The Harris County District Attorney's Office has been granted access to previously sealed legal communications in the case of Ronald Haskell, convicted for the 2014 mass murder of his ex-wife's family. An appellate court upheld the decision to unseal ex parte records between Haskell's attorneys and the judge, a move that is typically not allowed. These records may include sealed orders by Judge Natalia Cornelio, allowing Haskell to travel from death row to Houston for a brain scan, which has drawn scrutiny from prosecutors. as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
The case has involved multiple attempts to reassess Judge Cornelio's handling of Haskell's appeals. Haskell was sentenced to death for the 2014 murders of Stephen and Katie Stay and their four children, in a trial that ended in 2019. The judge's recusals, challenges to bench warrants, and sealed orders have sparked controversy, with the district attorney's office taking an active role in investigating the matter.
Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman recently revisited the tragic 2014 incident that took six lives. In an interview with FOX 26 Houston, Herman described how law enforcement quickly responded to a 911 call from Cassidy Stay, the sole survivor of her family. Her bravery and the fast actions of officers, including Herman, led to Ronald Haskell's arrest before any more harm could be done.
As the case progresses, prosecutors claim that Cornelio might have exhibited partiality, based on how she managed Haskell’s leave from death row for medical evaluation. Despite these allegations, Cornelio remains in her position, having recently won re-election unchallenged. Details also emerged about a problematic bench warrant for Haskell’s court appearance that never occurred. Instead, he was taken for an MRI, a fact not immediately known to the prosecutors until a victim’s relative alerted them, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Hearings and reviews of the sealed documents will continue in the coming weeks as the debate over justice and its handling persists.
