Texas Inmate Robert Roberson Awaits Execution

Robert Roberson, a Texas man on death row for the 2002 murder of his two-year-old daughter, faces imminent execution despite a bipartisan campaign urging clemency. His conviction, based on controversial shaken baby syndrome diagnoses, has been challenged by lawmakers, activists, and the lead detective in his case, who now believes in his innocence. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied his clemency application, leaving Roberson's legal team to pursue last-minute appeals, including a request for a stay of execution from the U.S. Supreme Court. Governor Greg Abbott can issue a 30-day reprieve but has historically been reluctant to intervene in such cases. With mounting evidence suggesting the child's death was due to pneumonia, supporters are pressing for a reconsideration of the conviction. Roberson is poised to become the first person executed in the U.S. for a crime linked to shaken baby syndrome, raising significant ethical and legal questions.