Ryan Ferguson Net Worth

Natalija

Written by Natalija Celebrities

Published 1 month ago - 6 min read

Biography and Early life

Ryan Ferguson was born on October 19, 1984, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Not much is known about his earlier life before he was convicted for one of the worst crimes in the legal justice system, murder.

When Ryan was only seventeen years old and a local college student, he and his friend Charles Erickson attended a Halloween party near Columbia Daily Tribune.

What was about to happen just days after Ryan attended these parties was so awful and life-turning that no one expected it.

On November 1, 2001, just a day after Halloween, a man was murdered in the parking lot. That man was a 48-year-old, Kent Heitholt, a sports journalist at the Columbia Daily Tribune. Kent was last seen by a co-worker who stepped out with him to have a work-related conversation.

After Kent’s co-worker stepped inside the building minutes later, the building janitor stepped outside and saw Kent surrounded by two shadowy figures and immediately went to get her supervisor.

Investigating The Murder

The investigation of the murder of Kent Heitholt didn’t get solved for almost two years before the police got a tip from someone named Charles Erickson, who claimed that he didn’t remember the night of the murder. Still, somehow, he knew that he and his friend Ryan Ferguson had something to do with it.

Before we get further into the story and talk about the conviction of Ryan Ferguson, we need to note that no investigation has ever been done on the actual crime scene, even though there were fingerprints, footprints, and many more clues on who the murderers were.

"Charles Erickson: The Master of Mischief and Mayhem"

It is stated that on the night of the murder, Charles and Ryan spent all their money drinking while attending some of the local bars in the area.

While Ryan was only drinking, Charles took some cocaine along with his drinks and claimed that he didn’t remember most of the night.

After two years of investigation, Charles decided to tell them a very confusing version of how that night he and two of his friends went to Ferguson.

He said that although he could not remember the actual murder, he had several dreams of him and Ryan murdering the poor man and that it was weird that he couldn’t remember anything.

Ryan promised that those dreams were just that, dreams and that he was not involved in any crimes, especially not murder. But the other friends were worried about Charles's claims, so they called the police.

"Ryan Ferguson: A Victim of a Broken Justice System"

In March 2004, Ryan Ferguson and Charles Erickson were arrested for the murder of Kent Heitholt. Ferguson was sentenced to 40 years of prison for second-degree murder and robbery.

Charles was given a plea deal in exchange for testimony against Ferguson and lying about his involvement in the murder and seeing him on the scene. The building supervisor, Jerry Trump, who was a convicted sex offender, also took the stand and lied under oath to convict Ryan Ferguson.

When asked about that night, Charles took the stand and said that even though it’s very foggy in his head, he remembers strangling “his victim” with a bungee cord or the victim’s own belt in order to rob him for drinking money.

Again, the fingerprints, clumps of hair, and footprints found on the crime scene were never tested for any DNA evidence.

What Happened After The Trial

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Ryan Ferguson was charged and sentenced to 40 years in prison under wrongful conviction, thus spending his youthful life behind bars for a crime that he did not commit.

But, his luck was about to start turning around when Ryan and his father started involving themselves with wrongful conviction advocacy groups claiming they could help and do everything necessary to get Ryan out of jail.

In 2013, after ten years of being behind bars, Ryan’s case was reopened, and new evidence emerged that led to his release. He was finally exonerated in November 2013, and his conviction was overturned.

Jerry Trump and Charles Erickson both took the stand to apologize for lying to the jury and Ryan himself about this case. But does an apology go a long way when someone has spent the best years of his life behind bars for a crime he did not commit? What do you guys think?

"From Incarceration to Advocacy: The Journey of Ryan Ferguson"

Ryan's story is a powerful reminder of the need for an unbiased and transparent justice system dedicated to seeking the truth.

Through his unwavering determination and resilience, Ryan has become an inspiring figure to many who seek a more equitable world.

Instead of holding a grudge over the fairness of the whole situation, he looked on the bright side even when he was incarcerated.

He started regularly working out, reading, and educating himself enough to redeem himself once he got out of prison. And that’s exactly what he did.

Since his release, Ryan has become a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform and works to raise awareness about the issue of wrongful convictions.

He became a health and fitness instructor, and even wrote a book named: “Stronger, Faster, Smarter: A Guide To Your Most Powerful Body.”

In 2016, Ryan started hosting his MTV reality show, "Unlocking The Truth.” As a witness and a victim of the absurdity and failure of the justice system.

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As both a witness and victim of these issues, he believed the show would shed light on the subject of wrongful convictions.

In Conclusion

Ryan Ferguson is a man who was convicted and charged for a crime he didn’t commit on November 1st, 2001. After a decade of being incarcerated and portrayed as guilty, Ferguson was finally cleared of all charges in 2013 and released from prison.

He continued with his life even though he spent his twenties locked away in prison and became a personal trainer and health consultant. He even wrote a book named “Stronger, Faster, Smarter: A Guide To Your Most Powerful Body.”

Ryan Ferguson’s estimated net worth is around $ 3-5 million.