US Woman Freed After 43 Years in Prison for Wrongful Murder Conviction
Sandra Hemme, now 64, has been released from prison after serving 43 years for a murder she did not commit. Her conviction for the 1980 stabbing of library worker Patricia Jeschke in St Joseph, Missouri, has been overturned.
Hemme was just 20 when she was sentenced to life in prison. Her conviction was largely based on a confession obtained under heavy sedation in a psychiatric hospital, with no other evidence linking her to the crime. A recent review of her case revealed these details and more, ultimately proving her innocence.
Emerging from prison with a smile, Hemme was greeted by a family member. Her legal team from the Innocence Project expressed their gratitude for her release and vowed to continue working to clear her name completely.
The conviction was overturned on June 14 by Circuit Court Judge Ryan Horsman. His comprehensive 118-page ruling highlighted critical evidence that had been withheld from Hemme’s defense team, all pointing to her innocence.
The review uncovered that local police had ignored substantial evidence implicating one of their own officers, Michael Holman, who later served time for another crime and died in 2015. Holman’s truck was seen near the crime scene on the day of the murder, his alibi fell apart, and he was found with Patricia Jeschke’s credit card, which he claimed to have discovered in a ditch. Distinctive gold earrings belonging to Jeschke were also found in Holman’s home, yet none of this was shared with Hemme’s defense team.
During her multiple interrogations, Hemme was under the influence of antipsychotic medication and a powerful sedative, having been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital. Court documents revealed that her responses were often monosyllabic, and she was frequently unable to hold her head up due to muscle spasms from the medication.
Judge Horsman noted the lack of forensic evidence against Hemme, her absence of motive, and no witnesses linking her to the crime. Hemme’s long-awaited release on Friday saw her reunited with her sister, daughter, and granddaughter in a nearby park. She plans to live with her sister moving forward.
Hemme’s father, currently in palliative care, is a priority for her to visit as soon as possible. Her defense lawyer, Sean O’Brien, mentioned that Hemme will require support to adjust to life outside prison, having spent the majority of her life incarcerated and being ineligible for social security.
