Ryan Ferguson, a 29-year-old Missouri man, was released from prison in November after the Missouri attorney general chose not to retry him for the slaying of Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt in 2001.
Ferguson, only 17 at the time of the murder, was given a 40-year sentence after being implicated by friend, Chuck Erickson. He was released after Erickson admitted he and an eyewitness lied in court.
Ferguson’s conviction was overturned after an appeals court ruled his trial was unfair due to the prosecution withholding evidence, according to CNN.
After spending nearly a decade behind bars, Ferguson was greeted by his lawyer who had written: “It’s over” on a piece of paper and held it up against the protective glass. He then traveled to freedom in his father’s car where friends and family cheered Ferguson’s arrival at a news conference where he thanked his friends, family and attorneys reported Fox News.
As reported by the StarTribune, Ferguson’s case sparked a wildfire social media campaign with the “Free Ryan Ferguson” Facebook page gaining over 8,000 likes in one day bringing the total to over 80,000 likes.