COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--A jury in Franklin County returned a verdict of not guilty on counts Wednesday in the murder trial of Dr. William Husel.
The former ICU physician at Mt. Carmel was charged with over-prescribing pain medications, including fentanyl, to 14 patients in his care. The deaths occurred from 2015 to 2018.
At one point, the jury reached an impasse, but the judge Tuesday asked them to keep deliberating to try and come to a unanimous decision.
The jury was even asked to consider attempted murder charges in each case, but there were no guilty verdicts on those as well.
The trial took over six weeks, with over 50 witnesses taking the stand. The defense only called one witness.
Jurors deliberated for five whole days before returning their verdict early Wednesday morning. Prosecutors dropped 11 other murder counts against Dr. Husel before the trial started.
It was the largest murder trial in Franklin County history. Husel's defense team included Jose Baez, the attorney for Casey Anthony, who was acquitted in her high-profile murder trial in Florida in 2011.
The verdict clears Dr. Husel of any criminal wrongdoing, but he still faces civil litigation from the families of patients in his care.