Texas Death Row: Areli Escobar’s Appeal Denied Despite Prosecutor Support

Areli Escobar, an inmate on Texas' death row, has had his appeal for a new trial denied. The appeal was denied despite the prosecutor's office being supportive of the bid.

Texas's Death Row Population and the Severity of the Crime

There are currently 174 prisoners on death row in the state of Texas, and Harris County, Dallas County, and Tarrant County account for over half of those convictions. As of last year, Texas had the third most prisoners on death row behind Florida and California.

The Brutal Murder of Bianco Maldenado Hernandez and Escobar's Conviction

Areli Escobar was convicted of the brutal sexual assault and stabbing of a 17-year-old girl named, Bianco Maldenado Hernandez. According to court documents Bianco Hernandez was sexually assaulted, had over 30 cut wounds to her body, and she was stabbed over 40 times. Hernandez's infant son, Cesar, who was just one year old at the time was found next to her body.

Crime Lab Scandal and the Basis of Escobar's Appeal

The appeal of Escobar's sentence is based off of major issues found with the crime lab that analyzed the evidence of the case. There were so many issues found regarding DNA tests that the lab was permanently shut down in 2016. Some of the flaws noted were the lab being given information that would cause confirmation bias, the lab not following proper procedures, and DNA contamination.

The prosecutors of the trial that resulted in Escobar's conviction were supportive of the push for a new trial. The Supreme Court justices did not provide any reasoning for their decision. Prior to this both a lower court and the Supreme Courd had ordered the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reconsider the ruling against Escobar, and both times Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected them.