00:00:01
[Music] [Music] I haven't had time to actually think about what it is to be free what it
00:00:20
means to be free what it is to have this life [Music] [Applause] back I get out and
00:00:30
such a different world there's so much more going on I'm ready for anything really I kind of want some Dairy
00:00:39
Queen all right please I'm Erin morard I've been following the case of Ryan Ferguson
00:00:51
since 2005 when he went on trial for the murder of newspaper sports editor Kent height hold from the beginning there
00:01:00
there was just something not right about this [Music] case there is no physical evidence
00:01:09
whatsoever to connect right into the crime scene recording this will be detective
00:01:18
Storer a lot of it's kind of foggy kind of fuzzy to you as to what you remember your honor the state calls
00:01:28
Charles Ericson I looked up and Ryan was over the victim he had his foot on his back and he was pulling
00:01:37
up on the Belt the reality is that he chose to lie about me as to count one guilty of murder in
00:01:47
the second degree it just sucked the air right out of us we were absolutely devastated love you
00:02:01
love you Ryan Ferguson never should have been tried for this murder this case is full of holes it's
00:02:11
just full of holes Ryan Ferguson is actually innocent I think I saw Ryan it is oh my
00:02:20
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
00:02:39
think most people in the world in the whole world can see that end of story not yet not for Ryan
00:02:49
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
00:02:55
operate in it and not for his accuser it was really easy for the police and the prosecutors to manipulate me I'm angry
00:03:05
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
00:03:13
that Charles Ericson is absolutely innocent when you've got innocent people locked up you've got the murderer still
00:03:20
on the street they need to find the real killer [Music] [Applause] this is an incredible
00:03:50
feeling I can go where I want and do what I want that's just something I haven't
00:03:56
experienced in my whole adult life pretty much do you feel a little behind absolutely there's so many things that
00:04:03
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
00:04:10
time driving down the highway that's when I actually felt free Ryan Ferguson spent nearly a decade trapped inside
00:04:18
this Missouri State Prison the circumstances that put him there are bizarre they began appro appropriately
00:04:30
enough on Halloween night in 2001 Kent heid hold the well-liked sports editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune was
00:04:39
murdered how would you describe his personality wonderful wonderful guy to work with and it was easy to learn from
00:04:45
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
00:04:53
among the handful of people working into the early morning hours with hiid Hol sometime after 2 a.m. Boyd recalls he
00:05:01
left the office height hole came out a few minutes later and they chatted did he seem concerned about anything at that
00:05:09
moment no just like normal it was just a normal [Music] night shortly after Boyd drove off two
00:05:16
janitors came out on the loading dock and noticed he High hold's car was still there I had that feeling that something
00:05:23
was wrong one of those janitors Shauna War remembers seeing two shadowy figures Emer Ed from behind the car one a
00:05:32
college age male she says stop to speak looked me dead in the eyes and said Somebody's hurt and he walked off
00:05:38
casually like nothing had happened scared shaa went for help two reporters rushed out and found their boss by his
00:05:47
car in a pool of blood K hiid hold had been bludgeoned and strangled he 6'4 no one's going to
00:05:57
mess with Kent who's going to mess with Kent earlier on that same night Ryan Ferguson
00:06:06
was at a local bar just blocks away from the murder scene he and Chuck Erikson another 17-year-old had sneaked in
00:06:14
together we were there for approximately 2 hours probably 11:30 to 1:30 I drove them home and went home myself did you
00:06:23
have anything to do with the death of Kent heid hold absolutely not whoever did Kill Kent may have left
00:06:32
Clues police found hair fingerprints bloody shoe prints they also spoke with the janitors one could not provide a
00:06:41
detailed description of the two men he saw but the other Shauna or did police released a sketch and fielded
00:06:52
a dozens of leads all dead ends it just doesn't seem possible that anybody could
00:06:59
hurt him and and and being as nice as he was why two years pass with no breaks in the
00:07:08
case and then a tip came into Crim Stoppers Chuck Erikson told friends that he was having dreamlike memories of the
00:07:18
crime he soon found himself in a police interrogation room this is so foggy like
00:07:24
I could just be sitting here fabricating all it he didn't seem to know many Det details can you tell me exactly where
00:07:31
this happened even when they took him to the crime scene parking lot is right there cuz this look familiar to you I
00:07:38
don't remember most of what happened but Erikson seemed eager to cooperate especially as the questioning got
