late today, at his first news conference, macumber cried when talking about the lawyers who fought to get him out. >> excuse me, excuse the emotion, but -- i'm here because of all these people. so -- i wouldn't be here without them. >> reporter: in the 1970s, macumber was convicted of killing two young adults and leaving their bodies in the arizona desert. we first started covering this story in 2010, when we met bill ma come berp's son, ron, who had been raised to believe his dad was a monster. not long before we met him, though, ron got a call from a lawyer with the arizona justice project, which works to free innocent inmates. >> he says, there's no other way to tell you think. we think your father's innocent and we're pretty sure your mom framed him for it. >> reporter: at the time of the arrest, the marriage was falling apart. and carol was working at the local sheriff's office, where she had access to the evidence. >> i don't have any doubt anymore. that my mom did this. that my mom framed my dad. >> reporter: did you frame your husband? >> no. absolutely not. >> reporter: back

. 38 years later, bill macumber walked out of jail. so, what changed? >> justice requires us to do what is right. >> reporter: in a special hearing in superior court, the county attorney's office offered him a deal. if he changed his plea from not guilty to no contest, they'd let him go with time served. the family of the victims spoke out against the decision. >> i want justice for my sister. >> reporter: they still believe macumber is guilty. the decision doesn't matter to bill macumber because after four decades, he's free. >> a great day. it's a family day. >> that was reporter dave biscobing in phoenix. >>> in medical news. there's increasing evidence statins may help with heart disease and cancer. a study released look at cholesterol-fighting statins and found cancer patients who were taking them at the time of their diagnosis were 15% less likely to die from the disease. scientists say more research is needed before they make any new >>> it is time, now, for sports. we get the highlights from espn news. >> welcome to your "sport

the family of macumber believed she was doing it for political reasons. didn't want to appear soft on crime. >> any comment from her now that he's been released? >> not yet. we're trying to get comment from her and his ex-wife. we haven't heard from either. >> he's not been formally exonerated? >> no. in fact, prosecutors went out of their way to say, he is guilty in the eyes of the state. he pleaded no contest at this point. however, as i pointed out, he could have pleaded guilty at any point in the last couple of years and walked free. and he refused to do so. he said he would rather die in prison. >> and a lot of evidence to suggest he did not do it. thanks very much. >>> let's get the weather from sam. >> and, boy, what a night last night, gang. new york getting back on its feet and moving around, after two storms in a row for the northeast. let's show you what the pictures were last night at the peak of the storm. we got snow falling at places like the rockaways. so damaged from the first storm. and then, weehawken, new jersey. the wet, heavy snow ta

the clemency board recommended that macumber's sentence be commuted. however, the governor of arizona, jan brewer, refused to sign off and refused to talk to the family or us. my name is dan harris. we showed up unannounced at one of her news conferences. >> i sent your office two e-mails and a letter. no response. >> i appreciate your concerns. but i made my decision and it's final. >> we're done today. >> reporter: governor, it's your board. on wednesday, two years after that confrontation, with macumber's lawyers launching a strong, last-ditch effort to clear his name in court, prosecutors finally agreed to a plea deal that set macumber free. >> good luck to you, sir. >> thank you, your honor. >> it's worth pointing out that macumber could have walked free many years ago if he pled guilty. he steadfastly refused to do so. >> that confrontation with the governor, why was she so insistent on this? >> she said it was doing the right thing. it was a tough decision. but it was her call to make. and she believed he had not been exonerated. the family of m