Temple Man Sentenced to 60 Years for 2024 Shooting Death of Medical Researcher

Bralon Amad Buhl has been sentenced to 60 years for the 2024 shooting of Gilberto Moralez. The jury rejected a "sudden passion" defense in the downtown Waco case.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 17, 2026, 7:08 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from KWTX (Waco, TX).

A Deadly Escalation in Downtown Waco

On Tuesday, a jury in Waco’s 19th State District Court convicted Bralon Amad Buhl of murder and deadly conduct. The charges stem from the shooting death of 41-year-old Gilberto Moralez, a researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. According to trial testimony, Moralez and several colleagues were leaving "Cricket’s Grill & Draft House" to return to their hotel when they were followed by a group of men from Temple. A physical scuffle ensued in a nearby parking lot, which appeared to dissipate before Buhl retrieved a 9 mm pistol from a vehicle and opened fire from 45 feet away.

The Trial and "Sudden Passion" Defense

During the punishment phase, defense attorney Sandy Gately argued that Buhl acted under "sudden passion," claiming the violence was a reactive explosion of anger following a punch thrown by Moralez. Gately pointed to the victim's high blood-alcohol content—0.273 percent—as evidence of the volatile environment that night. However, prosecutors Hix and McCowan countered that Buhl’s decision to retrieve a weapon and fire at least six rounds at the fleeing group demonstrated a senseless disregard for life. Jurors took only 20 minutes to convict Buhl and one hour to determine his 60-year sentence.

Evidence and Identification

Waco police investigators relied heavily on grainy surveillance footage from downtown businesses and social media records to identify Buhl and his associates. Upon executing a search warrant at Buhl’s home in Temple, officers discovered a 40-round high-capacity magazine on a kitchen counter next to a children’s book, along with a significant quantity of marijuana. Prosecutors also presented Buhl’s criminal history, which included prior convictions for unlawfully carrying a weapon, burglary, and evading arrest.