11TH HOUR

Texas Supreme Court Grants Emergency Stay to Halt Controversial Execution

Robert Roberson was convicted of murdering his 2-year-old child, but critics question the conviction, which was based on questionable evidence.

The Texas Supreme Court issued an emergency stay on Thursday night, halting the execution of a prisoner convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter that critics say might be innocent. Robert Roberson was convicted of capital murder in 2002 for the death of his daughter Nikki, who prosecutors argued suffered from “shaken baby syndrome.” In the 20 years Roberson has sat on death row, critics have scrutinized the evidence used in the case. “Mounting evidence suggests that Nikki died from a combination of pneumonia and improperly prescribed medication,” Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a 10-page statement on Thursday after the high court refused to halt the execution. Robeson’s other advocates include a coalition of both Republicans and Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives, the original detective who investigated the case, as well as bestselling author John Grisham. In her statement on Thursday, Sotomayor also urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to intervene and grant a reprieve of 30 days for the state’s pardon board to reconsider the evidence. Abbott has not commented about this case, and has only halted one execution during his tenure as governor of Texas.

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Zachary FolkFreelance Reporter

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