melissa lucio daughter mariah alvarez autopsy
Lucio's legal team submitted an application for clemency to Texas Gov. Selina says that Lucio was, not abusive to all of us. And experts who have reviewed Ms. Lucios case, including her interrogation records, have concluded that Ms. Lucio was relentlessly pressured and extensively manipulated during the interrogation. isYTTikTok = 0; "Interrogation is also a very cognitively demanding task so you need to be listening, you need to be parsing the truth and falsity of the information, you need to be thinking about your future options and consequences.". She has maintained her innocence, and Cornell Law School professor Sandra Babcock has called the prosecution "by far the weakest capital case I've ever seen". Two of the officers who interrogated Ms. Lucio were present at Mariahs autopsy, leading to a biased autopsy process, and an incomplete investigation into Mariahs health history and causes of her injuries and death. Afterward, Lucio had seven kids with Robert Alvarez. if(isYTTikTok == 1){ Ms. Lucio struggled at times to provide for her family, but was a caring mother, who did her best given her incredibly difficult circumstances. Her lawyers say this lifelong trauma made her susceptible to giving a false confession. "We've had her interrogation reviewed by leading experts in interrogation and false confessions. She was scheduled for execution on April 27, 2022. ET:This article has been updated to reflect the latest news in this case. ET:This article has been updated to reflect the latest news in this case. Former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos, who was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison in 2014 for extortion in a case unrelated to Lucio's, described this statement as a confession during the trial. Paramedics were called to Melissa Lucio's home in Harlingen, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2007, after her 2-year-old daughter Mariah Alvarez was found unresponsive and not breathing. In 2008, Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death in Texas for the murder of her 2-year old daughter Mariah, who died two days after a tragic fall down a flight of stairs. [8] She admitted to having spanked Mariah, but denied ever having abused her, which she repeated more than 100 times. After several hours of interrogation, Ms. Lucio said, I guess I did it, and made other incriminating statements, to get the officers to end the interrogation. However, pathologists who have reviewed the evidence have concluded that this testimony was false. At one point, a ranger got within inches of Lucio's face and said there was evidence that did not look good, the petition stated. During the interrogation, officers berated and intimidated Ms. Lucio, who was pregnant and in shock from the loss of her child, for five hours. Details about what allegedly happened in the interrogation room were also outlined in the clemency petition. Make sure everyone on Twitter knows her name: Tweet now, 10 datos que debes saber sobre esta mujer inocente que enfrenta su ejecucin. In a now-deleted tweet, Kardashian described the crime as a tragic accident. However, some of Lucios children have spoken out, insisting that their mother is guilty. She also spoke in one of her sisters TikToks and claimed that blame was placed on her in an attempt to free Lucio. If I could take back my vote, I would, Johnny Galvan Jr., one of the jurors in Ms. Lucios case, wrote in a recent op-ed in the Houston Chronicle. But worn down from a lifetime of abuse and the grief of. Abraham Bonowitz, co-founder and director of anti-death penalty advocacy group Death Penalty Action, said he believes that filmmaker Sabrina Van Tassel's Hulu documentary, "The State of Texas vs. Melissa," which follows Lucio as she appeals her case, speaks to her innocence. The application also states that the state medical examiner who performed Mariah's autopsy was told that Lucio admitted to abusing the girl and was accompanied by two of the interrogating officers during the autopsy. Lucio then had seven children with Robert Alvarez. They look at who's the victim, what's the accused accused of doing? If you have experienced sexual abuse and want to speak to someone, call the free and confidential National Sexual Assault hotline (1-800-656-HOPE or 1-800-656-4673). Lucio, born in Lubbock, Texas, endured years of abuse and violence, according to her attorneys. During the interrogation, Lucio claimed her innocence over 100 times before eventually saying, I guess I did it, when asked if she was responsible for Mariahs injuries. Click to reveal In 2008 a Cameron County jury found Lucio guilty on one count of capital murder for causing the death of her daughter, Mariah Alvarez. They used coercive methods known to produce false confessions. According to documents filed in the Texas Criminal Court Of Appeals in 2011, the