A jury deliberated almost 13 hours before acquitting a Columbia businessman on charges he paid a man to burn his neighbor’s home in a property dispute.

Mehrdad Fotoohighiam, 64, was charged with first-degree arson in June 2015 for the December 2014 fire at the home of Marcia Green on Rock Quarry Road, a blaze investigators found was intentionally set. Charging documents accused Fotoohighiam of paying James T. Hall, who was acquitted in July 2018, to start the blaze.

The not-guilty verdict capped a contentious eight-day trial that started August 19. Jurors begin deliberations about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and did not leave the courthouse until after midnight, resuming at 10 a.m. Wednesday and reaching a decision just before 1 p.m.

Fotoohighiam, who has been awaiting trial in Boone County Jail since his $5 million bond was revoked in September 2016, was thrilled to hear the jury’s decision, according to his defense attorney Scott Rosenblum.

“He was thrilled of course. He has always maintained his innocence,” Rosenblum said. “He has never believed he has done anything wrong. He is a strong willed person. I can tell you there was never any discussion of a plea bargain."

Fotoohighiam did not testify. Rosenblum’s strategy through the lengthy trial focused on both the character of state’s witnesses and investigations by Columbia police and fire departments. During cross examination, he challenged several witness called by the state on deals made with prosecutors for pending criminal charges in exchange for their testimony.

Jennifer Wilson, who lived with Hall when the fire happened and testified he returned with singed facial hair and smelling of gas, was facing forgery and fraud charges when she contacted detectives with information about the case.

Scott Christopher, who at the time of the crime worked with Hall, testified he overheard a conversation about the arson being planned, but he, too, was facing a lengthy list of charges when meeting with prosecutors.

Louis Spano, who allegedly had several conversations with Fotoohighiam while they were in jail together, was being held on suspicion of statutory sodomy and child molestation, and saw his charges reduced to child endangerment following an agreement to testify.

Special prosecutor Philip Groenweghe, from St. Charles County, declined to comment following the jury’s decision. During trial he argued that if Fotoohighiam was not guilty, why did he hide from police for hours in June 2015 when police went to his home to question him.

“It was one of these cases that I never thought the evidence of the alleged crime was very good,” Rosenblum said. “Obviously, we were concerned about his (Fotoohighiam’s) response, but I think in the context of being charged in this case where there was weak evidence. And being an engineer, he is the type of person that is very detail oriented. I could explain it but you never know if a jury is going to understand it.”

Green, who was awarded $2.75 million in a civil lawsuit in the case in September 2018, said following the verdict only that she was “deeply disappointed” and would not elaborate further.

“Maybe in tomorrow’s edition,” she added.

Rosenblum, during the early portion of the trial, asked her how it was possible for her to sustain burns from cotton curtains, when the window, the frame and the lever she used to push the window open were not hot. Green responded she did not know.

Fotoohighiam still faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, with prosecutors accusing him of offering money to his fellow inmates to kill his ex-wife, a prosecutor and the circuit judge originally assigned to his arson case. A trial on those charges is expected in early 2020.

Charging documents in that case allege he tried to get at least three different inmates to abduct and murder his ex-wife and allegedly gave them instructions regarding where to find a safe in her home with a $30,000 payment inside.

“In hearing it, it sounds bad, but it's the sort of same cast of characters that in my view were manipulating Mehrdad,” Rosenblum said.