Missouri

Missouri attorney general says not so fast on freeing woman jailed for 43 years in 1980 killing

Published

2 years ago

June 18, 2024

Missouri attorney general says not so fast on freeing woman jailed for 43 years in 1980 killing

MISSOURI (KY3) – Missouri’s top prosecutor asked a court Tuesday to put the brakes on releasing a woman from prison in a 1980 killing that her attorneys allege was committed by a now-discredited police officer.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey also said his office will ask the state appeals court to review a judge’s ruling last week that found Sandra Hemme’s attorneys had established evidence of actual innocence. In that decision, Judge Ryan Horsman wrote that Hemme, who has been imprisoned for 43 years for the murder of library worker Patricia Jeschke, must be freed within 30 days unless prosecutors retry her.

Hemme’s legal team at the Innocence Project says she is the longest-known wrongly incarcerated woman in the U.S. They have asked that she be released immediately, saying she poses no danger.

“Ms. Hemme is a sixty-four year old woman whose family is desperate to reunite with her,” her attorneys said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday. “She is entitled to be released pending further proceedings and we will continue to fight until she is home.”

But Bailey’s office argued in its motion Tuesday that Hemme has made statements about enjoying violence and that she attacked a prison worker with a razor blade. Hemme pleaded guilty in that attack in 1996.

Horsman found that she was in a “malleable mental state” and under heavy medication when investigators questioned her in a psychiatric hospital about Jeschke’s death. The judge also found that prosecutors withheld evidence about Michael Holman, the discredited St. Joseph police officer who was investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries. He later went to prison and died in 2015.

It started on Nov. 13, 1980, when Jeschke, 31, missed work. Her worried mother climbed through a window at her St. Joseph apartment and discovered her daughter’s nude body on the floor, surrounded by blood. Her hands were tied behind her back with a telephone cord. A pair of pantyhose was wrapped around her throat. A knife was under her head.

Hemme wasn’t on the radar of police until she showed up nearly two weeks later at the home of a nurse who once treated her, carrying a knife and refusing to leave.

Police took her back to St. Joseph’s Hospital, the latest in a string of hospitalizations that began when she started hearing voices at the age of 12.

She had been discharged from that very hospital the day before Jeschke’s body was found, showing up at her parents house later that night after hitchhiking more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) to Concordia.

The timing seemed suspicious to law enforcement. As the interrogations began, Hemme was being treated with antipsychotic drugs that triggered involuntary muscle spasms. She complained that her eyes were rolling back in her head, her attorneys wrote in a petition seeking her release.

Detectives noted that Hemme seemed “mentally confused” and not fully able to comprehend their questions.

At one point she blamed the killing on a man whom she met in a detoxification unit. But prosecutors dropped their case against him upon learning he was at an alcohol treatment center in Topeka, Kansas, at the time of the killing.

Ultimately, she pleaded guilty to capital murder in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table. That plea was thrown out on appeal. But she was convicted again in 1985 after a one-day trial in which jurors weren’t told about what her current attorneys describe as “grotesquely coercive” interrogations.

Horsman found the only evidence tying Hemme to the killing was her “unreliable statements.” There was, however, evidence that “directly ties Holman to this crime and murder scene,” he wrote.

A pickup truck that Holman falsely reported stolen was spotted near the crime scene, and the officer’s alibi that he spent the night with a woman at a nearby motel couldn’t be confirmed.

Furthermore, he had tried to use Jeschke’s credit card at a camera store in Kansas City, Missouri, on the same day her body was found. Holman, who ultimately was fired, said he found the card in a purse that had been discarded in a ditch.

During a search of Holman’s home, police found a pair of gold horseshoe-shaped earrings that Jeschke’s father said he had bought for his daughter.

But then the four-day investigation into Holman’s role in the killing ended abruptly, and many of the details were never given to Hemme’s attorneys.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com

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Missouri

Missouri lawmakers pass bill requiring age verification for porn sites

Published

10 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Missouri lawmakers pass bill requiring age verification for porn sites

Steph Quinn
| Missouri Independent

A bill requiring pornography websites to conduct age checks before granting access is headed to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Commercial websites and platforms must already verify that users are at least 18 if more than a third of their content is sexually explicit as part of a rule enforced by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway since December.

The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Sherri Gallick of Belton, would codify that rule in state law, requiring websites to use third-party age verification providers.

