Woman released after 43 years in prison for murder she didn’t commit

By means of Tom McArthurBBC news

A woman who served 43 years for a murder she did not commit has been released after her conviction was overturned.

Sandra Hemme was 20 years old when she was found guilty in November 1980 of stabbing St. Joseph, Missouri, library clerk Patricia Jeschke to death. She was sentenced to life in prison.

An investigation into her case found that there was no evidence linking her to the crime, other than a confession she made under heavy sedation in a psychiatric hospital.

She is now 64 and, according to her representatives, is believed to be serving the longest wrongful conviction of a woman in American history.

Her legal team at the Innocence Project said they were grateful that Hemme has finally been reunited with her family and that they “will continue to fight” to clear her name.

Although she is no longer in prison, her case is still under investigation.

Judge Ryan Horsman’s original 118-page ruling to overturn her conviction came June 14, saying Hemme’s attorneys had clear evidence of her innocence, including evidence that had not been given to her defense team at the time.

“This court finds that the totality of the evidence supports a finding of actual innocence,” concluded Judge Horsman.

The investigation found that local police ignored evidence that pointed directly to one of their own officers: Michael Holman, who was later jailed for a separate crime and died in 2015.

Holman’s truck was seen in the area on the day of the murder, his alibi could not be confirmed, and he used Patricia Jeschke’s credit card after claiming he found the truck in a ditch.

Also found in Holman’s home were a pair of striking gold earrings, which were identified by Jeschke’s father.

The investigation shows that this was not disclosed to Hemme’s defense team at the time.

Hemme was questioned by police several times while under the influence of antipsychotic medication and a strong tranquilizer after being involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital. She had received psychiatric treatment on and off since she was 12 years old.

Court documents say her responses were “monosyllabic” and she “didn’t really know what was going on.” At times, she could barely hold her head up and suffered from muscle spasms, a side effect of the medication.

Judge Horsman’s assessment noted that there was no forensic evidence linking Hemme to the murder. She had no motive and there were no witnesses linking her to the crime.

Hemme finally left prison on Friday, and the Kansas City star announces that she is going to live with her sister.

After her release, she was reunited with her family in a nearby park, where she hugged her sister, daughter and granddaughter.

Her father was admitted to hospital and was receiving palliative care this week, and her legal team said she planned to visit him as soon as possible.

Defense attorney Sean O’Brien told the Star she still needs help because she spent most of her life in prison and was not eligible for social security.

– BBC news