Roberson faces new execution date

Palestine—Smith County District Judge Austin Reeve Jackson has set a new execution date for Robert Leslie Roberson III, nearly one year after his previously scheduled execution was halted. Roberson, 58, is now set to die by lethal injection on Oct. 16.

Background of Case

Roberson was sentenced to death in 2003 after being convicted of capital murder in the 2002 death of his two-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in Anderson County. Prosecutors argued that Nikki’s injuries, brain swelling, retinal hemorrhages, and subdural bleeding, were consistent with shaken baby syndrome, a diagnosis once widely accepted by the medical community.1 

In recent years, however, shaken baby syndrome has become increasingly controversial. Roberson’s defense team contends that Nikki’s death resulted from complications of severe pneumonia, potentially exacerbated by a fall and medications she was taking at the time.2 

Courtroom Developments

During a July 16 hearing, Judge Jackson approved a formal request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to reschedule the execution.3 Roberson appeared in court wearing a prison-issued uniform and a protective vest. The hearing drew emotional responses from both sides, supporters of Roberson and family members advocating for justice for Nikki.4 

Legal Appeals and Implications

Roberson’s attorneys have filed multiple appeals, including one in February, arguing that his conviction is based on outdated and discredited forensic science. They maintain that Nikki’s death was caused by natural illness and misinterpreted symptoms, not abuse.5 

Attorney General Paxton has defended the decision to move forward, asserting that the legal process must reach a resolution. He has previously criticized legislative efforts to delay executions, calling such actions politically motivated interference.

What Comes Next

Roberson’s defense team is expected to file for another stay of execution, urging appellate courts to examine what they call “junk science” behind his conviction. The case has garnered national attention, drawing debate over the reliability of shaken baby diagnoses and the potential misuse of forensic evidence in death penalty cases.6

If courts decline to intervene, Roberson could become one of the first individuals in the United States executed based on a shaken baby syndrome conviction.*

Sources

                1 The Texas Observer  

                2 houstonchronicle.com.

                3 The Texas Tribune

                4 KERA News

                5 Texas Observer

                6 KERA News

*This story was written with the aid of chatgpt.