Ryan Ferguson: Wrongfully Convicted | Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] [Music] I haven't had time to actually think about what it is to be free what it
means to be free what it is to have this life [Music] [Applause] back I get out and
such a different world there's so much more going on I'm ready for anything really I kind of want some Dairy
Queen all right please I'm Erin morard I've been following the case of Ryan Ferguson
since 2005 when he went on trial for the murder of newspaper sports editor Kent height hold from the beginning there
there was just something not right about this [Music] case there is no physical evidence
whatsoever to connect right into the crime scene recording this will be detective
Storer a lot of it's kind of foggy kind of fuzzy to you as to what you remember your honor the state calls
Charles Ericson I looked up and Ryan was over the victim he had his foot on his back and he was pulling
up on the Belt the reality is that he chose to lie about me as to count one guilty of murder in
the second degree it just sucked the air right out of us we were absolutely devastated love you
love you Ryan Ferguson never should have been tried for this murder this case is full of holes it's
just full of holes Ryan Ferguson is actually innocent I think I saw Ryan it is oh my
God I it's there oh my gosh look at it cannot get better than that oh my God I think I've proven my innocence I
think most people in the world in the whole world can see that end of story not yet not for Ryan
Ferguson it's very daunting you don't know what you're doing in this world and you don't know how to navigate it and
operate in it and not for his accuser it was really easy for the police and the prosecutors to manipulate me I'm angry
I'm angry at myself I feel like I've been played for a fool and I feel like I should be released from prison I know
that Charles Ericson is absolutely innocent when you've got innocent people locked up you've got the murderer still
on the street they need to find the real killer [Music] [Applause] this is an incredible
feeling I can go where I want and do what I want that's just something I haven't
experienced in my whole adult life pretty much do you feel a little behind absolutely there's so many things that
you haven't done in a decade and you have to learn them immediately now a free man I was by myself for the first
time driving down the highway that's when I actually felt free Ryan Ferguson spent nearly a decade trapped inside
this Missouri State Prison the circumstances that put him there are bizarre they began appro appropriately
enough on Halloween night in 2001 Kent heid hold the well-liked sports editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune was
murdered how would you describe his personality wonderful wonderful guy to work with and it was easy to learn from
he's one of the most popular men I've known part-time sports writer Michael Boyd who spoke with 48 hours in 2010 was
among the handful of people working into the early morning hours with hiid Hol sometime after 2 a.m. Boyd recalls he
left the office height hole came out a few minutes later and they chatted did he seem concerned about anything at that
moment no just like normal it was just a normal [Music] night shortly after Boyd drove off two
janitors came out on the loading dock and noticed he High hold's car was still there I had that feeling that something
was wrong one of those janitors Shauna War remembers seeing two shadowy figures Emer Ed from behind the car one a
college age male she says stop to speak looked me dead in the eyes and said Somebody's hurt and he walked off
casually like nothing had happened scared shaa went for help two reporters rushed out and found their boss by his
car in a pool of blood K hiid hold had been bludgeoned and strangled he 6'4 no one's going to
mess with Kent who's going to mess with Kent earlier on that same night Ryan Ferguson
was at a local bar just blocks away from the murder scene he and Chuck Erikson another 17-year-old had sneaked in
together we were there for approximately 2 hours probably 11:30 to 1:30 I drove them home and went home myself did you
have anything to do with the death of Kent heid hold absolutely not whoever did Kill Kent may have left
Clues police found hair fingerprints bloody shoe prints they also spoke with the janitors one could not provide a
detailed description of the two men he saw but the other Shauna or did police released a sketch and fielded
a dozens of leads all dead ends it just doesn't seem possible that anybody could
hurt him and and and being as nice as he was why two years pass with no breaks in the
case and then a tip came into Crim Stoppers Chuck Erikson told friends that he was having dreamlike memories of the
crime he soon found himself in a police interrogation room this is so foggy like
I could just be sitting here fabricating all it he didn't seem to know many Det details can you tell me exactly where
this happened even when they took him to the crime scene parking lot is right there cuz this look familiar to you I
don't remember most of what happened but Erikson seemed eager to cooperate especially as the questioning got
aggressive it's you that is on this chopping block and I don't want to hear oh all a sudden I just think I may
fabricated all this eventually Ericson told them what they wanted to hear he said that he and Ryan had run out of
drinking money and decided to get more by robbing someone whose idea was it it was Ryan's idea Ryan's idea Ryan then in
college was also brought in I wasn't there I didn't do anything police questioned him for hours but he stood
