Judge Ryan Horsman has finally found "clear and convincing" evidence of Sandra Hemy's innocence in the murder of Patricia Jeshki, a librarian at St. Joseph's Library in Missouri, according to the Arabic news site Sky News.
Hemy was sentenced to life in prison in 1980 after providing police statements incriminating herself, confessing when she was suffering from a mental illness. Judge Horsman ruled that "direct evidence" links Jeshki's murder to a local police officer who later entered prison for another crime and has since died.
The judge stated that Hemy, who has spent the last 43 years behind bars, must be released within 30 days unless the prosecution decides to retry her. The ruling came after a hearing in January where Hemy's legal team presented arguments supporting her case. Hemy's lawyers said in a statement: "We are grateful to the court for recognizing the grave injustice Ms. Hemy has suffered for over four decades."
Initially, Hemy confessed to intentional murder to avoid the death penalty, but her conviction was overturned on appeal. However, she was convicted again in 1985 after a one-day trial, with the only evidence against her being her confession.
In a 147-page petition seeking her acquittal, Hemy's lawyers argued that authorities ignored her "largely contradictory" and "highly unrealistic" statements when she was hospitalized for mental illness. They stated that Hemy, 20 years old at the time of her conviction, was receiving treatment for auditory hallucinations, lack of awareness, and drug use when she was targeted by the police.
Retired St. Joseph Police Department investigator Steven Fouston testified that he halted one investigation because she "did not seem entirely coherent." Hemy's lawyers accused the police of exploiting her mental illness and forcing her to make false statements while sedated and treated with antipsychotic medications. They claimed that authorities at the time concealed evidence implicating Michael Holman, a 22-year-old police officer who attempted to use the victim's credit card.
Holman's car was seen near the crime scene, and a pair of earrings identified by the victim's father were found in his possession. He was a suspect and interrogated at the time. Later, Holman was investigated for insurance fraud and robbery and spent some time in prison before passing away in 2015.
In his ruling, Judge Horsman wrote that there is "absolutely no evidence outside of Ms. Hemy's unreliable statements linking her to the crime," adding: "These statements were made while she was experiencing a mental crisis and physical pain, and this court finds that the evidence directly links Holman to the crime scene and murder."
