Sandra Hemme, a 64-year-old woman from Missouri who has a history of mental illness, has been declared innocent of a murder for which she spent more than forty years in prison. Despite the judge’s recent ruling of “clear and convincing” evidence in her favor, she remains incarcerated pending further legal proceedings.
Prosecutors are appealing the decision, arguing that Hemme should remain in prison due to concerns over her perceived danger, referencing a past assault while incarcerated. Conversely, Hemme’s legal team asserts that new evidence points to a former police officer as the actual perpetrator and contends that she poses no threat, as reported by NBC News.
Described by her lawyers as potentially the longest wrongfully imprisoned woman in U.S. history, Hemme’s advocates are actively advocating for her immediate release. It remains uncertain whether she will face a retrial for the murder of Ms. Jeschke.
The petition seeking her exoneration argues that her conviction was primarily based on statements made to police while she was mentally unwell and heavily medicated. Prosecutors in Buchanan County have yet to comment on the possibility of retrying the case.
In a statement, the judge overseeing the case highlighted the inconsistencies in Hemme’s self-incriminating statements, noting their unreliability due to her impaired psychiatric state during questioning.
According to the Innocence Project, which took on Hemme’s case, she spent 43 years wrongfully imprisoned. They emphasized that no witnesses, motive, or physical evidence ever connected Hemme to the crime scene or victim, and her confession was deemed false and unreliable, coerced during treatment at a state psychiatric facility.
The Innocence Project also accused a fellow police officer, Michael Holman, of concealing evidence that pointed to his involvement in the crime, including the use of the victim’s credit card and the discovery of her belongings in his possession.
The legal battle continues as Hemme’s supporters push for her release while navigating the complexities of the appeal process initiated by prosecutors.