00:07:45
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
00:07:56
fabricated all this eventually Ericson told them what they wanted to hear he said that he and Ryan had run out of
00:08:04
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
00:08:12
college was also brought in I wasn't there I didn't do anything police questioned him for hours but he stood
00:08:20
his ground trying to get me to admit to something I didn't do I'm not lying to you man I was not
00:08:27
there in March 2004 for both men were arrested and charged with murder Ericson took a plea 25 years and agreed to
00:08:37
testify against Ryan it's beyond comprehension that Ryan could ever be in this situation Ryan's father bill just
00:08:45
tears at your [Music] heart when Ryan stood trial a year later is the state ready to proceed Chuck
00:08:54
Erikson the once seemingly confused teen you raise your right hand please had become a polished witness he had been
00:09:01
allowed to study police reports and crime scene photos I'm just doing this because I know it's the right thing to
00:09:08
do the story Erikson told was riveting and revolting not H you hit him just like that well I hit him more than
00:09:18
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
00:09:27
said then Ryan turned he High hold's belt into a weapon he was down here and he had a
00:09:33
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
00:09:43
this still none of the physical evidence nothing tied Ryan or chuck to the scene
00:09:50
you're talking here about a very messy crime and yet there's no physical evidence that connects him the scene if
00:09:57
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
00:10:04
physical evidence boom County Prosecuting Attorney at the time Kevin crane spoke to 48 hours in 2005 are you
00:10:12
saying then really what most convinces you that Chuck and Ryan Ferguson killed Kent hdold is Chuck Zing we did this mhm
00:10:22
yes you nervous shaa the janitor who helped police create the sketch said she couldn't ident identify either man you
00:10:30
may call your next witness but prosecutor crane had a trump card jury Trump trump a convicted sex offender Was
00:10:39
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
00:10:48
the individual would you point to that individual please yes Trump claimed his memory had been
00:10:56
jogged by the arrest photos in the newspaper I recognize the two pictures I've seen
00:11:02
these two faces before at the Tribune that night that Kent was [Music] killed with two eyewitnesses against him
00:11:13
Ryan Ferguson was doomed all right he was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years Bill Ferguson is convinced his son
00:11:26
is innocent and shockingly that Chuck Erikson is too the police did a great job of talking somebody into a crime
00:11:36
they did not commit he believes Ericson was strong armed by police into giving a
00:11:41
false confession one day Chuck's going to wake up in he sail and go my gosh what have I done
00:12:05
[Music] I started going to the crime scene within a week of the arrest Bill Ferguson was determined to prove his
00:12:16
son's innocence after Ryan was sent to prison in December 2005 I'd go down at 1:30 I'd stay down
00:12:27
until 3:00 bill spent night after night in the parking lot where sports editor Kent hiol was
00:12:35
attacked and killed how many times have you gone down to the crime Scene 40 or 50 at least Brian Ferguson's appeals all
00:12:45
failed and then in 2009 a new attorney came on board Kathleen zelner is a tough Chicago
00:12:54
lawyer with a reputation for winning freedom for the wrongly coni she aged to take Ryan's case pro bono
00:13:03
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
00:13:12
to grab a hold of him once you're convicted the system works completely against you it just becomes overwhelming
00:13:20
to find evidence that a court will accept soon after she took on the case she got a break out of the blue Ryan
00:13:30
received a mysterious letter from his accuser he says Ryan have your lawyers come speak to me the next time that
00:13:36
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
00:13:45
she videotaped Charles Erikson as he read a prepared statement things happen much differently
00:13:53
than I had previously stated I could not accept in my conscious mind that I was a
00:13:58
sole perpetrator four years after his testimony put Ryan Behind Bars Erikson had a change of
00:14:05
heart and told zeler that he had lied Erikson said he was the one who committed the murder I beat the victim
00:14:14
can't hide hold until he was on the ground then I took his belt off and strangled him with it Erikson even said
00:14:21
that Ryan tried to stop him I regret now that I put an innocent man through that
00:14:26
he didn't deserve it but Erikson's new story still put Ryan at the crime scene Ryan was actually the
00:14:36
one who pushed me off of the victim he's exonerated You by saying you had nothing
00:14:41
to do with the murder but he has said you were there isn't there a problem I believe he
00:14:48
thinks that he committed the crime my personal belief is that he didn't you don't even think he was there either I
00:14:55
