Hailey
A Missouri judge has ordered St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Travelers Insurance, to pay more than $43.8 million to Ryan Ferguson, a man wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned for nearly 10 years.
Ferguson was arrested in 2004 and convicted in 2005 for the 2001 murder of a newspaper sports editor in Columbia, Missouri.
However, his conviction was overturned in 2013, after a key witness recanted their testimony and admitted Ferguson was not involved in the killing. Prosecutors later declined to retry the case.
Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit and Initial Compensation
Following his release, Ferguson filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2014 against the City of Columbia and several of its police officers, alleging misconduct in the investigation and wrongful conviction.
The court awarded him $11 million in damages, according to official court records.
Despite the victory, the officers named in the suit could only pay $2.7 million of the judgment.
Ferguson then turned his legal attention toward the city’s insurance provider, arguing that the insurer should cover the remaining amount.
Years-Long Legal Battle Ends in Major Victory
Ferguson’s case against the insurance company spanned several years in Missouri state courts. The officers joined the lawsuit as co-plaintiffs, claiming the insurer’s refusal to honor the judgment caused them emotional and financial stress, according to KMIZ-TV in Columbia.
In November 2024, a jury ruled in Ferguson’s favor. On Monday, June 17, 2025, Judge Cotton Walker finalized the decision, awarding $43.8 million in damages to Ferguson and the other plaintiffs, according to newly released court documents.
Emotional Reaction from Ferguson and Legal Team
Kathleen Zellner, Ferguson’s attorney—who is known for her work in wrongful conviction cases—shared that the ruling was a significant moment for her client.
“He was thrilled,” Zellner told KMIZ-TV. “It was close, not entirely comparable, to when I got to tell him that the appellate court had overturned his conviction and he was going to be released. But this is a close second.”
Zellner also confirmed that the officers involved in the lawsuit will receive a portion of the award, though the majority will go to Ferguson for the years lost to wrongful incarceration.
This ruling represents a major milestone in Ryan Ferguson’s pursuit of justice, not only recognizing the trauma he endured while wrongfully imprisoned but also holding municipal insurers accountable for covering damages resulting from official misconduct.
As wrongful conviction cases continue to draw national attention, the $43.8 million award serves as a reminder of the human cost of flawed investigations—and the importance of legal recourse in restoring dignity to those wrongfully accused.