Missouri's top prosecutor has requested a court to halt the release of a woman from prison in connection with a 1980 killing, which her attorneys claim was committed by a now-discredited police officer. Attorney General Andrew Bailey is seeking a review by the state appeals court of a judge's recent ruling that found evidence of actual innocence in the case of Sandra Hemme, who has been incarcerated for 43 years for the murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke.
Judge Ryan Horsman's decision stated that Hemme must be released within 30 days unless prosecutors decide to retry her. Hemme's legal team at the Innocence Project asserts that she is the longest-known wrongly incarcerated woman in the U.S. They are advocating for her immediate release, emphasizing that she poses no danger.
However, Bailey's office argues that Hemme has a history of violence, citing an incident in which she attacked a prison worker with a razor blade in 1996. The judge found that Hemme was in a vulnerable mental state and heavily medicated when questioned by investigators about Jeschke's death. Prosecutors were also accused of withholding evidence related to the discredited police officer, Michael Holman, who was later imprisoned and passed away in 2015.
The case dates back to November 13, 1980, when Jeschke was found dead in her St. Joseph apartment. Hemme came under suspicion when she appeared at a nurse's home carrying a knife almost two weeks later. She had a history of hospitalizations due to mental health issues, starting from a young age.
During interrogations, Hemme displayed signs of confusion and mental instability. She initially blamed the killing on a man from a detoxification unit, but prosecutors dropped the case against him after confirming his alibi. Hemme eventually pleaded guilty to capital murder, a plea that was later overturned on appeal. She was convicted again in 1985, despite her current attorneys describing the interrogations as coercive.
The judge noted that the only evidence linking Hemme to the crime was her unreliable statements, while there were indications linking Holman to the murder scene. Holman's truck was seen near the crime scene, and he was found in possession of items belonging to Jeschke. However, the investigation into Holman's involvement was abruptly halted, leaving many details undisclosed to Hemme's legal team.
