Aaron Salter has been a free man for two days and he's celebrating a new chapter of his life.
"These two pictures are from Kettering," Salter said. "I played my senior year in 2001."
Salter was a linemen at the time with a dream of football. He lost that dream in 2003 when he was wrongfully convicted of murder.
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"I actually lost my youth being in there," Salter said. "So when I look at these, I see how my youth being taken from me."
Salter was serving a life sentence without parole for a murder he did not commit and was imprisoned for the past 15 years.
The case goes back to 2003 when four people were shot sitting on a porch on Detroit's east side. One man was killed. An eyewitness identified Salter, who was 21 at the time, as one of the shooters.
"We always played sports together. We went to the gym. We rode bikes together," said Salter's father. "Then they took him away from me for so many years."
Salter and his family refused to give up hope that one day he would be proven innocent.
"Even though I was in prison, I had the mentality as I was free because heaven and hell is a state of mind," Salter said.
After 15 years, Salter finally was able to be freed.
"Today means the world to me because I get to help the people who helped me get out of prison," Salter said.
Those who worked on his case are part of the Federal Defenders Office who spent years work leading to Salter's homicide charges being dismissed Wednesday.
"God really put angels around me and that's the reason they helped," Salter said.
Salter thanked them in his own personal way with a barbecue.
"I wish that I had some money where I could pay y'all for the work you did, but this will have to make up for it," Salter said.
Salter might have lost his youth in prison, but he didn't lose his future.