Willie Wilson found not guilty of murder in death of 6-week-old son

A jury has found Willie Wilson not guilty of murder in the death of his 6-week-old son Delano in 2014.

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - A jury has found Willie Wilson not guilty of murder in the death of his 6-week-old son Delano in 2014.

Wilson was accused of killing the boy and hiding the body. Jurors reached the verdict shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, after less than 6 hours of deliberation.

Once back outside the courtroom, family members - the relatives of baby Delano Wilson, who heard most of the evidence and testimony - hugged and cried.

"Not guilty was ok with us. We were hoping they would charge him with abduction or something else," said Ella Perkins, Delano's great-great-great aunt.

"He still has some thing to with our missing Delano," she continued. "Yes he does, yes he does."

"All I can say is we respect the jury process," lead prosecutor Denise Robinson said.

Baby Delano’s family is not ready to walk away.

"Maybe he gave [Delano's body] to someone. Or perhaps he sold it to someone. But he got something to do with my missing Delano, yes he does," Perkins said.

Family members waiting to learn if jurors found Willie Wilson guilty of murdering his infant son Delano in 2014 #wthr

— Rich Van Wyk (@VanwykWTHR) October 8, 2016

In closing arguments Friday, Deputy Prosecutor Teresa Hall told jurors that Wilson killed baby Delano Wilson and threw him away like trash. She called Wilson's claim of 6-week-old Delano being abducted during a hold-up "completely unbelievable."

Wilson called 911 that morning from an alley near his home, telling the operator, "I been robbed. They took my daughter - I mean, my son."

Moments before the alleged attack, witnesses - and security camera surveillance shown during the trial - saw Wilson unharmed without the baby. Police testified Wilson was unhurt, saying there were no signs of a struggle. On top of that, the alleged robbers didn't take Wilson's cell phones or wallet.

While searchers repeatedly scoured the area looking for the baby, investigators found a neighbor who heard a disturbance in the home early that morning. The neighbor testified that he heard the words, "This shouldn’t have happened" and "It's cold" and "Put it in the shower."

An FBI examination of Wilson's cell phone revealed a frantic internet search: 20 web sites in less than an hour for information on child abductions and missing infants. The searches stopped about an hour and a half before the 911 call.

Prosecutors amassed boxes of other circumstantial evidence, but Delano was never found so they had no body, no cause of death and no witnesses to the alleged killing.

Wilson's attorney didn't present any evidence or witnesses. In closing arguments, Ikedigbo Nnameka told jurors there were gaps in the prosecutor's case requiring huge leaps.

"What happened to the child?" he asked. "Was there enough illumination…to see what happened?"

Closing arguments Willie Wilson murder trial, Wilson's attorney tells jurors maybe the baby was sold #wthr

— Rich Van Wyk (@VanwykWTHR) October 7, 2016

The courtroom was more crowded Friday than it had been on other days of the trial. A number of the victim's family members attended, with one of them wearing a T-shirt with baby Delano's picture on it.

Willie Wilson murder trial ... Deputy prosecutor tells jurors Wilson threw his baby away like trash #wthr

— Rich Van Wyk (@VanwykWTHR) October 7, 2016

Deliberations underway in the Willie Wilson trial he's accused of killing his baby son in 2014 #WTHR

— Rich Van Wyk (@VanwykWTHR) October 7, 2016

The disappearance of Delano is still an active police investigation. After 21 months in jail, Willie Wilson is expected to be set free early Saturday morning.