The state’s highest criminal court’s refusal to stay the Oct. 17 execution leaves the Palestine man with few options amid widespread support for clemency.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied one of death row inmate Robert Roberson’s final appeals on Friday, declining to halt his Oct. 17 execution and again rejecting his long-standing claim of innocence and argument that his conviction was based on a now-debunked shaken baby syndrome diagnosis.

Roberson, who was convicted of capital murder in 2003 for the death of his ailing 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, has maintained his innocence over 20 years on death row.

He has argued that his conviction was based on a flawed shaken baby syndrome diagnosis given to his daughter, which presumed abuse on his part and did not consider her severe illness before her death.