I don't believe the death penalty was justice in this case as there are people that kill an entire family and get life. However as of 4/25/22 her case will be heard again. Hopefully they will at least make the punishment fit the crime.
30 Reviews
Struggling with this film
smartU211 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Melissa Lucio was not the first Hispanic woman to receive the death penalty in the state of Texas.
Josefa "Chipita" Rodriguez was the first Hispanic woman to be sentenced to death and hung in Texas in 1863. Texas had been a state for 20-odd years.
I believe that she probably did not brutalize her child. However, the child died from neglect. Involuntary manslaughter, perhaps?
The documentary is poorly done.
Josefa "Chipita" Rodriguez was the first Hispanic woman to be sentenced to death and hung in Texas in 1863. Texas had been a state for 20-odd years.
I believe that she probably did not brutalize her child. However, the child died from neglect. Involuntary manslaughter, perhaps?
The documentary is poorly done.
Who killed the baby then?
provita-1114220 June 2023
While everyone in the documentary and the review section are boohooing because Melissa is a brown Hispanic woman, the real question should be who killed Mariah? Which no one is seemly unable to answer. All I see is a lot of deflection, deflection, deflection and the typical "She wouldn't do this. She doesn't fit the criteria blah, blah, blah..." First of all, she did fit the criteria. The problem with this documentary that it skips purposely on the evidences because the producer is trying to whitewash Melissa wrong doings as much as possible but the problem is a lot of things are disconnected or make no sense.
Just because she's Hispanic, brown skin, and a woman doesn't mean the justice system is broke. Melissa was a crackhead and homeless with 14 kids. The medical examiner said the poor baby was beaten and had bite marks, I didn't know the stair had teeth nor could it move on its own to beat the child.
Just because she's Hispanic, brown skin, and a woman doesn't mean the justice system is broke. Melissa was a crackhead and homeless with 14 kids. The medical examiner said the poor baby was beaten and had bite marks, I didn't know the stair had teeth nor could it move on its own to beat the child.
Important and timely
annietanfaniperry21 May 2022
Why so slow?
roleredelinghuys15 April 2021
I dont know why modern documentaries have to move at such a slow, drawn out pace. I was really interested in the subject, but after 20 minutes of watching the very slow moving unnecessary scenes, and the very slow dialogs, it just became to frustrating.
Another Example of the Brokenness of our Justice System
aisulli20 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This film illustrates vividly another grotesque miscarriage of justice.
Each aspect of Melissa's case is just as absurd as the one before it. From the DA using her case to manipulate the public into re-electing him(surprise surprise- THIS HAPPENS A LOT!) to having an ME that is known time and time again to rubber stamp what the state/"investigators" want and claims it is child abuse, meanwhile the most parsimonious answer to how Mariah died is not murder where evidence of that CANNOT be found literally anywhere else outside of what Norma Farley argued.
It's hard to understand how people are calling the film biased when the film interviews people on both sides of the issue and puts forth the evidence that the audience can use to formulate their own judgement. In a way, the audience become the jury.
Great film all around!
Each aspect of Melissa's case is just as absurd as the one before it. From the DA using her case to manipulate the public into re-electing him(surprise surprise- THIS HAPPENS A LOT!) to having an ME that is known time and time again to rubber stamp what the state/"investigators" want and claims it is child abuse, meanwhile the most parsimonious answer to how Mariah died is not murder where evidence of that CANNOT be found literally anywhere else outside of what Norma Farley argued.
It's hard to understand how people are calling the film biased when the film interviews people on both sides of the issue and puts forth the evidence that the audience can use to formulate their own judgement. In a way, the audience become the jury.
Great film all around!
Tedious Doc, retrial due to dirty DA
irishfiregirrl24 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Visuals and interviews with family and witness experts are good. Could have been edited much better, too stretched. Tediously too long.
This documentary is about Melissa's innocence & poverty, NOT about the trial.
Criminal DA prison should've been enough for mistrial. Maybe there will be a stay of execution due to Innocence Project.
I recommend reading NYT & Texas Tribune for story instead of watching this movie.
