Sandra “Sandy” Hemme, a 63-year-old Missouri woman, has been freed after spending 43 years in prison for a murder she did not commit.
Gatekeepers News reports that Hemme’s conviction was overturned by Livingston County Circuit Judge Ryan Horsman, who ruled that there was “clear and convincing” evidence of her innocence.
Hemme was originally convicted in 1985 based on incriminating statements she made while undergoing psychiatric treatment.
However, her legal team, with the Innocence Project, presented evidence linking the murder to a former local police officer, Michael Holman, who has since passed away.
The judge’s decision followed a January hearing where Hemme’s legal team argued that authorities had ignored her contradictory statements and failed to disclose evidence that would have helped her defense. Hemme’s conviction was the longest-known wrongful conviction of a woman in US history.
Hemme’s legal team welcomed the judge’s decision, stating, “We are grateful to the Court for acknowledging the grave injustice Ms. Hemme has endured for more than four decades.”
Hemme is expected to be released within 30 days unless prosecutors decide to re-try her.
