Parents acquitted in death of child

Samantha Wallace and Thomas Wallace sit in Judge Rebecca Stern’s courtroom Tuesday on the first day of their trial.

It took a jury an hour to acquit Samantha and Thomas Wallace of homicide charges in the accidental shooting death of their 2-year-old daughter by her 5-year-old stepbrother.

Defense attorney Dan Ripper said the case never should have gone to trial.

“It was a horrible, horrible accident,” Ripper said minutes after the verdict Wednesday afternoon. “But what the jury’s decision was, was that it was not a crime.”

“But you know, it won’t be the end of it for them. Their child is still dead. Nothing that happened today brings [Camron Wallace] back. It was just was a way of prolonging their pain for three years.”