Ryan Ferguson to CBS: We crossed a huge hurdle, but I don't feel like I have my life back

The Missouri Western District Court of Appeals has tossed out Ryan Ferguson's conviction, but the battle is not over.

Ferguson was convicted eight years ago of the 2001 murder of Columbia Daily Tribune Sports Editor Kent Heitholt, after two major witnesses recanted their testimony.

His case received nationwide attention from the CBS program 48 Hours and that program's reporter Erin Moriarty was with Ferguson today:

"It's amazing," Leslie Ferguson told 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty, who was with the family in Columbia, Mo. as they learned the news. "We're just really happy that finally we have judges who looked at the facts in the case and ruled on that. They did what was right."

Learning of the ruling over the phone from prison, Ryan Ferguson told Moriarty, "I kind of felt like I wasn't awake - been dreaming of it so long. My reaction - it's not - wouldn't be like 'Yay bouncing off the walls,' cause in reality I know it's the beginning of another battle. Even though we crossed a huge hurdle, I don't feel like I have my life back."

The opinion can be found in this coverage from earlier today on the Turner Report.