The man convicted of killing a 12-year-old girl in the bed of her Escondido home 15 years ago was acquitted by a San Diego court on Friday.
44-year-old Richard Tuite was indicted for voluntary manslaughter in the 2004 case, the Los Angeles Times reported. But in 2012, Tuite - who has been described as a "mentally ill transient" and a "petty thief"- appealed the verdict and organized another trial to reexamine the charge.
When the San Diego County Superior Court jury announced that the verdict had been overturned on Friday, Times reporters said that Tuite grinned slightly, but didn't show much more feeling than that.
Tuite didn't testify during the trial, as he remained behind bars while the jury mulled the charges starting Wednesday afternoon.
12-year-old Escondido resident Stephanie Ann Crowe was discovered dead in her bed with multiple stab wounds in January, 1998, the Times reported. Her 14-year-old brother Michael was first charged at the time, along with two of his friends. Law enforcement reportedly announced that the teen had confessed during the investigation.
But following further defense-ordered analysis on forensics, tiny drops of Stephanie's blood were found on Tuite's sweatshirt. The 44-year-old was reportedly seen roving around the area on the night of the teenage girl's murder. According to the Los Angeles Times, he'd asked strange questions around the neighborhood concerning a young girl he'd met. He was arrested in May 2002, after being imprisoned on a separate burglary charge.
Tuite was sentenced to 13 years in prison when he was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in 2004. An additional four years was tacked onto that sentence after the man escaped during a recess in the trial.
