ARDMORE, OK - Lee Purser was found not guilty Monday afternoon by reason of mental instability of murder in the 2007 stabbing death of his mother, Pamela Purser, at the Carter County Courthouse.

Purser, 27, was found not guilty of the murder of his mother, Pamela Purser. Carter County District Attorney Craig Ladd says this was a long and unusual case heard by a judge and not a jury, but even though he was found not guilty, Purser is far from free.

Last Monday Lee Purser was brought into the Carter County Courthouse for his first day of trial. Accused of stabbing his mother to death in July of 2007, the pain of the crime is still fresh for family and friends.

"I don't exactly know what else today except as far as the family goes I hope it does turn out for the better and I hope that Lee gets a just punishment," longtime family friend Robert Cooper told us last week.

Cooper said taking the stand was difficult, but it was even harder to come to terms with the violent death Pamela Purser suffered.

"I never thought that Lee would ever bee capable of something like this, and it's actually quite scary that the people that you grow up with turn out like this."

According to the defense Lee Purser has suffered from several mental disorders most notably, paranoid schizophrenia. And while District Attorney Craig Ladd claimed much of the evidence showed Purser was aware of his actions when the crime was committed, some psychologists testified otherwise.

"There were two experts retained by the case, one by the defense, and one by the state, and both came back to the same opinion that based on their review of the entire set of facts and circumstances it was their belief that he did not know the difference between right and wrong during the time of the offense," Ladd said Monday after the verdict.

On Monday afternoon, DistrictJudge Tom Walker ruled that there was enough evidence to support the claim that Purser was not guilty by reason of insanity.

But that ruling does not mean Purser will walk free.

"There will be a hearing next month to determine whether or not he presents a current threat. I'm confident that he will not be released after that hearing, that he will be sent to an institution," said Ladd.

None of Purser's family members wanted comment after the verdict was handed down, but some family friends did call the verdict 'bittersweet.'