July 19th 2024.
After serving 43 years in prison, Sandra Hemme may finally be released. Her murder conviction was recently overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court, and a circuit court judge ruled last month that there was evidence of her "actual innocence." However, her immediate freedom has been complicated by additional sentences she received for crimes committed while in prison.
Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought to keep Hemme incarcerated, but her attorneys argued that this would be a "draconian outcome." The Missouri Supreme Court refused to undo lower court rulings, allowing Hemme to be released on her own recognizance and into the custody of her sister and brother-in-law in Higginsville. It is unclear when exactly Hemme will be released, but her lawyers have filed a motion for an emergency status conference and for her release to be ordered as soon as possible.
Hemme, now 64 years old, had been serving a life sentence at a prison near Kansas City for the murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke. She was twice convicted of the crime, but her legal team at the Innocence Project believes she is the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in the United States. After an extensive review, Circuit Court Judge Ryan Horsman concluded that the evidence supports a finding of actual innocence.
During her trials, Hemme was heavily sedated and in a "malleable mental state" when investigators repeatedly questioned her in a psychiatric hospital. Her attorneys argue that her confession was coerced and that there was no other evidence linking her to the crime. In fact, the judge found that evidence pointed to another suspect, Michael Holman, a fellow police officer who has since passed away.
The St. Joseph Police Department ignored this evidence and failed to disclose FBI results that could have cleared Hemme. In his 118-page ruling, Judge Horsman stated that the evidence shows Hemme's statements to police were unreliable and that there was strong evidence pointing to Holman as the perpetrator of the crime. He ultimately concluded that she is the victim of a manifest injustice.
Hemme's family is eager to reunite with her, and her attorneys are urging the Department of Corrections to promptly release her. After 43 years behind bars, Hemme may finally have a chance at freedom thanks to the Missouri Supreme Court's decision.
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