Supreme Court Refuses to Halt Execution of Victor Saldaño

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to intervene in the execution of Victor Saldaño, who was convicted of murder in Texas in 1996. Despite support from both defense and state experts declaring him intellectually disabled, Saldaño’s execution remains scheduled.

Saldaño was involved in a robbery that turned fatal, leading to his conviction. Initially, his lawyers failed to argue intellectual disability during the trial. He was in the U.S. illegally at that time. Later, his case was taken up by the Texas Office of Capital Forensic Writs. This office confirmed Saldaño’s IQ as 74, a range considered as grounds to avoid execution.

Ben Wolff, director of the Forensic Writs office, traveled to Argentina, Saldaño’s place of upbringing. Interviews with neighbors, family, and teachers revealed Saldaño exhibited delusional behavior and struggled with basic instructions, such as crossing the street safely.

Prosecutors in Texas acknowledged Saldaño’s intellectual disability should exempt him from the death penalty. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled otherwise. This led Saldaño’s lawyers to appeal to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case.

The Supreme Court’s refusal came with a 6-to-3 vote, with the court’s liberal judges dissenting. Saldaño’s attorneys vowed to continue efforts to stop his execution.

Ben Wolff stated, “Every expert evaluating Mr. Saldaño agrees he is intellectually disabled. The state of Texas now concurs, despite previously pursuing his execution. It is disheartening that the courts have denied our efforts to present evidence we believe clearly shows Mr. Saldaño is intellectually disabled, as executing him would violate the U.S. Constitution.”