Ex-pharmacy executive Barry Cadden was acquitted of murder Wednesday in connection to a fatal meningitis outbreak that left more than 60 people dead.
Cadden, the co-founder and former head pharmacist at a pharmacy in Massachusetts, was found not guilty of causing the deaths of 25 patients. He was convicted of other charges including racketeering, conspiracy, and mail fraud in the 2012 outbreak that plagued some 700 others from 20 states across the country.
The outbreak began with tainted steroid injections, investigators found.
Cadden has been released on bail and is scheduled to return to court in late June for sentencing, The Associated Press reported.
Despite being acquitted of murder, United States Attorney William D. Weinreb says justice has been done, considering some of the other crimes Cadden committed have 20-year prison bids attached to them.
“Barry Cadden put profits over patients,” Weinreb said, The New York Times reported.
“This trial revealed that, among other things, Mr. Cadden participated in a massive fraud in which NECC masqueraded as a pharmacy when it was in fact manufacturing drugs,” he added. “As a result of that, he managed to escape FDA oversight of his actions and 65 people died. Hundreds of others were injured.”
A federal jury heard more than two months of testimony before making the decision to acquit Cadden of murder charges Wednesday.
During the nine-week trial, Cadden’s defense lawyer Bruce Singal argued to the courts there was no evidence that pointed to the 50-year-old that implied murder, USA Today said.
Donald McDavid was one of the 25 patients who lost his life due to the injections. His family issued a statement thanking the court for its efforts throughout the case, despite Cadden’s acquittal.
“Don was a good Christian man. We live with Don’s loss every day,” the statement said, according to USA Today. “We take some comfort in knowing Mr. Cadden will be held accountable for his actions. No matter how long Mr. Cadden spends in prison, it will never bring Don back.”
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