See how a man found innocent of murder reacts after being released from prison after 39 years.

“I guess a lot of people would want me to hate that person and carry animosity toward him.”

Meet Ricky Jackson. His 1975 murder conviction was based on the testimony of a 12-year-old child.


Jackson was in jail for 39 years for a crime he didn’t commit.

With the help of the Ohio Innocence Project, he was found wrongfully convicted. This is him hearing the news:

Ricky reflected on his 39 years behind bars.

The judge overturned Jackson’s murder charge because the 12-year-old boy’s testimony that the case was based on was later found to be a lie. Here’s what Jackson thinks about the circumstances of his imprisonment and release:

While Ricky may be one of a kind, his circumstance absolutely is not. The National Registry of Exonerations has collected data on nearly 1,500 exonerations since 1989. Ricky Jackson’s 39-year imprisonment marks the longest time served by any exoneree in their database.

Hear Jackson in his own words:

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