What Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson said after learning his execution was halted at 11 a.m.

Death row inmate Robert Roberson, who would be the first American executed on charges linked to shaken baby syndrome – was ‘shocked’ to learn his sentence was suspended at the 11th hour.

The 57-year-old inmate was sentenced to death by lethal injection following his conviction for killing his young daughter, Nikki Curtis, in their home in Palestine, Texas, in 2002.

On Thursday afternoon, just two hours before his execution was scheduled, Travis County Judge Jessica Mangrum stayed Roberson’s execution so he could testify before the Texas legislature next week.

“He was shocked, to say the least,” said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Amanda Hernandez, who spoke with Roberson after the ruling.

‘He praised God and thanked his supporters. And that’s basically what he had to say.

The surprising decision comes after Roberson was denied clemency by a Texas board.

Death row inmate Robert Roberson was relieved to learn his execution was halted at 11am. “He was shocked, to say the least,” said a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

The 57-year-old inmate was sentenced to death by lethal injection following his conviction for killing his infant daughter, Nikki Curtis, in their home in Palestine, Texas, in 2002.

Roberson’s lawyers have been fighting for years to overturn his conviction, saying he was wrongfully sentenced to death.

Her lawyers and some medical experts say her daughter died not from abuse but from complications related to pneumonia.

The lead detective on the case, Brian Wharton, several scientists and a bipartisan coalition of 86 state legislators spoke out in support of his final attempt at salvation.

However, the Texas state parole board voted unanimously, 6-0, not to recommend that Roberson’s death sentence be commuted to life in prison or that his execution be delayed.

All board members are appointed by Governor Greg Abbott. The parole board has recommended leniency in a death row case only six times since the state resumed executions in 1982.

Governor Greg Abbott can only grant clemency after receiving a recommendation from the parole board.

Under Texas law, Abbott has the power to grant a one-time 30-day extension without a board recommendation.

In his nearly 10 years as governor, Abbott has only halted one imminent execution, sparing the life of Thomas Whitaker in 2018.

Roberson’s lawyers have been fighting for years to overturn his conviction, saying he was unfairly placed on death row using incorrect and outdated information.

Roberson will return to the Huntsville, Texas, facility where death row inmates are housed.

A bipartisan group got a judge to issue a subpoena for Roberson to testify before a House committee next week, which would be days after his predicted death.

The plan came about after Roberson’s last efforts proved fruitless. The unusual plan to buy time, some of the group admitted, had never been tried before.

They argued that executing Roberson before he could give subpoenaed testimony would violate the legislature’s constitutional authority.

Less than two hours before Roberson’s execution, a judge in Austin sided with lawmakers and halted the execution, but that was reversed by an appeals panel. The Texas Supreme Court then weighed in with its order, ending a night of uncertainty.

Roberson is scheduled to testify before the committee on Monday.

‘This is an innocent man. And there is a lot of doubt in this case,” said Democratic Rep. John Bucy. ‘I agree that this is a unique decision today. We know this is not a done deal. He has a unique experience to share and we need to hear that testimony in committee on Monday.’

Roberson’s case has renewed debate about shaken baby syndrome, known in the medical community as abusive head trauma.

Roberson’s lawyers said he would have been the first American to be executed on charges linked to shaken baby syndrome.

His lawyers, as well as Texas lawmakers, medical experts and others, including best-selling author John Grisham, say his conviction was based on flawed and now outdated scientific evidence.

The diagnosis refers to a severe brain injury caused when a child’s head is injured by shaking or some other violent impact, such as being hit against a wall or thrown to the floor.

Roberson’s supporters do not deny that head injuries and other injuries caused by child abuse are real. But they say doctors misdiagnosed Curtis’ injuries as being related to shaken baby syndrome and that new evidence showed the girl died from complications related to severe pneumonia.

Roberson’s lawyers say her daughter fell out of bed at Roberson’s home after being seriously ill for a week.

Roberson’s lawyers also suggested that his autism, then undiagnosed at the time of his daughter’s death, was used against him when authorities became suspicious of him because of his lack of emotion over her death. Autism affects the way people communicate and interact with each other.

Roberson’s lawyers said he would have been the first American to be executed on charges linked to shaken baby syndrome.