Texas Man Could Be First Executed Over Shaken Baby Syndrome

57-year-old Robert Roberson might become the first person ever executed in the United States for his 2002 murder conviction tied to shaken baby syndrome. He is scheduled to receive lethal injection this Thursday for killing his 2-year-old daughter Nikki Curtis.

Roberson has claimed innocence regarding the death of his daughter, and while a bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers are fully convinced he is to blame for injuries his child incurred while in his care, new evidence in the case suggests that the baby girl died due to complications with a severe case of pneumonia, and not due to the head trauma she sustained.

Shaken baby syndrome refers to a very serious brain injury in children who have been violently shaken, thrown to the floor, slammed to the floor, etc, typically brought on by an adult caregiver. Each year in the United States, roughly 1,300 cases of shaken baby syndrome or abusive head trauma are reported, according to data from the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

The majority of people who are against Roberson being put to death seem to recognize that he did cause serious injury to the child, but because it wasn't the actual cause of death, believe he is not due the most severe punishment given to criminals.

What do you think about this case? I'd like to hear from you. Please drop me a comment on this article or email me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com to chat about it.

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