Denis Kenny Billesdon has been acquitted of murdering his elderly sister eight years ago.
A jury in the High Court in Christchurch returned its not guilty verdict this afternoon after 3-1/2 hours of deliberation.
Billesdon, 72, had denied murdering his ailing sister Nola Doreen Billesdon by smothering her with a pillow in 2001.
Justice Graham Panckhurst discharged Billesdonn and thanked the jury for its patience and good humour during the four-day trial.
"It is never pleasant to have to consider matters like this and pass judgment on somebody," he said.
After the verdict, defence counsel Steve Hembrow said his client was extremely relieved about the result.
"He has found this whole experience a great strain. He's in his 70s, suffers from poor health, and simply wants to get on with the rest of his life with his family," Mr Hembrow said.
"He is very thankful for the verdict of the jury and wants to put all this behind him.
"It has been a very difficult couple of years for him."
The jury had been told that after Ms Billesdon's death a post mortem concluded that she had likely died of natural causes - congestive heart failure.
But the trial was also told that younger brother, Billesdon, had told several people that he had smothered her with a pillow, after she had begged him to help end her suffering from multiple health problems.
Billesdon had also persuaded her to change her will so that he became the sole beneficiary of her estate in the months before she died.
His revelations to friends eventually led to the police become involved and making inquiries in 2006.
Billesdon, who has no previous convictions, denied in his two statements to the police that he had made the comments to his friends and colleagues, but he did not take the stand to give evidence at his trial.
