Sandra ‘Sandy’ Hemme, 63, who had been imprisoned in the US for over forty years for murder, has been declared innocent. She was originally convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1980 murder of Patricia Jeschke, but a judge has now overturned her conviction. This decision comes after Hemme’s attorneys presented compelling evidence suggesting that the crime was likely committed by a now-discredited police officer who passed away in 2015.
Hemme’s conviction was primarily based on statements she made while under sedation to police officers in St. Joseph, Missouri. These statements were coerced during a period of mental illness and physical pain, exacerbated by medication intended for her psychiatric condition. Judge Ryan Horsman, in reversing the conviction, emphasized that the only evidence linking Hemme to the crime was her own inconsistent and ultimately disproven statements.
The new evidence presented by Hemme’s attorneys in February 2023 pointed directly to then-police officer Michael Holman as the likely perpetrator, a connection that was not disclosed by prosecutors during her trial. Judge Horsman criticized the prosecution for withholding this crucial information, which could have significantly aided Hemme’s defense. He also noted deficiencies in Hemme’s trial counsel, which he deemed below professional standards and contributing to the miscarriage of justice.
Holman, who was fired from the St. Joseph police force in 2015, had been implicated in suspicious activities around the time of Jeschke’s murder, including attempting to use the victim’s credit card and possessing stolen jewelry matching items taken during another burglary. Despite these suspicions, Hemme remained the focal point of the investigation due to misleading evidence and inadequate legal representation.
The case against Hemme began when Jeschke, a local librarian, was found murdered in 1980. Hemme, discharged from a mental hospital shortly before the murder, became a suspect after a series of hospitalizations and erratic behavior. Her subsequent statements, obtained under questionable circumstances and while she was heavily medicated, implicated her in the crime. However, these statements were inconsistent and conflicted with the evidence later uncovered about Holman’s activities.
Throughout her decades-long incarceration, Hemme maintained her innocence, even agreeing to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, a decision she later regretted. Her case drew attention to systemic failures and injustices within the criminal justice system, as highlighted by Judge Horsman and other legal experts.
Hemme’s release or retrial is expected within the next 30 days, marking the end of a lengthy legal battle to overturn her wrongful conviction.