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HERE IS PART TWO OF OUR
CONVERSATION.
>> A TEXAS SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
CLEARED THE WAY FOR MICHAEL
MORTON TO FIND OUT WHY EVIDENCE
THAT COULD HAVE SET HIM FREE WAS
NOT TURNED OVER TO HIS LAWYERS.
>> Reporter: NEARLY 25 YEARS,
THAT'S HOW LONG MICHAEL MORTON
HAD BEEN BEHIND BARS, WAITING
FOR HAD CHANCE.
HIS LAST SHOT AT FREEDOM.
HE KNEW HE WAS INNOCENT, BUT
TIME HAD WORN AWAY HIS RESOLVE.
WAS THERE ANY A MOMENT OR A
PERIOD DURING YOUR INCARCERATION
WHERE YOU DOUBTED YOURSELF,
WHERE YOU DOUBTED MAYBE EVEN
REALITY?
>> I WONDERED, I STARTED TO
DOUBT A LITTLE BIT OR QUESTION
AND YOU START THINKING, WELL, I
MIGHT DIE HERE OF OLD AGE.
>> Reporter: MORTON'S ATTORNEYS
FOUGHT FOR YEARS TO HAVE DNA
TESTING DONE ON A BLUE BANDANA
FOUND NEAR THE MORTON'S HOME
WHERE HIS WIFE, CHRISTINE, WAS
MURDERED.
THE PROSECUTION CALLED THE
BANDANA INSIGNIFICANT.
>> I TOLD THE COURT AND I'M
QUOTING, "THIS BAND JANUARY ANA
MAY CONTAIN THE BLOOD OF THE
VICTIM, CHRISTINE MORTON" PLUS
PERHAPS MINGLED WITH THE BLOOD
OF THE MURDERER.
>> Reporter: IT DID, THE DNA WAS
A MATCH, NOT WITH MORTON BUT
WITH THIS MAN, MARK ALAN
NORWOOD, EVENTUALLY FOUND TO
HAVE MURDERED CHRISTINE MORTON
AND AFTERWARDS ANOTHER WOMAN,
DEBORAH BAKER, A LIFE THAT COULD
HAVE BEEN SAVED.
MORTON WAS FINALLY CLEARED, BUT
THERE WAS ANOTHER TWIST.
KEN ANDERSON, THE FORMER
PROSECUTOR, WHO HELPED PUT HIM
BEHIND BARS, ALLEGATIONS THAT HE
WITHHELD KEY EVIDENCE DURING THE
TRIAL THAT COULD HAVE HELPED
MORTON'S CASE.
HE SAID HE DIDN'T REMEMBER.
>> I DON'T REMEMBER A LOT OF
THAT.
I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION.
>> Reporter: ANDERSON WOULD
BECOME A TEXAS JUDGE, WAS
DISBARRED AND CHARGED.
HE PLEADED NO CONTEST AND WAS
SENT TO JAIL, BUT ONLY FOR TEN
DAYS.
DO YOU BLAME HIM?
>> YES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT I
BLAME HIM, I ALSO FORGIVE HIM.
>> Reporter: WHY?
>> IF YOU WANT TO BE FORGIVEN,
YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE.
I AM NOT GOING TO SPEND THE REST
OF MY LIFE POINTING MY FINGER AT
HIM AND WANTING HIS HEAD ON A
STICK AND GOING AFTER HIM.
>> Reporter: IN ORDER TO BE
FORGIVEN, YOU MUST FORGIVE.
FOR MOST OF US, THAT IS ON A
PRAYER CARD SOMEWHERE, PRESSED
INTO A BOOK OR ON A REFRINL
RATER, ARATE
REFRIGERATOR AND WE SAY IT TO
OTHERS.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
>> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAYING
FORGIVENESS OR GIVING
FORGIVENESS IS ALL THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
IT'S LIKE SAYING I CAN FLY, OR
ACTUALLY FLYING.
>> Reporter: MORTON WAS RELEASED
IN OCTOBER, 2011.
HE HAD ENTERED PRISON AT 32,
LEFT AT 57.
BUT MORE HAD CHANGED THAN JUST
HIS APPEARANCE.
HE WAS OUT OF PRISON, BUT NOT
ENTIRELY FREE.
THAT WOULD COME ONLY WHEN HE
RECONNECTED WITH HIS SON, ERIC,
JUST A TODDLER, WHEN MORTON WAS
LOCKED UP.
>> I WAS RAISED BY MY AUNT.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT MY FAMILY
KIND OF SET A STANDARD THAT
WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACT
DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF WHAT
HAPPENED TO MY MOTHER.
>> Reporter: ERIC VISITED HIS
FATHER IN PRISON AT FIRST BUT
EVENTUALLY SHUT HIM OUT.
AND EVEN CHANGED HIS NAME.
>> WHEN I GOT OUT OF PRISON,
THAT MEANT THAT THE
UNDERPINNINGS OF EVERYTHING THAT
MY SON BELIEVED, THE MOTIVATION
FOR ALL THAT HE HAD DONE AND
OTHERS AROUND HIM HAD BEEN SHOWN
TO BE FALSE.
>> Reporter: WHERE DOES THAT
LEAVE THE TWO OF YOU?
>> IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR PROCESS.
IT WAS SLOW GOING BECAUSE HE HAD
SO MUCH TO CHANGE IN HIS HEAD
AND IN HIS HEART.
>> Reporter: ERIC MARRIED AND
EVENTUALLY STARTED HIS OWN
FAMILY.
RECENTLY HE HAD A DAUGHTER NAMED
CHRIS
CHRISTINE, AFTER HIS LATE
MOTHER.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU, THAT
YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER HAS YOUR LATE
WIFE'S NAME?
>> I WAS PLEASED BY IT.
IT MADE ME SMILE, AND I HAVE TO
ADMIT IT BROUGHT A LITTLE BIT OF
A TEAR TO MY EYE, BUT I LIKE IT
MOST OF ALL BECAUSE WHAT IT SAYS
ABOUT MY SON AND MY MYSELF, THE
WAY WE'RE RECONNECTING.
>> Reporter: PERHAPS ONE OF THE
MOST SHOCKING PARTS OF THIS
STORY IS THAT MORTON SAYS LOSING
A QUARTER CENTURY OF HIS LIFE
BECAUSE THE SYSTEM FAILED HIM
CHANGED HIM.
HOW DIFFERENT ARE YOU NOW THAN
YOU WERE IN 1986?
>> I'M DIFFERENT NOT JUST
BECAUSE OF MATURATION AND
INCARCER
INCARCERATION, BUT I'M DIFFERENT
BECAUSE I CAN REALLY APPRECIATE
COLORS AND ASSOCIATION WITH GOOD
PEOPLE.
I LOVE PEOPLE'S PETS, SMALL
CHILDREN, GOOD FOOD, CLOTHES