children were found in unsafe conditions with scratches and insect bites. Lucio has said that her daughter who had a condition that caused her foot to be turned in fell down a flight of outdoor stairs as the family was preparing to move to a new apartment. I am now convinced that the jury got it wrong and I know that there is too much doubt to execute Lucio. Guarnera said she believes a practice used by police in Europe, called the Peace model, would help people in situations similar to Lucio's. Detectives rushed to judgment and, just two hours after Mariah died, took Ms. Lucio in for questioning. Melissa Lucio has spent the last 15 years on death row after she was convicted of capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah. Two days later, she took a nap and didnt wake up. Mariah's mother, Melissa Lucio was convicted of capital murder in this case. Studies have shown that even trained forensic dentists cant agree whether or not an injury is a bite mark. Melissa Lucio Mariahs mother was found guilty of capital murder. Alexander Molony Children: Does Alexander Molony Have A Child? Questions over Mariah Alvarez's death and Lucio's role in it have lingered since the now-53-year-old mother was sentenced to death in 2008. As Lucio's case hangs in the balance, a group of bipartisan Texas lawmakers led by Republican Rep. Jeff Leach is pleading with Gov. Later on, Lucio had seven children with Robert Alvarez. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. According to Bonowitz, factors like ableism and racial and socioeconomic bias in the criminal justice system pose too much of a threat to warrant the use of the death penalty. Your IP: The medical examiner also testified at trial that a mark on Mariahs body were bite marks. Calls are growing for Texas to stop the approaching execution of Melissa Lucio, who says she was wrongfully convicted of killing her toddler Mariah in 2007. Whitaker was convicted of masterminding the fatal shootings of his mother and brother. Eighty-three Texas legislators from both sides of the aisle have signed a letter urging the governor and Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles to grant Ms. Lucio clemency. Greg Abbott to grant an execution reprieve or commute her sentence. Alexander Molony Girlfriend: Who Is Alexander Molony Girlfriend? She started abusing only my sister, Mariah.. Lawyers for Lucio deny those claims and say the bruising was a result of the fall. Hours after Melissa Lucio's 2-year-old daughter died in 2007, Texas Rangers took Lucio to an interrogation room where they yelled at her, threatened her and showed her pictures of her dead child, her attorneys said. Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. 03/23/2022 by Anne Tyler Melissa Lucio, a middle-aged mother, was sentenced to death for allegedly killing her two-year-old son. She said that her boyfriend was often violent and used drugs and alcohol. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. He is now serving a 13-year federal prison sentence for bribery and extortion. Photos: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy Melissa Lucio is the first Hispanic woman to receive a death sentence in the state of Texas. Her dad passed away when she was a baby so her family moved to the Rio Grande Valley where her mother grew up when she was still a little kid. "The fact that we are all here today and why almost 90 state representatives, the majority of the Texas House, have rallied behind this cause to save Melissa Lucio's life is because of the injustices in her case. In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding her daughter Mariah. Mariah Alvarez: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy Viral on Twitter & Reddit. She says she was coerced to confess by a Texas Ranger during her interrogation. Family photo via AP Melissa Lucio, only Latina on Texas death row, seeks clemency as execution looms. "When you get to this point, you find there's so many layers that most people aren't aware of and don't care about, frankly. Ms. Lucio endured abuse throughout her childhood and into her teenage years. I am now convinced that the jury got it wrong and I know that there is too much doubt to execute Lucio. She was sexually abused by family members beginning at the age of 6. He continued by telling her, "We already know what happened". According to Selina, the documentary mischaracterizes the accusations against Lucio and adds to the belief that Lucio is innocent. They also claim that Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos had previously been accused of inadequately investigating over 100 claims of child abuse. According to The Marshall Project, Crain, who maintains her innocence, wrote that she had flashbacks to her abusive husband when she was being yelled at by a detective. At the time, Mr. Villalobos was seeking re-election, and came under fire for failing to thoroughly