Melissa Lucio’s son stated “it’s been 15 lengthy years” as his mom has been held on loss of life row awaiting execution for the loss of life of his child sister.

John Lucio, 32, spoke at a press convention on Monday night in Gatesville, Texas, after the Texas Court docket of Prison Appeals granted her a keep of execution.

“It’s been 15 lengthy years,” he stated, including that “there are not any extra excuses”.

Melissa Lucio’s mom has thanked all of the individuals who supported her daughter in her plight and thanked God “for the miracle” of her keep of execution.

“Thanks for supporting Melissa and thanks to everyone and to God,” she stated in a digital press convention with members of Lucio’s authorized group on Monday afternoon.

“Thank God for the miracle.”

One in all Melissa Lucio’s legal professional has referred to as the choice by the appeals court docket to grant the mother-of-14 a keep of execution “the fitting factor”.

Vanessa Potkin, director of Particular Litigation on the Innocence Venture and certainly one of Melissa’s attorneys, launched a press release following the Court docket of Prison Appeals’ announcement that it was halting Wednesday’s execution and ordering the trial court docket to evaluate proof within the case.

“The Court docket of Prison Appeals did the fitting factor by stopping Melissa’s execution. Medical proof reveals that Mariah’s loss of life was in line with an accident. However for the State’s use of false testimony, no juror would have voted to convict Melissa of capital homicide as a result of no homicide occurred,” she stated in a press release.

“It will have shocked the general public’s conscience for Melissa to be put to loss of life based mostly on false and incomplete medical proof for against the law that by no means even occurred.

“The entire new proof of her innocence has by no means earlier than been thought of by any court docket. The Court docket’s keep permits us to proceed combating alongside Melissa to overturn her wrongful conviction.”

An emotional audio clip has captured the second Melissa Lucio realized that her life had been saved, after the Texas Court docket of Prison Appeals granted her a keep of execution.

The 53-year-old mother-of-14 was informed the information in a jail cellphone name with Republican state Rep Jeff Leach on Monday afternoon.

“You haven’t heard the information but?” asks Rep Leach.

“No, what occurred?” Lucio responds.

“The Court docket of Prison Appeals issued a keep of your execution for Wednesday,” the lawmaker tells her.

Lucio is heard gasping earlier than saying: “Are you severe? Are you severe?”

Her voice breaks and he or she is heard laughing and sobbing with emotion.

“When did this occur?” she cries.

“We simply acquired phrase about quarter-hour in the past,” he tells her.

“Oh my god!” she says, laughing.

“That’s great! Oh my god!”

Melissa Lucio’s household are “relieved and grateful” that the 53-year-old’s life has been saved, in line with certainly one of her attorneys.

Tivon Schardl stated in a press release that the household have been pleased with the Texas Court docket of Prison Appeals’ choice to grant her a keep, saying that it “honored” the reminiscence of two-year-old Mariah within the course of.

“We all know that Melissa’s youngsters — Mariah’s brothers and sisters — and Mariah’s grandparents, aunts and uncles are all relieved and grateful that Melissa’s life won’t be taken by the State of Texas,” he stated.

“And we consider the court docket honored Mariah’s reminiscence as a result of Melissa is harmless. Melissa is entitled to a brand new, honest trial. The individuals of Texas are entitled to a brand new, honest trial.

“Texans ought to be grateful and proud that the Court docket of Prison Appeals has given Melissa’s authorized group the chance to current the brand new proof of Melissa’s innocence to the Cameron County district court docket.”

Mr Schardl thanked “the tons of of hundreds of Texans and other people across the US and the world” who had proven help for Lucio in current months.

The order from the Texas Court docket of Prison Appeals signifies that Wednesday’s execution has now been referred to as off.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t imply that Melissa Lucio is now free or that she has been exonerated.

As a substitute, her case will now be despatched again to the trial court docket – the 138th Judicial District Court docket of Cameron County – to contemplate the brand new proof put ahead within the case which helps her declare of innocence.

It’s not clear when the decrease court docket will start reviewing the case.

Lucio’s legal professional informed The Impartial final week that if a keep was granted, the following step for her authorized group can be to ask for an evidentiary listening to to current the brand new proof.

There, they’d ask for Lucio to be granted a brand new trial.

US Rep Joaquin Castro joined within the celebrations that Melissa Lucio’s looming execution has been halted.

The congressman, who represents Texas’s twentieth congressional district, stated there was “robust proof” of Lucio’s innocence.

“I’m glad that Melissa Lucio’s execution has been stayed! There’s robust proof that she didn’t commit the crime she was charged with,” he tweeted.

Sandra Babcock, the director of the Cornell Heart on the Loss of life Penalty Worldwide and certainly one of Melissa Lucio’s attorneys, stated Monday’s choice from the Texas appeals court docket confirmed the “Melissa’s life issues”.

“The Court docket’s choice paves the way in which for Melissa to current proof of her innocence that ought to have been heard by the jury that condemned her to loss of life fourteen years in the past,” she stated in a press release.

“As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and intimate companion violence, and now locked away for these previous 15 years, Melissa’s voice and experiences have by no means been valued.

“The Court docket’s choice alerts its willingness to lastly hear Melissa’s aspect of the story. If the district court docket hears all of the proof of Melissa’s innocence, and the gender bias that contaminated the police investigation and prosecution, we’re assured she’s going to return dwelling to her household.”

Supporters of Melissa Lucio who had gathered on the state Capitol on Monday to push for her loss of life sentence to be halted have been seen celebrating information that she had been granted a keep of execution.

The group, wearing t-shirts studying “Free Melissa Lucio”, welcomed the choice by the Court docket of Prison Appeals of Texas to cease her execution and order a decrease court docket to evaluate the brand new proof within the case.

A Republican state lawmaker has spoken out in regards to the second Melissa Lucio realized her life was to be saved.

State Rep Jeff Leach informed The Texas Tribune he informed Lucio over the cellphone that the Texas appeals court docket had granted her a keep of execution.

The mother-of-14 was overcome with emotion and laughed by way of tears, he stated.

“Are you severe?” she requested. “That’s great… Oh thanks, God.”

Rep Leach has turn out to be one of the vocal supporters of Lucio in current weeks and – in partnership with Democratic Rep Joe Moody – has led a bipartisan group of 83 state representatives in calls to cease her execution.

Final week, Rep Leach spoke out in regards to the case saying that even “pro-life conservatives” who’re in favour of the loss of life penalty and consider capital punishment is “a God-ordained establishment” should recognise the state has “royally messed it up” in Lucio’s case.

Earlier this month, seven of the lawmakers visited Lucio on loss of life row on the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville and prayed along with her.

A bipartisan group of 20 members of the Texas Senate additionally publicly opposed Lucio’s execution.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers even consists of members who’re proponents of the loss of life penalty.