The Sordid, Unscientific Story Behind Lethal Injection
A new book by a national expert explores the failures of the United States’ favored execution method.
Michelle Pitcher
Michelle Pitcher is a staff writer at the Texas Observer covering criminal justice. She received her master’s in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley and was part of the team at The Marshall Project that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Her reporting has been featured on NPR, FiveThirtyEight, The Dallas Morning News, and more. Michelle was born and raised in Dallas and is now based in Austin.
Articles by Michelle Pitcher
David Wood, Set for Execution, Says He Was Never the ‘Desert Killer’
Wood’s attorneys have requested that more than 100 additional pieces of evidence be tested for DNA, but the state has opposed the request for over a decade.
Inside Fort Worth’s Narcotic Farm Experiment
Rehab on the Range tells the story of Texas’ role in one of the largest federal forays into drug treatment.
When a Death Penalty ‘Volunteer’ Changes His Mind
Richard Tabler is scheduled to be executed February 13, making him the second person set to be killed by the state in 2025.
‘How Innocent Do They Have to Be?’: Texas’ First Scheduled Execution of 2025 Raises Thorny Questions
Steven Nelson says he was a lookout for a robbery that ended in a pastor’s death. He’s set to be killed by the state February 5.
The Questions the Death Penalty Cannot Answer
“I Am Ready, Warden,” a new short documentary, exposes the unresolved pain on all sides of a Texas execution.
Riding the Pines in Palestine and Rusk
Railways have long defined these East Texas towns, and the Texas State Railroad aims to keep that history on the books.
GOP Claws Back Dem Judicial Seats with Big Money and Big Red Wave
The Judicial Fairness PAC pumped millions of dollars into an effort laser-focused on ousting Dems from appellate courts from Houston to Dallas.
Roberson’s Scheduled Execution Halted After Frenzied Legal Fight, Lawmakers’ Intervention
If efforts fail, Robert Roberson would be the first man executed in America for a murder conviction based on the controversial “shaken baby syndrome” diagnosis.
In Texas’ High Criminal Court Races, the Stakes Are Life or Death
Bipartisan opposition to planned execution highlights power of state’s top criminal appeals court as Paxton-backed candidates and Dem opponents vie for open seats.