here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: tonight, family members say albert woodfox is overwhelmed, but feeling great. shown here celebrating with members of the black panther party, just after his release from prison, where he spent more than four decades in solitary confinement, in a nine by six-foot cell. >> how does it feel? >> uh, i really haven't decided yet. >> reporter: the last of the so-called "angola 3" prisoners freed yesterday, on his 69th birthday. >> right now, i'm just trying to adjust to being free. >> reporter: after taking a plea deal in the 1972 murder of louisiana state penitentiary guard, brent miller. his conviction overturned twice, woodfox was set to be tried a third time, when he pleaded no contest to lesser charges yesterday, while maintaining he is innocent. >> this plea agreement was a means to bring this case to an end. >> reporter: an end to a punishment woodfox claims was because of his ties to the black panthers. the group joining him here as he starts his life outside of prison. marci gonzalez, abc news, new york. >>> still ahead tonight on "world n

. >> on his 69th birthday, albert woodfox would walk out of the entrenchary a free man. woodfox had been convicted twice for murder of a prison guard. both convictions were overturned on appeal. last summer a judge ordered wo woodfox's release. his release comes after the state dropped the threat of sub jacketing him to a third murder trial. in turn woodfox pleaded no contest to lesser charges. he said in a statement: >> woodfox was one of the stalled angola three. he along with robert king and herman wallace would spend long stretches in solitary in any goal la. many of the supporters believed that the men were political prisoners being held for their involvement with the black panthers and because they fought for better prison conditions. >> they were the scapegoats. there was opportunity. but the president administration to continue and to destroy the black panther movement. >> in a statement friday, woo woodfox thanked herman wallace and robert king for their support. king was released in 2001. wallace was released in 2013 after more than 30 years in solitary confine

. >> reporter: albert woodfox was in the louisiana state prison known as angola. on armed robbery charges when he was convicted in that guard's murder. his attorney said he spent more time in solitary confinement than anyone else in american history. and today, he's starting his first full day of freedom. this morning, waking up a free man, after more than four decades in solitary confinement. >> how does it feel? >> i really haven't decided yet. >> reporter: yesterday, albert woodfox, one of the prisoners known as the angola three, celebrated his 69th birthday by walking out of a louisiana jail. after taking a plea deal, he's now starting life outside of his 9 x 6 prison cell for the first time in 43 years. >> right now, i'm just resigned to trying to adjust to being free. >> reporter: woodfox and fellow inmate wallace were convicted of murdering a prison guard. the men claiming the crime was pinned on them because of their involvement in the black panther party. >> we were framed for murder. that with we are totally completely and actually innocent of. >> report

albert woodfox, after more than 40 years in solitary confinement. already in prison for robbery, and then convicted for killing a prison guard. today, he pleaded no contest for that killing, and walked out of prison on his 69th birthday. >>> and a shake-up at sea world. three executives out today as the company, still roiled by negative press about its treatment of killer whales after the 2013 movie "blackfish," is planning hotels, roller coasters and aquariums in a bid to save its lagging tourist business. >>> to the world's busiest airport, atlanta's hartsfield-jackson. and the warning for the tsa tonight. the airport demanding, give us more tsa screeners, or we'll go private. 96 million passengers go through atlanta's airport every year. >>> and a harrowing piece of cell phone video, taken from the backseat of a houston school bus. the bus barely made it across railroad tracks. a freight train hurtling by just inches away. 42 children onboard this bus. none hurt. the driver suspended tonight. >>> when we come back, we remember a famous american a

. >> albert woodfox has always maintained that he was an innocent man. after a 40-year legal battle he was finally able to walk free. [applause] >> on his 69th birthday, albert woodfox walked out of the louisiana penitentiary a free man. he had been convicted twice for killing prison guard in 1972. he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. both convictions were overturned on appeal. last summer a judge ordered woodfox's release. but a federal appeals court decided he had to state behind bars while the state of louisiana challenged the release. woodfox's release friday comes after the state dropped the threat of sub jacketing him to a third murder trial. he said although i was looking forward to proving my innocence at a new trial, concerns about my health and my age have caused me to resolve this case now and obtain my release with this no contest plea to lesser charges. i hope the events of today will bring closure to many. woodfox was one of the so-called angola 3. he along with robert keen and her man wallace spent long stretches in angola, l