his ground trying to get me to admit to something I didn't do I'm not lying to you man I was not
there in March 2004 for both men were arrested and charged with murder Ericson took a plea 25 years and agreed to
testify against Ryan it's beyond comprehension that Ryan could ever be in this situation Ryan's father bill just
tears at your [Music] heart when Ryan stood trial a year later is the state ready to proceed Chuck
Erikson the once seemingly confused teen you raise your right hand please had become a polished witness he had been
allowed to study police reports and crime scene photos I'm just doing this because I know it's the right thing to
do the story Erikson told was riveting and revolting not H you hit him just like that well I hit him more than
that how'd you hit him I hit him like that after he hit him with a tire tool he High Hope fell to the ground Erikson
said then Ryan turned he High hold's belt into a weapon he was down here and he had a
belt and he had his he had his foot on his back on the victim's back and he was pulling up on the Belt like
this still none of the physical evidence nothing tied Ryan or chuck to the scene
you're talking here about a very messy crime and yet there's no physical evidence that connects him the scene if
I've got physical evidence at the scene that's great but I don't go I can't prosecute this case if there is no
physical evidence boom County Prosecuting Attorney at the time Kevin crane spoke to 48 hours in 2005 are you
saying then really what most convinces you that Chuck and Ryan Ferguson killed Kent hdold is Chuck Zing we did this mhm
yes you nervous shaa the janitor who helped police create the sketch said she couldn't ident identify either man you
may call your next witness but prosecutor crane had a trump card jury Trump trump a convicted sex offender Was
the janitor who told police he couldn't describe the man he saw at the crime scene and yet at Ryan's trial if you see
the individual would you point to that individual please yes Trump claimed his memory had been
jogged by the arrest photos in the newspaper I recognize the two pictures I've seen
these two faces before at the Tribune that night that Kent was [Music] killed with two eyewitnesses against him
Ryan Ferguson was doomed all right he was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years Bill Ferguson is convinced his son
is innocent and shockingly that Chuck Erikson is too the police did a great job of talking somebody into a crime
they did not commit he believes Ericson was strong armed by police into giving a
false confession one day Chuck's going to wake up in he sail and go my gosh what have I done
[Music] I started going to the crime scene within a week of the arrest Bill Ferguson was determined to prove his
son's innocence after Ryan was sent to prison in December 2005 I'd go down at 1:30 I'd stay down
until 3:00 bill spent night after night in the parking lot where sports editor Kent hiol was
attacked and killed how many times have you gone down to the crime Scene 40 or 50 at least Brian Ferguson's appeals all
failed and then in 2009 a new attorney came on board Kathleen zelner is a tough Chicago
lawyer with a reputation for winning freedom for the wrongly coni she aged to take Ryan's case pro bono
what is the best way to describe Ryan Ferguson's case the analogy I think of is that he's in quicksand and I'm trying
to grab a hold of him once you're convicted the system works completely against you it just becomes overwhelming
to find evidence that a court will accept soon after she took on the case she got a break out of the blue Ryan
received a mysterious letter from his accuser he says Ryan have your lawyers come speak to me the next time that
they're down here zelner quickly paid a visit may I call you Chuck uh Mr Eric Charles I don't know about Chuck okay
she videotaped Charles Erikson as he read a prepared statement things happen much differently
than I had previously stated I could not accept in my conscious mind that I was a
sole perpetrator four years after his testimony put Ryan Behind Bars Erikson had a change of
heart and told zeler that he had lied Erikson said he was the one who committed the murder I beat the victim
can't hide hold until he was on the ground then I took his belt off and strangled him with it Erikson even said
that Ryan tried to stop him I regret now that I put an innocent man through that
he didn't deserve it but Erikson's new story still put Ryan at the crime scene Ryan was actually the
one who pushed me off of the victim he's exonerated You by saying you had nothing
to do with the murder but he has said you were there isn't there a problem I believe he
thinks that he committed the crime my personal belief is that he didn't you don't even think he was there either I
don't think he was there I know I wasn't there Erikson's news story is a problem
but all that matters to attorney Kathleen zelner is that his statement gives Ryan a new opportunity for an
appeal I made up what I said about Ryan being on top of the victim I lied about him strangling the victim that was a lie
Ryan never touched the victim I think what's more important than the details of what he's saying about the crime is
he's saying repeatedly I lied to the jury I committed perjury and she sets out to prove that the story Ericson told
at trial couldn't be true the whole story about the robbery is preposterous she points out that heid hold's wallet
wasn't taken only his keys and a watch were missing what did they do take he High hold's watch back and barter for
