Alleged co-conspirator in murder plot found not guilty by jury

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- After three days of testimony, 12 jurors took four hours to find Chris Hicks not guilty of attempted murder, arson, armed criminal action and second-degree burglary.

Hicks, 34, and his wife, Brandi Hicks, were accused of being hired by Donald Lafferty, 71, to burn his home near Bloomfield, Missouri, and kill Lafferty's wife, Mildred, in January 2013. The Hickes were to receive $15,000, plus another $5,000 if Mildred Lafferty died in the fire.

Lafferty was sentenced in March to 50 years in prison for attempted murder, arson and financial exploitation of the elderly. Lafferty remains free on bond while his case is appealed.

Brandi Hicks testified against her husband during the trial. Investigators discovered a relationship between Brandi Hicks and Donald Lafferty and found calls and texts were exchanged the night of the fire.

After the verdict, Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver said he was disappointed but respected the jury's decision.

"This is the system that we have," Oliver said, "and this is the way things work sometimes. In the case against Donald Lafferty, we had a mountain of evidence. We didn't have that in this case."

Hicks originally was arrested May 10, 2014, and had spent the last two years in the Stoddard County Jail.

Brandy Hicks will serve a seven-year term the Missouri Department of Corrections.