Charita Goshay: Canton's Charles Keith helps Texas mother fight execution

Sometimes, you don't get to choose what you want to do with your life.

Sometimes, it chooses you.

Last month, Melissa Lucio of Brownsville, Texas, came within a hair's breadth of becoming the first woman in Texas to be executed.

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She had been convicted of killing her toddler daughter. Mounting evidence suggests that Lucio may indeed be innocent. It's caused 103 members from the Texas Legislature, and five jurors from her trial to call for stay of execution, which was granted late last month.

It is believed by her supporters that the little girl died as a result of an accidental fall down a set of steps the day before she died.

Among those offering support was Charles Keith of Canton who traveled to Brownsville to advise the family as a community liaison with the Death Penalty Action, a national anti-death penalty organization.

More: Canton man's new mission: Eliminating Ohio's death penalty

"The family had no idea what to do," Keith said. "We were preparing them how to engage with the media. We were able to get them going. They had great family support."

Educating the state

Keith said he and Death Penalty Action founder Abe Borowitz traversed the state on Lucio's behalf.

"People were very receptive everywhere we went," he said. "We were educating the state."

For nearly 30 years, Keith has been fighting on behalf of his younger brother Kevin, who had his execution for a triple murder in Bucyrus in 1994 commuted to life in prison.

No physical evidence has linked Kevin Keith to the crime. He continues to maintain his innocence. To help his brother, Charles Keith put his own life on hold and managed to uncover enough evidence to convince former Gov. Ted Strickland to issue the commutation in 2010.

Kevin Keith's case was specifically cited by President Bill Clinton when he visited Bucyrus to tout the crime bill in 1994.