Defendant pleads not guilty as state outlines murder theory in Bexar County trial

A Bexar County grand jury indictment was read in court on Feb. 16, 2023 charging Marco Moreno Vasquez with murder and with knowingly discharging a firearm at a habitation in connection with the death of Dunuel Valadares Hernandez. The defendant answered "not guilty" when asked for a plea.

In opening statements, the prosecutor told jurors the state will not seek to prove that Moreno personally fired the fatal shot but will argue he directed a codefendant to shoot the victim over an alleged debt. The state previewed evidence it said includes home DVR footage from 7718 Winsford Drive, four shell casings recovered outside the residence, a suspect vehicle captured on an intersection pole camera that investigators traced to a Chevrolet Tahoe previously sold to Moreno, and a firearm seized at the defendant's Kimberly Lane address that was later tested in the lab.

The prosecutor summarized the state's theory: according to the opening, the defendant "knew the victim," the victim owed him money, and on the night of Feb. 16, 2023 the defendant "chose greed over humanity, and he directed Adiis to shoot." That line was presented as part of the state's narrative of motive and party liability.

Counsel then called the state's first witnesses, including patrol deputies and crime-scene personnel, and the court admitted video and photo exhibits that the state said will help show the scene and identify a suspect vehicle. The judge sustained one defense objection during argument that the opening ventured into summation.

The case continued with testimony from first responders and crime-scene technicians, and the court scheduled jurors to return the next day.