A Washington County man is a free man after a jury found him not guilty on all charges in a case involving the death of a 6-month-old baby.

Joshua George was charged with criminal homicide in 2022 in the death of his son, Oliver. George and his legal team have maintained his innocence since the beginning. A jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes this week, finding George not guilty on all charges.

"Following seven days of jury selection and a four-day trial, justice has finally prevailed," Stanley T. Booker and Melanie F. Womer said in a news release.

George spent nearly four years behind bars awaiting trial.

"We are relieved and grateful that the jury saw the truth," said Booker, lead counsel for George. "It is now clear that Mr. George had no involvement in this heartbreaking crime."

Police said in December 2021 that the 6-month-old boy was rushed to UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh with severe head trauma. Prosecutors said the baby was abused at his Smith Township home and was taken to his babysitters, his step-grandmothers, when he began not acting right.

Booker said during the trial this week that the prosecution's timeline and evidence against George didn't line up. During the trial, they brought in an expert witness to give an opinion.

"The opinion of both of our experts basically were, within two hours after the onset of this happening, from the time the child gets injured, and two hours later, he would be obtunded, or he would be near death," Booker said. That's his time frame, our expert said, between 30 and 90 minutes. So, my client dropped the child off at 8:26 a.m. By 10:26 a.m., the child would have essentially been dead, is what they're saying. But he wasn't. So, that actually established that the child got injured in the babysitter's care, and that was undisputed. They had literature to support their findings, so that was one of the biggest things."

Booker said another monumental moment during the trial was when Oliver's step-aunt took the stand and changed her original story about his health while in his father's care.

"She was 13 years old at that time and had essentially given the same statement before that the baby wasn't acting right. The same statement her mother gave her. But she comes in, she's 18 years old now, she gets on the stand, and I asked her just a couple questions," Booker said. "I asked her, 'How was the baby when the baby was there?' And she said he was a normal baby, and she just started crying, just started crying. And I said, 'No more questions. Let her off the stand.' So, she held on to this lie for literally four years, and this was finally her chance to just let it go. I thought I saw her mouth, and I can't say for sure, 'I'm sorry,' because she turned against her mother."

Booker said they proved there were four separate occasions prior to the infant dying that he was injured in the step-grandmother's care.

"That's factual. It's just on the record," Booker said. "There's phone calls that show she actually starts calling [the doctor] at 10 o'clock, who's a pediatrician. Never mentioned that. Why are you calling a doctor at 10 o'clock when the baby's fine? You never mentioned that? Calls him again at 10:30, so she hurt the baby. Then starts calling the pediatrician. It's in her phone records."

George was facing the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder.

"While the verdict exonerates Mr. George, it does not undo the immense harm and suffering he has endured, nor the pain felt by all of Oliver's family. Tragically, the true perpetrator remains at large," Booker and Womer said.

The legal director of the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation released a statement on George's acquittal that said, in part:

"The very quick acquittal of Joshua George in a capital jury trial in Washington County was predictable and shocking at the same time." 

Booker said his client is now at home and spending time with family.

"Mr. George now looks forward to rebuilding his life and returning to his career as a licensed practical nurse," Booker said.

"This has been a painful and difficult chapter in my life," Mr. George said in a brief statement. "I want to thank my legal team, my family, and everyone who stood by me. I'm grateful to finally have my voice heard."