Mother of Ryan Ferguson said family knew her son would be free one day, but didn't expect it to take 10 years
Leslie Ferguson said she knew her son's conviction would one day be overturned, but didn't know it would take 10 years. Ryan Ferguson — who was serving a 40-year sentence for the 2001 murder and robbery of newspaper editor Kent Heitholt — was released Tuesday after prosecutors declined to pursue a new trial.
Comments (42)BY JOE KEMP / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013, 8:57 AM
FREED RYAN FERGUSON VIA FACEBOOK
A picture posted to the Freed Ryan Ferguson Facebook page shows Ryan with his parents — Bill and Leslie Ferguson — and his sister, Kelly.
The mother of a Missouri man set free from prison after his conviction was overturned said she knew her son would come home again, it was just a matter of time.
Leslie Ferguson told the Daily News that the family was still in shock that her 29-year-old son, Ryan Ferguson, was cut loose from a federal prison on Tuesday, a week after an appeals court overturned his 2005 conviction.
"No matter how much you prepare for it, it just blows you away when it actually happens," she said Wednesday. "We always knew this moment would be possible, because we knew that the truth would eventually prevail. It just surprised us that it took this long."
COURTESY OF LESLIE FERGUSON
Leslie Ferguson (r.) with her son, Ryan, who was released from prison Tuesday after serving 10 years of a 40-year sentence for a murder he says he didn't commit.
Her comments came after Ryan Ferguson said he couldn't sleep his first night free after spending more than 10 years behind bars.
“It’s been a wild ride,” Ferguson told NBC’s "Today" show on Wednesday, adding that he stayed awake during his first night home.
“Seeing the light come out and the sun come up, it’s pretty incredible.”
TODAY
Ryan Ferguson said he was hopeful about his future since his release from prison on Tuesday.
Ferguson — who was serving 40 years for the 2001 murder and robbery of Kent Heitholt, an editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune — said he was still dealing with the shock of walking out of the clink.
“When I finally realized it was actually over, it was incredible relief because I was afraid,” he told the news station. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. They don’t really tell you a whole lot. It was a sensation like no other, and seeing my family right there and hugging them, and knowing that we were going to go home together — it was amazing.”
FREED RYAN FERGUSON VIA FACEBOOK
A picture posted to the Freed Ryan Ferguson Facebook page shows Ryan Ferguson on Tuesday evening enjoying a steak and a beer hours after he was released from prison.
A state appeals court vacated Ferguson’s conviction after the panel found he did not receive a fair trial.
The panel found that prosecutors withheld evidence from defense attorneys and managed to get a conviction from two witnesses who later recanted their testimony.
Ferguson was arrested after his friend, Chuck Erickson, told cops in 2003 that the pair attacked Heitholt during a night of drinking. A night janitor, Jerry Trump, also said during the trial that he saw the two teens near the parking lot where the editor was killed.
MYKA CAIN VIA FACEBOOK
Ryan's girlfriend, Myka Cain, posted this picture on her Facebook account with the title, 'First picture out as a free man.'
Erickson later admitted that he lied about what happened the night Heitholt was killed and Trump told a courtroom years later that he was coached by prosecutors before he testified. Trump could face perjury charges.
Ferguson spoke to the Daily News the day before an appeals court announced its ruling and said he held no grudges against Erickson or Trump.
KELLY MARLIS FERGUSON VIA FACEBOOK
Ryan Ferguson poses with his girlfriend, Myka Cain (l.), documentary filmmaker Andrew Jenks and his sister, Kelly (r.), after he was released from prison on Tuesday.
"These people are victims," he told The News. "These people were taken advantage of."
"When I think of Erickson, I think of the authorities and prosecutors — how they used this kid to destroy my life," he said.
Ferguson said both men deserve credit for confessing to false testimony.
AP
Ryan Ferguson (l.) was convicted of killing newspaper editor Kent Heitholt (r.). An appeals court ruled last week that Ferguson did not receive a fair trial.
"They had the courage to come forth ... to admit they lied," he said. "I have respect for them."
The appeals court panel ordered that Ferguson be released if prosecutors did not file a notice for a new trial within 15 days.
DAVID A. LIEB/AP
Ryan Ferguson talks to reporters at the Tiger Hotel in Columbia, Mo., after he was released from prison on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, State Attorney General Chris Koster’s office said they “will not retry or pursue further action against Ryan Ferguson at this time.”
“It’s completely over,” his lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, told the news station. “The evidence against him was fabricated. We’ve proved that. And unless they want to fabricate more evidence, this is completely over.”
Ferguson said he plans to continue writing a book that he’s been working on for some time and will take advantage of any opportunity that comes his way.
G.J. MCCARTHY/AP
Ryan Ferguson (pictured after he was found guilty in 2005) was serving a 40 year sentence for murder and robbery.
“I’m just going to continue to work hard and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way,” he said. “If there’s not a whole lot of opportunities, then I’m going to make a few.”
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