HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Texas executed Robert Roberson Thursday evening for the 2003 death of his 3-year-old daughter, brushing aside appeals from the Pope, the U.S. Congress, the United Nations and a CNN documentary that cast serious doubt on the conviction.
Roberson, 64, was pronounced dead at 6:31 p.m. CDT after state officials administered a lethal injection at the Walls Unit in Huntsville. It was the fifth execution in Texas this year.
His legal team had filed an emergency last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that new evidence — including a 2022 BBC documentary where a key prosecution witness recanted — warranted a stay. The court declined to intervene, with Justices Sotomayor and Kagan noting in a dissenting statement that the case raised serious questions about the reliability of the underlying conviction.
Pope Leo XIV, whose election earlier this week drew global attention, issued an unusually direct appeal through the Vatican press office calling for clemency. The EU foreign policy chief also condemned the execution as a violation of international human rights obligations.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats sent a rare joint letter to Governor Greg Abbott urging him to halt the execution. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned Texas officials that proceeding would breach international law under the covenant against cruel and unusual punishment.
Roberson maintained his innocence throughout 23 years on death row. His defense argued his daughter died in an accident and that interrogation tactics produced a false confession. Prosecutors maintained the conviction was sound based on forensic evidence and testimony.
The case became a national flashpoint in the death penalty debate. Texas has faced growing international criticism over its use of the death penalty in recent years.
Roberson is survived by his family, who expressed devastation outside the prison. A memorial fund has been established in his name.
— Carlos Mendez, Americas Breaking News.