By AP/KWMU
East St. Louis, Ill. – A federal jury in East St. Louis has acquitted Katie Wolfmeyer in a murder-for-hire plot with former St. Louis Blues player Mike Danton.
After more than three hours of deliberation, the jury found the 19-year-old St. Louis-area woman not guilty on two federal conspiracy charges.
After the verdicts were read, the courtroom erupted into gasps of relief and Wolfmeyer's supporters erupted into applause.
Wolfmeyer, sobbing, appeared to be in shock.
A federal prosecutor argued that the 19-year-old woman had many opportunities to back out of the plan but never did. He also portrayed Wolfmeyer as a lying conniver.
But Wolfmeyer's attorney says his client is what he called "an unwitting participant" in the scheme, and that she should be acquitted.
Wolfmeyer and Danton were accused in an April plot allegedly meant to kill Danton's agent, who was unharmed.
Danton already has pleaded guilty and faces sentencing next month.