Melissa Lucio Execution Day Canceled After New Texas Court Ruling: What Happened?

Melissa Lucio's death penalty, supposedly scheduled to be held on Wednesday, was canceled on Monday, prompting her case to be sent back to the trial court for a review of new evidence.

According to The Guardian, the Texas Court of Criminal vested the order on Monday as Lucio, a Mexican-American woman, was slated to be transferred into the death chamber within 48 hours. She would have been the first Hispanic woman that would be executed by Texas.

CNN reported that the move from the court came after lawyers for Lucio, as well as supporters and her family, argued that the Mexican-American woman was wrongfully convicted of capital murder in the death of her toddler, Mariah, in 2007.

"I thank God for my life. I have always trusted in Him... I am grateful the Court has given me the chance to live and prove my innocence. Mariah is in my heart today and always," Lucio said in a statement shared by her legal team.

The new evidence presented by Lucio's legal team suggested that the murder of Mariah did not take place in 2007. Citing medical and eyewitness evidence, the new evidence claimed that Mariah died after she accidentally fell down a steep flight of stairs at Lucio's rental home, per The Guardian.

Melissa Lucio's legal team noted that the Mexican-American woman would still be on death row despite the stay granted by the court.

"There's still a long way to go in Melissa's case, and there's much more that stands in the way of Melissa and an exoneration," Innocence Project Special Litigation Director Vanessa Potkin said.

The Innocence Project is working with Lucio's team on the case.

Lucio's attorney also mentioned that the trial court in Brownsville, Texas will hold proceedings to hear the new evidence of her innocence.

Melissa Lucio Death Penalty: Son Says His Mom Was Innocent

Melissa Lucio's family and her advocates have argued that the Mexican-American woman was wrongfully convicted for the death of Mariah.

Lucio's oldest son, John, was among those who fight for the innocence of her mother.

On Monday, John told CNN that they do not want their mother to be executed, contending that it is horrible to lose their mom to an accident considering that they already lost their sister.

At trial, prosecutors argued that Lucio was an abusive parent who caused the injury to Mariah resulting in her death. However, Lucio's oldest son defended his mom against the allegations.

"She's a great mother... [She] never laid a hand on any of us," John underscored.

Calls for Lucio's mercy have grown in recent days, including from Texas legislators from both sides of the chamber. CNN claimed that even some of the jurors in Lucio's state said that the execution should be stopped or get a new trial based on the pieces of evidence that were not heard in the court.

"My vision is just tunnel vision, and all the walls just say, 'Free Melissa Lucio' all around it... That's my mother. I know she's innocent," Lucio's oldest son said.

Melissa Lucio Execution Day: How Did Her Toddler Die?

The death of Mariah happened when Lucio and her family moved to another home in 2007. On February 15 of that year, Lucio reportedly woke up early to get some of her children ready for school while watching her 2-year-old Mariah.

While Lucio was busy, CNN noted that Mariah, who has difficulty walking due to a disability, opened the screen door, wandered outside, and fell down a steep flight of more than a dozen of stairs.

Mariah's lips bled and appeared not to be seriously injured following the fall. However, things had a quick turn when Mariah's condition deteriorated. The petition noted that Lucio considered taking the toddler to the hospital by February 17 but decided to wait for a day.

Mariah soon stopped breathing and the family called the paramedics and told them what happened.

Paramedics at the scene and the hospital tried to revive Mariah. Reports noted that during this time, Melissa Lucio's two-year-old had bruises in various stages of healing, arms that broke several weeks before the incident, and bite marks on her back.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: John, Michelle Lucio React After Hearing Melissa Lucio Got a Stay of Execution - From KHOU 11