Is an Innocent Man About to be Executed in Texas? Backlash as Clemency Bid Rejected for Man Convicted in Controversial 'Shaken Baby' Case
In a shocking turn of events, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected a clemency request for Robert Roberson, a man set to be executed Thursday for the 2002 death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki. Despite mounting evidence that the science behind "shaken baby syndrome" — the very foundation of Roberson’s conviction — has been largely discredited, the state remains determined to proceed with his execution. Roberson’s conviction, handed down in 2003, rested entirely on the now-questionable theory that he fatally injured his daughter by shaking her, a claim that both legal and medical experts now refute. As Texas pushes forward with his execution, many are left wondering how such a monumental failure of justice could be allowed to stand. Most damning is the testimony of Brian Wharton, the lead detective in Roberson’s case, who now admits he was wrong. At the time of the investigation, Wharton was convinced by the medical opinion that Nikki’s injuries were consistent wit