KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A federal lawsuit filed a year after her release claims the St. Joseph Police Department coerced a false confession out of Sandra Hemme, leading to her wrongful imprisonment.
In a 35-page complaint filed on Thursday, July 24, Loevy + Loevy - the firm that represents Hemme - claimed investigators coerced Hemme into the confession to protect one of their own.
According to Hemme’s lawyers, Michael Holman, an SJPD officer, was originally suspected in the murder of local librarian Patricia Jeschke. In fact, his hair and truck were found at the scene, while her earrings were found in his closet.
“It’s heartbreaking and infuriating that Sandy spent a single day in prison for a murder she so clearly didn’t commit,” says attorney Justin Hill of Loevy + Loevy, who represents Ms. Hemme. “The fact that she was incarcerated for more than four decades—the irretrievable prime of her life—is an injustice of unimaginable proportions.”
On the day of Jeschke’s murder, the suit indicated that Hemme had been discharged against medical advice from the psychiatric facility at St. Joseph’s State Hospital. She was 20, had spent most of her teens in psych hospitals or youth treatment centers and was treated for thought, mood and substance abuse disorders.
According to the suit, Hemme’s mental health issues and extreme treatment measures caused her to suffer severe memory issues and powerful susceptibility to suggestion.
The complaint filed on Thursday alleged that Hemme...
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