Ryan Ferguson awarded more than $5 million from insurance companies

COLUMBIA - The Missouri Court of Appeals ruled in favor of awarding $5.3 million to Ryan Ferguson.

The court ruled Tuesday St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance has to pay $1 million a year for each year the two insurance companies covered the city and police officers during Ferguson's incarceration.

He spent almost a decade in prison before his conviction for killing a Columbia sports reporter was vacated.

According to previous KOMU 8 reporting, Ferguson was found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2005 death of Kent Heitholt, a sports reporter with the Columbia Tribune. Ferguson was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Ferguson denied involvement and was released in 2013 after an appeals court ruled the prosecutor withheld evidence.

According to previous KOMU 8 reporting, Ferguson alleged the Columbia Police Department fabricated evidence in 2001 before he was found guilty.