HUNTSVILLE – The Dallas Morning News reports that death penalty supporters, along with conservative supporters and two Republican lawmakers held a news conference Wednesday afternoon at the state Capitol urging for Robert Roberson to have a new trial ahead of his scheduled execution in a little over two weeks. Roberson, 58, of Palestine, was convicted of capital murder in 2003 for reportedly shaking his 2-year-old daughter Nikki, to death.
His prosecution relied, in part, on proving Nikki showed a triad of symptoms associated with “shaken baby syndrome” — also known as “abusive head trauma.”
The theory has come under intense scrutiny by scientists and doctors who say it is not grounds to presume abuse. Roberson is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection the evening of Oct. 16 in Huntsville. It is his third execution date in the more than two decades he has spent on death row. Continue reading Supporters call for a new trial for Palestine man
In January 2025, a Smith County Investigator was contacted by a husband-and-wife who informed him that their home had been struck by lightning in early 2024. The lighting strike caused a fire which destroyed a vast majority of their home. The structure was deemed a total loss by the insurance company who, in turn, settled with the homeowners.
