Nathaniel Ballard Found ‘Not Guilty’ in 18-Year-Old Murder Mystery of Patricia Leeper
The man accused of an 18–year–old murder mystery was found not guilty Friday night. It took hours for 12 jurors to decide the fate of Nathaniel Ballard in the murder of Patricia Leeper.
They finally reached their decision of finding Ballard ‘not guilty of first degree premeditated murder or second degree murder’ around 10 pm Friday night.
Ballard’s lawyer said this victory not only meant so much to his client, it was a stressful moment as well. In 2000, Patricia Leeper of flint was found dead in a ditch in Alcona County. Ballard was arrested in 2016 while driving under the influence, and police took a DNA sample. That sample matched the DNA profile in the Leeper case.
Ballard was charged with open murder back in 2016. The case went to trial earlier in this year but ended in a hung jury. In the retrial Ballard was finally found ‘not guilty’ and is now a free man.
