The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Monday not to intervene in the execution of Victor Saldaño, convicted of murder in Texas back in 1996. Saldaño’s case gained attention because both defense and state experts later determined that he was intellectually disabled, making him ineligible for execution according to the law.
Saldaño was charged with murder during a botched robbery while in the U.S. illegally. Initially, his legal team did not claim intellectual disability during his trial. His case was eventually taken up by the Texas Office of Capital Forensic Writs, where attorneys assessed his IQ to be 74, a level that might exempt him from execution.
Ben Wolff, director of the Forensic Writs office, visited Argentina where Saldaño grew up. Interviews with those who knew him revealed that Saldaño often exhibited delusional behavior and struggled with simple tasks, such as understanding how to cross streets safely.
Despite these findings, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals did not agree to spare him from the death penalty, leading Saldaño’s lawyers to appeal to the Supreme Court. The justices declined to hear the case, suggesting that his execution is imminent. His legal team remains dedicated to challenging his sentence.
The Supreme Court’s decision came with a 6-to-3 vote, with the three liberal justices dissenting. Wolff expressed disappointment, stating, “Every expert who has evaluated Mr. Saldaño for intellectual disability agrees he’s intellectually disabled. The state of Texas, which once sought his execution, now acknowledges his intellectual disability. It is disappointing that the courts have not allowed us to present considerable evidence proving Mr. Saldaño’s disability, which constitutionally bars his execution.”