, Sonya Valencia Alvarez, said Lucio has spent the last 15 years grieving her daughter and Lucio's son, John Vincent Lucio, said his sister died by accident when she fell down a set of stairs. [7] Linda Carty and Melissa Lucio are imprisoned in Texas. The second allegedly mistreated her 2-year-old daughter. The following evidence was presented during the trial: Carty was convicted of murder on February 19, 2002. She was scheduled for execution on April 27, 2022. She received a lethal injection at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, after a last-minute . See production, box office & company info. After that, Quoc Vu and his mother Nguyet sold the location, re-opening the restaurant in Harahan, and moving their residence to Metairie, where they said they felt safer. The documentary stands as a rebuke to the indifference of the media and the fanatical self-obsession of the identity politics crowd who could care less about the fate of people like Van Tassels subject. He joined the New Orleans Police Department in 1991 and was a married father of two. That societys throwaways, all those who dont count in a country ruled by and for billionaires, have unexplored depths is underscored in a scene in which Melissa in a voiceover achingly reads a composition in the form of a letter to her mother: Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. She was sentenced to 10 years probation,[16] on the condition she would work as a drug informant. They are often seen sleeping in a park near Zayala Elementary School. However, she was smitten by Lacaze's "bad boy" persona, and their relationship soon turned sexual. Who are they? Melissa Elizabeth Lucio (born June 18, 1969) is the first woman of Hispanic descent to be sentenced to death in the U.S. state of Texas. The family has been homeless for the past six weeks. While some of them hope to have their cases reviewed. Stream every touchdown from every game, every Sunday during the NFL regular season with NFL RedZone, along with hundreds of hours of live sports motorsports (MAVTV), horse racing (FanDuel TV/FanDuel Racing) to hunting and fishing (Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel). Williams was a colleague of Frank who had been working as the security guard that night to supplement his policeman's salary. [24] They assert that no scientific evidence exists that establishes that she was at the scene of the crime,[5] although her fingerprints were found in the car containing the victim's body. Frank was profiled in an episode of Deadly Women in 2009,[1] Snapped: Killer Couples in 2015,[2] and I'd Kill For You in 2016. Carty wrote out what she wanted the letter to say, and Hernandez copied it. The Fear of 13. Watch full seasons of exclusively streaming series, classic favorites, Hulu Originals, hit movies, current episodes, kids shows, and tons more. "She had an accident. In a 2005 retrospective, Chuck Hustmyre said, "As for those human bones unearthed beneath Franks house, so far, authorities have made no serious effort to identify them. ", "Her execution date looming, a mother maintains innocence in 2-year-old daughter's death", "Execution date set for Harlingen mom for murdering daughter", "Melissa Lucio execution - latest: Kim Kardashian appeals to Texas governor as juror says death sentence wrong", "Death row mum-of-14 hopes new videos could clear her of toddler's fatal fall", "Texas Set to Execute Melissa Lucio Despite Credible Claims of Innocence", "Former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos Sentenced To Federal Prison In Connection With South Texas Bribery Scheme", "Harlingen woman faces April execution for daughter's 2007 murder", "Melissa Elizabeth Lucio v. The State of Texas (concurring)", "Federal Appeals Court Overturns Mother's Conviction in Texas Child Murder Case That May Have Been an Accidental Death", "Divided Federal Appeals Court Reinstates Death Sentence for Texas Mother of Child Who May Have Died in Accidental Fall", "Court Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law: Manuel Velez", "A Texas mother could be executed in April. Lucio was convicted of killing her daughter, Mariah Alvarez, 15 years ago in Harlingen, Texas. In 2008, Lucio became the first Latina woman sentenced to death in Texas. [1] Lucio's execution was set for April 27, 2022, but an appeals court granted her a stay on April 25, 2022. International Committee of the Fourth International. Kirby said that Lacaze deserved a new trial because one of the jurors hid the fact that he was a Louisiana state trooper and previously worked as a railroad policeman. [13], On April 22, 2008, District Judge Frank Marullo signed the death warrant for Antoinette Frank. The brief states that Lucio's subdued behavior and acquiescence during interrogation were the result of prior trauma as a survivor of abuse. Crawford was exonerated in 2017.Vicente Benavides was exonerated in April 2018 after 26 years on Californias death row, wrongly convicted of raping, sodomizing, and murdering his girlfriends 21-month-old daughter. DEATH. Van Tassel has directed more than 45 documentary films over the last 15 years for major television programs. [1], Chau and Frank were questioned in detail while seated at different tables in the restaurant. This appeal was rejected on September 19, 2009. During her litigation, Lucio earned notoriety as the first Hispanic woman on. the first Hispanic woman sentenced to death row in . Box 301501 Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1501 [email protected] The speakers at Thursday's press conference included Reps. Jeff Leach (R-Allen) and Joe Moody (D-El Paso), who co-chair the Texas House Criminal Justice Reform Caucus and who were recently appointed as chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the Interim Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform. January 18, 2020 Lisa Montgomery - the only female inmate on federal death row in the US - has been executed for murder. Japanese Reviews Documentary Review: Okinawa/Santos (2020) by Yoju Matsubayashi. [3], Frank and Lacaze were indicted by an Orleans Parish grand jury on April 28, 1995. Women on death row. A court will consider new evidence regarding the case of Melissa Lucio and the death of her daughter, Mariah. Woman on Death Row at 16 Released From Prison 48:09 San Quentin State Prison - Dangerous Death Row Inmates 57:54 48:13 42:28 Death Row : The Final 24 Hours (Documentary) Bonnieevans 4:57 Teenmaar Chaandravva Interaction With Devotees At Vemulawada Temple _ Maha Shivaratri _ V6 Teenmaar TIME For ten years she has been awaiting her fate, and she now faces her last appeal.more, Melissa Lucio was the first Hispanic woman sentenced to death in More. [4] As of 2022, Lucio is being held on death row[14] at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. Although Frank's attorneys had subpoenaed 39 witnesses, they didn't call a single one. more Director: Sabrina Van Tassel Documentaries Movie 2020 5.1 hd Stream thousands of shows and movies, with plans starting at $7.99/month. Death row exonerees including Kwame Ajamu, right, listens to speakers during a Witness to Innocence news conference marking the organization's 15th anniversary at the at the National Constitution . "[12], Police and prosecutors believe that the skull was that of Adam Frank, and that Antoinette murdered him. [5], Under the terms of the Bilateral Convention on Consular Officers (1951) between the United States and the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom's consular officials were entitled to be informed immediately upon her detention (art. If a majority of the Board of Pardons and Paroles were to recommend it, Governor Greg Abbott could grant clemency. Antoinette Renee Frank (born April 30, 1971) is a former officer of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) who, on March 4, 1995, committed a violent armed robbery at a restaurant which resulted in the killing of two members of the Vietnamese-American family who ran the establishment, and fellow NOPD officer Ronald A. Williams II. [3] Lucio says she was sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend for about two years, beginning when she was seven years old. We decided to follow five of them. She emigrated to the United States in 1982 and is a United States citizen. She kept up her relationship even though she was well aware she was jeopardizing her career.[2]. Ninety percent of court cases are won by the State. She was believed to be the first New Orleans police officer to have been charged with killing a fellow officer. Women Texas Continuing an unparalleled pattern of rulings adverse to Texas death-row prisoners, a divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reinstated the conviction and death sentence of a mother convicted of killing her two-year-old daughter in what, the defense has argued, was actually an accidental fall. Dive in these women's lives full of horror, hope, death, and love, in one of the most Read all60 women are waiting for their execution on death row. The State of Texas wants to kill me, Melissa bluntly tells the camera in the movies opening sequence. Frank had sometimes worked there off-duty as a security guard. Lucio has a chance to prove her innocence and save her own . [9] She was then told by Escalon: "Right now, it looks like you're a cold-blooded killer. Theyre saying that the evidence on Lucio is troubling and that they at the least want a stay of execution. KVUE on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube, Tanvi Varma on social media: Twitter| Instagram. On 15 May, Carty told Sherry Bancroft, an employee at Public Storage, that she had indeed had the baby and that he was at home with his father. Beyond the Headlines: The Watts Family Tragedy, TV14 Crime, Documentaries TV Series (2020), Beyond the Headlines: The Jennifer Dulos Story, TV14 Documentaries, Award Shows & Events TV Series (2021), Secret Life of a Gang Girl: The Untold Story, TV14 Crime, Documentaries TV Series (2019), TVMA Documentaries, Drama Movie (2021). Frank got the money out of a microwave, then shot 21-year-old Ha three times as she knelt, pleading for her life. She has also been charged with capital murder in the death of her six-year-old son, Devon, who was murdered at the same time as Damon. As the employees cleaned the closed restaurant, Chau Vu went into the kitchen to count money and entered the dining room of the restaurant to pay Ronald A. Williams II. Who are they? [21] Lucio subsequently petitioned for clemency. Lucio earned notoriety as the first Hispanic woman on death row in Texas. Women on Death Row | Prison DocumentaryBehind Bars: South Cotabato Jail, Philippines: https://youtu.be/A8slYgeqGLwIn the United States, 54 women are \"on hold\" for the execution of their death sentence. We decided to follow five of them. [25], A 2020 documentary by Sabrina Van Tassel titled The State of Texas vs. Melissa follows Lucio's case. Frank pistol-whipped 17-year-old Cuong when he hesitated in revealing the location of the money. Melissa Lucio was born in Lubbock, Texas,[2] on June 18, 1969, according to court records. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, there are nearly 200 inmates on death row in Texas. In cases like this where you have a child death, there are experts that come in and do research and analysis, her attorneys decided to go to trial without allowing those experts to complete their work, said White. They also argued that a judge's order to exclude expert testimony on the effects of trauma had "deprived Melissa of the only means she had of explaining that, notwithstanding her demeanor and self-incriminating statements, she was innocent of her daughter's murder. Carty's mother testified that her daughter did not mention that she was pregnant when they talked on 13 May or the following days, and Carty did not appear to be pregnant around that time. Bryant thought the officer was making a traffic stop, but as he got closer, he saw the officer and two black men fighting on the side of the road. Melissa was a good person. Another sister claims the trial was a kangaroo court a circus, where the jury was laughing with the prosecutor and the judge. Lacaze had slipped behind Williams and shot him in the neck, severing his spinal cord and instantly paralyzing him. Eddie Rantz, the homicide detective who worked the case, believed Frank and Lacaze planned the robbery to get revenge on Williams. Only . Since 1976, Texas has executed more people than any other state (572), more than one-third the total number (1,534) of victims of this barbaric punishment, and is one of only two states to have put anyone to death during the pandemic.