El Paso, Texas Jail Inmate Dies in Custody

The El Paso, Texas County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the death of Christopher Moreno, who was only 28 years of age at the time of his death.  Information in this post was obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing.  We are simply providing information.

Mr. Moreno was being housed in an administrated segregation cell in the El Paso County Jail.  It was a single-man cell.  The custodial death report does not indicate why El Paso County, Texas had chosen to house Mr. Moreno in a single cell.

At approximately 12:35 a.m. on May 30, 2018, a detention officer was passing out packets in that portion of the jail.  He called out Mr. Moreno’s name twice, and did not receive an answer.  He then observed Mr. Moreno hanging, apparently having committed suicide.

The custodial death report reads that Mr. Moreno did not make any suicidal statements, exhibit any medical problems, exhibit any mental health problems, or appear intoxicated.  It appears that a Texas Ranger will be conducting an investigation regarding Mr. Moreno’s death.  A recent change to Texas law requires that an agency other than that involved in the death of someone in custody conduct an investigation.  It is very common for the Texas Rangers, which are part of the Texas Department of Public Safety, to conduct such an investigation.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.