investigate or prosecute more than 100 previous allegations of child abuse. "Melissa Lucio has already thoroughly litigated the issues raised during her defense, including the theories that her statement was coerced and that her two-year-old daughter Mariah. Photos: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy - Melissa Lucio is the first Hispanic woman to receive a death sentence in the state of Texas. They say he didnt take his daughter to the doctor when she needed it. Tema, Ghana, Phone: +233 24 137 5919 A spokeswoman for Abbott's office did not return an email seeking comment. The trial court prohibited this testimony but allowed the Texas Ranger who coerced Ms. Lucios incriminating statement to testify, falsely, for the prosecution that Ms. Lucios slumped posture, passivity, and failure to make eye contact told him that she was guilty. New evidence suggests the death may have been an accident - and today, the Texas Board of Pardons . Her husband later abandoned her and their five children. The brief states that Lucio's subdued behavior and acquiescence during interrogation were the result of prior trauma as a survivor of abuse. Melissa Elizabeth Lucio, Texas. Melissa Lucio was born in Lubbock, Texas,[2] on June 18, 1969, according to court records. Lucio was convicted for the death of her daughter Mariah Alvarez. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Lucio asserted her innocence more than 100 times by verbally saying 86 times that she did not kill Mariah and by shaking her head no 35 other times, the petition said. The death penalty is wrong. Melissa , a documentary set to be released in 2020, is based on her case. The tragic incident that took away a young life happened in her own house. On Wednesday, they visited Lucio at Mountain View Unit in Gatesville. Shortly after Mariah was born, Lucio tested positive for cocaine use; as a result, authorities decided to place her children in foster care. Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. }); The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. That's what crossed my mind. ", The investigator went on to say that he knew Lucio wanted to confess "because she's giving that slouched appearance.". Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a134b9f398d2f98 Melissa Lucio and Robert Alvarez welcomed Mariah into the world in September 2004. According to court documents, Melissa Lucio was born on June 18, 1969, in Lubbock, Texas. A woman facing execution in Texas for killing her daughter is seeking clemency, claiming she was coerced into confessing to the crime. Melissa Elizabeth Lucio (born June 18, 1969) is the first woman of Hispanic descent to be sentenced to death in the U.S. state of Texas. In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding one of her sons, John. Trial jurors, forensic experts, and Texas lawmakers push for Lucio's life to be spared ahead of her April 27 execution. He says he didnt know about Mariah Alvarezs serious injuries before she passed away. } Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Lucio's conviction, ruling she was deprived of "her constitutional right to present a meaningful defense." His father, who survived, led the effort to save Whitaker, saying he would be victimized again if his son was executed. On April 15, Ms. Lucios attorneys filed a habeas petition with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals seeking a stay of her execution and arguing that she deserves a new trial because she is innocent and the State relied on false evidence,and hid favorable evidence, to convict her. Liliana Segura, Jordan Smith. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. "[20], In January 2022, Cameron County officials signed an execution warrant for Lucio. This was an extremely common type of injury among toddlers that can result from a fall from standing height. [22], In April 2022, a juror on the trial, Johnny Galvan Jr., wrote in the Houston Chronicle that he had wrongly succumbed to peer pressure during deliberations and had changed his vote from a life sentence to the death penalty. A juror from the trial has since expressed concerns and regret over the verdict, according to the Innocence Project. The jury was deprived of key evidence to weigh: that is the point.. "Lucio still advances no evidence that is reliable and supportive of her acquittal," the office wrote in court documents last month. Okay, let's kill them. [15], A 2011 appeal against the conviction was denied by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. An appeals court opinion detailed how an investigator said he "knew she did something" because of her demeanor. Isla Bryson Husband: Is Isla Bryson Married? , in recognition of the fact that bite mark evidence lacks scientific validity and following the exoneration of a man in Texas convicted based on faulty bite mark evidence, the Texas Forensic Science