drinks Erikson had also claimed that he attacked K hiid hold with a tire tool you but that's not consistent with the
evidence says Dr Larry bloom a forensic pathologist hired by zelner a tire tool would not really fit the injuries at all
a heavy Tire tool would have left skull fractures says Dr Bloom the victim had none there were no skull fractures
associated with any of the outward injuries that were present Dr Bloom says Holt's wounds are more consistent with a
two-prong tool like this nail poar in a defensive posture with the hands up it would cause uh two parallel marks on the
skin in this fashion there were several on Mr heinold's forearm wrist area back to the hand I believe Blom estimates
that the struggle lasted about 6 to 8 minutes that's important because Zelmer says that means police overlooked a
potential suspect Michael Boyd the part-time reporter puts himself at the scene very close to the time the crime
was reported Boyd says he left the lot around 2:20 a.m. only 6 minutes before 911 was called what was the last thing
Kent said to you I can't remember the exact words of what he said but it was just more lines to see you later and uh
and I thought it would what do you think happened to him I don't know and I in this 2010 interview Boyd told us that he
returned to the parking lot later that night after learning about the crime this appears to be him in a crime scene
photo he cooperated with detectives who interviewed him briefly he denies having
anything to do with heid Holt's murder did you fight with Kent that night did you have anything to do with his murder
no ma'am no ma'am did you but boy the last known person to see Hy hold alive was never subjected to a thorough
investigation did the police ever check your car check your clothes ask you to take a polygraph no they never ask do
anything DNA fingerprints no nothing nothing not a thing zelner says police didn't consider Boyd a suspect because
they just assumed the white men the janitor saw were the killers we are going to establish that
Ryan Ferguson is actually innocent of the murder of Ken hi highle in 2012 she was hoping to
convince a new judge that the wrong man went on trial so this is the whole ball game
this is it all right it's as if we're retrying the [Music] [Music] case how do so many people get it so
wrong that you end up in prison for 40 years for something you didn't have anything to do
[Music] with my life was taken because a jury made a decision based off of Lies 7 years after his trial after 11 failed
appeals Ryan Ferguson is back in court asking a judge to overturn his conviction Kathleen zelner calls police
interrogation expert Joseph Buckley to the stand be very leery of the voluntary confession the person who walks in and
says I did it because it's not typically what murderers do Buckley tells the court that the confession of Charles
Erikson the state star witness is suspect because the police fed him too many details the number one thing you
want to do is ask open-ended questions that's not the case here says Buckley watch what happened when Ericson is
asked how Kent heul was strangled I think it was a shirt or something well I know it wasn't a shirt like maybe a
bungee cord we know for a fact that his belt was ripped off of his pants and he was strangled with his belt really do
that ring a bell not at all and look at Eric face when police take him to the crime scene that is the parking spot
where Mr hiy hul had his car parked it's impossible Buckley says to tell what Erikson knew on his own at the end of
the day you don't know what you have even though he was so convincing at trial and he was pulling up on the Belt
like this his story does not match this crime scene that is not what happened at
the hearing zelner called a witness Ryan's jurors never heard Michael Boyd that last known person to see heid hold
alive no one checks either of your cars that's right and nobody ask you what clothes you were wearing that night
[Music] no but the most important witness to zelner is an eyewitness who did testify
before Jerry Trump back in 2005 janitor Jerry Trump was a critical witness for the prosecution would you point to that
individual please yes at Ferguson's trial Trump told the jury that he had been in jail on a sex offense at the
time Ferguson and Erikson were arrested his wife sent him the newspaper article Trump said and the mug shot suddenly
jogged his memory but s years later at this hearing Trump says his trial test was a lie and when you pointed to Ryan
Ferguson in the courtroom and you said that's the person you saw at the Columbia tribute parking lot was that
true or false false the truth he says is what he first told the police he could not identify
either man he saw that night it was very difficult for you to admit that you fly
absolutely extremely difficult Trump claimed it was the prosecutor Kevin crane who showed
him that newspaper he said it would be very helpful if you can help us with this by identifying them he says crane
assured him they had the right men I felt very intimidated cuz the only thing I wanted to do at that point was to do
the right thing I'd been in enough trouble but after trial Trump says he was haunted by what he
did this time when he points to Ryan it's for a very different reason I'd like to have
forgiveness from Ryan and his and his family I couldn't even move I couldn't hardly think but I did feel sorry for
the man because you can just see the pain that he's been dealing with he has a conscience he was really evaluating
his life and he felt that what he'd done was terrible Kevin crane now a judge also takes the stand and he denies
