Missouri Supreme Court Orders Sandra Hemme's Release

Sandra Hemme, 64, has been released from a Missouri prison after serving 43 years for a murder she did not commit. Her conviction was overturned on June 14, 2024, after a judge found 'clear and convincing evidence' of her innocence. Despite this, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought her release, citing her past prison offenses as a safety risk. Judge Ryan Horsman threatened to hold the AG's office in contempt if they continued to obstruct her release. Hemme, the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in the U.S., was greeted by her family upon release. She had been convicted based on unreliable confessions made while heavily sedated in a psychiatric hospital, with no physical evidence linking her to the crime.