Day 9: Jury finds father of 'Boy in the Box' guilty on all charges

by Troy Myers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — After about five hours of deliberations, the jury delivered their verdict: guilty on all charges -- false imprisonment, aggravated child abuse and child neglect.

Timothy Ferriter, the father accused of locking his teenage adopted son in an 8x8 box, expressed shock, eyes widening when the judge said he will be booked into the Palm Beach County Jail when the courtroom adjourned. The man could face up to 40 years in prison.

Jury deliberations stalled when the court faced legal technicalities Thursday in Timothy's trial.

Around 10:30 a.m., the jury requested to see the adopted son's sister's testimony played back.

In addition to this request, a major problem arose: The jury was given a thumb drive to watch video evidence and viewed footage titled "victim's arrest," which is not an arrest but a detainment of the adopted son when he ran away, a normal procedure for runaway kids.

Jurors watched an unedited version --something they should not have seen -- which the court previously ruled they could only see a "treated version."

"To say I am displeased would be a massive understatement," the judge said to the defense team. The judge instructed jurors to completely disregard the video and title of the evidence.

Watching back the victim's sister's testimony will take about an hour and a half, the judge said.

Timothy's wife, Tracy Ferriter, is accused of the same crimes, but the couple is standing trial separately.

The jury heard from the defense and prosecution for over a week, and Wednesday, members considered both sides' closing arguments.

On Tuesday, the court heard from Doctor Sheila Rapa, a clinical and forensic psychologist, who offered insight into the parents' decisions and their adopted son's troubled behavior.