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Show Cyril T. Holland Wins Acquittal In First Degree Murder Charge Trial After 13 hours of deliberation ' Wednesday and Thursday, a jury of Kane County people returned a verdict of "not guilty" in the first degree murder trial of Cyril T. Holland, Escalante Valley farmer. far-mer. The verdict was returned at 2:30 a. m. today, Thursday. Holland faced trial on a first degree murder charge in connection connec-tion with the fatal shooting of LeRoy Albert Wilson, 62, Veyo mining engineer and inventor. The shooting took place near Kanab, where Wilson and Holland Hol-land had been prospecting for uranium. According to evidence produced produc-ed Holland and Wilson had been together on May 18, and on May 19, Wilson's body was found in the hills near Kanab. The man had been shot five times, at least three tjmes in the back. Following Follow-ing investigation Holland was arrested and accused of Wilson's murder. During the seven-day trial conducted con-ducted at Kanab a maze of evidence evi-dence was presented In the case by both the state and the defense, de-fense, but only circumstantial evidence could be found which apparently did not convince the jury of eight men and four women wo-men of Holland's guilt. . The jury began deliberations early Wednesday afternoon, and at 6 p. m. had asked the court what constitutes "a reasonable doubt" in a first degree murder case. The judge, John L. Sevy, Jr., Richfield, had told the jurors that they could return a verdict of guilty of first degree murder, guilty of second degree murder, or not guilty. He also toM them that circumstantial evidence is legal and permissable in tnurder trials but that the state must 'establish beyond a reasonable doubt" of guilt. Mr. Holland, with his wife and son Carl were in Cedar City this morning enroute home, he having been acquitted of the charge and freed from further responsibility. |