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By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG
PLATTSBURGH — Taylor Kilfoyle walked out of Clinton County Court a free man Wednesday after a jury found him not guilty of a dozen charges.
The 26-year-old was one of three people suspected of being involved in a daytime-burglary spree that swept across Clinton County last spring.
He has been in custody since his July arrest and went on trial on a 12-count indictment last week.
After six hours of deliberations, a jury returned a not-guilty verdict on all counts Wednesday afternoon.
His attorney, Edward Narrow of Plattsburgh, said Kilfoyle wanted to thank jurors for their diligence and careful consideration during deliberations and Judge Patrick McGill for "ensuring a fair trial."
The verdict, he said, boiled down to the jurors having reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case.
Narrow presented a defense that "Mr. Kilfoyle was not present during the commission (of the crimes)," which, he said, hit at the heart of the prosecution's contention that Kilfoyle had acted "in concert" with two other suspects.
Authorities said Kilfoyle had acted with Plattsburgh residents Lisa Joy, 19, and Steven Burleigh, 22, when the pair allegedly broke into at least three area homes and stole money and electronics.
Police said the trio had targeted more than a dozen area residences during the day when no one was home.
They said that if someone answered the door, the suspects would pretend to be looking for directions and leave.
A grand jury later indicted all three for break-ins in West Chazy, Peru and Mooers.
In one of those burglaries, a woman's entire life savings was stolen.
Joy later pleaded guilty and is on probation, pending formal sentencing later this month.
The case against Burleigh is still pending.
Narrow said Kilfoyle took the stand in his own defense, as did his fiance and former employer.
Kilfoyle has been in custody for almost 10 months and was elated to have the case resolved, Narrow said, adding that the verdict "balances the scale" of any pre-trial incarceration.
"What matters is the verdict today. He's just really happy to put all this behind him and go home."
Kilfoyle is engaged to be married and expecting the birth of his daughter next month.
He now plans to return to the job he had before his arrest and enjoy time with his friends and family, his attorney said.
District Attorney Andrew Wylie, who prosecuted the case and previously called Kilfoyle a "menace to society," did not return a message left at his office seeking comment on the verdict.
E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com
