'Longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman' in the US is free
Sandra Hemme, a 64-year-old Missouri woman, was freed on Friday after spending 43 years in prison for a murder conviction that has now been overturned. Hemme was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1980 murder of Patricia Jeschke, a library worker in St. Joseph, Missouri, after she made self-incriminating remarks to police. According to her legal team at the Innocence Project, Hemme is the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in the United States.
Evidence reveals Hemme as'victim of a manifest injustice'
Hemme left the prison in Chillicothe, hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney general's office in contempt if they continued to oppose her release. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey had been fighting her release in courts since last month, despite multiple courts agreeing to release her. He argued that Hemme represents a safety risk to herself and others. Her lawyers, on the other hand, countered that keeping her incarcerated any longer would be a "draconian outcome."
Conviction overturned due to 'clear and convincing evidence'
On June 14, Judge Ryan Horsman ruled that Hemme's attorneys had presented "clear and convincing evidence" of her "actual innocence," leading to the overturning of her conviction. Later on, a circuit judge, an appellate court, and the Missouri Supreme Court all agreed on Hemme's release. However, Bailey continued to oppose her release. "I've never seen it," said Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge said, adding, "Once the courts have spoken, the courts should be obeyed."
Judge threatens contempt, orders immediate release
During a court hearing on Friday, Judge Horsman warned that if Hemme wasn't released within hours, Bailey would have to appear in court. He also reprimanded Bailey's office for telling prison officials not to release Hemme despite his order release. Hemme's immediate release was complicated by terms she received while incarcerated. She was sentenced to 10 years in 1996 for using a razor blade to attack a prison worker, and two years in 1984 for "offering to commit violence."
