Wednesday, May 8th 2013, 6:40 pm
The jury found a 20-year-old man not guilty of second degree murder in the dragging death of a Tulsa woman.
Destin Rodriguez was also found not guilty of stealing Avonna Olson's van.
Olson died after being dragged under the van as another man was stealing it.
The jury deliberated for nearly four-and-a-half hours and, while they did not speak afterwards about the verdict, they did ask to take a second look at a recorded interview between Rodriguez and a Tulsa detective.
Avonna Olson died on March 9, 2012, when she tried to stop a man from stealing her van.
Brandon Maxwell has already been convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Destin Rodriguez was with Maxwell that day. In a police interview he admitted to driving around with Maxwell and hearing Maxwell talk about stealing a variety of items, including a vehicle.
8/15/2012 Related Story: Tulsa Teens Charged In Woman's Carjacking Death Will Go To Trial
Olson was dragged 71 feet, after she approached Maxwell in her driveway. She died at the scene.Prosecutors argued that, since Rodriguez knew Maxwell had plans to steal a car, he was just as responsible for Olson's death. Olson's family declined to comment after the verdict was read.
Rodriguez's family said they're thankful to the jury for taking this case seriously.
"I'm happy, I'm crying because I'm so happy," said his mother Sylvia Rodriguez.
His sister, Stephanie Gutierrez said, "We knew that all along that, you know, there's a lot of things that my brother has done in his life, but I knew that in my heart my brother was not a killer.
Destin Rodriguez still has to serve a five-year sentence for burglary in an unrelated case.
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