>> in 1978, joseph sledge was convicted of murder in north carolina. >> they made me the scapegoat because they had no one to blame. >> at his trial, an fbi scientist testified that hairs found at the crime scene were 'microscopically alike' to joseph's. just months ago, joseph was released from prison, after serving almost forty years behind bars. dna testing had proved the hairs were not his. >> here's the hair from the defendant. here's the hair from the crime scene. i'm looking at them under the microscope and they have enough characteristics where i can say with reasonable scientific certainty that these two hairs match. >> they believed in what they were doing, but they were not scientists. it wasn't science at all. at all. >> joseph was at least the 74th american exonerated of a crime in a case involving the forensic science of microscopic hair analysis. >> it's not science to visually examine something and say they're the same. that's not science. that's subjectivity. >> the u.s. department of justice is now reviewing thousands of old convictions containing hair analysis testimony.

.] >> in january 2015, joseph sledge walked out of prison for the first time in over 37 years. >> did you ever think this day was coming? >> oh yes, i did. yes, there wasn't no doubt. >> he moved back to his hometown of savannah, georgia. we met him one morning on the river, where he likes to go crabbing. >> if by chance we caught a crab, it'd be an act of god. >> aw cause, when we was coming up, that's all we did. our daddy took us on the dock, catching crabs. we had a good life coming up. we did, you know. yes we did. >> joseph's sister barbara also lives in savannah. >> that's him, mom and him. >> barbara was in her twenties when joseph went to prison. >> he didn't get a chance to see his daddy when he passed. you know, i had to write him and let him know daddy passed. had to write him a letter and let him know mother passed. had to write him a letter and let him know grandmamma passed. >> a little crab, trying to get out. trying to get out the basket. in north carolina prison. a little crab trying to get away. trying to get away clean, lord. trying to make a move. to find salvatio

. >> in 1978, joseph sledge was convicted of murder in north carolina. >> they made me the scapegoat because they had no one to blame. >> at his trial, an fbi scientist testified that hairs found at the crime scene were 'microscopically alike' to joseph's. just months ago, joseph was

. >> in 1978, joseph sledge was convicted of murder in north carolina. >> they made me the scapegoat because they had no one to blame. >> at his trial, an fbi scientist testified that hairs found at the crime scene were 'microscopically alike' to joseph's. just months ago, joseph was released from prison, after serving almost forty years behind bars. dna testing had proved the hairs

. >> in 1978, joseph sledge was convicted of murder in north carolina. >> they made me the scapegoat because they had no one to blame. >> at his trial, an fbi scientist testified that hairs found at the crime scene were 'microscopically alike' to joseph's. just months ago, joseph was released from prison, after serving almost forty years behind bars. dna testing had proved the hairs were not his. >> here's the hair from the defendant. here's the hair from the crime scene. i'm looking at them under the microscope and they have enough characteristics where i can say

. >> in 1978, joseph sledge was convicted of murder in north carolina. >> they made me the scapegoat because they had no one to blame. >> at his trial, an fbi scientist testified that hairs found at the crime scene were 'microscopically alike' to joseph's. just months ago, joseph was released from prison, after serving almost forty years behind bars.

. >> in 1978, joseph sledge was convicted of murder in north carolina. >> they made me the scapegoat because they had no one to blame. >> at his trial, an fbi scientist testified that hairs found at the crime scene were 'microscopically alike' to joseph's. just months ago, joseph was released from prison, after serving almost forty years behind bars. dna testing had proved the hairs

. >> in 1978, joseph sledge was convicted of murder in north carolina. >> they made me the scapegoat because they had no one to blame. >> at his trial, an fbi scientist testified that hairs found at the crime scene were 'microscopically alike' to joseph's. just months ago, joseph was released from prison, after serving almost forty years