Carmen Mejia released from ICE custody after exoneration

AUSTIN, Texas - A Travis County woman wrongfully convicted of murder is now a free woman. She spent more than 20 years behind bars and then faced the threat of deportation.

While she was exonerated on Monday, she was not immediately released due to an immigration hold.

Who is Carmen Mejia?

The backstory:

After spending two decades behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit, Carmen Mejia is now finally walking free.

She was serving three life sentences after being convicted in the 2003 death of a 10-month-old baby.

Prosecutors at the time claimed Mejia submerged the baby in scalding hot bath water and failed to get medical care after.

"As a result, the water was coming out at such high temperatures that within a matter of seconds the baby was injured and ultimately died as a result of those complications. Instead of recognizing this as the tragic accident that it was, police arrested Ms. Mejia," said Vanessa Potkin, Innocence Project, representing Mejia.

At the trial, a doctor and law enforcement expert testified that the baby’s injuries resulted from an intentional act of someone holding the child down in the water.

"That testimony was just flat out wrong. What's pretty unbelievable is, at the time of trial, no medical burn expert had reviewed this case," said Potkin.

During a post-conviction hearing in 2024, Mejia's child testified they turned the faucet on while the baby was in the bathtub and that Mejia was not in the room.

The medical examiner changed the matter of death from homicide to accident.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned her conviction, finding new evidence that Mejia was innocent.

The decision found that the infant who died in her care was due to lacking of water protection safety.

"We acknowledge that our office failed you. The state pursued and obtained a conviction against you for what we now understand was a tragic accident and that failure cost you 20 years of your life," said Sarah Byrom, Assistant District Attorney, Travis County.

Dig deeper:

A judge dismissed the charges against Mejia on Monday, but that same day, she was supposed to walk free, Mejia was told she was under an ICE detainer.

Mejia, who is from Honduras originally, was in the country legally, but lost her lawful status because of the wrongful conviction which put her at risk for deportation.

On Wednesday morning, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced her detainer would be lifted in light of her exoneration.

Greg Casar and Jose Garza speak on Mejia's release

What they're saying:

Congressman Greg Casar weighed in.

"Because of advocacy from organizations like the Innocence Project and because of thoughtful, fair elected officials to just look at the facts and look for justice, Carmen is free now, and she should be allowed to rebuild her life here in Austin after decades of mistreatment," said Casar.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza released a statement saying, while they will never be able to give her back those lost years, he is grateful to everyone who helped right this wrong.

The Innocence Project said, in 22 years, Mejia never lost faith and hope that her name would be cleared.

AustinCrime and Public Safety