A man convicted of killing his two-year-old daughter in 2022 is scrambling to save himself and avoid being executed with a series of excuses about how he committed “no crime.”
Yes, really.
At a glance:
- Robert Roberson, convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in 2002, is scheduled for execution on October 17.
- His lawyer, Gretchen Sween, argues Roberson is innocent, claiming his daughter died from pneumonia, not shaken baby syndrome.
- More than 80 Texas lawmakers, experts, and advocates have called for clemency, citing new evidence that questions the science behind shaken baby syndrome.
Robert Roberson, a Texas death row inmate convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in 2002, is set to be executed by lethal injection next week. Prosecutors alleged that Nikki died from injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome, but Roberson’s lawyer, Gretchen Sween, is making a last-ditch effort to halt the execution, arguing that her client is innocent and that there was no crime committed.
Sween claims that Nikki’s death was the result of undiagnosed pneumonia combined with dangerous medications, not abuse. “Shaken baby syndrome has been thoroughly discredited,” she said in an interview, adding that the symptoms Nikki exhibited could be attributed to her illness, not trauma.
Roberson’s case has drawn support from a diverse group of advocates, including more than 80 Texas lawmakers, medical experts, and parental rights groups. Even the detective who helped prosecute the case has called for clemency, joining others who believe Roberson was wrongly convicted based on flawed science.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals previously stayed Roberson’s execution in 2016, but his case resumed last year, and a new date was set for October 17. Roberson’s legal team has submitted appeals to reconsider his innocence based on new medical evidence and the state’s failure to apply a law that allows for second opinions in child abuse cases.
Despite these efforts, prosecutors maintain that the evidence against Roberson remains sound, arguing that the science behind shaken baby syndrome has not changed as much as the defense claims.
But some people really, really defend him, with the Innocence Project working hard to save his life.
https://x.com/innocence/status/1844377534663623135
Roberson, diagnosed with autism in 2018, has consistently maintained his innocence. His lawyer argues that his behavior following his daughter’s death, which was perceived as odd by medical staff and law enforcement, was misinterpreted due to his undiagnosed condition.
With time running out, Sween remains hopeful that clemency will be granted. However, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has rarely intervened in death penalty cases, having granted clemency just once since taking office in 2015.
If no action is taken, Roberson will become the first person in the U.S. to be executed based on a conviction involving shaken baby syndrome.