Planned executions, including mother on death row in Texas, renews scrutiny of death penalty

• Texas is set to execute Melissa Lucio in two days, but a parole board’s recommendation on Monday could help save her life.
• Her case is among several recent executions that have brought renewed scrutiny to capital punishment in the US.
• While executions have fallen to historic lows, some advocates say the publicity could further fuel declining public support.

A Texas mother’s life hung in the balance Monday as a parole board was set to consider a clemency petition two days before her scheduled execution, part of a case that has drawn national scrutiny amid questions about her conviction.

It comes just days after Texas put to death an ailing 78-year-old who spent 30 years on death row. Last week, a Tennessee man in his 70s got a temporary reprieve while a South Carolina court stayed a controversial firing squad execution.