CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Kanawha County jury has acquitted a Maryland man of all charges for his alleged involvement in a 2007 North Charleston break-in that turned deadly.

Kurt J. Wilt, 27, of Frostburg, Md. maintained that he was never at Jason Venanzi's home when Charles Ray Skiles Jr. shot Venanzi in the head.

Skiles, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April 2008, testified that Wilt helped him break in to Venanzi's home and steal guns. When Venanzi came home during the burglary, Wilt helped Skiles beat Venanzi, Skiles said.

The jury found Wilt not guilty of felony first-degree murder, burglary and first-degree robbery charges.

The jury deliberated for less than three hours on Thursday and Friday.

During the trial, Skiles testified that Wilt was with him.

Shanah Jade Burks, a former stripper from Belle who was Skiles' girlfriend at the time, testified that Skiles and Wilt came home on the day of slaying covered in blood. Wilt said, "Man, he took a hell of a beating," before Skiles shot him a silencing look, she said.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Kanawha County jury has acquitted a Maryland man of all charges for his alleged involvement in a 2007 North Charleston break-in that turned deadly.

Kurt J. Wilt, 27, of Frostburg, Md. maintained that he was never at Jason Venanzi's home when Charles Ray Skiles Jr. shot Venanzi in the head.

Skiles, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April 2008, testified that Wilt helped him break in to Venanzi's home and steal guns. When Venanzi came home during the burglary, Wilt helped Skiles beat Venanzi, Skiles said.

The jury found Wilt not guilty of felony first-degree murder, burglary and first-degree robbery charges.

The jury deliberated for less than three hours on Thursday and Friday.

During the trial, Skiles testified that Wilt was with him.

Shanah Jade Burks, a former stripper from Belle who was Skiles' girlfriend at the time, testified that Skiles and Wilt came home on the day of slaying covered in blood. Wilt said, "Man, he took a hell of a beating," before Skiles shot him a silencing look, she said.

Gary Hively of Dunbar said Wilt said words to the effect of, "He just wouldn't stay down," as the three men sat in Wilt's car later that day. Skiles was wiping off a bloody gun with a rag during the conversation, he said.

Defense attorney Rico Moore argued that Skiles, who was jealous and possessive of Burks, became enraged after he learned that she had slept with Wilt after Skiles had been jailed on murder charges.

One witness said he saw a man and a woman matching Skiles and Burks' description walking in Venanzi's neighborhood, and another said she heard a man and a woman arguing in Venanzi's driveway, he said.

Burks knew Venanzi and he might have been the father of the baby she was pregnant with at the time of his death, Moore said.

"Look what she had done to a man who tried to help her," he said.

Skiles, whom Moore described as "a killer and a liar and a thief," became enraged when Wilt and Burks became involved, he said.

In a letter, Skiles told Wilt, "If you don't come clean, I'll go on a rampage and everybody's going to die," Moore said.

Skiles wanted Wilt in jail with him so he could get revenge over Burks, he said.