VALDOSTA, Ga. — A Brooks County man was found not guilty this week in the death of a 2-year-old who died in 2015.

A Lowndes County jury found James Michael Smith Jr. not guilty of felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree Tuesday.

Southern Circuit Judge James Tunison presided over the case.

Smith was charged with the death of Parker Bledsoe, 2, in June 2015. According to the Southern District Attorney’s office, Smith’s wife was babysitting Bledsoe when she left him in charge of the child.

The 2-year-old was taken to Shand’s Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., where he later died, officials said. An autopsy report indicated the child died of blunt-force trauma to the head while under his care, the DA’s office stated.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Brooks County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Smith was originally tried in May 2017, but after a hung jury in Brooks County, the case was moved to Valdosta for a retrial. The trial began Monday and finished Tuesday.

The defense argued the child’s death was an accident and not Smith’s fault, according to the DA’s office.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256