GUILTY TX - Mariah Alvarez, 2, beaten to death, Harlingen, 17 Feb 2007 *mom, death penalty*

[fhc]

http://www.kbtx.com/news/headlines/...om_Who_Killed_Daughter_129958793.html?ref=793

The Texas Court of Criminal appeals has upheld the conviction and death sentence of a Rio Grande Valley woman condemned for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, one of her nine children.

Forty-three-year-old Melissa Elizabeth Lucio was convicted of killing her daughter, Mariah, in 2007.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Great news. Keep up the good work Texas!:woohoo:

 

[peeples]

Yaaaay!!!

 

[SunnieRN]

Justice for this baby! TWA little one!! ^j^

 

[Nova]

I feel confident that little Mariah would have wanted mental healthcare for her mother, not murder.

 

[JeannieC]

Rest in Peace, Mariah. God Bless her siblings and their father(s).

Melissa Elizabeth Lucio, May God have mercy on your soul.

 

[mikeysmommom]

So happy to read that this posing as a mom will get what she deserves for torturing her 2yr old to death.

 

[tlcya]

I feel confident that Mariah would prefer to be alive and nowhere near her mother, ever.

 

[Derek]

Melissa Lucio is very deserving in suffering the ultimate penalty for killing her own child under 16 years of age.

 

[Nova]

I feel confident that Mariah would prefer to be alive and nowhere near her mother, ever.

Sadly, Mariah was denied that option. But that doesn't mean she would join in the cheers for her mother's murder.

Anyone who cheers for the death of another human being should be ashamed.

 

[DairyGirl]

Sadly, Mariah was denied that option. But that doesn't mean she would join in the cheers for her mother's murder.

Anyone who cheers for the death of another human being should be ashamed.

I don't know but if I were murdered at 2 years old and denied a chance at life I would want the killer punished whether it was my egg donor or not.

 

[Nova]

I don't know but if I were murdered at 2 years old and denied a chance at life I would want the killer punished whether it was my egg donor or not.

Punished, confined, treated. There are many options other than murder.

 

[JeannieC]

I have seen so many cases where the convicted person gets less time than a DUI or an assault. Manslaughter most of the time.

Murder is murder regardless of the age of the victim. She should get a life sentence at the very least. imo

She not only killed her child, she tortured her. I don't rejoice in the death penalty, not at all. All of her children will have to live with what she did and what was done to her. That will make it hard on them and I hate that for their sakes.

I was totally shocked that she got the death sentence. That to me says premeditation at least in my state it does. She might have snapped and couldn't stop. Maybe she has a history of abuse of the other children.

Murdering children is becoming a daily thing. It is time to make changes and its obvious what we are doing isn't working. This just breaks my heart!

If a man murders his wife or vice versa what is the punishment? Should the murder of an innocent child be a lesser punishment? If the father had done this what would happen to him? Is she less evil because she was the child's mother. Does "snapping" give her an easy out? Would that give a father or boyfriend an easy out? No difference.............imo

 

[Nova]

I would have no objection to LWOP, but I would like to see her thoroughly examined by psychiatric professionals--and not just to see if she meets the narrow legal definition of insanity.

But even if someone believes the death penalty is just, cheering and happiness over the taking of a human life is just plain wrong.

 

[Tugela]

I would have no objection to LWOP, but I would like to see her thoroughly examined by psychiatric professionals--and not just to see if she meets the narrow legal definition of insanity.

But even if someone believes the death penalty is just, cheering and happiness over the taking of a human life is just plain wrong.

<modsnip>
Taking a life unless it is absolutely necessary is allways immoral and wrong. The US is alone among civilized countries in that barbaric practice.

 

[Saffron]

I feel confident that little Mariah would have wanted mental healthcare for her mother, not murder.

I read that Melissa Lucio had 12 children before she murdered Mariah, and then had twins while in prison. Since the state was heavily involved in her life -- CPS was often involved with her children, she collected $5,000 a month in welfare (even while consistently testing positive for cocaine) -- Melissa likely had many opportunities for mental healthcare.

The emergency-room physician said that Mariah's injuries were the "absolute worst" case of child abuse he'd ever seen, and that the child had been tortured over a period of months. While it may seem uncouth for some to seemingly celebrate that the death penalty was upheld for this woman, it's more likely a response of relief that she wasn't shown too much mercy, given the horror her two-year-old endured.

 

[luckygirl]

Wow, yet another case that is just so sad.

This case is a great example of drug testing for welfare....of course this is my opinion and not meant to offend anyone with a different opinion.

 

[UdbCrzy2]

I read that Melissa Lucio had 12 children before she murdered Mariah, and then had twins while in prison. Since the state was heavily involved in her life -- CPS was often involved with her children, she collected $5,000 a month in welfare (even while consistently testing positive for cocaine) -- Melissa likely had many opportunities for mental healthcare.

The emergency-room physician said that Mariah's injuries were the "absolute worst" case of child abuse he'd ever seen, and that the child had been tortured over a period of months. While it may seem uncouth for some to seemingly celebrate that the death penalty was upheld for this woman, it's more likely a response of relief that she wasn't shown too much mercy, given the horror her two-year-old endured.

You're right, she did torture her over a period of time. Here is the Appeal Opinion and it has some background information about the crime.
http://www.cca.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/pdfOpinion.asp?OpinionID=21493

 

[HMSHood]

Good. :woohoo: Sad case all around.

 

[JenniferTx]

If you kill someone in the state of Texas the state of Texas will kill you back! I'm glad justice will be served for her daughter. I pray for the rest of her kids! I'm glad they will not have to worry about their mother trying to kill them now.