After two witnesses in the homicide trial of Dominique Steele recanted their stories and another contradicted a prior statement, there wasn't much the prosecutor could say.

"If you believe Michael Wade beyond a reasonable doubt, your verdict should be guilty," Assistant District Attorney Steven M. Stadtmiller said in his brief closing argument, referring to the victim's brother, who gave an inconsistent account of the shooting.

"If not, the verdict should be not guilty."

Common Pleas Judge Randal B. Todd deliberated only a few minutes before acquitting Mr. Steele on all counts in the non-jury trial.

The judge said he believed Mr. Steele, 18, of Brighton Heights, was there Oct. 10, 2006, when 19-year-old Mario Wade was shot and killed and two other men were wounded. But Judge Todd said the commonwealth didn't prove he pulled the trigger.

Mr. Steele, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, grinned widely as he was led away to be processed and released from Allegheny County Jail.

"This is the best Christmas present I've ever had," said Mr. Steele's mother, Diane. "[Judge Todd] gave me my baby back. He's been gone for two years for nothing."

Mr. Steele, known as "C-Flack," was arrested in March after witnesses told police that he had shot into the Jeep with Mr. Wade and two other victims inside. Mr. Wade was shot in the head and killed. Vance Pearson and Samuel Smith were injured but survived.

Mr. Smith testified yesterday that he couldn't see who shot him. Two other witnesses, who had told police "C-Flack" was the shooter, recanted on the stand.

That left Michael Wade, 22, who had been jailed for failing to appear at an earlier proceeding. He testified that Mr. Steele was the lead shooter, though he had told detectives in a taped statement that another man -- who has not been charged -- took the lead.

Mr. Wade contradicted his statement again when he gave a different name of the girlfriend he was visiting that night.

"[The case] was built up on a whole bunch of lies," Ms. Steele said.

Her son was animated in the courtroom, at times audibly scoffing at testimony or waving to get the attention of his attorney, T. Brent McCune.

"I got a sense from him that he was young, immature and concerned about what was going to happen," Mr. McCune said.

"I couldn't tell you whether he's guilty or not. But they sure didn't prove it."