OREGON CITY, Ore. — Jurors on Thursday (July 23) acquitted two parents accused in the faith-healing death of their infant daughter on all but one count, a stunning legal victory in a case that pitted religious freedom against parental responsibility.

Carl and Raylene Worthington were charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminal mistreatment after their 15-month-old daughter, Ava, died on March 2, 2008 when the couple chose faith-healing over conventional medicine.

Prosecutors claimed the girl died a “needless death” caused by pneumonia and a blood infection that could have been easily treated with routine antibiotics. Defense lawyers said the parents genuinely believed their daughter was on her way to recovery.

Raylene Worthington was acquitted of both charges, while her husband was convicted on the lesser charge of criminal mistreatment, a misdemeanor. He will be sentenced July 31.

Jurors broke a three-day stalemate after Clackamas County Circuit Judge Steven Maurer sent them home to get away from the process for a while. When they returned, jurors started discussing the case in more personal terms and found common ground, jury foreman Ashlee Santos explained.

“Granted, they didn’t take her (Ava) to the hospital, but it was truly because they thought she was getting better,” Santos said. “That was the best epiphany moment.”

Such thoughtful deliberation, and consideration of the Worthingtons’ point of view, was exactly what defense attorneys sought. Lawyers complained of a rapid public rush to judgment by those suspicious of the Worthingtons’ small, isolated church and its beliefs.

“There was a lot of misunderstanding about the church,” said John Neidig, Raylene Worthington’s attorney. The public seems “to have gotten the wrong impression. I hope the community learned something.”

Some jurors may have been confused by Oregon’s manslaughter law or found it inappropriate to the circumstances. “The word itself is not pretty,” Santos said of the charge.

“We all know they (the Worthingtons) didn’t do it on purpose, that they had no intention of harming their child,” Santos said.

Under Oregon law, manslaughter is defined as an accidental death that the defendant has a legal responsibility to prevent. The criminal mistreatment charge is clearer, requiring parents to provide adequate medical care.

That failure to act was the basis for the Carl Worthington’s criminal mistreatment conviction.

Although Oregon law prohibited the Worthingtons from offering a religious defense, talk of faith and spiritual belief wove through their trial.

Several church members testified that in a Followers of Christ household, the husband is the leader, which the jury seemed to consider, although state laws clearly state that both parents have a legal duty to provide adequate medical care.

“In a marriage, most people are partners,” Santos said. “But a lot of times, it comes down to a deciding person in the house.”

During the trial, Raylene Worthington testified that “when it comes down to it for major decisions, they are his to make.” She said she did not dispute him.

After the verdict was announced, the Followers of Christ church issued a short statement through their attorney:

“The Board of Directors of the Followers of Christ Church accepts the jury’s verdict and expresses its appreciation to the members of the jury for doing their duty as citizens of this State. The Board is relieved and grateful that the Worthingtons were acquitted of manslaughter and that Raylene was acquitted of both charges filed against her.”

Clackamas County District Attorney John Foote also released a short statement:

“We accept the verdict in this case. The jury’s decision is final. However, we are saddened and disappointed by this result. We continue to believe that the facts are clear in this case and that it is our duty as an office to enforce the law firmly and consistently, particularly when it comes to protecting our children.”

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The church and prosecutors will meet again in court early next year.

Raylene Worthington’s parents, Jeff and Marci Beagley, go on trial in January. They are charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of their 16-year-old son, Neil Beagley, who died last June of an untreated urinary tract blockage.

“In light of our responsibilities to protect everyone’s right to a fair trial, we will not make any further comments,” Foote said without naming the Beagleys.

(Steve Mayes writes for The Oregonian in Portland, Ore. Rick Bella, Nicole Dungca, Su Yim, Dana Tims and Yuxing Zheng contributed to this story.)