Missouri woman Sandra Hemme who served 43 years in prison is free after her murder conviction was overturned

New York Post/AP ^ | 07/20/2024 | New York Post/AP

[Responsibility2nd]

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, 64, left a prison in Chillicothe, hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney general’s office in contempt if they continued to fight against her release.

~snip~

Hemme had been the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the US, according to her legal team at the Innocence Project.

The judge originally ruled on June 14 that Hemme’s attorneys had established “clear and convincing evidence” of “actual innocence” and he overturned her conviction. But Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought her release in the courts.

“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,” her attorney Sean O’Brien said.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to free an innocent person.”

~snip~

Hemme was serving a life sentence at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for the 1980 stabbing death of library worker Patricia Jeschke in St. Joseph, Missouri.

[Jamestown1630]

Murder convictions around the country have sometimes resulted in the ‘comfort’ of a death penalty.

Yes, I’m grateful she’s alive. She looks like she is, too.

[Widget Jr]

"Sandra Hemme, 64, left a prison in Chillicothe, hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney general’s office in contempt if they continued to fight against her release."

Good DAs don't push judges to threaten them with contempt to keep people ruled as wrongfully convicted in prison.

[Indy Pendance]

Maybe you’d be a basket case if this happened to you.

[heartwood]

Here is a link to Michael Holman's criminal history. Breaking and entry, theft, theft by deception. link

A fair number of rape/murders in a woman's home are committed by a burglar who didn't expect someone to be home, but chose to kill rather than leave a witness, and chose to rape because why not? He's already grappling with the intent to kill.

[bort]

She pleaded guilty back in 1984 to the murder and then was allowed to withdraw her plea years s later. She then was convicted by a jury.

[adorno]

Go back to living a full life?

I guess you didn't understand the intent of my post. It was meant as sarcasm and to show how much she had missed out on life. 43 years is most of her life, and likely what would've been her most productive years.

[Responsibility2nd]

Thanks for fleshing that out.

That fact is nowhere in this sob story article.

[SaveFerris]

I would imagine so if that is indeed the case here

Withholding exculpatory evidence should be criminal

[Round Earther]

Let her out and write her a check.

[SaveFerris]

I am reminded of the Kevin Green case

DNA 🧬🧬🧬 evidence (not a thing yet at the time of his conviction) would later prove that his wife’s rape was committed by a black man; who was a serial rapist and murderer

[zeestephen]

Re: "Innocence Project"

Should be re-named.

The: "No Longer Guilty Beyond A Reasonable Doubt Project"

The prosecutors and the investigating police have no choice but to stay silent.

Whatever they say can be used against them in a civil lawsuit.

Or, in a Soros criminal charge.

[ladyjane]

Does anybody read the entire article? A cop had the murder victims earrings, he tried to use her credit card and his truck was at her house when she was killed.

The cops withheld FBI evidence that would have cleared the woman and withheld evidence their their fellow cop did it. And the altercation with the prison guard? The cops wanted her dead so they colluded with the prison guards.

There was a case up in New England last month, same thing. The cops tried to pin a murder on a woman. They were all caught lying.

[TexasGator]

“I guess you didn’t understand the intent of my post. It was meant as sarcasm and to show how much she had missed out on life. 43 years is most of her life, and likely what would’ve been her most productive years.”

I did understand. Apparently you didn’t read my post!

She had already passed her most productive years at the age of 13,

Drugged out mental cases are not capable of being productive.

[Round Earther]

“No Longer Guilty Beyond A Reasonable Doubt Project”

In this country, we call that “Not Guilty.

[TexasGator]

“Maybe you’d be a basket case if this happened to you.”

Her six years in a mental institution, multiple suicide attempts starting at the age of 13 and drug use started before her arrest ...

[Indy Pendance]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[Secret Agent Man]

I believe all liars who frame others should receive the maximum penalty the innocent person faced.

Every, single, person who frames another.

[adorno]

She had already passed her most productive years at the age of 13, Drugged out mental cases are not capable of being productive.

Wow! What a way of thinking!

Her life was over at 13? Because of drugs? With no hope of recovery?

Tell that to all the people who have gone to drug-rehab centers for help. Tell that to people who specialize in helping people like har. Tell that to the world. People would ffel completely helpless if thy hung around you.

[heartwood]

There was also a case in Texas where a man served years for his wife’s murder. It was a stranger who broke in, but the husband was convenient and the first suspect.

I think the woman’s family found articles in the yard that weren’t the husband’s but the police had their man already.

[heartwood]

Michael Morton, served 25 years.

A little boy lost his father as well as his mother.

https://innocenceproject.org/cases/michael-morton/