Oh Great, Texas Set to Break Another Regressive Record! Man May Be First Killed for 'Shaken Baby' Junk Science

Oh, Texas, You're At It Again! 🙄

A man in the Lone Star State is begging for mercy as his scheduled execution looms. If Texas continues its love for state-sponsored murder, he'll be the first American executed for the totally debunked shaken baby syndrome.

Meet Robert Roberson, who at 57, was convicted in 2003 for the death of his 2-year-old child. The case relied on widely criticized shaken baby syndrome, a diagnosis that's been successfully challenged in more clever hands than Texas'.

More Reading: US executes 5 men in 6 days. Texas leads death penalty numbers with over 580 since 1980s. Shocking, isn't it?

Roberson & Lawmakers: "Please, Abbott, Have a Heart!" 🙏

On Oct. 7, Roberson's lawyers filed an emergency motion asking the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals to delay the execution and reconsider the conviction. Ahead of his Oct. 17 date with death, Roberson also filed a clemency petition. In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, Roberson pleaded with Gov. Greg Abbott: "Look at the support I've got, Mr. Governor, and I'm just hoping, praying that you do the right thing."

Support includes medical experts and Texas legislators. The Innocence Project claims the "case is riddled with unscientific evidence, inaccurate and misleading medical testimony, and prejudicial treatment."

Roberson's daughter Nikki was chronically ill. One night in 2002, Roberson found her not breathing and rushed her to the ER. Doctors noticed brain death-like symptoms. An autopsy showed a head injury, brain swelling, and hemorrhaging. A Dallas doctor claimed shaken baby syndrome, and Lead Detective Brian Wharton arrested Roberson before the autopsy was even complete.

Discredited Science & Autism 🧠

Prosecutors noted Roberson's apparent lack of emotion at the hospital, a claim Roberson's supporters say is rooted in prejudice. Since then, Roberson's been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which explains his reaction. His defense lawyers couldn't call a medical expert to back up his claims of "mental lapses" due to a brain injury.

Roberson's recent clemency petition says his execution should be halted. Texas legislators and the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty insist he's innocent and spent 20 years on death row for a "crime that never occurred."

Roberson maintains his innocence. In 2016, after Texas passed a "junk science law" allowing appeals based on debunked forensic science, he filed a new writ. The motion claimed new scientific evidence contradicted the shaken baby syndrome theory. But no Texan on death row has successfully used this law since 2013.

Last month, the Texas House majority advocated for his clemency. His lawyer, Gretchen Sween, issued a statement:

"Several of these lawmakers visited with Robert on death row recently and prayed with him... It would be a travesty for Texas to gain notoriety as the first government anywhere to execute one of its citizens based on a wholly discredited version of the 'Shaken Baby' hypothesis."

If the Oct. 17 execution proceeds, Roberson will be the first in the U.S. put to death for shaken baby syndrome. Texas, you're not fooling anyone. 👀