Who is Ryan Ferguson and what did he do?
The $11,004,000.00 verdict sets a national record for a fabrication claim. Ryan Ferguson, wrongfully convicted in Columbia death, wins $11 million — The Kansas City Star. City of Columbia releases Ferguson Litigation Settlement Information — ABC 17. Ryan Ferguson awarded $11 million in civil rights lawsuit — Columbia Daily Tribune.
What was the verdict in the Ryan Ferguson case?
Nov 06, 2013 · Ryan Ferguson — Ferguson was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree robbery in 2005 for the murder of Heitholt. He attended Rock Bridge High School at the time of the murder.
Who is Ryan Ferguson on the Amazing Race?
Jan 12, 2022 · Ryan Ferguson is an American man who spent nearly a decade in prison for the 2001 murder of Kent Heitholt. Kent’s murder remained unsolved for two years after he was found beaten and strangled in the parking lot of the Columbia Daily Tribune, where he worked as an editor.. A break in the case happened when Ferguson’s friend, Charles Erikson, told police that …
Who was involved in the lawsuit against Michael Ferguson?
Jan 31, 2016 · Ryan Ferguson's appeals all failed. Then, in 2009, a new attorney came on board. Kathleen Zellner, a tough Chicago lawyer with a reputation for winning freedom for the wrongly convicted, agreed to ...
Who was the lawyer for Ryan Ferguson?
attorney Kathleen ZellnerConviction vacated, charges dismissed. Following the conviction, Ferguson gained a following with wrongful-conviction advocacy groups. In 2009, high-profile Chicago attorney Kathleen Zellner took over Ferguson's case, working pro bono.
Did Charles Erickson get parole?
Charles Erickson's parole date is set for Jan. 9, 2023, according to a spokesperson at the Missouri Department of Corrections. Erickson pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of the Tribune's sports editor Kent Heitholt. Erickson was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2005.Mar 15, 2022
Who is Chuck Erickson?
Charles Erickson, 37, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after confessing to the Nov. 1, 2001, murder of Columbia Daily Tribune Sports Editor Kent Heitholt. He is set to be released in January. Erickson is serving his sentence at the Boonville Correctional Center.Mar 15, 2022
Who is Ryan Ferguson's father?
Bill Ferguson, father of Ryan Ferguson, leads a group of students from Southern Boone High School on a tour of the crime scene in his son's case. Ryan Ferguson was convicted of the 2001 murder of Kent Heitholt; he and his family have maintained that he is innocent ever since.
Where did Chuck Erickson and Ryan Ferguson hide?
In this file photo, Chuck Erickson describes where he says he and Ryan Ferguson were hiding behind a dumpster moments before they allegedly killed Kent Heitholt in the parking lot of the Columbia Daily Tribune. Erickson recanted that testimony in a deposition videotaped Nov. 22, 2009.
Who is Chuck Erickson?
He is also a Rock Bridge High School graduate, and a graduate of MU's School of Law. Charles "Chuck" Erickson — Ferguson's friend , Chuck Erickson was partying at a local club with Ferguson the night of the murder. Erickson admitted to using cocaine, Adderall and marijuana that night.
Who was Kent Heitholt?
Kent Heitholt, sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune is shown in this undated file photo. Heitholt was attacked and murdered in the newspaper's parking lot early Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001, as he lingered to feed a stray cat.
Who is Ryan Ferguson?
Ryan Ferguson is an American man who spent nearly a decade in prison for the 2001 murder of Kent Heitholt. Kent’s murder remained unsolved for two years after he was found beaten and strangled in the parking lot of the Columbia Daily Tribune, where he worked as an editor. A break in the case happened when Ferguson’s friend, Charles Erikson, ...
What is Ryan's mission?
Ryan’s mission is to help wrongfully convicted people get out of prison. Immediately after his release, Ryan stated that it ‘takes an army’ to get a person out of prison. A positively beaming Ferguson waved at droves of supporters during a press conference held after he ditched his prison attire for a sweater and shirt. ...
Who is Ryan Ferguson's father?
THE MYSTERY CONTINUES. With Ryan Ferguson still behind bars, his father, Bill, takes to the road to tell his story. "You just cannot give up. You just have to keep going," Bill Ferguson said from behind the wheel of his car that is wrapped with a photo of his son and the words "Free Ryan Ferguson".
Who produced 48 Hours?
Produced by Gail Zimmerman. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty has followed the case of Ryan Ferguson since 2005, when he went on trial for the murder of newspaper sports editor Kent Heitholt. From the beginning, there was just something not right about this case: no forensic evidence and a troubled accuser.
Who was Kent Heitholt?
Kent Heitholt, the well-liked sports editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune, was murdered. Kent Heitholt was the sports editor of the Columbia Tribune. Known by colleagues as a hard working and friendly man, he left behind a wife and two teenage children. Columbia Daily Tribune.
How much did Kathleen Zellner spend on Ryan's case?
The law firm of Kathleen Zellner spent over 3,500 hours on this case, about $1,065,000, plus $132,636.65 in expenses. All of this work was gladly done pro bono to save Ryan and return him to the life that was taken from him so unjustly. Our battle continues until the case is dismissed.”