trying to influence Trump's testimony in any way did you show Mr Trump this article of that date absolutely not
crane claims Trump volunteered the information Mr Trump's in the doorway of my office and
unsolicited very soon into the conversation he said I think I can identify these guys you swear to tell
the truth the whole truth but then there's a surprising Revelation something Ferguson's team had never
heard before and it comes from Crane's own investigator William HW where did he get the article he said his wife sent it
to him as it turns out H tried to confirm Trump's Story by speaking with Trump's wife I explained to her that
Jerry had said that she sent him an article and she said I don't remember that and I really don't want to talk to
you about this that's crucial evidence says Kathleen zelner that the prosecution never told the defense all
right zelner says that if Ryan's lawyers had known that at trial they could have
argued that Trump was lying finally the court is about to hear from another witness whose story has
changed I think it was a shirt or something again he was down here and he had a belt and again I beat the victim
can't hide hold and I took his belt off and strangled him with it what will Charles Ericson say to this judge
logically nobody should believe anything that I say because I'm a liar [Music] when he walked in it's very strange
feeling seeing him again you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth to help you guys I
do when Charles Erikson takes the stand at Ryan Ferguson's 2012 hearing it is the first time since the trial that the
men come face to face in court I know that he chose to lie about me so it kind of hurt that a person would do that for
reasons that I don't understand it was good to see him it was good to see that he's doing all right and that he's alive
Erikson was in a Missouri prison serving his 25e sentence when we first spoke with him in January
2013 he told us then that his entire testimony at Ryan Ferguson's trial was fabricated the reason that I felt I
needed to lie and make things up is because I couldn't remember anything whose idea
was it it was Ryan's idea Ryan's idea despite everything he said before Erikson now says he has never had any
memory of what happened the night Kent hiid Hol was killed at least not after he sneaked into that bar do you remember
leaving the club no I don't remember leaving at all you remember driving home no I don't even know if Ryan took me
home what's the next thing you remember I remember waking up in the morning and having to go to school Erikson's use of
drugs and alcohol as a teen is well documented on that particular night he says along with abusing cocaine and the
prescription drug Aderall he consumed a large amount of alcohol I remember drinking green drinks I remember being
pretty pretty intoxicated did you find any blood on your clothing when you woke up no I had no blood on my clothing I
had no injuries I had no murder weapons was there any anything through that day that made you think that you had been
involved in a horrific murder no and yet a full two years later after reading an article about the unsolved
murder Erikson suddenly became convinced almost obsessed with the idea that he might have done something terrible
during his blackout I read there were two white guys there two white kids I saw the picture in the paper which is a
sketch and it looked like me but I just realized I couldn't remember what I'd done that night help me out with this
why would you suddenly think just because you couldn't remember what you had done that
night that you might be involved in a murder I'm trying to think about that night when I was very intoxicated
there's a lot of drugs in between then and I'm when I'm trying to think about it I'm high on something I was probably
paranoid because of all the drugs I was doing when Erikson ran into Ryan at a party he told him about those strange
thoughts maybe he thought I was crazy anyway but man we you're tripping we didn't do that you know you didn't kill
that guy why didn't you believe him when Ryan said we didn't do this it's not that I didn't believe him I'm thinking
well maybe he knows I don't remember and he doesn't want to tell me because he thinks I'm going to say something or he
thinks I'm going to flip out or he thinks I'm going to kill him because he was a witness I don't
know it was an anonymous call to police that landed Ericson high on marijuana he
says in that police interrogation room I don't remember a lot of this ericon spoke to detectives hoping for answers I
think I just blacked out instead attorney Kathleen zelner says they were focused on finally closing the case
here's a kid that for whatever reason is trying to involve himself in this I'm going to be point blank with you pal and
they've got the perfect person to manipulate bully mold his testimony I'm going to start talking and you're going
to start listening because he's a kid with a drug and alcohol problem do you understand me yes and so they start
working on him you better start thinking very clearly they take advantage of him
and they scare him Ericson began to panic he says when detectives claimed that Ryan was about to turn on him and
Erikson would take the blame Ryan's going to talk don't let Ryan tell the story for you I was scared that he was
putting it on me and I created this story based basically to cover myself and I did lie I lied he stuck with the
story and even began to believe it he says when he was shown police reports like this one which states that a
schoolmate Dallas mallerie saw him that night at one point Dallas mallerie is telling him that he saw me fleeing the
