valentino dixon walked out of court into bright sunshine and hugs. >> this is the greatest feeling inld. >> reporter: his mother could hardly describe her feeling. >> i'm just overwhelmed. >> reporter: dixon's daughter who was 4 months old when her father went to jail said she never gave up hope. >> daddy, it's time that we start living life together out in the real world. >> reporter: dixon was found guilty of murder in the 1991 shooting death of a teenager. the system failing dixon. being convicted with no physical evidence against him and even after another man confessed to the crime. while behind bars, dixon rekindled his childhood passion for drawing often spending ten hours creating pencil landscapes of golf courses. the magazine "golf digest" featured his story and his meticulous drawings. the article caught the attention of students at georgetown university's prison reform course and the class then worked with dixon's attorney to get his conviction overturned. >> we want to get more people out. we want to take on more wrongful conviction cases. the message is our criminal just

valentino dixon is a freeman afte spending 27 years in >>ison wrongfully convicted of murder. unbelievable. >> the real killer hasd confessd wo days after the crime i thought that seemed so crazy that that has gone unnoticed and that this man was still in jail for something that he clearly didn't do. >> elle a two other students rmrked on his case as part of a prison re project this past spring. during the studentey research interviewed witnesses, valentino's daughteom and and valentino himself and spoke to the lead prosecutor and uncovered aalble clue. >> it came back negative and that was something that we hadn't had before which was a f break throu us in the case. >> valentino's lawyer used the students research to file a motion in the case.or elle got valentino would be released two weeks ago. >> it was everything that we ever wanted. it felt so miraculous. >> that's just an incredible story. >> his story first came to attention whenolf digest paid attention to him. >> this morning, he's going to join savannah and hoda on t "today" show to talk more about his experience. >

just ask valentino dixon. ed. >> it's indescribable. and we've been waiting 27 years for this moment. >> reporter: the bulk of dixon's sentence, served at the attica correctional facility in new york. from his tiny cell, the gifted artist put pencil to paper to pass the game. a warden noticed and gave dixon a photo of a famous golf hole to draw for him. he said he was hooked. sprawling fairways, immaculate greens, lush nature. hundreds of works of art from a man who never stepped food on a golf course. he also discovered "golf digest" magazine. one day, adler received a letter from dixon. >> i'm glad that resonated with him, with what he was feeling. and that he had the audacity to reach out to me. i'm so thankful i got that letter. >> reporter: adler wound up investigating the complex murder case, corresponding with dixon and visiting him at attica. he put his case in the national spotlight. that spurred students at georgetown university, to uncover evidence as part of prison reform. it led to a story on golf

. >> valentino dixon was all smiles. while behind bars he drew golf landscapes which led to a profile in "golf digest" magazine. that drew the attention of anned a advocacy group. their efforts led to dixon's release. >> this is the greatest feeling in the world. it's undescribable and we've been waiting 27 years for this moment. the fight doesn't stop now, you know? i have a bigger fight. i'm going to be fighting to help those that are still locked up that should be out. >> another man pleaded guilty for the murder dixon was convicted of. he's already in prison for a previous attempted murder conviction. this story and the series of events that led to him getting out, incredible. >> that, indeed. glad to know that he's out. >>> all right. when we come back, super bowl halftime performers revealed. >> and more about bert and ernie. "the skinny" is next. nkles.♪ ♪he's gotta play it cool to seal the deal.♪ ♪better find a way to smooth things over.♪ ♪if only harry used some... ♪...bounce, to dry. ♪yeah! ♪he would be a less

. >> you may have heard valentino dixon's story this week. the buffalo man released after 27 years in prison for ade murr he did not commit. >> what you might not know is that the role some georgetown university students played in his release made a difference.t, >> tonigh news 4 caught up with one of those students and a professor who got involved. >> reporter: it's homecoming week at georgetown university, but one class is celebrating another special homecoming in new york.va ntino dixon is a free man after spending 27 years in prison, wrongfully convicted of murder. >> it's unbelievable. >> the real killer has confessed so many times, two days after the crime. i thought that seemed to crazy that that had gone unnoticed and that this man was still in jail for something he clearly didn't do. >> reporter: ellieer and two o students worked on dixon's case as part of a prison reform t project courss past spring. >> if i had to estimate the odds of getting somebody out of prison, much less by september, i would have said 0.05% chance. i mean, i

just ask valentino dixon.rated it's undescribable. we have been waiting 27 yes. >> r theulk of dixon's sentence srr facility. he put pencil to paper to pase famous golf hole to dr. ignited a passion. he ss he was hooked. sprawling fairways, immaculate greens, lush nature, hundreds of works of hy man who never stepped foot on a gol course. whe inside dixon discovered golf digest magazine, gravitatg towards a column by max adr called "golf saved my life." one day he received a letter feeling, and he had the ea audacity to rch out to me. i am thankful got that letter. > adler investigated correspondg w dixon and visiting him at attica. he told dixon's story, cata into the nation spotlit. george university to uncover vital evidence as part of a course on prison reform. it led to a powerful profile by jimmy roberts on theol channe nbc universal, which included a sit down with a man who previously he was convicted?ing. >> yes. >> did he commit that crime? >>e h didn't. >> r who did? >> i did. >> r guilty wednesday,

. >>> 48-year-old valentino dixon walked free on wednesday after spending 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit while in prison, he became an accomplished artist, drawing hundreds of detailed golf scapes and that was noticed by golf digest and golf channel which led to a reexamination of his case you are up to date that's the news update this hour contessa, back to you. >> wow, golf and justice, who knew. >>> residents of north carolina today are returning home in many cases they find their homes completely flooded seema mody is live in kinson, north carolina give me a sense of what you're seeing now that you're on the ground, seema. >> reporter: well, contessa, we are 60 miles inland from the coast and yet a number of houses here are seeing massive floodwaters that is wreaking havoc on homeowners. now, we spent much of the morning with north carolina's insurance commissioner, and he says inland flooding and a number of uninsured residents is the biggest task at hand. >> unfortunately, the vast majority of people have no flood insurance. you know, we have a population here of