US woman released after 43 years of wrongful imprisonment for murder

Sandra “Sandy” Hemme, a 63-year-old woman from Missouri, has had her murder conviction overturned after spending over 40 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. Hemme was initially convicted in 1985 based on statements she made while she was a psychiatric patient.

According to The Guardian, a judge has now found “clear and convincing” evidence that Hemme was innocent. She was convicted for the 1980 murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke in St. Joseph, Missouri, based solely on her self-incriminating statements made during her psychiatric treatment.

Livingston County Circuit Judge Ryan Horsman ruled on Friday that new evidence directly ties Jeschke’s murder to Michael Holman, a local police officer who later went to prison for another crime and has since died. Hemme must be released within 30 days unless prosecutors decide to retry her.

The judge’s decision follows a January hearing where Hemme’s legal team presented evidence linking the murder to Holman. Hemme’s case represents the longest-known wrongful conviction of a woman in U.S. history.

Hemme’s attorneys, supported by the Innocence Project, argued that authorities ignored her contradictory statements and withheld evidence that could have supported her defense. They expressed gratitude to the court for recognizing the injustice Hemme endured.

Initially, Hemme pleaded guilty to capital murder to avoid the death penalty, but her conviction was overturned on appeal. In 1985, she was retried, with the only evidence against her being her inconsistent and factually impossible confession made during psychiatric treatment.

At the time of her arrest, the 20-year-old Hemme was being treated for auditory hallucinations, derealization, and drug use. Her attorneys highlighted her extensive history of inpatient psychiatric care, which began when she was 12 years old.