Commission recommended a state-wide moratorium on the use of bite mark evidence in criminal cases. [26], On March 6, 2022, in the main segment of an episode of the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver called "Wrongful Convictions", her case was the main one to be mentioned as a reason for the reform of the American justice system and specifically, the abolition of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA). a habeas petition with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals seeking a stay of her execution and arguing that she deserves a new trial because she is innocent and the State relied on false evidence,and hid favorable evidence, to convict her. She stated that he was often addicted to drugs and alcohol and was physically abusive. The Texas Attorney General's Office maintains evidence shows Mariah suffered the "absolute worst" case of child abuse her emergency room doctor had seen in 30 years. In a previous investigation into Lucio for alleged child neglect, Child Protective Services found that his youngest kids were frequently left in the care of their older, teenage siblings. under such coercive conditions. The Cameron County District Attorney's Office, which prosecuted Lucio, declined to comment. On April 15, Ms. Lucios. The Cameron Countys new district attorney, the courts, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Gov. And 30 groups that work on behalf of the Latinx community in Texas have said they support clemency, too. In shock and grieving the loss of her baby. Daughter Of Woman Kim Kardashian Wants Saved From Death Row Claims Mom Abused Sister Before Her Death, Photo: Twitter / Instagram / Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock, Oklahoma Gov. [1][19], In August 2021, an amicus brief was filed on Lucio's behalf by a group consisting of legal scholars, experts on violence against women, and representatives from sixteen organizations that combat violence against women. She had numerous bruises, bite marks on her back, pulled-out hair patches, and a broken arm. I dont want her to be executed, she says. The hourslong interrogation ended with Lucio being coerced into confessing, her legal team has said, arguing that her past experiences with physical abuse and sexual assault made her susceptible to taking responsibility for her daughter's death even though, they said, she was innocent. Paramedics were called to Melissa Lucio's home in Harlingen, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2007, after her 2-year-old daughter Mariah Alvarez was found unresponsive and not breathing. My moms sisters said that she would get a lesser sentence if we said we abused my sister, Selina adds. "The ask is very specific. Experts who have studied false confessions and trauma response said Lucio's behavior is common in abuse victims and criticized the Rangers' interrogation tactics. Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah. Ms. Lucio received a death penalty sentence and is appealing. Guadalupe Lucio and Melissa Lucio had their first five children together when they were just 16 years old with their youngest daughter Lucio being the most recent addition. Lucio regained custody of the other kids in late 2006 after three older kids moved in with their father in Houston. 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Kate Moss Was 'Scared' & 'Couldn't Get Out Of Bed For Weeks' After Working With Mark Wahlberg. But worn down from a lifetime of abuse and the grief of losing her daughter Mariah, her lawyers say, the Texas woman finally acquiesced to investigators. The State presented no physical evidence or witness testimony establishing that Lucio abused Mariah or any of her children, let alone killed Mariah, Judge Catharina Haynes wrote on behalf of the seven dissenting judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in response to the States scheduling of Lucios execution on April 27, 2022. Five of Lucios children were not living with her at the time of Mariah's death. I'm responsible for it," she said, according to the petition. Two more children (twins) were born while she was imprisoned. On Feb. 8, attorneys for Ms. Lucio filed a motion to withdraw or modify her looming execution date, and on March 22, her legal team filed a petition for clemency to the governor and Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Updated on March 25, 2022, 2:30 p.m. The board plans to vote on Lucio's clemency petition two days before the scheduled execution, Rachel Alderete, the board's director of support operations, said in an email. There is now evidence that all three of these things happened in Ms. Lucios case. All she had was us," she said. