Missouri woman Sandra Hemme who served 43 years in prison is free after her murder conviction was overturned
A woman whose murder conviction was overturned after she served 43 years of a life sentence was released Friday, despite attempts in the last month by Missouri’s attorney general to keep her behind bars.
Sandra Hemme, Missouri Woman Wrongly Convicted of Murder, Released After 43 Years in Prison
By Associated Press
Published: July 20, 2024, 4:06 a.m. ET
Sandra Hemme, a 64-year-old woman who spent 43 years in prison for a murder conviction, was released on Friday following the overturning of her conviction. This decision came despite prior efforts from Missouri’s attorney general to keep her imprisoned.
Hemme exited the Chillicothe Correctional Center just hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney general's office in contempt if they continued to oppose her release. At a nearby park, she joyfully reunited with her family, embracing her sister, daughter, and granddaughter. “You were just a baby when your mom sent me a picture of you,” Hemme remarked, reminiscing about her granddaughter’s childhood resemblance to her mother.
Hemme was recognized as the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in the United States, according to the Innocence Project. A judge had ruled on June 14 that Hemme’s legal team presented “clear and convincing evidence” of her actual innocence, leading to the annulment of her conviction. However, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey contested her release.
“It was too easy to convict an innocent person and way harder than it should have been to get her out, even to the point of court orders being ignored,” remarked her attorney, Sean O’Brien. O’Brien emphasized the dilemma, stating, “It shouldn’t be this hard to free an innocent person.”
During a Friday hearing, Judge Ryan Horsman indicated that if Hemme wasn’t freed within hours, Bailey would have to appear in court the following Tuesday. He admonished Bailey’s office, criticizing their attempts to instruct the prison to ignore the court’s release order. “To call someone and tell them to disregard a court order is wrong,” he stated.
Though Hemme avoided speaking to reporters after her release, O’Brien noted that her immediate concern was to be by her father’s side in the hospital, where he was receiving palliative care for kidney failure. “This has been a long time coming,” he said, adding that the family had suffered “irreparable harm and emotional distress” due to the lengthy legal battles.
Despite her newfound freedom, challenges lie ahead for Hemme. O’Brien noted that she would need assistance, particularly since she isn't eligible for social security due to her prolonged imprisonment.
In recent weeks, a circuit judge, an appellate court, and the Missouri Supreme Court all affirmed Hemme’s right to be released. Yet, she remained incarcerated, leading legal experts to question the legal maneuvers preventing her freedom.
“I’ve never seen it,” commented Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge, adding, “Once the courts have spoken, the courts should be obeyed.” The attorney general’s interventions primarily impeded her release, as Bailey sought to impose additional years for prior offenses committed while she was incarcerated.
Hemme had been serving a life sentence for the 1980 stabbing murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke in St. Joseph, Missouri. Complicating her release were sentences linked to incidents while in prison. Bailey contended that Hemme could pose a safety risk and should complete those sentences, while her lawyers argued that further incarceration would result in a “draconian outcome.”
Legal experts have spoken out against the efforts to retain Hemme in prison. Peter Joy, a law professor, suggested that the attempts to keep her behind bars were “a shock to the conscience” given the evidence supporting her innocence.
Assistant Attorney General Bailey, who has a track record of resisting overturning convictions despite evidence of innocence, did not respond to requests for comment following Hemme's release.
In a detailed review, Judge Horsman concluded that Hemme was heavily sedated and in a vulnerable state when she was interrogated repeatedly after the crime. Her confessions, described by her attorneys as often lacking coherence, were found to not link her to the crime beyond that initial admission.
The St. Joseph Police Department’s failure to consider other evidence implicating another man, Michael Holman, who had a history with Jeschke, further marred her case. Evidence showing Holman’s truck near the crime scene and possession of Jeschke's belongings suggested Hemme's innocence. Ultimately, Judge Horsman described Hemme's case as one of “manifest injustice.”
By Associated Press
Published: July 20, 2024, 4:06 a.m. ET
Sandra Hemme, a 64-year-old woman who spent 43 years in prison for a murder conviction, was released on Friday following the overturning of her conviction. This decision came despite prior efforts from Missouri’s attorney general to keep her imprisoned.
Hemme exited the Chillicothe Correctional Center just hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney general's office in contempt if they continued to oppose her release. At a nearby park, she joyfully reunited with her family, embracing her sister, daughter, and granddaughter. “You were just a baby when your mom sent me a picture of you,” Hemme remarked, reminiscing about her granddaughter’s childhood resemblance to her mother.
Hemme was recognized as the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in the United States, according to the Innocence Project. A judge had ruled on June 14 that Hemme’s legal team presented “clear and convincing evidence” of her actual innocence, leading to the annulment of her conviction. However, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey contested her release.
“It was too easy to convict an innocent person and way harder than it should have been to get her out, even to the point of court orders being ignored,” remarked her attorney, Sean O’Brien. O’Brien emphasized the dilemma, stating, “It shouldn’t be this hard to free an innocent person.”
During a Friday hearing, Judge Ryan Horsman indicated that if Hemme wasn’t freed within hours, Bailey would have to appear in court the following Tuesday. He admonished Bailey’s office, criticizing their attempts to instruct the prison to ignore the court’s release order. “To call someone and tell them to disregard a court order is wrong,” he stated.
Though Hemme avoided speaking to reporters after her release, O’Brien noted that her immediate concern was to be by her father’s side in the hospital, where he was receiving palliative care for kidney failure. “This has been a long time coming,” he said, adding that the family had suffered “irreparable harm and emotional distress” due to the lengthy legal battles.
Despite her newfound freedom, challenges lie ahead for Hemme. O’Brien noted that she would need assistance, particularly since she isn't eligible for social security due to her prolonged imprisonment.
In recent weeks, a circuit judge, an appellate court, and the Missouri Supreme Court all affirmed Hemme’s right to be released. Yet, she remained incarcerated, leading legal experts to question the legal maneuvers preventing her freedom.
“I’ve never seen it,” commented Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge, adding, “Once the courts have spoken, the courts should be obeyed.” The attorney general’s interventions primarily impeded her release, as Bailey sought to impose additional years for prior offenses committed while she was incarcerated.
Hemme had been serving a life sentence for the 1980 stabbing murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke in St. Joseph, Missouri. Complicating her release were sentences linked to incidents while in prison. Bailey contended that Hemme could pose a safety risk and should complete those sentences, while her lawyers argued that further incarceration would result in a “draconian outcome.”
Legal experts have spoken out against the efforts to retain Hemme in prison. Peter Joy, a law professor, suggested that the attempts to keep her behind bars were “a shock to the conscience” given the evidence supporting her innocence.
Assistant Attorney General Bailey, who has a track record of resisting overturning convictions despite evidence of innocence, did not respond to requests for comment following Hemme's release.
In a detailed review, Judge Horsman concluded that Hemme was heavily sedated and in a vulnerable state when she was interrogated repeatedly after the crime. Her confessions, described by her attorneys as often lacking coherence, were found to not link her to the crime beyond that initial admission.
The St. Joseph Police Department’s failure to consider other evidence implicating another man, Michael Holman, who had a history with Jeschke, further marred her case. Evidence showing Holman’s truck near the crime scene and possession of Jeschke's belongings suggested Hemme's innocence. Ultimately, Judge Horsman described Hemme's case as one of “manifest injustice.”