. >> reporter: oneore legal mauver to try, a habeas petition filed in a higher court, the missouri courtg shot. the st majority of these fail. >> he was at the end of the road, last gasp. it was almost over for him. >> reporter: so she did it, filed the paperwork. 154 pages it. and waited. and inside the state prison, ry ferguson had learned not to expect anythg. are you allowing yourself to imagine, you know, next we, next month, next year what i'll on the outside? that's a long way away right now. >> reporter: but outside the walls far away from the courts and the viual world, something funny was happening. support for ryan was growing. friends and family and complete strangers from around the world we posting messages anphotos demandg free ryan ferguson. an online petition to free him gathered signatures by the thousas. then, just this pasteptember, a glimmer of he. ryan had been granted a hearing. >> the honorable court of appeals. >> reporter: his lawr had just 15 minut to tell ryan's stor to a panel of three judges abo the witnesses who said they lied, the mistakes by the prosecuti