don't think he was there I know I wasn't there Erikson's news story is a problem
00:15:01
but all that matters to attorney Kathleen zelner is that his statement gives Ryan a new opportunity for an
00:15:08
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
00:15:15
Ryan never touched the victim I think what's more important than the details of what he's saying about the crime is
00:15:21
he's saying repeatedly I lied to the jury I committed perjury and she sets out to prove that the story Ericson told
00:15:30
at trial couldn't be true the whole story about the robbery is preposterous she points out that heid hold's wallet
00:15:38
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
00:15:46
drinks Erikson had also claimed that he attacked K hiid hold with a tire tool you but that's not consistent with the
00:15:56
evidence says Dr Larry bloom a forensic pathologist hired by zelner a tire tool would not really fit the injuries at all
00:16:05
a heavy Tire tool would have left skull fractures says Dr Bloom the victim had none there were no skull fractures
00:16:12
associated with any of the outward injuries that were present Dr Bloom says Holt's wounds are more consistent with a
00:16:20
two-prong tool like this nail poar in a defensive posture with the hands up it would cause uh two parallel marks on the
00:16:30
skin in this fashion there were several on Mr heinold's forearm wrist area back to the hand I believe Blom estimates
00:16:39
that the struggle lasted about 6 to 8 minutes that's important because Zelmer says that means police overlooked a
00:16:47
potential suspect Michael Boyd the part-time reporter puts himself at the scene very close to the time the crime
00:16:56
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
00:17:06
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
00:17:11
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
00:17:20
returned to the parking lot later that night after learning about the crime this appears to be him in a crime scene
00:17:27
photo he cooperated with detectives who interviewed him briefly he denies having
00:17:34
anything to do with heid Holt's murder did you fight with Kent that night did you have anything to do with his murder
00:17:41
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
00:17:50
investigation did the police ever check your car check your clothes ask you to take a polygraph no they never ask do
00:17:57
anything DNA fingerprints no nothing nothing not a thing zelner says police didn't consider Boyd a suspect because
00:18:06
they just assumed the white men the janitor saw were the killers we are going to establish that
00:18:15
Ryan Ferguson is actually innocent of the murder of Ken hi highle in 2012 she was hoping to
00:18:22
convince a new judge that the wrong man went on trial so this is the whole ball game
00:18:30
this is it all right it's as if we're retrying the [Music] [Music] case how do so many people get it so
00:18:46
wrong that you end up in prison for 40 years for something you didn't have anything to do
00:18:51
[Music] with my life was taken because a jury made a decision based off of Lies 7 years after his trial after 11 failed
00:19:03
appeals Ryan Ferguson is back in court asking a judge to overturn his conviction Kathleen zelner calls police
00:19:12
interrogation expert Joseph Buckley to the stand be very leery of the voluntary confession the person who walks in and
00:19:20
says I did it because it's not typically what murderers do Buckley tells the court that the confession of Charles
00:19:27
Erikson the state star witness is suspect because the police fed him too many details the number one thing you
00:19:35
want to do is ask open-ended questions that's not the case here says Buckley watch what happened when Ericson is
00:19:42
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
00:19:49
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
00:19:55
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
00:20:04
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
00:20:13
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
00:20:21
like this his story does not match this crime scene that is not what happened at
00:20:27
the hearing zelner called a witness Ryan's jurors never heard Michael Boyd that last known person to see heid hold
00:20:36
alive no one checks either of your cars that's right and nobody ask you what clothes you were wearing that night
00:20:43
[Music] no but the most important witness to zelner is an eyewitness who did testify
00:20:52
before Jerry Trump back in 2005 janitor Jerry Trump was a critical witness for the prosecution would you point to that
00:21:02
individual please yes at Ferguson's trial Trump told the jury that he had been in jail on a sex offense at the
00:21:11
time Ferguson and Erikson were arrested his wife sent him the newspaper article Trump said and the mug shot suddenly
00:21:20
jogged his memory but s years later at this hearing Trump says his trial test was a lie and when you pointed to Ryan
00:21:32
Ferguson in the courtroom and you said that's the person you saw at the Columbia tribute parking lot was that
00:21:40
true or false false the truth he says is what he first told the police he could not identify
00:21:50
