Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A Texas appeals court on Thursday granted a stay of execution for death row inmate Robert Robertson, who was convicted in 2002 of the death of his 2-year-old daughter Nikki Curtis.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals sent Robertson's case back down to a trial court days before his scheduled execution as he claims innocence in his daughter's death, according to CNN.
Roberson, who has been on death row for more than 22 years, was slated to be the first person ever executed on evidence of a death related to shaken baby syndrome, which scores of experts have called into question unreliable evidence.
He was scheduled to be executed on Oct. 16.
In November, the Texas Supreme Court cleared the way for Robertson's planned death date after a series of other appeal denials.
