#savemelissalucio

Hello my name is Sabrina Van Tassel, I directed a documentary about Melissa Lucio called “The State of Texas Vs Melissa”.

Since the documentary was released  on HULU, I received so many messages from so many people asking how they could help. And there is so much to be done!!

Melissa Lucio has spent over a decade on death row for the alleged murder of her two-year-old daughter Mariah. In 2008, she became the first Latina woman sentenced to death in Texas. For 14 years she has steadfastly maintained her innocence.

Her case raises many questions: no one ever saw her being violent towards any of her children, some of the kids saw Mariah fall down a flight of stairs and weren't allowed to testify at trial, her court appointed attorney willingly set aside evidence that could have dramatically changed the outcome and the District Attorney who used her case to be re-elected and is now serving a 13 year prison sentence for extortion and bribery. 

In July 2019, the Fifth Circuit court of Appeals overturned her conviction and found Lucio’s right to a “complete defense” had been violated in her original trial. 

In February 2021, a sharply divided en banc Fifth Circuit reversed the 2019 grant of relief by a vote of 10 to 7. Lucio’s hope for exoneration and freedom was the U.S. Supreme Court. They refused to hear the case.

On Friday January 13th 2022, Cameron County set an execution date for Melissa Lucio. She is due to be executed on April 27th.

There is no time to waste. I decided to create a Go fund Me page to support Melissa most and foremost, bring awareness to her case with a major media campaign, and  help her children visit her. Most live 8 hours away and haven’t seen their mother since she was arrested in 2007. 

 I am in direct contact with Melissa and have been helping her for years. Only people on her visitation list can now send funds to her as required by the TDCJ and I am one of them. Melissa needs funds for hygiene items, ink for her typewriter, paper, stamps... to make her life tolerable. Writing is her only way of communicating with the outside world and she has very few visits since her family lives so far away. Remember she has been alone 24 hrs a day with no human contact for 14 years! 

This will be the official page to help Melissa Lucio. And shed light to her egregious miscarriage of justice. 

Together we will #savemelissalucio

Please sign and share the petition organized by Death Penalty Action:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/melissa-lucio-innocent-woman-on-death-row-in-texas-2

Below is Melissa’s info. Please send her a letter or an email through JPay. She would love to know how many are here for her after 14 years of solitary confinement!!! 

Melissa Elizabeth Lucio 

Mountain view unit 

TDJC# 999537

2305 Ransom Road,

Gatesville Texas, 76528

(Please no colored paper, perfumed paper, or cards are accepted or it will be returned!!)

Please make some noise and share on social media #savemelissalucio #freemelissalucio 

Thank you from the bottom of hearts 

Sabrina, John, Bobby, little Melissa and many more...