A Missouri judge overturned the conviction of Sandra Hemme after she spent 43 years in prison for a 1980 killing. Hemme was a psychiatric patient at the time of the incriminating statements, and her lawyers suggest that a former police officer may have been the real killer. Judge Ryan Horsman ruled that Hemme must be released within 30 days unless prosecutors decide to retry her case. This is the longest time a woman has been incarcerated for a wrongful conviction, according to her attorneys, who are working to dismiss the charges against her.
When initially questioned about the 1980 killing, Hemme was heavily sedated and unable to respond beyond monosyllabic answers. Her lawyers claim the authorities ignored contradictory statements and suppressed evidence implicating Michael Holman, a former police officer. Holman was linked to the crime scene and had attempted to use the victim’s credit card. The judge found that there was no evidence connecting Hemme to the crime, but there was evidence directly tying Holman to the scene. Hemme had been hospitalized numerous times and was treated with antipsychotic drugs that affected her ability to communicate during interrogations.
Following the discovery of Patricia Jeschke’s body in November 1980, Hemme attracted suspicion when she arrived at a nurse’s house carrying a knife. Police located her and found her in a closet, leading to her questioning. Hemme was discharged from the same hospital the day before the murder, and her hitchhiking back to her parents’ home raised suspicions. Hemme’s mental state during the questioning was described as confused and inconsistent, with her statements changing dramatically throughout the interrogation process.
Hemme initially claimed that a man named Joseph Wabski killed Jeschke, but prosecutors later found that Wabski was not involved. Hemme then confessed to the killing herself. Police also considered Holman as a suspect, as he had suspicious behavior around the time of the murder and had attempted to use the victim’s credit card. Despite finding incriminating evidence in Holman’s possession, the investigation into him was abruptly ended, and details were not provided to Hemme’s attorneys. Hemme pleaded guilty to capital murder in 1980 to avoid the death penalty, but her guilty plea was ultimately rejected.
Hemme’s lawyers argue that the system failed her at every turn, from her initial guilty plea being thrown out to her subsequent conviction in 1985 after a one-day trial. The attorneys claim that the interrogations Hemme underwent were coercive, and details were not disclosed to the jury. Hemme has spent over four decades in prison for a crime that her lawyers now believe she did not commit. Her attorneys are working to have the charges against her dismissed so that she can be reunited with her family and begin to rebuild her life after this long ordeal.
