CANTON, N.Y. -- After being deadlocked for hours, the jury in the Robert Bartlett Jr. trial found him not guilty of murder in the death of an elderly woman, whose body was found buried on his property.

Bartlett was accused of murdering Betty Babcock and burying her body in a yard in Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, where they both lived. Babcock was 84.

Prosecutors alleged that Bartlett suffocated Babcock with a pillow and buried her so he could continue to cash her welfare checks, but the defense argued Babcock was worth more to Bartlett alive, because she would go to the bank with him to cash the checks.

After Bartlett was cleared of the murder charge against him, his lawyer, Gary Miles, said he was "uncharacteristically" silent.

"Robert is very quiet right now. I think he realizes how close he came to a lifetime in prison," said Miles.

Despite his lawyer's description, Barlett seemed unemotional through the whole process. Miles said he was nervous at points, but saw a turning point.

"When the prosecution opened up and locked themselves into a date, or a range, a small range of dates," says Miles.  

At one point, prosecution said "on about" May 11, 2011, Betty Babcock was murdered. Jurors sent a note to the judge during deliberation, asking if they still had to find Bartlett guilty if they believed he killed Babcock, but after the 11th.  

After that note, jurors struggled to come to a unanimous decision. With each deadlock declaration, the defense asked for a mistrial, but the judge had them continue deliberations.

Now that the trial is over, both sides said the jury deserves credit for putting in the effort to find a verdict. 

"The jury has spoken and we certaintly respect their decision, and we respect the jury process," says Chief Assistant District Attorney David Haggard.

"The jury worked so hard at obeying the judge's instructions, and confining their deliberations to what was proven and what was not," said Miles.

Jurors did not want to speak on camera, but seemed relieved the trial was over.

Bartlett will be in a courtroom again soon though, as he still faces an indictment for welfare fraud.