Charges Dismissed in Rim Fire Indictment

"I’m a little shook up…it’s in god’s hands, I just gotta let what happens, happen."

What happened was pure devastation. 257-thousand acres scorched and homes destroyed, totaling 125 million dollars in damage.

When the fire burned out, one man stood facing 11 years in prison and half-a-million dollars in fines.

His name, Keith Matthew Emerald, the 33-year-old hunter accused of leaving a campfire unattended and starting the blaze.

On Friday, federal prosecutors dropped the charges and filed a motion to dismiss the case because two key witnesses died unexpectedly.

In a statement, U.S. attorney Benjamin Wagner said the move would be frustrating to some. Adding that when circumstances change after indictment, and our judgment is that a case is no longer likely to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, it is our obligation to the defendant and to the court to dismiss that.

Legal analyst Charles Magill agrees.

"The public isn’t going to be satisfied, but the public should relish the fact that our constitution is still alive and strong."

Emerald is out on bail. We couldn’t reach him, but we did talk with his dad, briefly, over the phone.

He said his son is aware of what’s happening with the case, but he declined to comment on it.

Magill says the next step is in the hands of the judge to dismiss the case.

A decision he says will likely happen by the next court date, which is Monday.

In Fresno, Joe Ybarra CBS 47 Eyewitness News.