UA judge in the US state of Missouri has overturned the conviction of a woman who unjustly spent 43 years in prison, several US media report.
Sandra Hemme, now aged 63, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Patricia Jeschke in 1980. This woman, suffering from psychiatric disorders, had herself confessed to the police and pleaded guilty in order to escaping the death penalty. In the absence of material evidence, she was convicted solely on the basis of her confession.
The legal NGO Innocence Project, however, introduced new elements before the court in January. In a 147-page document, the association highlights the “completely contradictory” and “factually impossible” statements in Sandra Hemme’s guilty plea and affirms that the psychiatric state of the person concerned was not taken into account. For example, her confessions allegedly took place while she was under the influence of medication.
The police “abused her mental illness and forced her to make false statements while she was sedated and treated with antipsychotic drugs,” denounced one of her lawyers.
The Missouri judge ruled Friday that there was “clear and convincing” evidence of Sandra Hemme’s innocence, who must be retried or released within 30 days.
“We are grateful to the court for recognizing the grave injustice committed against Mr.me Hemme for four decades,” her lawyers responded to ABC News.
The murder was allegedly committed by a local police officer, who was later imprisoned for another crime and has since died. The lawyers emphasize in their request that the evidence against the police officer was not accepted.
Sandra Hemme’s 43-year prison sentence is, as far as is known, the longest wrongful sentence ever handed down to a woman in the United States.
