Josh Hunt, shown here in an undated photo, died from a stab wound to the heart.

A 19-year-old man from Edmonton was found not guilty of second-degree murder Thursday in the death of Josh Hunt.

Hunt, 16, died from a knife wound to the heart he sustained at a house party in October 2006.

The identity of the young man who was on trial is protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act because he was 17 at the time he was charged.

He was also found not guilty on two counts of assault with a weapon.

In his ruling, Judge Terry Clackson said the teen might have been acting in self-defence at the time.

Clackson also ruled that it was possible Hunt fell on the knife while the teen held it in his hand.

As soon as the judge announced the verdict, Hunt's grandmother started crying and had to be restrained. Hunt's mother needed medical assistance.

Outside the courthouse, Hunt's father, Gary, expressed anger with the judge's decision.

"There's no possible way, in the face of any man in this country, that this guy could be acquitted of all three charges," Hunt said. "There's no possible way that anyone can say with the injuries sustained by Josh that he fell on the knife."

During the trial, the court heard testimony that Hunt's stabbing was part of an out-of-control house party, and that the accused teen had been punched several times in the head by Hunt.

The court also heard a frantic 911 call from the teen in which he told the operator someone was trying to kill him.

In his closing arguments, defence lawyer Peter Royal argued his client feared for his life, and when Hunt was stabbed it was either an accident or in self-defence.

The Crown maintained Hunt's death resulted from a stabbing that was neither self-defence nor an accident.