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US Man to Be Executed for Crime Experts Say Is Impossible
Texan Robert Robertson faces the death penalty for a crime experts say is impossible, ABC News reported, suggesting the man is likely innocent.
The sentence followed the death of his two-year-old daughter. In 2002, Robertson woke up to the sound of the girl falling out of bed. After calming her down, he put her back to bed, and in the morning he found his daughter unconscious with blue lips. Unfortunately, the child could not be saved.
The doctor who performed the autopsy noted the head injuries and concluded that they were the result of violence. The court also considered the opinion of another medical expert who pointed out the possibility that shaken baby syndrome was the cause of the cerebral effusion. Prosecutors believe that the cerebral effusion was caused by the father's actions.
Robertson's defense team is trying to stop his execution, scheduled for Oct. 17, citing growing scientific doubts about the existence of shaken baby syndrome and the accuracy of diagnoses associated with it. More than 30 medical and scientific experts have said the charges against Robertson are untrue and have asked the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to review the case. They say the crimes Robertson is accused of are simply impossible.
Legal experts offer a more likely explanation, linking the tragedy to pneumonia suffered by the girl in the last days of her life. She was prescribed drugs containing codeine and promethazine, which are known to be dangerous for young children, making breathing difficult and sometimes with serious consequences. This may be what happened in her case.
Last September, Alabama saw the second execution in U.S. history of a prisoner using nitrogen.