Is Dr. Phil a doctor? Why he testified for Robert Roberson, a Texas inmate on death row
Robert Roberson was initially scheduled to testify before the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, but will no longer do so. His execution by lethal injection, which was scheduled for last week, was halted after a Travis County state district judge issued a restraining order, allowing Roberson to respond to a subpoena from the legislative committee.
Several others testified on Monday, including Phil McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, who was among the first to address the committee. A juror from Roberson’s trial also spoke.
"Everything that was presented to us was about shaken baby syndrome," said Terre Compton. "That is what our decision was based on. Nothing else was presented," adding that had she known more, she would have reached a different conclusion and found him not guilty.
Roberson’s testimony was delayed until he could appear in person, disrupting a plan that had drawn national media attention, along with his family and supporters, to the state Capitol.
Watch live: State House committee hearing on Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson case
Is Dr. Phil a doctor?
Dr. Phil holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, which he earned from the University of North Texas in 1979.
However, he is not a licensed psychologist. In the early 2000s, he retired his license to practice psychology and shifted his focus to television. While he holds the academic credentials of a psychologist, his popular TV show is more of an advice and entertainment format rather than formal therapy.
He differentiated several times throughout the testimony that he was not a physician.
"But I can read," he said.
Why did Dr. Phil testify?
Dr. Phil has closely followed Roberson’s case and conducted significant research in collaboration with the Innocence Project. Recently, he aired a two-part special that delved into the questionable forensic evidence used in Roberson's conviction, particularly focusing on the now-debunked shaken baby syndrome hypothesis. These episodes highlighted concerns about the fairness of the trial and the reliability of the evidence.
The special, titled "Shaken Baby Syndrome, Junk Science & The Man Sitting on Death Row" and "Robert Roberson – Is He Innocent?," raised critical questions about outdated medical science and the potential for a wrongful conviction.
Dr. Phil emphasized the importance of reassessing the forensic evidence presented during Roberson's trial.
"We need to be really committed to getting it right," agreed Rep. Nate Schatzline (District 93) on the Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. "(If we execute), we have to be sure at the highest level we can that that person committed this crime."
Why is Robert Roberson's execution so contentious?
Many believe Roberson was wrongfully convicted based on "junk science" and that he is not responsible for the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki.
Several Texas legislators and the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty assert that Roberson has spent more than 20 years on death row for a "crime that never occurred." The Innocence Project, advocating for Roberson's clemency, also claims the "case is riddled with unscientific evidence, inaccurate and misleading medical testimony, and prejudicial treatment."
Late Monday, attorneys for Robert Roberson filed a successive habeas application and an emergency motion for a stay of execution in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Then, on Tuesday morning, members of the Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence wrote a letter requesting a stay of execution for Roberson until the end of the 2025 legislative session, allowing the legislature time to consider amendments to Article 11.073 and other relevant legislation.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole’s six members voted unanimously earlier Wednesdayto deny Roberson's clemency application, prior to the seven-member House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee's unanimous vote to subpoena Roberson.
What was Nikki's cause of death?
Roberson’s daughter, Nikki, had been chronically ill. In 2002, Roberson heard a cry and found Nikki had fallen out of bed, according to Paste BN. After soothing her, they both went back to sleep. Later, when Roberson woke again, he found Nikki wasn’t breathing, and her lips had turned blue. At the emergency room, doctors observed symptoms consistent with brain death.
The next day, she was pronounced dead.
Lead Detective Brian Wharton, who initially supported the diagnosis, arrested Roberson before an autopsy could be completed. Wharton now believes his initial conclusions were wrong.
Wharton, the former police detective who led the investigation and Roberson’s arrest, told Paste BN that Nikki had pneumonia in both lungs, pre-existing conditions for which she was prescribed opioids now banned for children, and undiagnosed sepsis. He explained that his own assumptions contributed to the case against Roberson.
When Roberson brought Nikki to the hospital, doctors, nurses, and investigators observed what they saw as a lack of emotion, which Wharton initially considered suspicious. He now understands this as behavior often associated with autism, a condition Roberson has.
“I was wrong. I didn’t see Robert. I didn’t hear Robert,” Wharton said. “I can tell you now, he is a good man. He is a kind man. He is a gracious man. And he did not do what the state of Texas and I have accused him of.”
Watch live stream: Committee hearing for Robert Roberson
Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers, Paste BN