Anthony Marshall hugs his stepsister upon release from Everglades Correctional Institution on Tuesday, August 26th
Anthony Marshall
Incident Date: February 25, 1982
Jurisdiction: Ninth Judicial Circuit
County: Osceola
Charge: Murder
Conviction: Murder
Sentence: Life in Prison
Year of Conviction: 1982
Release Date: August 26, 2025
Sentence Served: More than 34 years
Real perpetrator found? No
Contributing Causes: Unreliable Informant Testimony, Incentivized Witness Testimony, Failure to Present Exculpatory Witness Evidence
Compensation? No
Current Status: Released on parole; conviction has not been overturned
On August 26, 2025, Anthony Marshall walked out of Everglades Correctional Institution after spending more than 43 years wrongfully incarcerated for an Osceola County murder he did not commit. His release came after the Florida Commission on Offender Review granted him parole on August 13, 2025, based on his positive institutional record and support from the victims’ daughter, who believes Anthony was wrongfully convicted. Anthony became the 36th person released with the help of the Innocence Project of Florida.
While Anthony is no longer incarcerated, he has not been fully vindicated. He remains under parole supervision unless his parole is terminated or his conviction is overturned, and IPF continues to fight to clear his name.
The Crime
On the night of February 25, 1982, two elderly tourists were unloading their car at a Howard Johnson motel in Osceola County, Florida, when two men approached them. One of the men fired two shots, striking the female victim in the chest before fleeing. The second man briefly reached into the car before also running away.
The husband survived the incident, but his wife tragically died from her gunshot wounds.
Anthony was implicated after a tipster heard about a reward offer on the radio and provided information to authorities in exchange for the monetary award. Despite two perpetrators being involved in the crime, the State never identified the second perpetrator.
Anthony Marshall's mother holds an IPF shirt while waiting for Anthony's release
Anthony Marshall's stepsister wearing a shirt in support of her stepbrother
The Trial
The State's case against Anthony relied on two primary pieces of evidence: testimony from the incentivized tipster and testimony from a jailhouse informant.
The jailhouse informant testified that Anthony had confessed to the crime. However, he later recanted his testimony and stated that he had fabricated the confession in an effort to receive a lighter sentence on his own pending charges.
Critically, the victim's husband, the sole surviving eyewitness to the crime, did not believe Anthony was one of the perpetrators. Despite his firsthand knowledge of the crime and his belief that Anthony was innocent, he was not presented as a witness at Anthony's trial.
Over the decades that followed, the two pieces of evidence used to convict Anthony were discredited, while the surviving victim's belief in Anthony's innocence remained significant to his case.
Post-Conviction
After more than four decades of incarceration, Anthony appeared before the Florida Commission on Offender Review. On August 13, 2025, the Commission granted him parole based on his positive institutional record and support from the victims' daughter, who believes Anthony was wrongfully convicted.
Parole Specialist David Mack and IPF Legal Director Brandon Scheck represented Anthony during his parole proceedings.
On August 26, Anthony finally walked out of Everglades Correctional Institution and reunited with his family and supporters after more than 43 years behind bars.
The Fight for Full Freedom Continues
Although Anthony is physically out of prison, his wrongful conviction has not been overturned. He was required to spend his first year following release in a halfway house and remains subject to the conditions of parole, meaning a violation could result in his return to incarceration.
For IPF, Anthony's release is therefore an important milestone, but it is not the end of his case. The evidence that led to Anthony's conviction more than four decades ago is no longer reliable. The jailhouse informant recanted, the tipster provided information in exchange for a reward, and the surviving victim believed Anthony was innocent.
IPF will continue working to overturn Anthony's wrongful conviction and fully vindicate him. Anthony may be out of prison, but the fight for his complete freedom continues.
Anthony's supporters, including family, friends, IPF staff and students, outside Everglades Correctional Institution on Tuesday, August 26th