ANDERSON — It took a jury little more than a half-hour Friday to find an Anderson man not guilty of severely injuring a 6-month-old boy in 2005.

Sean D. Grant, 35, faced six to 20 years in prison if had been convicted of aggravated battery, a Class B felony, for allegedly violently shaking Anthony Wilson on July 23, 2005, causing severe brain damage.

The seven-man, five-woman jury entered deliberations shortly after 10 a.m., returning at about 11:40 a.m. Grant’s public defender, Anderson attorney Bob Cowles, said he wasn’t surprised by the jury’s quick verdict.

“In fact,” he said, “I was getting a little worried they were taking too long. I had no doubt he didn’t do it.”

Grant couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

Prosecutors had alleged Grant shook Anthony inside an Anderson home he was sharing with the baby’s mother, Abony Mitchell. But Cowles argued Mitchell, angry over a “threatening” phone call she received during the early morning hours of July 24, injured Anthony while Grant slept.

“This was a heinous act against Anthony ... you saw the medical evidence,” Cowles said during his closing argument. “It’s robbed him of his life. But the only thing that could make this case worse would be to convict the wrong person. Double tragedy.

“Abony did something to that child,” the attorney continued. “She’s the one that did this.”

Abony’s twin sister and Anthony’s father testified they received phone calls from a clearly upset Abony late July 23 and early July 24.

Deputy Prosecutor Pat Ragains argued, however, that Grant shook the boy during the evening hours of July 23, after Abony got home from work and then left to run errands.

“This is a serious, awful case,” Ragains said during his closing. “This is not about Abony Mitchell. The case is about Anthony Wilson.

“Why doesn’t Sean from the beginning point the finger at Abony,” the deputy prosecutor continued. “He doesn’t. It’s because he did it. He’s guilty.”

Ragains said late Friday no charges would be filed against Mitchell.

Grant’s trial began Tuesday with jury selection. It’s the second time he stood trial for the same charge. His previous three-day trial ended in deadlock after about five hours of deliberations in May 2007.

Grant was released from custody not long after the verdict was read. Due to incorrect information provided to The Herald Bulletin by the Indiana Department of Correction, his release date on unrelated charges of battery and strangulation, both Class D felonies, was inaccurately reported. He was released for time served.