Some reviewers have given their personal opinion about Melissa's lifestyle, so here's mine. Poverty is not a reason to neglect your children, let abuse happen to them, use cocaine nor not take birth control.
Abuse started when her mom ignored young Melissa saying been sexually hurt. 'She's a child, what does she know?' Violent circle could've been broken, Melissa wouldn't have had to escape marrying too young to two abusive men (neither of them interviewed or brought up in this movie).
This documentary is about Melissa's innocence & poverty, NOT about the trial.
Criminal DA prison should've been enough for mistrial. Maybe there will be a stay of execution due to Innocence Project.
I recommend reading NYT & Texas Tribune for story instead of watching this movie.
Some reviewers have given their personal opinion about Melissa's lifestyle, so here's mine. Poverty is not a reason to neglect your children, let abuse happen to them, use cocaine nor not take birth control.
Abuse started when her mom ignored young Melissa saying been sexually hurt. 'She's a child, what does she know?' Violent circle could've been broken, Melissa wouldn't have had to escape marrying too young to two abusive men (neither of them interviewed or brought up in this movie).
Timely and important
sdxtuzum21 May 2022
Regardless of your impression of the cinematic qualities of this documentary, it is worth your time. It was made out of a sense of urgency as the subject was facing a death penalty for a crime that her state couldn't prove she committed.
Get uncomfortable and watch this. You may feel compelled to do something about injustice.
Get uncomfortable and watch this. You may feel compelled to do something about injustice.
Quality filmmaking. Sabrina Van Tassel deserves recognition for this heartwrenching doc.
wychmere1 May 2021
This film is beautifully done. It is an act of kindness. Of solidarity. For anyone that can't slow themselves down to watch it all the way through, please just give Melissa Lucio three minutes of your life by watching from 12:25 through 9:25. Those three minutes prove that this was NOT child abuse. Melissa became the perfect scapegoat for a desperate politician. The timing was perfect. The story, the agenda, worked. She was poor. She wasn't the best mother. But she's not a criminal. The classic scenario of people believing what they want to believe. Of believing what they are told. Of poverty not winning. Of a family being pulled apart and destroyed at the hands of power.
This is the story of a little girl, a happy girl, whose light was repeatedly dimmed by the men who took advantage of her. She had no strength or trust to reach outside of her sunken self for help. She had left home at 16 to get away from her abuser. She married an abuser. Her youngest child had met a very sad and tragic fate. She had a left foot that was prone to making her fall.
No one had ever reported any abuse in the household. Ever. Statistics show this to be unusual. Things don't match up for a reason. And NONE of her children or family members were allowed to testify on her behalf. A woman isn't guilty just because she had 14 children in poverty. Because she had some of the older kids watch the younger ones. That's not equivalent to a death sentence. With no research.
This was not justice. This was injustice. It still is.
Thank you Sabrina. Good work.
This is the story of a little girl, a happy girl, whose light was repeatedly dimmed by the men who took advantage of her. She had no strength or trust to reach outside of her sunken self for help. She had left home at 16 to get away from her abuser. She married an abuser. Her youngest child had met a very sad and tragic fate. She had a left foot that was prone to making her fall.
No one had ever reported any abuse in the household. Ever. Statistics show this to be unusual. Things don't match up for a reason. And NONE of her children or family members were allowed to testify on her behalf. A woman isn't guilty just because she had 14 children in poverty. Because she had some of the older kids watch the younger ones. That's not equivalent to a death sentence. With no research.
This was not justice. This was injustice. It still is.
Thank you Sabrina. Good work.
Very Powerful Documentary
mommyofgurlz28 April 2021
This Documentary shows how the justice system has and is failing so many people. From the very beginning I could tell Melissa did not do what she was being accused of, it's so unfair that the justice system would rather just charge someone and close the case instead of finding out the whole truth. How can a justice system be ok with sending the wrong person to jail for life so many different times. Melissa I pray for you and your family to be together soon and for the justice system to go into these cases with both eyes open innocent until proven guilty is what it is supposed to be not guilty no matter what. And that lawyer who held all that information should have been disbarred not given a damn promotion that right there shows what side he was on from the get go. Very good documentary shows the truth and that is what should always matter the truth.
