Texas Supreme Court Halts Execution of Robert Roberson III, Citing New Evidence

Late Thursday night, the Texas Supreme Court issued a stay, thereby preventing the execution of death row inmate Robert Roberson III, which was scheduled to take place just hours earlier. At 6 p.m., Roberson was expected to be executed by lethal injection for the 2002 murder of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis.

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The death warrant was scheduled to expire at midnight CDT, and the state's legal endeavor to execute the individual was subject to a strict deadline. Following the court's decision, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) verified that Roberson would be returned to the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas.

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Amanda Hernandez, a spokesperson for the TDCJ, said that Roberson was taken aback by the decision. "He praised God and thanked his supporters," she emphasized.

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Roberson was found guilty of causing his daughter's death by causing shaken infant syndrome in 2003. Nevertheless, his attorneys have presented new evidence that questions his culpability, claiming that the child's death may not have been caused by shaking.

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The execution was upheld by the Supreme Court after a series of last-minute legal proceedings, which included the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to grant a stay. This case has garnered substantial attention, prompting demands for a reevaluation of the newly discovered evidence. The state court's intervention has temporarily halted the scheduled execution, despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court left the matter in the hands of Texas authorities.

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