The Texas DPS officer who launched a barrage of criticism over his department’s response to the mass shooting in Uvalde is the same man who questioned death row inmate Melissa Lucio for doing what her lawyers said was a false confession, according to the filmmaker who made a documentary. on the case of Lucius.
Victor Escalon, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, faced a large number of questions from reporters on Thursday investigating why police waited nearly an hour to enter the school while terrified children waited inside. call 911.
DPS officials admitted at a news conference on Friday that the decision was “wrong” and that police should have entered the building earlier to prevent more deaths during what has become the second school shooting. deadliest in modern U.S. history. The delay and the varied accounts of what happened have left many frustrated by the police response.
South Texas Regional Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety Victor Escalon speaks at a news conference offering an update on mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Escalon said law enforcement officers waited an hour from the time the gunman entered the school to enter the school to shoot and kill the suspect. Twenty-one people, including 19 children, died Tuesday morning. Godofredo A. Vásquez / Staff photographer
Lucio, who was convicted of the death of his young child, narrowly escaped the lethal injection when he was granted a stay, days before his scheduled execution, last month. Her lawyers and family claim that her daughter’s death was a tragic accident and that Lucio’s case was affected by corruption, gender bias and poor police work, including interrogation. by Escalon.
Melissa Lucio and her children.
Courtesy of the Innocence project
They see Lucio’s interrogation on the night of his daughter’s death as the key element that convinced the jurors of his guilt. Escalon and another agent interrogated Lucio, who was pregnant at the time, until well into the night. He denied his involvement more than 100 times before saying he was responsible.
Melissa Lucio, the mother of 14 children in South Texas who was days away from the date of the execution, has lost her offer to stay on the state board overseeing the pardons.
Innocence project courtesy
A 2020 documentary featuring a case for Lucio’s innocence caught national attention and helped spark a movement to halt execution. The film begins with a video of Lucio’s interrogation, which shows Escalon asking Lucio to hit a doll in the same way he allegedly hit his daughter. The film’s director, Sabrina Van Tassel, told the Houston Chronicle that the Escalon behind Uvalde’s media presence is the same man who questioned Lucio.
The Texas DPS officer who launched a barrage of criticism over his department’s response to the mass shooting in Uvalde is the same man who questioned death row inmate Melissa Lucio for doing what her lawyers said was a false confession, according to the filmmaker who made a documentary. on the case of Lucius. The video above is a picture of the night of Lucio’s interrogation, the same night his young boy died, which appears in the 2020 documentary, The State of Texas vs. Melissa. (Courtesy of Filmrise) Video: The State of Texas vs. Melissa. (Courtesy of Filmrise)
“Our position on Victor Escalon, at least his performance in the Lucio case, is definitely someone who takes wild liberties with the truth and his authority,” said Tivon Schardl, one of Lucio’s lawyers.
DPS and Escalon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday afternoon.
rebecca.hennes@chron.com
The Uvalde school massacre