Praying for you and your family everyday Melissa you are a strong woman.
Praying for you and your family everyday Melissa you are a strong woman.
Heart wrenching!
kriskay-3942021 May 2022
A Worthy/Worthwhile Documentary
Marvelissa6416 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The first five minutes of this documentary are difficult to watch. So much so, I turned it off. But being someone who doesn't shy away from "difficult," I turned it back on and watched the story of Melissa Elizabeth Lucio play out.
I was surprised Sabrina Van Tassel, the producer, was able to get on-camera comment from Melissa's own attorney Peter Gilman whom, among others, failed her and the system miserably. She didn't stop there, however. She includes comment from family, friends, experts, and those who were part of the process, no easy feat.
In fact, there isn't one point made in the film that isn't backed up with documentation or on-camera comment by an expert/witness.
By the end of the film I felt all of my questions had been answered and I appreciated the fact that the film didn't try to convince me of whether Luciano was innocent or not. Just simply that justice has not been served.
Well done.
I was surprised Sabrina Van Tassel, the producer, was able to get on-camera comment from Melissa's own attorney Peter Gilman whom, among others, failed her and the system miserably. She didn't stop there, however. She includes comment from family, friends, experts, and those who were part of the process, no easy feat.
In fact, there isn't one point made in the film that isn't backed up with documentation or on-camera comment by an expert/witness.
By the end of the film I felt all of my questions had been answered and I appreciated the fact that the film didn't try to convince me of whether Luciano was innocent or not. Just simply that justice has not been served.
Well done.
10/10 Documentary!
sdreyes30 April 2021
The State of Texas vs. Melissa Lucio is by far one of the best and most educational documentaries out there. Our corrupt "justice" system is quick to abuse the poor and the powerless. This documentary can really make a difference. It's a must watch!
A must see!
eileengoldsen9 February 2021
Sabrina Van Tassel takes us into the heart of the injustice system in Texas Melissa deserves a fair trial and we learn that this was not the case. With raw honesty Melissa speaks. Hopefully this film will help Melissa get a new trial.
Thought provoking documentary
patavalon21 May 2022
Tells a sad true story of one woman's bravery. Inspirational.
The State of Texas needs to review and amend it's law by applying fair play principles.
Melissa inspires us by her bravery in the face of an oppressive uncaring legal system based on a lack of fair play for poor people.
The State of Texas needs to review and amend it's law by applying fair play principles.
Melissa inspires us by her bravery in the face of an oppressive uncaring legal system based on a lack of fair play for poor people.
Cruel & inhuman judicial system
jgmartinez-7784617 April 2021
It's no surprise to find our judicial system is so broken and corrupt. Given that the sorry DA is serving time, she should have given a new trial or dismal. I don't buy the "defense" attorney should also be placed under a microscope. "Never thought" he'd be working for the DA is bull. Totally obvious why he let this case flop. May all those "men" involved feel the wrath of those children who lost out. The film once again displays where we as a society fail.
I gave it an eight based on the story but was reluctant. It made me upset that they made it appear that Harlingen is enormous when they filmed multiple cities in the Rio Grande Valley.
I gave it an eight based on the story but was reluctant. It made me upset that they made it appear that Harlingen is enormous when they filmed multiple cities in the Rio Grande Valley.
A heartbreaking but must watch documentary.
taylorerowland16 April 2021
I had no idea about this case until it popped up on Hulu. It was so well done, that I watched it twice to really soak in the information and heartbreak of Melissa's case. This doc really shows the injustice through showing the police interview with her instead of just skipping to the end. This documentary is a must watch for everyone.
Must-watch documentary!
adi-6175017 April 2021
This is an excellent and very informative film by Sabrina Van Tassel who shows us how an innocent woman becomes a victim of a corrupt system and is sentenced to death for a crime she didn't commit. This film is a unique occasion to discover the world of death row for women who are too often forgotten when we think about incarcerated people. Highly recommended!
Definitely Worth Watching .
gwenniem-4230629 May 2022
This much needed documentary has powerfully highlighted how broken the justice system is in Texas. Sabrina Van Tassel was the only person who took the time & trouble to delve into Melissa Lucio's case & ask questions about the safety of her conviction. It raises so many doubts & the need for the district attorney to rescind the death warrant on Melissa Lucio & to re investigate this case in the light of new evidence . Definitely worth watching .
