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There is a major update in the alleged kidnapping case of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stemming from 2020.
Three men were acquitted in the case, including William Null, twin brother Michael Null, and Eric Molitor.
All three were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist Act and a weapon charge.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wasn’t happy with the outcome, saying the three men deserve prison time for their alleged actions. After deliberations, the jury disagreed.
One juror said these men did not deserve what they have gone through, saying “he was very sorry.”
The jury gave one of the defendants, Eric Molitor, a hug and shook his hand.
Defense attorney William Barnett said state prosecutors “destroyed their lives for three years.”
“They went after three peoples’ lives and destroyed them for three years,” Barnett said of the attorney general’s office. “I’m just lost for words. This is an emotional moment.”
The case involved 14 men who faced state or federal charges. Nine have been convicted and five have now been cleared.
“You gentlemen are free to leave,” Judge Charles Hamlyn said.
The group was accused of carrying out “military-style drills” and prosecutors say they traveled “around the area” of Whitmer’s vacation home in northern Michigan.
Prosecutors have described the case as “a homegrown terrorism plot.”
The central figures in the case have been identified as Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. Both were convicted of the kidnapping conspiracy.