Missouri Supreme Court Allows Woman’s Release After 43 Years in Prison
After 43 years behind bars, Sandra Hemme, a Missouri woman whose murder conviction was overturned, is set to be freed following a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court. Hemme’s attorneys presented evidence of her “actual innocence,” leading to a circuit court judge determining that she should be released. However, complications arose due to additional lengthy sentences she received for crimes committed while in prison, totaling 12 years on top of her life sentence for the murder conviction.
Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought to keep her incarcerated, but the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the lower court rulings allowing her release on her own recognizance. Hemme, 64, had been held at a prison near Kansas City after being twice convicted of the murder of a library worker, Patricia Jeschke. She is believed to be the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in the U.S.
Circuit Court Judge Ryan Horsman’s extensive review found that Hemme’s confession was unreliable, as she was heavily sedated and in a vulnerable mental state during police questioning. The evidence pointed to another suspect, Michael Holman, a fellow officer who had since passed away. The judge concluded that Hemme was a victim of a manifest injustice, as key evidence was not disclosed and her confession was coerced.
Hemme’s release to the custody of her sister and brother-in-law in Higginsville is pending, with no set date announced. The Innocence Project, Hemme’s legal team, hailed the decision as a significant milestone in securing her freedom after decades of wrongful imprisonment.
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