scene and that Ryan was with me but in 2005 Dallas mallerie told us he didn't see Erikson at the scene although police
pressure him to say that he did I was in tears scared shaking why were you scared
cuz I didn't know what was going on they were saying that I could be charged with
murder cuz I was with them I was not with him at all attorney zeler says Ericson was duped by investigators he
didn't realize that Dallas malie had said no I was pressured by the police into saying you were there he didn't
realize that Ryan was not plotting against him so he was completely misled about the evidence prior to entering his
guilty plea four years after the trial a sober Ericson began to have serious doubts
about what he did it's really hard to to uh admit that you you know really screwed somebody over that's why he says
he spoke to Ryan's lawyer in 2009 and took full responsibility for the crime I could not accept in my conscious mind
that I was a sole perpetrator and aggressor but even that was a lie he says I thought that the only way I could
help Ryan was to say that I'd done everything he didn't know what I was going to do he tried to stop me Ericson
says the real truth is what he tells the court at the hearing in April 2012 that he doesn't know what happened
that Halloween night and never has I don't want to die you know no one that uh I I did the wrong
thing good afternoon Mr Erikson how are you in cross-examination a lawyer for the state
challenges Erikson's credibility you've testified in trial in front of a jury under oath and said you did it yeah
because I was I had to save my ass are you saying then you remembered and no you don't today no I'm just good at
making stuff up am I telling the truth now I'm telling you the truth now do I expect you to
believe it no I don't expect you to believe it more important this judge doesn't believe him he rules that
Ericson was more credible at the original trial and upholds Ryan Ferguson's conviction it just really made me feel
like there is no hope for Ryan that was 2012 a lot has changed since then I feel
like there is some light at the end of the tunnel and it feels really really [Music]
good you just cannot give up you just have to keep going with Ryan still behind bars Bill Ferguson takes to the
road to tell his story I've driven 9,000 miles in 21 days doing this is like a four-wheel billboard he creates a free
Ryan Ferguson Facebook page where supporters pose with signs we had thousands and thousands of supporters
all over the world he continues to have great ideas and continues to do everything he can to help prove my
innocence all right Ryan is hanging his hopes on yet another hearing this one in
a Missouri appell court may it please the court in September 2013 attorney Kathleen zelner argues for
his freedom there is no evidence left in this case so let's get to the legal issues these judges well versed on the
case seem particularly concerned about the evidence used against Ryan at trial specifically how the janitor Jerry Trump
was suddenly able to identify Ryan Mr Trump had come to an Awakening of sorts based upon a newspaper article that his
wife had purportedly sent him in prison generally I've got it right absolutely but prosecutors knew that
Trump's wife couldn't recall ever sending that newspaper and kept that crucial fact from the defense I believe
that there was an effort to conceal anything exculpatory that might have led the defense to question the
identification thank you Council if you cannot get the conviction vacated at that stage you're at the end of the
[Music] road for two months Ryan's parents anxiously look for a sign of the decision the waiting it's agonizing and
then on November 5th I think I saw Ryan oh my God I it's there oh my go the decision is unanimous convictions are
vacated the judges rule that Ryan did not get a fair trial and set aside his conviction it's been a long long road
Ryan hey Ryan Ryan Hey man congratulations can't wait to see you can't wait for my really long hug hell
yeah a real hug Aaron good to see you we spoke with Ryan shortly after he got the news you
are as you stand here an innocent man I'm an innocent man and I hope the whole world can see it now it's kind of
overwhelming but same time you don't really feel it because you know you're still surrounded by these fences and the
guards and everything see you on the outside soon I think once I'm with my family that's when it'll probably hit
me nearly 10 years after he was picked up for questioning Ryan is finally free the state has decided not to retry him I
thought about that moment so many times in the past of actually walking out and getting out of prison while I was in the
moment I almost couldn't feel anything and then I get out we drive away from the prison I'm just thinking
this is what it's like to drive with my family on a road my first glimpse of him
he just looked so vulnerable so small I mean he just reminded me of you know when he was a little
kid and I just remember standing there just on the verge of tears not being able to
really control my emotions in that moment the amazing thing is 1 hour later he's doing a press
conference to get charged for a crime you didn't commit it's incredibly easy to get out of prison it takes an
army he was just so cool and so articulate you must have been very proud oh very proud you're even emotional
thinking about it I am I am I am yeah is it over no not at all it's not over um because he lost 10 years of his life
Ryan Ferguson has filed a civil suit against the police and several investigators there has to be
