BARRY: KENNETH J.R. MCPHERSON WANTS TO BE BEHIND THE WHEEL.
HE’S STUDYING FOR HIS COMMERCIAL DRIVERS LIENSE.
THERE IS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RULES OF THE ROAD AND PUTTING EVERYONE SAFETY FIRST.
BARRY: HIS BROTHER ERIC SIMMONS IS WORKING ON BECOMING A PERSONAL TRAINER.
BOTH ARE TRYING TO REDISCOVER THEMSELVES.
>> I’M HAPPY TO BE WITH MY FAMILY.
BARRY: SIX MONTHS AGO, THEIR LIVES CHANGED.
THEY WALKED OUT OF A DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE COURTHOUSE FREE MEN.
AFTER SPENDING NEARLY 25 YEARS IN PRISO THEIR WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS ON CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER TOSSED OUT.
>> HE’S ALWAYS BEEN A ROCK.
>> THERE’VE BEEN A FEW TIMES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO I AM.
BARRY: WHILE SETTING NEW GOALS THEY’VE HAD STRUGGLES TRYING TO RECONNECT WITH THEIR CITY, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS.
>> I GUESS I’M LIVING REAL LIFE NOW, OR LIFE WITH FREEDOM.
BARRY: MCPHERSON SAYS HE HAD TO SET LIMITS ON ENJOYING SNACKS PURCHASED AT THE DOLLAR STORE.
>> I’M LIKE -- I GAINED 20 POUNDS.
BARRY: BUT ANOTHER EXPERIENCE TRIGGERED A PRISON FLASHBACK FOR HIS BROTHER.
SIMMONS SAYS WHILE SHOPPING WITH HIS WIFE, A LOUD STORE ANNOUNCEMENT CAUSED HIM TO JUMP.
>> IT REMINDED ME OF WHEN THEY CALL YOU ON THE SPEAKERPHONE.
I TOLD HER, I’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THE SUPERMARKET.
I COULDN’T EVEN STAND THE SUPERMARKET.
SO WE STOPPED SHOPPING.
BARRY: THE MEN ARE STILL TRYING TO HANDLE ALL KINDS OF EMOTIONS.
>> IT IS LIKE YOU ARE COMING FROM THE WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO A MORE SCARY PLACE.
BARRY: MCPHERSON WAS 19, SIMMONS 21, WHEN THEY AND THREE OTHERS WERE CONVICTED.
THE BROTHERS ALWAYS MAINTAINED THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CRIME.
THEIR COURT APPEALS WENT NOWHERE.
FINALLY, THE MID ATLANTIC INNOCENCE PROJECT AND SEVERAL OTHERS TOOK ANOTHER LOOK.
LAUREN LIPSCOMB IS CHIEF OF THE CITY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE CONVICTION INTEGRITY UNIT.
IT FOUND -- >> THERE WAS OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE THAT THEY WERE NOT PRESENT AT THE SCENE.
BARRY: INVESTIGATOR BRIAN ELLIS IS A FORMER DELAWARE DETECTIVE.
>> IT’S JUSTICE.
THIS UNIT IS ABOUT JUSTICE.
BARRY: HE TOOK US TO WASHINGTON AND FEDERAL STREETS IN EAST BALTIMORE WHERE THE 21-YEAR-OLD VICTIM ANTHONY WOODEN WAS MURDERED IN AUGUST 1994.
ELLIS SHOWED WHERE HE BELIEVES THE BULLETS HIT A WALL AND SHEARED OFF BRICKS.
HE SAYS EVIDENCE PRESENTED AT TRIAL LED TO MORE QUESTIONS.
AND EACH TIME, YOU FOUND MORE AND MORE THAT DIDN’T ADD UP, IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED?
>> IT REALLY WAS.
IT WAS A CASE OF, AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS, THINGS JUST DIDN’T MAKE SENSE.
BARRY: HE BELIEVES IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PAID WITNESS LOOKING OUT A THIRD FLOOR APARTMENT WINDOW FROM MORE THAN A BLOCK AND A HALF AWAY TO SEE THE SHOOTING.
>> THIS IS ACTUALLY ME.
I’M RUNNING ACROSS THE STREET.
BARRY: LIPSCOMB AND ELLIS TOOK VIDEO SHOWING HOW BUILDINGS ALONG THE STREET OBSCURED THE VIEW.
THEY ALSO TALKED TO SIMMONS AND >> THE LAST THING I TOLD HER AND HIM, DON’T LET MY BROTHER AND ME DIE FOR SOMETHING WE DIDN’T DO.
BARRY: IT TOOK THE APPROVAL OF STATE’S ATTORNEY MARYLYN MOSBY TO GET THE CASE BACK IN COURT.
>> IF SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN WRONGFULLY CONVICTED WHO IS FACTUALLY INNOCENT, WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE WE UNDO THAT CONVICTION AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CORRECT
THAT WRONG.
BARRY: AS MCPHERSON AND SIMMONS REBUILD THEIR LIVES, THEY WANT THE VICTIM’S FAMILY AND EVERYONE ELSE TO KNOW THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH TAKING HIS LIFE.
>> JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE INNOCENT AND WE ARE GLAD TO BE HOME.
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR GOD.
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LOOKED INTO THE CASE AND HEARING