Skip to main content

Listen as Melissa Lucio learns her life has been spared

Lucio learned of her reprieve in a phone call from state Rep. Jeff Leach.

Republish
Melissa Lucio prays with a group of Texas lawmakers.
Melissa Lucio prayed earlier this month with a group of Texas lawmakers. Credit: Courtesy of Jeff Leach

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

On Monday, Melissa Lucio was told by a state lawmaker that she was not going to be executed this week.

Listen to the conversation between state Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican, and Lucio, whose death sentence has drawn international outcry as more people come to doubt her guilt in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah Alvarez.

Here is a transcript of their conversation:

Lucio: Hello.

Leach: Melissa.

Lucio: Yes.

Leach: Hey, this is Jeff Leach.

Lucio: Yes, sir.

Leach: How are you today?

Lucio: I'm doing fine. How are you?

Leach: Good, have you heard the news?

Lucio: No, what?

Leach: You haven't heard the news yet?

Lucio: No. What happened?

Leach: The Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of your execution for Wednesday.

Lucio: Are you serious!? Are you serious!? [Laughing and crying.] When did this happen?!

Leach: We just got word about 15 minutes ago.

Lucio: Oh my God. [Laughing and crying.] That is wonderful. Oh my God. What does that mean?

Leach: [Laughing.] Well, it means you're going to wake up on Thursday morning.

Lucio: Oh my goodness! [Laughing and crying.] Oh thank you, God.

Leach: You're not making the trip to Huntsville on Wednesday, and the the order was very strong in that it appears that you're going to get a new trial at the very least, they —

Lucio: Oh my goodness. That is so wonderful. Thank you so much!

Wait! We need your help.

More than 2 million people read Texas Tribune articles every month, but only 12,000 of those readers also donate to support the news they count on. Not even 1% of readers! If you are one of the 99% of Texas Tribune readers who hasn’t made a donation before in support of independent Texas news, you can change that today. A small donation makes a big impact.

Our Spring Member Drive is an important time to help our newsroom plan for what resources will be available for them to tackle longer investigations and bigger projects later this year. Texas Tribune journalists need the support of readers to write the articles, take the photographs and create the data visualizations that impact Texans and Texas policy.

We have a goal to have 500 readers become Texas Tribune members during our Spring Member Drive. As the Tribune member community grows, the journalism you read here is better protected. Will you make a donation today to show your support of independent Texas news?

DONATE NOW

Information about the authors

Jolie McCullough’s staff photo

Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.

Explore related story topics

Criminal justice Death penalty Jeff Leach