Additional Coverage:
- Missouri woman’s murder conviction tossed after 43 years. Her lawyers say a police officer did it (newsbreak.com)
A Missouri judge has overturned the 43-year-old conviction of Sandra Hemme, who was accused of a 1980 murder while she was a psychiatric patient. Judge Ryan Horsman found on Friday that Hemme, who was represented by the Innocence Project, had shown clear evidence of her innocence.
The judge criticized her original trial defense as ineffective and concluded that prosecutors had not shared evidence that could have proven her innocence. Hemme has been behind bars for the longest known wrongful conviction of a woman in the U.S.
Judge Horsman’s decision means Hemme could be released within 30 days unless the prosecution decides to retry her case. Her legal team expressed their relief and determination to continue fighting for the dismissal of her charges and her reunion with her family.
At the time of her arrest, Hemme was in a state of severe sedation, unable to communicate effectively, which her attorneys argue resulted in her unreliable confession to the murder of 31-year-old Patricia Jeschke. The police’s focus on Hemme overlooked substantial evidence pointing to Michael Holman, a police officer at the time, who later became a primary alternative suspect.
Holman, who died in 2015, was implicated through evidence including his attempt to use Jeschke’s credit card and possession of items that belonged to her. Despite these leads, law enforcement quickly shifted the blame to Hemme, who suffered from psychiatric issues and had given inconsistent statements under heavy medication and coercion.
The investigation into Jeschke’s murder drew attention due to the brutal nature of her killing and the exhaustive efforts by detectives to solve the case. Hemme, who had a history of mental health issues from an early age, became ensnared in the investigation after an incident at a nurse’s home and her subsequent erratic behavior.
Despite initially implicating another individual, who was later cleared, Hemme ultimately confessed to acting alone in the murder after intense police interrogation. Her plea of guilty to capital murder resulted from both the real threat of the death penalty and a deeply flawed justice process.
Her conviction was initially overturned on appeal, but she was found guilty again in a one-day trial in 1985, a trial marred by controversy over the manipulation of her confessions and lack of substantial evidence against her.
The exoneration highlights significant missteps in the justice system and the susceptibility of vulnerable individuals to wrongful conviction. Hemme’s case has now become a poignant example of the long fight for justice in the face of overwhelming odds.