Prosecutors remain convinced of Pratt's guilt and have no plans to charge anyone else, Assistant District Attorney Steve Jumes said after the verdict.
"We tried the man who committed the crime," Jumes said. "Personally, I'll be doing a lot of soul-searching of what could I have done better. Emotionally,
it's disappointing."
Haltom City police officials will figure out how to approach the investigation in light of the acquittal, Detective Terry Stayer said shortly after the verdict.
"The jury made their decision, and that's what the legal system is about," Stayer said. "But we just found out ourselves. To make any comments about
what's going on would be premature."
Rios had her doubts that police will find a suspect other than Pratt.
"All the evidence pointed to him, and the law says Laverne Pratt can never be charged again," she said.