Verdict in case of NY man tried 4 times in wife's death
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- A wealthy New York man on trial for a fourth time since his wife disappeared in 2001 has been found not guilty of second-degree murder.
WATCH: "48 Hours:" Cal Harris: Deadlocked
Calvin Harris was accused of killing his estranged wife, Michele, on Sept. 11, 2001, at their home in the town of Spencer, in central New York State. Harris' two convictions in two prior trials for the crime were reversed by appeals courts. A judge declared a mistrial in a third murder trial in May 2015.
"48 Hours" has covered the case since 2006, and the father of four has spoken out to correspondent Erin Moriarty.
Harris' fourth trial began in March. The bench trial ended Tuesday, when a Schoharie Supreme Court judge ruled Harris not guilty after about two and a half days of deliberation.
"We couldn't be happier," said Harris' lawyer, Bruce Barket, speaking outside the courtroom. "Overjoyed. 15 years - it's hard to describe what that must have been like for Cal and his children."
Harris embraced his family after the verdict was read, reports CBS affiliate WBNG. The businessman has always maintained his innocence, as have his four children.
"When [the judge] first came out and started talking, I thought I was done," Harris told reporters. "I was numb. When he came back with not guilty, I was shocked."
Harris called the 15-year courtroom saga a "horrible abuse of power." He and Barket vowed to seek accountability.
"The people that hunted Cal Harris for 15 years -- today, the hunted become the prey," Barket said. "This is not over by a long shot."
Harris became emotional as he spoke about the effect of the prosecutions on his children. He said he had been "robbed of my right as a father" to raise them.
"I've been ripped away from my kids three times now," Harris said, crying. "That's been hard."
Michele Harris, 35, disappeared as the nation was riveted by the Sept. 11 terror attacks. A babysitter found her empty minivan at the end of the couple's driveway on the morning of Sept. 12, 2001, hours after she was last seen alive.
Prosecutors said Michele Harris was killed while the couple's four young children were asleep upstairs in their home. Although the couple was getting divorced, they still lived in the same house.
Michele Harris' body has never been found and prosecutors presented a largely circumstantial case. Authorities have not found a murder weapon, though they said small blood spatters were found in the house.
Defense lawyers say authorities overlooked another suspect she met during the freewheeling life she led as her marriage broke up.
Speaking after the verdict, Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin, who prosecuted the case, said Michele Harris is still considered a missing person and his office would investigate any credible information about the location of her remains.
Harris told reporters there would be "no celebration in our house tonight."
"There are no winners in this case," Harris said. "Everybody loses."