(CNN) Clifford Williams Jr. was 34 and his nephew, Hubert Nathan Myers, was 18 back in May 1976.

They were at a party in Jacksonville, Florida, when two women were shot in a nearby apartment, one of them fatally. The men were quickly arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

On Thursday, the state threw out their convictions and set them free.

Nathan Myers, left, hugs his uncle Frank Williams.

Williams and Myers shook hands and shared a long hug before emotionally joining family members gathered in the courtroom, affiliate WFOX reported. Myers kissed the ground outside.

"I'm nervous because I feel like I'm still locked up," he said. "Once I get with my family and know I can look back ... and the reality hits in, I think I'll be all right."

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