Trigger Warning: This article mentions details about execution methods.
In an unusual scenario, a
Texas
judge has rescheduled the execution of Robert Roberson, who could become the first person in the U.S. to be executed for a murder conviction based on shaken baby syndrome. Judge Austin Reeve Jackson has set a date for October 16, following a last-minute stay granted in 2024.
At the hearing in Palestine, Texas, Roberson, 58, remained silent. As he was escorted out, a voice in the courtroom shouted, “We love you, Robert,” to which he responded, “I love you.”
Roberson was convicted of the 2002 death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in Palestine, Texas. Prosecutors argued that he shook her little daughter back and forth, causing severe head trauma in what’s called shaken baby syndrome.
In layman’s understanding, this particular syndrome is a serious condition that causes brain injury when a baby is shaken violently. Another name for the condition is abusive head trauma. Medical experts supporting Roberson have questioned the original cause of death, calling it outdated and flawed science.
As per Mystateline,
prosecutors argued that Robert Roberson’s daughter
died of pneumonia complications, not abuse. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office had requested the new date. At the same time, Roberson’s legal team strongly disagrees with the judge’s decision to set the execution date, mainly because they have a new appeal still waiting for a ruling. That appeal includes what they say is new evidence that proves his innocence.
His lawyer, Gretchen Sween, said, “It doesn’t make sense legally or morally to set an execution date right now.” At a court hearing on July 16, 2025, Roberson appeared in a striped prison uniform and remained quiet until he answered the three words mentioned above. “We’re not going to stop fighting for Robert. He cannot give up hope,” his lawyer Sween further said.
Last year, Roberson came very close to being executed on October 17, 2024. Still, a last-minute stay stopped it just hours before it was to happen. A group of Texas lawmakers had asked to hear him testify about his case. Still, he never got the chance, as state officials prevented it. We all know how strict the process of execution is in the United States.
Statement from defense counsel — Court Schedules October 16 Execution for Robert Roberson, Innocent Man Convicted in Texas “Shaken Baby” Case.
https://t.co/KBQ08qeDeZ
@TexDefender
@TCADPdotORG
@WTIUSA
@innocence
@cifsjustice
#deathpenalty
pic.twitter.com/2RmcRVFjMg
— Robert Dunham (@RDunhamDP)
July 16, 2025
The state of Texas has executed 595 people since 1982, more than any other state so far. Texas executed five men in 2024. Three other individuals received stays of execution. ( via
TCADP
) Most of these are carried out by using lethal injections, which is the sole method. Critics say Roberson’s case shows how flawed science can lead to wrongful
convictions and even death sentences
.
Lethal injection is the primary execution method in the US’ 31 death penalty states. But the drugs are drying up:
https://t.co/wOb7qZsbxV
pic.twitter.com/Us8jMKHymc
— CNN (@CNN)
April 17, 2017
In the early afternoon on execution day, victim witnesses and their support persons meet with staff from the TDCJ Victim Services Division at a designated location in Huntsville, Texas, separate from the prison unit. Staff instruct the execution process and provide a schedule in a private space.
BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court halts execution of man in shaken baby case after lawmakers’ last-minute appeal
https://t.co/RSP0d07peB
— The Associated Press (@AP)
October 18, 2024
Offenders have always had the opportunity to have five witnesses at their execution, and approximately 15-20 minutes. Some viewers watching the process become very traumatic, especially the executed person’s family. Therefore, as a token of support, a debriefing is provided as a safe and private space for witnesses to process their emotions, share their experiences, and begin the next step in their healing journey.
wait i didn’t realize just how fucked lethal injections are
they have a higher failure rate than literally every other form of execution we’ve had in the United States what the fuck bro
pic.twitter.com/eQ5rbBejPt
— Cameron (@CameronCorduroy)
April 29, 2023
After the debriefing, witnesses may choose to speak with the media. If they do, staff from the Victim Services Division accompany them to ensure support and privacy. That’s why we keep repeating that
when a person is convicted,
it’s their family members who suffer more than they do. It’s the years of loss, pain, and unresolved trauma. ( via
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
).
