LIVE OAK — After more than six hours of deliberations Thursday afternoon into the early evening, the jury in the Casey Cason murder trial found Cason not guilty of second degree murder and manslaughter.

The murder trial concerns Cason, a 23-year-old Live Oak woman who killed her best friend, Alaina Szortyka, during a fight by stabbing her in the neck nearly a year ago.

The defense argued the stabbing was in self-defense.

Chuck Hobbs, Cason’s defense attorney, said he felt grateful for Cason and her family. He said he was happy the jury found his argument that she stood her ground and defended herself possible and voted not guilty.

“But my heart goes out to Alaina Szortyka’s family,” Hobbs said. “Their loved one is dead and my condolences are to her family.”

On July 19, 2015, Alaina Szortyka went to Casey Cason’s house on 5th Street angry about something she heard Cason said about her, according to court testimony.

In the prosecution’s opening statement Tuesday, the state laid out the course of events, beginning with the argument outside Cason’s home to her arrest later that day.

Hobbs, a Tallahassee based lawyer, defended Cason. In his opening statement, Hobbs said that blood test results indicated Szortyka had cocaine and marijuana in her system, which might explain her inexplicable behavior, he said.

Hobbs said Cason was defending herself.

Cason’s father, Linton Cason, said Tuesday he believed the evidence would prove his daughter acted in self defense.

“She came to my daughter’s house and jumped on her,” he said. “That’s self defense. The truth shall come out.”

Szortyka’s mother Angela Charles said Tuesday she believes Cason did not act in self defense. She said Cason had no marks after the fight, and said the arresting detective, Scott Gamble, testified he did not believe it was in self defense.

“She murdered her over an argument,” Charles said. “I want justice to be served, and I want Casey to serve time.”

At the trial, multiple witnesses testified that they heard Szortyka and Cason arguing outside of Cason’s home. Cason seemed to be reluctant to fight Szortyka, according to court testimony. But, eventually, the two began to fight.

Multiple witnesses testified they saw Szortyka throw the first punch and that she was clearly beating Cason with closed fists.

Peggy Livingston, Cason’s neighbor, testified that she yelled for the two women to stop fighting, but didn’t intervene because one of the women had a knife, she said.

After consideration, the judge denied classifying the case as a Stand Your Ground case on Wednesday.

Cason admitted during the trial on Wednesday that she lied during her first interrogation when she claimed Szortyka brought the knife with her to Cason’s house.

The knife used to stab Szortyka was Cason’s knife, she admitted in court Wednesday. She brought the knife outside of her house when Szortyka came to there.

“Alaina kept telling (Cason) to come outside the fence,” Livingston said. “It all happened so fast.”

Livingston’s son, Marquay Winters, was also there that day and testified that he, along with others, watched the fight but didn’t intervene. He said Cason was getting beat pretty bad and Szortyka was hitting her with a closed fist repeatedly.

At some point during the fight, Cason stabbed Szortyka in the neck with a steak knife, according to witnesses.

According to testimony, the knife punctured a lung.

Kenneth Roundtree put Szortyka in his truck and took her to the hospital.

She later died from her injuries.