Missouri authorities on Friday released a woman who was serving a 43-year-to-life sentence, despite opposition from state Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, according to multiple reports.
Sandra Hemme was convicted of murdering St. Joseph, Missouri, librarian Patricia Jeschke in 1981 and sentenced to life in prison, the Associated Press reported. reportThe Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Hemme to be released, upholding a lower court ruling that found Hemme's confession to the crime “unreliable and false.” according to To the New York Times. (Related: Exclusive: Secretary of State to investigate 'possible Chinese Communist Party outposts' linked to Chinese intelligence)
BREAKING: Sandra Hemme is finally free after 43 years.
read more: https://t.co/vNGWIkz72d pic.twitter.com/4vwSxRM1nl
— Innocence Project (@innocence) July 20, 2024
Livingston County Chief Judge Ryan Hoseman overturned Hemme's conviction in a June 14 hearing. decisionBut Bailey's office argued that Hemme had been convicted of assaulting a fellow inmate and assaulting a corrections officer while in prison and that a 12-year sentence was necessary, the Associated Press reported.
“Ms. Hemme can demonstrate prejudice resulting from the failure to discover Brady v. Maryland earlier, without the disclosure of exculpatory evidence that would have materially affected the outcome of her case,” Hoseman wrote. “Ms. Hemme has thus established a claim of innocence that overcomes the procedural defaults related to the incompetent assistance of counsel she received at trial. Ms. Hemme has also established evidence supporting her claim of actual innocence.”
“She is the victim of clear injustice,” Hosemann wrote.
According to the Associated Press, Bailey ordered prison officials at Hemmi's prison not to release him, but they did so after Homan threatened to hold Bailey in contempt.
A statement from the Innocence Project, which is representing Hemme, alleged that St. Joseph police “concealed evidence implicating fellow law enforcement officers” and said officers with the department had in their possession a pair of Jeschke's earrings and that his truck was located near the murder victim's home.
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