A man who has been on death row for a quarter of a century has walked free after his murder conviction was overturned. Glenn Ford (64), who was found guilty over the 1983 killing of jeweller Isadore Rozeman, was exonerated after new evidence came to light.

As he walked out of a maximum security prison in Angola, Louisiana, he said "My mind is going in all kinds of directions but it feels good".

However, he also said he harboured some resentment for being wrongly imprisoned. "I've been locked up almost 30 years for something I didn't do" he said.

"I can't go back and do anything I should have been doing when I was 35, 38, 40, stuff like that".

Asked what was the first thing he was going to do, he replied "Going to get something to eat".

The overturning of his conviction and sentence by a judge was based on new information that corroborated his claim that he was not present or involved in Mr. Rozeman's death, Mr. Ford's lawyers said.

Prosecutors called it a "recent development" but would not elaborate on the new evidence, saying it could jeopardise their future case against the real killer.

Mr. Ford, who worked part-time for Mr. Rozeman, was found guilty in 1984 and was sentenced to die by electrocution.

He has been on death row since August 1988 and had always maintained his innocence, filing multiple appeals - most of which were denied.

Mr. Rozeman (56), was shot dead behind the counter of his jewellery shop in Shreveport. No murder weapon was ever found and there were no eyewitnesses to the crime.

His lawyers, Gary Clements and Aaron Novod, said "We are very pleased to see Glenn Ford finally exonerated, and we are particularly grateful that the prosecution and the court moved ahead so decisively to set Mr. Ford free".