Marcus Delgado walked out of the Michael Unit on Thursday, 19 years after a jury convicted him of capital murder based primarily on the testimony of a single eyewitness who recanted her identification in a 2023 affidavit.
The Evidence That Freed Him
The Texas Innocence Project presented post-conviction DNA testing that excluded Delgado from biological material found at the crime scene and matched a man who had since died in a separate criminal incident. The Court of Criminal Appeals granted relief unanimously.
What's Next
Delgado is eligible for compensation under Texas's Tim Cole Act, which provides $80,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment, plus an annuity and tuition assistance at any Texas public university.