either man he saw that night it was very difficult for you to admit that you fly
00:21:58
absolutely extremely difficult Trump claimed it was the prosecutor Kevin crane who showed
00:22:05
him that newspaper he said it would be very helpful if you can help us with this by identifying them he says crane
00:22:14
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
00:22:22
the right thing I'd been in enough trouble but after trial Trump says he was haunted by what he
00:22:33
did this time when he points to Ryan it's for a very different reason I'd like to have
00:22:41
forgiveness from Ryan and his and his family I couldn't even move I couldn't hardly think but I did feel sorry for
00:22:57
the man because you can just see the pain that he's been dealing with he has a conscience he was really evaluating
00:23:05
his life and he felt that what he'd done was terrible Kevin crane now a judge also takes the stand and he denies
00:23:16
trying to influence Trump's testimony in any way did you show Mr Trump this article of that date absolutely not
00:23:25
crane claims Trump volunteered the information Mr Trump's in the doorway of my office and
00:23:34
unsolicited very soon into the conversation he said I think I can identify these guys you swear to tell
00:23:43
the truth the whole truth but then there's a surprising Revelation something Ferguson's team had never
00:23:50
heard before and it comes from Crane's own investigator William HW where did he get the article he said his wife sent it
00:23:58
to him as it turns out H tried to confirm Trump's Story by speaking with Trump's wife I explained to her that
00:24:07
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
00:24:11
you about this that's crucial evidence says Kathleen zelner that the prosecution never told the defense all
00:24:18
right zelner says that if Ryan's lawyers had known that at trial they could have
00:24:23
argued that Trump was lying finally the court is about to hear from another witness whose story has
00:24:32
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
00:24:40
can't hide hold and I took his belt off and strangled him with it what will Charles Ericson say to this judge
00:24:47
logically nobody should believe anything that I say because I'm a liar [Music] when he walked in it's very strange
00:25:09
feeling seeing him again you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth to help you guys I
00:25:14
do when Charles Erikson takes the stand at Ryan Ferguson's 2012 hearing it is the first time since the trial that the
00:25:22
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
00:25:31
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
00:25:37
Erikson was in a Missouri prison serving his 25e sentence when we first spoke with him in January
00:25:45
2013 he told us then that his entire testimony at Ryan Ferguson's trial was fabricated the reason that I felt I
00:25:55
needed to lie and make things up is because I couldn't remember anything whose idea
00:26:01
was it it was Ryan's idea Ryan's idea despite everything he said before Erikson now says he has never had any
00:26:10
memory of what happened the night Kent hiid Hol was killed at least not after he sneaked into that bar do you remember
00:26:17
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
00:26:24
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
00:26:31
drugs and alcohol as a teen is well documented on that particular night he says along with abusing cocaine and the
00:26:39
prescription drug Aderall he consumed a large amount of alcohol I remember drinking green drinks I remember being
00:26:48
pretty pretty intoxicated did you find any blood on your clothing when you woke up no I had no blood on my clothing I
00:26:55
had no injuries I had no murder weapons was there any anything through that day that made you think that you had been
00:27:01
involved in a horrific murder no and yet a full two years later after reading an article about the unsolved
00:27:12
murder Erikson suddenly became convinced almost obsessed with the idea that he might have done something terrible
00:27:20
during his blackout I read there were two white guys there two white kids I saw the picture in the paper which is a
00:27:27
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
00:27:35
why would you suddenly think just because you couldn't remember what you had done that
00:27:41
night that you might be involved in a murder I'm trying to think about that night when I was very intoxicated
00:27:45
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
00:27:50
paranoid because of all the drugs I was doing when Erikson ran into Ryan at a party he told him about those strange
00:27:58
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
00:28:03
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
00:28:08
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
00:28:14
thinks I'm going to flip out or he thinks I'm going to kill him because he was a witness I don't
00:28:19
know it was an anonymous call to police that landed Ericson high on marijuana he
00:28:25
says in that police interrogation room I don't remember a lot of this ericon spoke to detectives hoping for answers I
00:28:34
think I just blacked out instead attorney Kathleen zelner says they were focused on finally closing the case
