A woman who spent 43 years behind bars for a crime she did not commit has finally been granted permanent freedom after a long legal battle. Sandra Hemme, the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in the U.S., was released in July but faced continued opposition from the Attorney General's office.
Her attorneys argued that a discredited police officer was responsible for the crime she was convicted of. Evidence pointed to Michael Holman, a former police officer who passed away in 2015, as the likely perpetrator. Hemme's legal team at the Innocence Project presented withheld evidence that implicated Holman, including his presence at the crime scene and possession of the victim's belongings.
