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

. >> 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

. >> reporter: yesterday, albert woodfox, one of prisoners 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: they 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. >> reporter: they were sentenced in indefinite solitary confinement at the louisiana state pent tear. was rving time for an unrelated crime. >> and everybody was just fighting to survive from day-to-day. >> reporter: wallace and king were previously released and woodfox had his conviction thrown out twice because of inadequate representation. he was set to be tried for a third time, when he pleaded no contest to lesser charges. >> if you could go back to that day in april of 1972, what would you do? >> forces beyond your control, there's not a lot you can do. >> reporter: woodfox

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