He told his story at the Allegany College of Maryland, to help others and bring to light problems with the justice system.

“I was sent to one of the most infamous prisons in the United States at that time,” said Bloodsworth, who was exonerated by DNA.

There was a time when Bloodsworth would have never imagined being anywhere outside of prison walls.

He spent nine years in prison after being convicted twice of murdering a nine-year-old Baltimore girl. Two of those years were spent on death row, all for a crime he did not commit.

“One of the people seen the composite and said that looks like my neighbor Kirk,” said Bloodsworth.

During his time in prison, Bloodsworth read and discovered the importance of DNA. His was tested and compared to evidence but the DNA did not match up. It was the call he had been waiting for.

“He said, 'you’re innocent man! You’re innocent!' I said, 'I know that! Tell me when I’m getting out of here. That’s what I want to know.'”

In 1993 Bloodsworth became the first death row inmate exonerated by DNA. Ten years later a positive match was made with a man named Kimberly Shay Ruffner.

He later pleaded guilty. The irony was that Ruffner and Bloodsworth knew one another.

They served time in the same prison.

“Quite frankly I’m glad that I didn't find out,” said Bloodsworth.H

He said his case and the use of DNA show there is a problem with the justice system.

“With a prison system of 2 million and growing and a death row that's almost 4,000 strong in the United States. We can't make mistakes like this,” said Bloodsworth.

“It's really important that people know that because there are a lot of people behind bars that shouldn't be there because things weren't done right,” said Dawn Smith, a political science student.

“You can't judge somebody or automatically assume that they're guilty because as he said today there are a lot of cases where they've been proven innocent after the fact,” said Danielle Hannah, another student.

“I hear about cases like this and I’m like, 'he did it! He did it!' and today made me realize that's not always the case,” said Chloe Bauermaster.

Bloodsworth makes the case that without the use of DNA the same thing that happened to him could happen to anyone.