Nanny acquitted of murder charge

WHITE PLAINS, New York (Reuter) - A Swiss nanny accused of killing the three-month-old baby she was caring for by setting their home on fire has been acquitted of all charges. Prosecutors admitted on Tuesday that there was no direct evidence against Olivia Riner, 20, of Wettingen, and were unable to cite a motive.

Ms Riner arrived in Thornwood, 30 miles from New York, in November to care for Kristie, daughter of William and Denise Fischer. On the afternoon of 2 December, according to testimony, someone poured paint thinner on the baby, around Kristie's nursery and in two other bedrooms and ignited it. Ms Riner acknowledged that she was alone in the house and saw or heard no one else enter, but the prosecutor admitted that there were no fingerprints, no inflammable liquid on Ms Riner's hands or clothes and no eyewitnesses.

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