Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentDespite premiering at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, ranking among Hulu’s most-watched documentaries and garnering high-profile support, Sabrina Van Tassel’s “The State of Texas vs.
Melissa” hasn’t yet succeeded in changing the fate of Melissa Lucio.The first Hispanic woman sentenced to death row in Texas, Lucio has been in prison for 14 years and was just given an execution date for April 27.
Lucio was blamed for the abuse and subsequent death of her two-year-old daughter, which she has claimed was accidental.Van Tassel’s documentary shows how Lucio was coerced by a Texas Ranger to make incriminating statements after hours of questioning.
Based on a thorough investigation conducted by Van Tassel over several years, the doc reveals how the system was stacked against Lucio — from the court-appointed attorney, who withheld certain evidence, to the District Attorney, who is serving a sentence for bribery and corruption.
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