It took a Sandoval County jury about 90 minutes Wednesday to clear a man of charges stemming from Rio Rancho's only murder of 2003.

Mark A. Pallottino had been charged with second-degree murder and conspiracy resulting from the death of Harry Grant on March 13, 2003. Two other men involved in the incident, Steven Ponce and Michael Ginan, entered guilty pleas to second-degree murder charges in August.

Pallottino showed no emotion when the first "not guilty" announcement was made by Mikal Deese, foreman of the seven-woman, five-man jury. But he turned and hugged co-counsel LeRoy Duarte immediately after Deese announced "not guilty" on the conspiracy charge. Moments after the verdict, Pallottino was composed when speaking to the media.

"I've got two great attorneys (Duarte and Tim Padilla, who made the closing statement for the defense). They did a great job for me," Pallottino said. "I knew I was innocent from the beginning, and 18 months later they wanted me to plea to six months probation. I didn't feel like that was going to do it, because I was innocent.

"Thank God for my family and my two attorneys. I'm pleased with the jury's verdict, of course, and I just want to go home now. It's been a long 18 months. I can't believe it's finally over, but I'll never be the same. I guarantee that."

Things will never be the same for Grant's grandmother Janice Horten, who lived with her grandson, or her mother, Debbie Grant.

"He'll never get a chance to get married and have kids," Horten said. "He may have had his problems, but everyone has problems. I don't think the jury picked up on all the things that I picked up on. They could have at least got him for conspiracy. I don't know where they were.

"The only one who I think was straight was poor Ponce, and I feel sorry for him. He got set up."

Added Grant: "I think it's messed up, what they did to my son. He (Pallottino) was just as involved. He knew my son.

"I want them to pay for what they did. But I want Pallottino to pay, too. I wanted justice done."

Earlier, Pallottino said, "My heart goes out to the family of the victim. I said it and I meant it. God bless the entire Grant family. I'm sorry things happened the way they did. I went over there to help somebody, and things got out of hand.

"I wish them luck. I still would like to give Grandma a hug, but I don't know how they feel. I feel for the family, and I'm sorry things happened. I'm sorry their grandson or son chose, instead of calling 911 or staying in the safety of his house, to come outside.

"I'm just so glad - I can't believe it's over. I want to try to get my life back."

According to testimony and evidence presented in the six-day trial, Ginan and Grant were neighbors on Bunker Hill Court and had a dispute earlier on the fatal day, with Grant throwing a rock and breaking a plastic license plate guard on Ginan's vehicle. That evening Ginan called on two friends, Ponce and Pallottino, who approached Grant's home around midnight.

Pallottino knocked on Grant's door, and he emerged with a three-foot long weed burner that he apparently brandished as a weapon. According to conflicting testimony, Grant may have attempted to attack Ponce, who then stabbed him.

Various testimony indicated that Pallottino took the weed burner away from Grant, but Pallottino claimed he did not see Ponce's knife or know that he was going to use it, a claim deputy district attorney Joseph F. Arite disputed.

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