He was free for 2 years. Now Crosley Green is back in prison for a crime he says he didn't commit

FLORIDA: A Florida man who served three decades behind bars for a murder he says he didn't commit returned to prison Monday after spending the past two years building a life outside prison walls.

Since his conditional release in 2021 amid appeals, Crosley Green , 65, had held a job at a machine grafting facility, attended church and spent time with his grandchildren. He even fell in love.

"I've been with this man for two years," his fiancée, Kathy Spikes, told CNN. "To not be able to have a 5 o'clock phone call to say, 'I'm home,' for me to say, 'What do you want for dinner,' that's what I'm anxious about."

His return to prison came about two weeks after US District Judge Roy Dalton ruled he must turn himself in to the authorities by April 17 to resume his life sentence.

Green surrendered to Florida's Department of Corrections at 5 p.m. Monday, according to his attorneys. He was accompanied by Spikes, family members and his lawyers Keith Harrison and Jeane Thomas, who have represented him pro bono for 15 years.

Green was allowed to leave prison on conditional release in 2021, about three years after a federal court in Orlando overturned his conviction. The state of Florida appealed that decision and won last year, and Green's conviction was reinstated. Dalton allowed Green to remain free while he exhausted his legal options. Green's legal team petitioned the US Supreme Court, but in late February the court declined to hear his case.

A federal appeals court says Crosley Green's disputed murder conviction can stand, but the 64-year-old has no intention of giving up the fight

This Bay News report is based on originating coverage from CNN.