12/19/23, Livingston, Texas: Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project
We are profoundly relieved that the State of Texas has halted the scheduled execution of Robert Roberson, an innocent Autistic man who has spent over two decades on death row for a tragedy that was not a crime. The stay and remand granted today recognize what we have long known – that compelling new medical and scientific evidence shows Robert’s daughter died from illness, not abuse, and that his Autism was tragically misunderstood by all involved, leading to assumptions of his guilt.
This decision offers a vital opportunity for the courts to finally review the full truth, informed by current medical understanding and awareness of Autism. No one should face execution – or conviction – because their disability was misread as guilt.
We urge Texas officials to ensure a thorough, fair reexamination of Robert’s case and to take this moment to address the systemic failures that put people with developmental disabilities at grave risk of wrongful conviction. Today’s stay is not the end of Robert’s fight for justice, but it is a crucial step toward it.