Great film
mrsvillalpando21 May 2022
Systemic Racism at its ugliest
agbassage21 May 2022
This is an important film to watch for those dedicated to ending racism. Here is a well drawn portrait of a brown woman who suffered great harm, and is STILL suffering, at the hands of the State.
We all need the facts of this case, and the hundreds or thousands of similar cases. Let's spread the word, take a stand against the wrong idea that skin color should decide the verdict.
Skin color and financial standing.
Well directed.
We all need the facts of this case, and the hundreds or thousands of similar cases. Let's spread the word, take a stand against the wrong idea that skin color should decide the verdict.
Skin color and financial standing.
Well directed.
Very moving--activism at its best
astinchecum21 May 2022
This film, about a disadvantaged woman wrongly accused of murdering her child and sentenced to death, paints a very different picture of her, her relationship with her children, and the. Circumstances surrounnding her daughter's death. It has been a factor in the public and legal support she has received nationwide, and contributed to the issuance of a stay of her execution in April, 2022.
This Woman Melissa Lucio is not guilty her facial expressions do not lie , Law school student here
ruizmelissa-3364728 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I went to law school for 4 years i learned something about facial expressions and learned to tell who's guilty and who's not guilty , & i'm telling you Melissa Lucio is not guilty ! Anyone who says otherwise is a liar and does not know what they are talking , kids like ALEXANDRIA POSSIBLY was jealous of MARIAH and pushed her from off the stairs as told in a testimony from her son , Alexandria was way to young to be tried for Mariah's Murder but may of been guilty & jealous of Mariah , out of love her mom MELISSA LUCIO had for her she was protected by her mom doing the time ,most moms protect their young kids from harm as any good parent would do , However The movie documentary itself paints a clear picture of the little wrongful evidence that displayed by the D. A. to the court the real evidence was never presented before the court, The court & D,A, used some made up heresay evidence than anything else and it should of been all real evidence given and not heresay , With a dirty D. A. & Dirty Governor looking to get ahead using Melissa Lucio for his own personal political gain is why Melissa Lucio has spent 10 years of her innocent life behind bars and on death row , Since then no one but Mrs. Van Tassel has even bothered with the case to prove that Mrs. Lucio is innocent , What needs to change is the dirty justice system ,Alot of us could be like : Melissa Lucio Proved guilty instead of innocent , Melissa Lucio does not need to spend anymore of her time in prison/ or on Death row cause she is innocent , This whole case was a setup against Melissa Lucio from the start and it needs to be reinstated and with a new retrial but the right way with real proof and with her son's oral testimony so she can be free to live life . With an unfair justice system in Texas there are also so many Latin & Black people who are also innocent also serving for a crime they did not commit like Melissa Lucio , Melissa Lucio should be freed A. S. A. P. by Texas and they need to hear the real evidence for once so all of this ca be cleared up and Melissa Lucio can be freed for her innocense. Wrongful Convictions and Executions
Since 1973, 185 individuals who spent time on death row have been exonerated. This includes 16 people convicted and sentenced to death in Texas, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
There also is strong evidence that the State of Texas has executed innocent people, including Carlos DeLuna, Ruben Cantu, Cameron Todd Willingham, Gary Graham (Shaka Sankofa), and most recently, Larry Swearingen, who was put to death in August 2019.
There also is strong evidence that the State of Texas has executed innocent people, including Carlos DeLuna, Ruben Cantu, Cameron Todd Willingham, Gary Graham (Shaka Sankofa), and most recently, Larry Swearingen, who was put to death in August 2019.
A Great Film
dylanhalper22 May 2022
FINALLY! Window to American Justice System
tulips-7881121 May 2022
The State of Texas vs Melissa is an example of the US Court system at work. Especially if you're a non-white woman of lower socioeconomic income status, the sad thing to remember is that this is actually a real person on the screen. This film is touching, heart felt, and yet clearly explains and lays out issues- legally and scientifically when needed. Truly gut wrenching. Highly recommended!!
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