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. A psychologist who reviewed recent testing of Melissa said that Melissa has highly abnormal levels of vulnerability to police coercion because of her background. Press "Enter" or click on the arrow to show results. Only 17 women have been executed in the U.S. since the Supreme Court lifted its ban on the death penalty in 1976, most recently in January 2021. Mariah Alvarez: Melissa Lucio Daughter Mariah Alvarez Autopsy Viral on Twitter & Reddit. Lucio Successor Writ Application, at 136 (quoting David Thompsons Expert Report). 27, 2022 for the 2007 death of Mariah. An Innocence Project petition calling for a stop to Lucio's execution has surpassed its goal, having received over 185,000 signatures. He is accused of neglecting to take his daughter to the doctor. [4] As of 2022, Lucio is being held on death row[14] at the Mountain View Unit in Gatesville, Texas. "https:" : "http:") + '//www.tiktok.com/embed.js'; Melissa Lucio was born in Lubbock Texas on June 18 1969 as stated in court documents. As her April 27 execution date nears, Lucio's lawyers are hopeful that new evidence, along with growing public support including from jurors who now doubt the conviction and from more than half the Texas House of Representatives will persuade the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles and Gov. In this undated photograph, Melissa Lucio holds one of her sons, John. Despite the defense's arguments, Lucio was found guilty of capital murder and later sentenced to death in 2008. Kim Kardashian has joined the fight to stop the execution of Melissa Lucio, a woman sentenced to the death penalty for the death of her 2-year-old daughter in 2007. "This is a woman who has a history of being threatened, being yelled at," she said. Death Row Stories, a Netflix documentary set to premiere this Friday (May 25), has revealed Lucio’s twisted thoughts and the heinous crime she committed. You can also receive help via online.rainn.org, which is available 24/7. var tiktokscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; . "There are already police departments around the world who have this more investigatory, fact-finding model," Guarnera said. We're asking the governor and Board of Pardons and Paroles and the district attorney, which are the three [political] entities that can do something about this, to watch the filmbecause we believe anybody that watches this film will come away at least with doubt if not being convinced of Melissa's innocence," Bonowitz said. If I could take back my vote, I would, Johnny Galvan Jr., one of the jurors in Ms. Lucios case, wrote in, An innocent person is misclassified as a guilty suspect, Police coerce an innocent person into falsely incriminating themselves. Lucio, a mother of 14, is on death row for the 2007 murder of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah. Melissa Lucio is where she needs to be locked up behind bars for the death of her 2 year old daughter Mariah Alvarez. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. I'm responsible. After Mariah was born authorities found out that Lucio had taken cocaine. Selina claims that none of her other siblings were abusive towards Mariah. Mariah was the twelfth child of Lucio. TODR - 10 years. "What am I going to say? And they found that her statements are completely unreliable, that they're a mere regurgitation of the words that the officers were feeding to her over the course of five hours," Potkin said. BROWNSVILLE - Melissa Elizabeth Lucio was formally sentenced to death by lethal injection in the 13th Judicial District Court, according to a Cameron county District Attorney's Office release. Read and share these key facts before Texas makes the irreversible mistake of killing an innocent woman. "Our campaign is called Free Melissa Lucio because we don't want to just save her, we want her out," Bonowitz said. Isla Bryson Children: Does Isla Bryson Have Children. At the time of her death, Mariah was healing from an injury to her arm, which the medical examiner also said was a sign of abuse. Lucio is set to be executed on April 27 for the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah. ", "Texas mother is set for execution as evidence suggests she did not kill her child", "I voted to sentence Melissa Lucio to death. Officers contaminated the confession by repeatedly showing Ms. Lucio photographs of relevant evidence and suggesting certain words and facts, which she ultimately parroted back to the officers. Guarnera said these are excellent tips to follow, but pointed out that detectives often do the opposite when they believe someone is a suspect and not a victim. 