31-year-old Ryan Ferguson’s real story finally saw the light of the day, and now he hopes to do the same for other wrongly incarcerated people. His father, Bill Ferguson, can heave a sigh of relief as his decade-long efforts to help his son get justice have finally paid off and his documentary Dreamer/ Killer was seen by the public after it’s recent release on Investigation Discovery. Many people eagerly following the case have been searching for terms like, “Ryan Ferguson documentary,” “Ryan Ferguson settlement,” “Ryan Ferguson net worth,” “Ryan Ferguson Instagram,” and “Ryan Ferguson MTV,” but don’t go anywhere else, because we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the wrongfully-convicted Missouri native, right here.
In November 2001, a sports editor at the Columbia Daily Tribune, named Kent Heitholt was discovered in the office’s parking lot, brutally beaten and strangled to death. The 48-year-old was last seen alive by his colleague Michael Boyd, and was found face down in a pool of his own blood. The two were earlier chatting about work in the parking lot, before parting ways to go home. Shawna Ornt, a custodian who worked there, stepped outside for a smoke and spotted “two college-aged men” near Heitholt’s car. She immediately informed her supervisor, Jerry Trump and by the time reporter’s arrived the man was already dead.
Some days you just wake up feeling blessed! #ilovemypup
A photo posted by Ryan Ferguson (@lifeafterten) on
Here are four facts to know about Ryan Ferguson’s tragic history, that thankfully, has a happy ending:
#1 Ferguson was Just 17 When He was Wrongfully-Convicted
About two years after the ghastly crime was committed, Ryan Ferguson (who was only a teenager at the time) was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. After spending a decade in jail, profusely proclaiming his innocence to anyone who would listen, the conviction was finally overturned in 2013, and Ferguson was released from prison. The two witnesses, (supervisor Jerry Trump and Ferguson’s friend, Charles Erickson) recanted their statement, and admitted to giving false testimonies. Ferguson’s attorney has filed a $100 million federal civil rights lawsuit seeking damages, but the settlement is yet to be decided.
New #snapback still no tattoos ???????? #theinvestigation #mtv #fightforjustice
A photo posted by Ryan Ferguson (@lifeafterten) on
Watch the video of Ryan Ferguson explaining his murder conviction here:
#2 He Will Host MTV Series “Unlocking the Truth”
MTV announced in April 2016 that Ferguson would be hosting a new TV series callled, The Investigation, that would showcase other wrongfully-convicted men and women like Ferguson, help re-open and solve their cases and bring the real killers to justice. The docu-series called, Unlocking the Truth premiered on Wednesday (Aug 17). After spending almost a decade behind bars, Ferguson will provide assistance in freeing other wrongly convicted people. The show will involve three unsolved cases, and has recruited Eva Nagao from the Exoneration Project, to help wrongly incarcerated people.
Watch the video of Ryan Ferguson’s overturned conviction here:
#3 He is a Personal Trainer Now
Now, Ferguson is currently a personal trainer, who has been featured in Men’s Health magazine. He was introduced to the field of health and fitness, after being imprisoned for almost a decade. He took up weight lifting in his prison cell, and is now a NASM (National Academy of Sports and Medicine History) certified trainer. His personal website www.ryanfergussonfitness.com displays his bio that reads, “Hello everyone, my name is Ryan Ferguson, and I am definitely not your typical personal trainer! As many of you know, I spent nearly a decade of my life in prison, wrongfully convicted of a murder in which I had no involvement. I used much of my time in prison to educate myself about health and fitness…I’ve found what’s been proven to work best for our bodies, and now I want to share my knowledge and experience with all of you.” His Instagram account documents his journey to fitness and becoming a personal trainer.
#4 His Father Bill Made a Documentary on Ryan Titled Dreamer/Killer
Ryan’s father Bill Ferguson spent an entire decade of his life, trying to undo the injustice that had been meted out to his teenage son, now a grown man. He made a two-hour long documentary titled, Dreamer/Killer that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. The documentary reviewed the entire case, showing how the police did not find any DNA evidence connecting Ryan to the murder. In 2015, Ryan published a book titled, Stronger, Faster, Smarter: A Guide To Your Most Powerful Body.
A photo posted by Ryan Ferguson (@lifeafterten) on
Sources:
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