Among the family sitting behind Marsh and friends sitting with the alleged victim behind Long, there was also one spectator — the 13th juror, present throughout as an alternate in the event of an emergency, but excused before deliberation.

“Every case is serious, but this has far more consequences than five extra acres or a vehicle or something, so this is an experience that I won’t shortly forget,” said Jason Williamson, 42, of Rio. “Each divided side has an agenda. You really can’t get inside someone’s mind, so you don’t know the true motive behind what is being said. So you have to weigh it with prior situations and there are so many variables in this situation.”

Eisenberg made clear at several points during his opening and closing arguments that he was not asking the jury to find Marsh innocent, but that the matter was specific to the particular accusations with which he was charged. That separation of the moral issues from the legal issues and all the variables of a divided family would be a major hurdle for the juror, Williamson surmised, saying that over the prior two days, he had gone home mentally exhausted by the information he had been given.

When Judge Alan White announced the findings of the jury, there was a deep tearful sigh from among Marsh’s family, as Eisenberg hugged Marsh sitting next to him.