Osage County Man Acquitted Of Murder In 2014 Case

An Osage County man is back home with his family for the first time in three years after he was acquitted of murder. 

Yantis Young talked to News On 6 Anchor Erin Conrad just two days after his acquittal about what it's like to be free. 

Young wanted to set the record straight: he's innocent and he wants people to know, he said.

Young said he still can't believe he's here. 

"It was a big relief," he said. "It was a big relief, I am just glad to be home."

An Osage County jury acquitted Young of murder January 30, 2017.

"As the jurors are walking out, all 12 of them, every single one of them, took it upon themselves to walk up to Mr. Young and shake his hand," said Ron Durbin, Young's attorney. 

The shooting happened in April of 2014 at the Gilcrease Hills Shopping Center.

Young said he was heading into the liquor store when Steven Harris confronted him.

The two had a conflict stemming over a vehicle left in front of Young's home.

Young said Harris had been threatening him for days so when Harris confronted him at the shopping center, Young said he defended himself.

"I didn't want to go through this, I didn't want to take a life of another human," Young said. "I didn't want that to happen that day. I was just protecting myself and if I could have avoided that, I would have avoided that."

Erin Conrad: "I mean, what's it like to be accused of murder?" 

Young: "I couldn't believe it. I just, it was hard. It was hard facing life in prison and all this with something you didn't do."

Young said while it was tough being in jail, he never gave up. That's why he insisted on testifying.

It's that testimony and an overwhelming amount of evidence that convinced jurors to set Young free.

"A lot of people hung in there with me, you know because right is right and wrong is wrong."

Now Young said he's enjoying the simple things like fresh air and family.

He said he doesn't feel safe in Tulsa anymore so he's going to take his family somewhere else to start over.