2023 Innocence Project. [13], Lucio was pregnant with twins at the time of Mariah's death, and authorities compelled her to place them for adoption after delivering them while in jail. Ms. Lucios execution for April 27, for a crime that never occurred. Melissa Lucio: 10 Facts You Should Know Ab was sentenced to death in Texas for the murder of her 2-year old daughter Mariah, who died two days after a tragic fall down a flight of stairs. At times, they were homeless and relied on food banks for meals, according to the petition. The local hospital said the child had passed away. To date, over 100 bipartisan Texas lawmakers signed letters urging the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend clemency for Melissa. Shes guilty of abusing my sister which led to the death of my sister. The Lucio family went to the event to urge the governor to . As the interrogation dragged on, Lucio told detectives that she had hit Mariah in the past, but did not say she killed the little girl. At Ms. Lucios trial, the medical examiner testified that the bruises and injuries on Mariahs body could only have been caused by abuse. CPS records used in the trial do not evidence that suggests Lucio was abusive. As two experts on false confessions have determined, due to the officers tactics and Ms. Lucios vulnerability, her incriminating statements are not a reliable confession of her guilt, but rather are a regurgitation of information relayed to her from investigators throughout the interrogation.Lucio Successor Writ Application, at 136 (quoting David Thompsons Expert Report). While she was in prison she gave birth to twins which made a total of four children. "My mother is an innocent woman. However, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who reviewed the evidence concluded that the medical examiners testimony was misleading and there is nothing about Mariahs fracture that indicates that, was the result of an intentional act or abuse. Her execution is set to take place on April 27. said, adding that an emergency room doctor said it was the "absolute worst" case of child abuse. The State of Texas has scheduled Ms. Lucios execution for April 27, for a crime that never occurred. "Mariah's death was a tragedy not a murder. I have never seen a more troubling case than the case of Melissa Lucio," said state Rep. Jeff Leach, who signed the letter. Lucio told police Mariah fell asleep and did not wake up. Selina, the fifth of Lucios 14 children, initially came forward on TikTok back in 2021 after the release of The State Of Texas vs. Melissa, a documentary on Hulu that covers the case and Lucios fight to have her conviction overturned. In this undated photograph, Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio is holding one of her sons, John. It played at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020, and won best documentary at the Raindance Film Festival. As a result, she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociation, according to her legal team. "You can see this in Melissa Lucio's case. In 2019, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Lucio said Mariah fell down the stairs two days ago and got hurt. Ms. Lucio, who was given the death penalty, is filing an appeal. Lucio has 14 children and was pregnant with the youngest two when Mariah died. They also argued that a judge's order to exclude expert testimony on the effects of trauma had "deprived Melissa of the only means she had of explaining that, notwithstanding her demeanor and self-incriminating statements, she was innocent of her daughter's murder. Melissa Lucio holds her daughter Mariah. [11][12] A pathologist, Dr. Norma J. Farley, testified that the childs autopsy indicated that she did not die from falling down stairs, and instead her injuries were consistent with a death from blunt force trauma. Prosecutors say Lucio fatally beat her 2-year-old daughter but Lucio has long denied that, saying Mariah died from injuries sustained during a fall down a flight of stairs. As indicated by legal counsel at the Lucio Reassessment Watch group, Melissa is not at fault. "She was a good mother. Lacking solid physical evidence, Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos presented Ms. Lucios conciliatory statement to the jury as a confession to homicide and sought the death penalty. Lucios defense team has pointed out many issues in the case that suggest Lucio never got a fair trial. "And she was ashamed of what she did, and she had a hard time admitting to officers what had occurred. IE 11 is not supported. Selina recalls her mother excluding Mariah, keeping her separate from her other children on a number of occasions. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. April 7, 2022, 9:13 AM, CDT Fourteen years ago, Melissa Lucio was sentenced to death for killing the youngest of her 12 children, Mariah, in Harlingen. Keep up with her Twitter for more. She wasn't a perfect mother, but she made sure we were taken care of," he said. She allegedly suffered abuse by multiple partners that continued throughout her teenage years and into adulthood. "She was not evil. It stated that Lucio, who was pregnant with twins, was questioned by two armed detectives for more than five hours. The state argued that Lucio confessed to a pattern of abusing Mariah and to inflicting fatal blows to the .