the Carolina jury decided unanimously that Joseph Mitchell , 50 , is not guilty of kidnapping and attempted murder . Mitchell strangled to death his 4-year - old son , Blake , and tried to kill his two older siblings while wearing a mask in September 2010 . Expert witness said Mitchell had a mental disorder and was unconscious at the time of his attacks . Prosecutors argued foster 's financial troubles motivated him to kill . prosecutors later claimed their hands were tied under the law because they were not allowed by the judge to convict Mitchell of manslaughter .
North Carolina jury decided unanimously that Joseph Mitchell , 50 , is not guilty of murder and attempted murder . Mitchell strangled to death his 4-year-old son , Blake , and tried to kill his two older siblings while wearing a mask in September 2010 . Expert witness said Mitchell had a sleep disorder and was unconscious at the time of his attacks . Prosecutors argued Mitchell 's financial troubles drove him to kill . Jurors later said their hands were tied under the law because they were not allowed by the judge to convict Mitchell of manslaughter .