Llano musician and former fir chief in Castell, Bode Barker, was found innocent of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in April 1999.

A jury of six men and six women deliberated for a little less than 5 hours before returning the verdict of not guilty about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Llano County Courthouse.

Jurors had heard two days of testimony from multiple witnesses, including Llano Police Chief James Schilling; Deborah Keith, executive director of the Hill County Children’s Advocacy Center; the girl’s grandmother; the girl’s mother; and the girl, who was referred to in the case by the pseudonym “JES.”

Barker did not take the stand nor did the defense call any witnesses to testify.

Eddie Shell, Barker’s defense attorney, said both he and Barker were confident the jury would clear Barker of any wrongdoing when the facts were presented in court. Barker was alleged to have sexually penetrated the girl with his finger in a Llano residence on April 2, 1999. One of the primary pieces of evidence that prosecuting attorney Cheryl Nelson presented in court was a video interview that the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Llano Police and Child Protective Services conducted with the girl in April 20, 1999. The girl said multiple times during the more than hour-long video that she thought the alleged assault was a dream and that she was not entirely sure the assault had happened, Shell said. The three agencies determined there was not enough evidence to conclude Barker had a role in the crime, and the case was closed in June 1999.

The case was reopened last year, and a grand jury indicted Barker for aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

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