How did the Missouri Innocence Project help?
We got the Missouri Innocence Project to help by filing an amicus brief, also known as a friend-of-the-court brief. We knew if we could show just one constitutional violation we could win but we wanted to demonstrate Ryan was actually innocent. A habeas court's power is limited to vacating the conviction and giving the prosecutor the option to retry the case. If the court is persuaded that a Brady violation has occurred, it can stop there and vacate the conviction. The Western District did say that the Barbara Trump Brady violation was so severe it alone would suffice to vacate the conviction. However, the court evaluated all of our other arguments and concluded there were many Brady violations, including evidence of another person at the murder scene when the murder happened. The court listed all of the evidence that demonstrates Ferguson's innocence but concluded that a jury has to decide guilt or innocence. The prosecution’s numerous Brady violations were referred to as a "trademark" of the State's investigator who failed to write reports of anything favorable to Ryan.
Did Jerry Trump commit perjury?
Yes, Jerry Trump demonstrated he has both. All he wanted was forgiveness from Ryan and his family. Incredibly, Jerry Trump admitted he committed perjury at Ryan's trial. He did so in open court with the national media filming him. The co-defendant Erickson admitted his entire trial testimony was fabricated. We conducted cross-examinations of the prosecutor and his investigator and their stories conflicted. William Haws made a critical admission on cross examination, that he never made a report of Barbara Trump's interview when she told him she had no memory of sending a newspaper article to Jerry, which Jerry claimed he had used to identify Ryan. Haws made no report of this interview. We uncovered three additional so-called Brady violations during the hearing. Again no reports were ever made. We presented nationally renowned experts in pathology and police procedure trying to persuade the habeas judge the State's trial evidence was false. The police "had left enough stones unturned to build a cathedral” one attorney commented. So a happy ending right? Not exactly.
Who was Shawna Ornt?
Shawna Ornt, who worked as a janitor for the building, had seen two figures standing near Kent's car when she went outside to take a cigarette break. She got her supervisor, and they both noted that two men who appeared to be college-aged were by the car. Source: YouTube. Article continues below advertisement.
Who is Kathleen Zellner?
Kathleen Zellner, a prominent Chicago attorney, who now represents Steven Avery from Netflix's Making a Murderer, took Ryan's case pro bono. The supervisor of the building and Erickson later admitted that they lied about the testimony they gave under oath.
Overview
Conviction vacated, charges dismissed
Following the conviction, Ferguson gained a following with wrongful-conviction advocacy groups. In 2009, high-profile Chicago attorney Kathleen Zellner took over Ferguson's case, working pro bono. In 2012, both Erickson and Trump recanted their trial testimony in statements obtained by Zellner and her investigator. In the subsequent habeas corpus hearing, both Erickson and Trump admitted that they had lied at Ferguson's trial.
Murder
In the early morning hours of November 1, 2001, 48-year-old Kent Heitholt was murdered in the parking lot of the Columbia Daily Tribune, where he worked as a sports editor. He was last seen alive by co-worker Michael Boyd, who told police that he had a work-related conversation with Heitholt in the parking lot between 2:12 and 2:20 a.m.
Investigation
Ornt told police that she got a good look at the young men, while Trump reported that he was unable to see them clearly. Police recovered unidentified fingerprints on and inside Heitholt's car, as well as an unidentified hair in his hand. Police also recovered footprints from the blood at the crime scene. Ornt provided police with a description of the men and a composite sketch was drawn.
Trial
The government offered Erickson a plea dealin exchange for testimony against Ferguson at his trial, which took place in 2005. Along with Erickson, Trump testified that he had seen Erickson and Ferguson at the scene. Trump testified that while he was in jail on unrelated charges, his wife sent him a news article about the crime. He claims that as he removed the newspaper from the envelope, he saw photos of Erickson and Ferguson and immediately recognized them as the tw…
Civil rights suit
On March 11, 2014, Ferguson filed a civil suit against 11 individuals as well as Boone County, Missouriand the city of Columbia in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The suit alleged suppression of exculpatory evidence, fabrication of evidence, reckless or intentional failure to investigate, malicious prosecution, conspiracy to deprive constitutional rights, false arrest and defamation. The suit also claimed that following Ferguson's release, former prosecut…
Charles Erickson
Charles Erickson remains imprisoned for the crime. He is serving a 25-year sentence in exchange for testifying against Ferguson. Despite the fact that Erickson had implicated him in the crime, Ferguson has vowed to help Erickson with his release from prison. "There are more innocent people in prison, including Erickson... I know that he was used and manipulated and I kind of feel sorry for the guy. He needs help, he needs support, he doesn't belong in prison," Ferguson said. T…
Media coverage
In September 2013, the first book about the Ryan Ferguson case was released: Free Ryan Ferguson: 101 Reasons Why Ryan Ferguson Should Be Released, by Brian D'Ambrosio. The book details allegations of police misconduct and intimidation by prosecutor Kevin Crane. There are also accounts of bogus police reports and alleged witnesses claiming that affidavits against Ferguson were signed in their names. D'Ambrosio proposes alternate theories and examines th…
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