Travis County DA Reiterates Falsely Accused 'Satanic Daycare' Couple Are 'Actually Innocent'

AUSTIN, TX — The Travis County district attorney on Tuesday reiterated the innocence of a couple wrongfully convicted of child sexual who spent 21 years in prison for crimes they didn't commit.

DA Margaret Moore filed court documents declaring former daycare owners Daniel and Frances Keller "actually innocent" under the law while dropping all pending charges against them. In a case the garnered national headlines, the Kellers were convicted in 1992 and subsequently served 21 years in prison amid allegations they performed satanic rituals on children in their South Austin daycare center.

But none of it was true. Judge Cliff Brown of the 147th District Court previously granted the dismissal of the charges. Tuesday's action by Moore puts an exclamation point in further reiterating the wrongful charges through the utilizing the term "actual innocence," conveying that no credible evidence exists against the Kellers as prompted by provision of the Tim Cole Act.

In a statement provided to Patch, Moore defined the term "actual innocence" as "...a term of art defined by case law and requires an assessment of the evidence used at trial." Having reviewed the evidence and pored over the record, Moore determined the Kellers innocence for herself, she said.

"Without that physical corroboration and because the victim no longer recalls of the events of which the Kellers are accused, the cases are not prosecutable and must be dismissed," Moore said in her statement. "Moreover, because that medical corroboration was critical to the state's case at trial, it is my conclusion that I am obligated under the provisions of the Act to make this motion."

The case against the Kellers began to unravel after the medical doctor who examined a child complainant recanted his trial testimony. After hearing the doctor's testimony in an August 2013 hearing, the trial court found the physician's testimony to be false. This enabled the Kellers to secure a writ of habeas corpus that eventually led to their release.

Out on bond since 2013, the now-elderly couple are reportedly destitute but now eligible to apply to receive $80,000 for each year they mistakenly spent in prison.

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