What does a person do when freed after being wrongly imprisoned for almost a decade? For Ryan Ferguson, the answer has included getting an iPhone, a driver’s license and relaxing in Florida with his girlfriend.
Ferguson, 29, of Columbia, Mo., maintained his innocence while serving a 40-year sentence for the 2001 slaying of a newspaper editor. He was released from prison on Nov. 12 after his 2004 murder conviction was overturned.
Since then, with the help of some friends, he has been documenting his first few weeks of freedom on the Facebook page “Freed Ryan Ferguson.”
Hours after his release, he posed for a photo, smiling with a beer and a steak.
A few days later, a photo was posted of him with his first iPhone and the caption, “How do I flip this phone closed?!” Neither the iPhone nor Facebook were around when Ferguson was put in prison.
On Nov. 19, a photo was posted of Ferguson having drinks with a woman and the caption, “Freedom in Florida with my girl.”
He recently checked off another missed milestone from the list: “Look who got their Driver’s License today!”
A few days later, he was “back in court,” but not a legal court -- this time, he was on a basketball court.
On Nov. 21, he posted a message of “profound thanks” to his supporters all over the world. He wrote that he had been spending time with his family and supporters and had not yet learned the world of Facebook.
“I hope the pictures I have been posting of the behind-the-scenes moments of my life have been unique and exciting,” Ferguson wrote. “They are there for you to see how much you’ve helped accomplish.”
“I am so thankful for all of the supporters, mass media, and everyone on social networks that have helped make this dream come true,” he wrote. “I will continue to thank you with every opportunity I get, in every forum possible. Thanks so much for all of your support, kind words, thoughts, and generous donations.”
“As for now, I’m hitting the road with my dad,” he ended the note, with a photo of himself and his father in a car.
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