00:28:41
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
00:28:48
they've got the perfect person to manipulate bully mold his testimony I'm going to start talking and you're going
00:28:56
to start listening because he's a kid with a drug and alcohol problem do you understand me yes and so they start
00:29:02
working on him you better start thinking very clearly they take advantage of him
00:29:09
and they scare him Ericson began to panic he says when detectives claimed that Ryan was about to turn on him and
00:29:17
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
00:29:23
putting it on me and I created this story based basically to cover myself and I did lie I lied he stuck with the
00:29:33
story and even began to believe it he says when he was shown police reports like this one which states that a
00:29:41
schoolmate Dallas mallerie saw him that night at one point Dallas mallerie is telling him that he saw me fleeing the
00:29:48
scene and that Ryan was with me but in 2005 Dallas mallerie told us he didn't see Erikson at the scene although police
00:29:57
pressure him to say that he did I was in tears scared shaking why were you scared
00:30:04
cuz I didn't know what was going on they were saying that I could be charged with
00:30:07
murder cuz I was with them I was not with him at all attorney zeler says Ericson was duped by investigators he
00:30:17
didn't realize that Dallas malie had said no I was pressured by the police into saying you were there he didn't
00:30:23
realize that Ryan was not plotting against him so he was completely misled about the evidence prior to entering his
00:30:31
guilty plea four years after the trial a sober Ericson began to have serious doubts
00:30:41
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
00:30:49
he spoke to Ryan's lawyer in 2009 and took full responsibility for the crime I could not accept in my conscious mind
00:30:58
that I was a sole perpetrator and aggressor but even that was a lie he says I thought that the only way I could
00:31:05
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
00:31:14
says the real truth is what he tells the court at the hearing in April 2012 that he doesn't know what happened
00:31:22
that Halloween night and never has I don't want to die you know no one that uh I I did the wrong
00:31:35
thing good afternoon Mr Erikson how are you in cross-examination a lawyer for the state
00:31:41
challenges Erikson's credibility you've testified in trial in front of a jury under oath and said you did it yeah
00:31:49
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
00:31:56
making stuff up am I telling the truth now I'm telling you the truth now do I expect you to
00:32:01
believe it no I don't expect you to believe it more important this judge doesn't believe him he rules that
00:32:08
Ericson was more credible at the original trial and upholds Ryan Ferguson's conviction it just really made me feel
00:32:19
like there is no hope for Ryan that was 2012 a lot has changed since then I feel
00:32:28
like there is some light at the end of the tunnel and it feels really really [Music]
00:32:49
good you just cannot give up you just have to keep going with Ryan still behind bars Bill Ferguson takes to the
00:32:57
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
00:33:08
Ryan Ferguson Facebook page where supporters pose with signs we had thousands and thousands of supporters
00:33:16
all over the world he continues to have great ideas and continues to do everything he can to help prove my
00:33:22
innocence all right Ryan is hanging his hopes on yet another hearing this one in
00:33:28
a Missouri appell court may it please the court in September 2013 attorney Kathleen zelner argues for
00:33:36
his freedom there is no evidence left in this case so let's get to the legal issues these judges well versed on the
00:33:45
case seem particularly concerned about the evidence used against Ryan at trial specifically how the janitor Jerry Trump
00:33:53
was suddenly able to identify Ryan Mr Trump had come to an Awakening of sorts based upon a newspaper article that his
00:34:02
wife had purportedly sent him in prison generally I've got it right absolutely but prosecutors knew that
00:34:09
Trump's wife couldn't recall ever sending that newspaper and kept that crucial fact from the defense I believe
00:34:18
that there was an effort to conceal anything exculpatory that might have led the defense to question the
00:34:24
identification thank you Council if you cannot get the conviction vacated at that stage you're at the end of the
00:34:31
[Music] road for two months Ryan's parents anxiously look for a sign of the decision the waiting it's agonizing and
00:34:43
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
00:34:53
vacated the judges rule that Ryan did not get a fair trial and set aside his conviction it's been a long long road
00:35:05
Ryan hey Ryan Ryan Hey man congratulations can't wait to see you can't wait for my really long hug hell
00:35:12
yeah a real hug Aaron good to see you we spoke with Ryan shortly after he got the news you
00:35:20
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
00:35:26
