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When David Francis was acquitted of an arson charge Wednesday afternoon, his family was relieved and hopeful that his cousin would also be freed someday.
Francis was accused of helping his cousin, Roger Hale, set fire to Hale's house on Sept. 24, 1996.
The jury returned at 2:34 p.m. Wednesday in Kosciusko Superior Court I with the verdict of not guilty, allowing Francis to walk away from the court a free man.
"All of us are happy and we're going to get my brother (Roger) out of jail," said Forest Hale after the verdict.
Hale was convicted April 22 of starting the fire that destroyed his house. He was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for arson resulting in bodily injury of a fireman.
Hale and Francis' family feel this trial reflected their belief that both men are innocent.
"We're very excited that justice this time did come through," Evalee Hale, Roger's mother, said.
Police and firefighters testified in the trial that Francis gave police a statement saying he and Hale set the fire. Expert witnesses said that the burn patterns in the debris of the home indicate the fire was caused by arson, not by accident.
But the jury also heard testimony that Francis was drunk at the time. Francis himself testified that he did not really give the statement to police.
Evalee said Roger's spirits lifted when he heard Francis was acquitted.
"We need help getting the public behind us," Evalee said as Roger plans to appeal his conviction. "If it can happen to Roger, it can happen to the next person."
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Byron Tinkey said, "We feel that we had a good jury who carefully deliberated and came back with a verdict from the evidence they were allowed to hear."
