Missouri Woman’s Conviction Overturned After 43 Years in Prison

A judge has overturned the conviction of Sandra Hemme, a Missouri woman who has spent 43 years behind bars for a 1980 killing. Hemme, who was a psychiatric patient at the time, had incriminated herself in the crime, but her attorneys argued that the actual perpetrator was a now-discredited police officer named Michael Holman. Judge Ryan Horsman ruled late Friday that Hemme had presented evidence of her actual innocence and must be released within 30 days unless prosecutors decide to retry her.

In his ruling, Judge Horsman stated that Hemme’s trial counsel was ineffective and that prosecutors had failed to disclose evidence that could have helped her case. Hemme’s attorneys claim that this is the longest time a woman has been incarcerated for a wrongful conviction and have filed a motion seeking her immediate release. They expressed gratitude to the court for acknowledging the grave injustice Hemme has endured and vowed to continue their efforts to dismiss the charges and reunite her with her family.

The spokesperson for Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey did not respond to requests for comment. Hemme’s lawyers, who are affiliated with the New York-based Innocence Project, alleged that Hemme was heavily sedated and mentally incapacitated when she first incriminated herself. They argued that her statements were unreliable and contradictory, while evidence implicating Holman was suppressed by authorities.

The case dates back to November 13, 1980, when the body of 31-year-old library worker Patricia Jeschke was discovered in her apartment. Jeschke had been brutally killed, with her hands tied behind her back and a pair of pantyhose wrapped around her throat. Hemme did not become a suspect until nearly two weeks later when she showed up at the home of a nurse, carrying a knife and refusing to leave. She was taken into custody and found to be heavily medicated and mentally confused.

During the interrogations, Hemme’s statements changed dramatically, often incorporating facts that the police had recently uncovered. She initially claimed to have witnessed Joseph Wabski, a man she had met in a state hospital, commit the murder. However, Wabski’s alibi proved he was not present at the time of the crime. Hemme then confessed to being the lone killer, but police began to focus on Holman, a police officer who had tried to use Jeschke’s credit card and was found with stolen jewelry.

Holman was arrested for insurance fraud but was never charged in connection with Jeschke’s murder. The investigation into him was abruptly halted, and crucial details were not disclosed to Hemme’s defense attorneys. Hemme eventually pleaded guilty to capital murder in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, but her guilty plea was later overturned on appeal. She was convicted again in 1985 after a one-day trial, during which the coercive nature of her interrogations was not disclosed to the jury.