overwhelming but same time you don't really feel it because you know you're still surrounded by these fences and the
00:35:32
guards and everything see you on the outside soon I think once I'm with my family that's when it'll probably hit
00:35:39
me nearly 10 years after he was picked up for questioning Ryan is finally free the state has decided not to retry him I
00:35:49
thought about that moment so many times in the past of actually walking out and getting out of prison while I was in the
00:35:56
moment I almost couldn't feel anything and then I get out we drive away from the prison I'm just thinking
00:36:03
this is what it's like to drive with my family on a road my first glimpse of him
00:36:10
he just looked so vulnerable so small I mean he just reminded me of you know when he was a little
00:36:18
kid and I just remember standing there just on the verge of tears not being able to
00:36:24
really control my emotions in that moment the amazing thing is 1 hour later he's doing a press
00:36:36
conference to get charged for a crime you didn't commit it's incredibly easy to get out of prison it takes an
00:36:43
army he was just so cool and so articulate you must have been very proud oh very proud you're even emotional
00:36:52
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
00:37:06
Ryan Ferguson has filed a civil suit against the police and several investigators there has to be
00:37:13
accountability for all of these people Ryan Ferguson may be free but the mystery remains who killed can't height
00:37:22
hold what evidence exists today that could be tested or examined that might lead to solving the case there's seven
00:37:31
unidentified prints on the car there's a big palm print and there's a thumb print on those papers that have
00:37:41
Mr hi High old's blood on them and the people that were right there that they haven't eliminated people like Michael
00:37:47
Boyd says zelner that last known person to see the victim alive Boyd has always denied any involvement but even the
00:37:56
appellant judges raised questions about Boyd's past testimony in November 2013 the police issued a statement
00:38:04
saying they would follow up on any new leads or information but how can they investigate in Earnest while Charles
00:38:11
Ericson is still serving time for Kent heid hold's murder you haven't heard from Columbia Police you haven't heard
00:38:18
from any investigator taking a new look at the case NOP 3 months after Ryan left
00:38:24
prison we sat down again with Charles Eric son Ericson would like to withdraw his guilty plea after all the only
00:38:33
evidence linking him to the crime is his own confession which he says is a false
00:38:39
confession Charles as you sit here today do you think you had anything to do with
00:38:45
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
00:38:54
can really ask is to look at the evidence they should look at the first interrogation tape and you can see how
00:39:01
it happened and while he still has no memory of the night he says the unidentified Prince are proof that
00:39:08
neither he nor Ryan had anything to do with the murder what should happen to you now I feel like I should be released
00:39:15
from prison I try just to take it day by day and work on improving myself and educating myself and work on trying to
00:39:23
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
00:39:32
has the support of a dedicated Facebook page and even Ryan Ferguson I know he had nothing to do with this crime I took
00:39:39
him home he went to sleep there's just no way but Charles knows that some people may never forgive him I I
00:39:47
apologize obviously I'm I I I don't think that there's anything I can say to console
00:39:54
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
00:40:01
family too has it been tough on your family incredibly incredibly my mom my dad they come and see me whenever they
00:40:08
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
00:40:14
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
00:40:23
whole [Music] story the best part he says is that Ryan Ferguson is no longer Behind Bars it
00:40:32
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
00:40:38
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
00:40:48
into you know a positive action I still have to pinch myself every day and I just love being able to watch him doing
00:40:56
normal things Ryan now has a girlfriend Micah Kane I have helped with the Facebook page and
00:41:03
the website a key supporter whom he got to know through letters while he was still in prison it was kind of shocking
00:41:10
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
00:41:17
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
00:41:23
amazing and I'm so grateful to her we're just excited to get some normaly in her
00:41:28
life it'll be a new beginning for both of us Ryan has been making public appearances he and Micah have moved far
00:41:35
from Missouri where his case is still controversial the challenge is putting the painful past far behind nothing
00:41:45
feels quite right you always kind of feel like an outcast you always feel like people judge you you just have to
00:41:51
accept that and move forward in your own life but it's just it's it's hard [Music]