by TChris

Theodore White spent five years behind bars before he finally heard those two beautiful words: Not Guilty. And then he heard them twelve times.

White was charged with counts that included statutory rape and statutory sodomy for alleged sex acts from 1995 to 1998 with his stepdaughter. ... Six years ago, a jury found White guilty on all 12 counts but was not informed that his estranged wife, the mother of the alleged victim, had had an affair with the lead detective in the case.

White fled before he was sentenced, but was apprehended and returned to court, where the judge imposed a 50 year sentence. The outrageous decision to conceal evidence of the affair resulted in a new trial, where 11 jurors voted to acquit. The lone holdout juror caused a mistrial, prompting prosecutors to try again, rather than accepting reality. The third jury needed only two hours to acquit.

There was no dispute in closing arguments that White's then-estranged wife had a sexual relationship with the lead Lee's Summit detective, and no dispute that the detective did little to explore evidence of innocence.

Some members of the second jury attended the third trial to show support for White. The Kansas businessman now faces the difficult task of rebuilding his life.