accountability for all of these people Ryan Ferguson may be free but the mystery remains who killed can't height
hold what evidence exists today that could be tested or examined that might lead to solving the case there's seven
unidentified prints on the car there's a big palm print and there's a thumb print on those papers that have
Mr hi High old's blood on them and the people that were right there that they haven't eliminated people like Michael
Boyd says zelner that last known person to see the victim alive Boyd has always denied any involvement but even the
appellant judges raised questions about Boyd's past testimony in November 2013 the police issued a statement
saying they would follow up on any new leads or information but how can they investigate in Earnest while Charles
Ericson is still serving time for Kent heid hold's murder you haven't heard from Columbia Police you haven't heard
from any investigator taking a new look at the case NOP 3 months after Ryan left
prison we sat down again with Charles Eric son Ericson would like to withdraw his guilty plea after all the only
evidence linking him to the crime is his own confession which he says is a false
confession Charles as you sit here today do you think you had anything to do with
the death of Kent heol no no I don't but you've admitted that you lied at trial why should people believe you now all I
can really ask is to look at the evidence they should look at the first interrogation tape and you can see how
it happened and while he still has no memory of the night he says the unidentified Prince are proof that
neither he nor Ryan had anything to do with the murder what should happen to you now I feel like I should be released
from prison I try just to take it day by day and work on improving myself and educating myself and work on trying to
get out of prison but it's not going to be easy he may have waited too long to file for some legal procedures still he
has the support of a dedicated Facebook page and even Ryan Ferguson I know he had nothing to do with this crime I took
him home he went to sleep there's just no way but Charles knows that some people may never forgive him I I
apologize obviously I'm I I I don't think that there's anything I can say to console
anybody I've given the hidle family false hope and so I can't imagine the pain that I've caused them you have a
family too has it been tough on your family incredibly incredibly my mom my dad they come and see me whenever they
can I'm just glad that they support me and they want me to get out what do you want people to know about you what do I
want people to know about me I want people to know that I'm not crazy I want people to know that sort of just the
whole [Music] story the best part he says is that Ryan Ferguson is no longer Behind Bars it
feels good knowing that he's out and it's really feels like my load has been lightened and I hope that he's able to
do all the things that he wants to do are you bitter I am bitter but I try to take that negativity and I turn it
into you know a positive action I still have to pinch myself every day and I just love being able to watch him doing
normal things Ryan now has a girlfriend Micah Kane I have helped with the Facebook page and
the website a key supporter whom he got to know through letters while he was still in prison it was kind of shocking
at first when he got out because it was just chaos she's there on a day-to-day basis like here's how you turn on your
phone and here's when you need to get up and here's how you get on the airplane so it's it's incredible she's been
amazing and I'm so grateful to her we're just excited to get some normaly in her
life it'll be a new beginning for both of us Ryan has been making public appearances he and Micah have moved far
from Missouri where his case is still controversial the challenge is putting the painful past far behind nothing
feels quite right you always kind of feel like an outcast you always feel like people judge you you just have to
accept that and move forward in your own life but it's just it's it's hard [Music]

On Nov. 1 2024, a jury awarded Ryan Ferguson $38 million in damages from an insurance company which failed to pay his wrongful conviction settlement. The Missouri man, convicted at 19 of a murder he did not commit, was released in 2013 after 14 appeals and 10 years behind bars. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty has followed Ferguson's case since 2005. This episode aired on Jan. 31, 2016. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty has covered the case since 2005reports on . Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Ryan Ferguson was wrongfully convicted for murder; he was exonerated after nearly a decade in prison due to flawed testimonies and investigations.

Key points

Ryan Ferguson's Fight for Freedom. After nearly a decade in prison, Ryan Ferguson fights to prove his innocence.
The Confession That Changed Everything. Charles Erikson admits to lying about Ryan's involvement in the murder.
Witness Recants Testimony. Key witness Jerry Trump admits his trial testimony was a lie.
Erikson's Confession. Charles Erikson admits to lying about his involvement in the murder.
Ryan's Conviction Vacated. Judges rule that Ryan did not receive a fair trial, leading to his release.
A New Beginning. Ryan Ferguson starts a new chapter in life after being released from prison.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I'm angry at myself. I feel like I've been played for a fool.

3:05WatchNov 7, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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