Missouri AG Will Not Retry Man Who Spent Decade in Prison

Murder conviction thrown out after prosecution failed to share important evidence

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has announced that his office will not re-try Ryan Ferguson, 29, who has been jailed for nearly a decade for a murder Ferguson says he didn't commit. The decision means Ferguson could soon be released from prison.

Last week, an appeals court threw out Ferguson's 2005 conviction in the killing of Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt. Ferguson's family, friends and thousands of supporters—who have always maintained his innocence—had eagerly anticipated the ruling.

The appeals court ruled that Boone County prosecutors violated federal law by failing to share several pieces of evidence with Ferguson's defense team during his trial, reports the Columbia Daily Tribune.