Marshall Moreno’s Release After More Than 20 Years in Prison

Marshall Moreno spent over two decades in prison after being convicted in 2003 for child sexual assault and molestation in Austin, Texas. His release came following the claims made by the victim’s biological daughter stating that no assault had occurred.

Initially sentenced to 36 years by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Moreno’s conviction was upheld by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals after a jury trial in Travis County. His legal troubles started in 1999 when police responded to a domestic violence complaint at his residence.

As noted in the National Registry of Exonerations, a counselor at the Child Advocacy Center interviewed the then-seven-year-old victim and detailed domestic violence, but did not mention any sexual abuse. Later, a therapist working with clients from Child Protective Services began sessions with Moreno’s daughter, referred to in court records as AM. During these sessions, the therapist asked the eight-year-old if her father had touched her inappropriately, to which she replied “no.”

This situation took a turn in September 2001, when AM began seeing a new therapist related to a foster care investigation. Under this new therapist, she stated that she had been sexually abused by her father prior to entering foster care. Following this, law enforcement charged Moreno with child sex crimes in 2001, leading to his trial in 2003.

In 2020, Moreno’s daughter reached out to the Actual Innocence Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, where she recanted her earlier testimony, asserting that it had been false. By July 2025, she officially withdrew the accusations in front of District Judge Brandi Mueller. While the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals once upheld Moreno’s conviction, they ultimately reversed it, clearing a path for his release.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza commented on the dismissal of the case, expressing hope that it would assist Moreno in rebuilding his life despite the years lost in prison. He acknowledged the bravery of the witness coming forward and appreciated the agreement of the district court judge and the appeals court in recognizing that the recantation exonerated Moreno. The unit handling this case was the Travis County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit, which investigates potential wrongful convictions.