A Travis County, Texas, judge has ruled that Carmen Mejia was wrongfully convicted of murder in 2005, a decision that the Austin American-Statesman reported brings her “a step closer to freedom” after nearly two decades behind bars. Mejia had been serving three life sentences for the 2003 death of a 10-month-old child in her care.
She was accused of lowering the child into scalding bathwater and of deliberately keeping the child from medical care. Mejia has maintained her innocence since her arrest. At the time of her conviction, prosecutors told jurors she committed a crime that “came from someplace deep within her, a dark, black, evil place in her heart.”
The prosecution also argued she damaged her credibility by showing how the baby was burned on multiple occasions, saying her actions were motivated by fear of losing her own children. Mejia had four children under the age of six when the incident occurred.
Mejia began seeking a review of her case in 2014, but her appeals were repeatedly denied. This year, however, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office acknowledged new forensic evidence suggesting the child’s death may have been an accident rather than murder.
According to Fox 7 Austin, Art Guerrero, the bailiff at the original trial, recalled that Mejia “cried the whole time… had her head down” and “she never raised her head at all until she was asked to speak or say something.” Guerrero retired in 2015 and later contacted the Innocence Project, whose involvement ultimately helped bring the case back to court.
Attorneys with the Innocence Project introduced expert testimony showing that scalding water could cause third-degree burns in less than two seconds, especially in an apartment without adequate safety protections. They argued that Mejia may not have realized the extent of the burns immediately, but that this did not prove she was denying the baby medical care.
The prosecution’s original medical expert, after reviewing the new evidence, revised their opinion and agreed the child’s death was accidental. Mejia’s now 24-year-old daughter, who was three at the time, also testified she was “100% certain” that Mejia accidentally turned on the faucet that led to the child’s fatal burns.
During an August 14 hearing, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office admitted its case was “flawed” and said the evidence and science could not support the conviction. Prosecutors also agreed with the Innocence Project that Mejia’s original defense attorney failed to call a competent burn expert who could have challenged the state’s case 20 years ago.
Since her incarceration, Mejia’s four children were adopted by different families, and she has not seen them during her two decades in custody.