“One of the things that was really compelling to me is that a lot of people growing up in today’s age look at a phone or they look at a computer, and they think that is reality,” Gallick told The Independent. “It’s very demeaning to women and to children.”

Sites that don’t comply would be subject to civil penalties, including fines up to $10,000 per day in violation of the law and an additional $250,000 if at least one minor accessed sexually explicit content. Sites could be charged $10,000 per violation of a provision prohibiting age verification providers from retaining users’ identifiable information.

The House passed the bill 112-25 Wednesday, May 13, with 20 Democrats and 5 Republicans in opposition and 11 Democrats voting “present.” The Senate passed the bill 32-0 on Tuesday, May 12, sending it back to the House for approval of a minor amendment.

The bill got initial House approval last year but was dropped from the calendar before getting a formal vote due to a challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court to a similar Texas law.

“The fear was, ‘Okay, what if they don’t uphold that? Then we would have to make some changes,’” Gallick said.

The court sided with Texas in July 2025, ruling that the state’s requirement that users prove their age by showing government-issued identification did not violate adults’ right to access constitutionally-protected content.

During House debate in March, Democratic lawmakers questioned the potential effectiveness of the bill and raised the possibility of unintended consequences.

Democratic state Rep. Eric Woods of Kansas City said young people are likely to find ways around age verification requirements.

“Kids are smart,” Woods said. “There are VPNs. There are browser settings that allow you to skirt around some of this stuff.”

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, argued that age verification requirements could lead more prominent porn websites to block access in Missouri, driving traffic to less scrupulous sites with fewer content safeguards.

“The websites that are less inclined to follow the rules also tend to be the types of websites that are filled with child sexual assault material, that include nonconsensual sex acts,” Aune said.

The porn industry’s largest website, Pornhub, blocked access in Missouri after Hanaway announced her office’s rule, issuing a statement calling the new rule ineffective and raising data privacy concerns.

Gallick said that while she realizes some young people will still access sexually explicit material, putting age verification requirements in state law is an important step to protect children. She said pornography can be used by bad actors to “groom” children to engage in sexual activity.

“When there’s a leak in your house you turn the water off,” Gallick said. “When there’s pests that come into your house, an exterminator comes in and cuts off the source. This is the source. Children do not need to view pornography.”

This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for May 13, 2026

Published

22 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 13, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 13 drawing

22-31-52-56-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 13 drawing

Midday: 2-6-1

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 7-8-3

Evening Wild: 2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 13 drawing

Midday: 5-8-3-5

Midday Wild: 0

Evening: 8-7-7-9

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 13 drawing

Early Bird: 11

Morning: 15

Matinee: 14

Prime Time: 12

Night Owl: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 13 drawing

04-08-18-19-27

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 13 drawing

08-13-39-63-66, Powerball: 02

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

YouthBuild students take construction skills to Missouri Capitol

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

YouthBuild students take construction skills to Missouri Capitol

Janis Reeser
| Columbia Daily Tribune

Job Point YouthBuild participants demonstrated their construction skills and shared their personal stories at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on April 21.

The event, hosted by the Missouri YouthBuild Coalition, brought together trainees, staff and partners from across the state, according to a community announcement. The day included hands-on construction demonstrations, youth-led advocacy and opportunities for participants to engage with policymakers.

A hands-on project

Trainees spent the morning constructing the framework of walls and portable chairs in teams, demonstrating the skills they are developing through YouthBuild programs in Columbia, St. Joseph and Cape Girardeau. At the end of the day, they assembled the walls to create a room, symbolizing the collaboration among trainees from different regions.

“It was a very good day. We had to build the chairs over there. I did a little measurement, cutting, all of that,” one Job Point YouthBuild student said in the announcement.

The experience highlighted not only technical skills, but also the importance of teamwork and communication, according to the announcement.

“Working together as a team, putting things together was exquisite. Communication was key,” another student shared in the announcement.

Sharing personal journeys

The event also provided a platform for participants to share their personal journeys. Many YouthBuild participants have faced significant barriers, including interruptions in education and limited access to employment opportunities. Through programs like Job Point’s YouthBuild, they are reconnecting with education, gaining workforce certifications and building pathways to meaningful careers, according to the announcement.

For students, the experience of participating in a statewide event and demonstrating their abilities in such a visible setting was both affirming and inspiring.

“I loved it! I had a great time. We built chairs. It was a good experience,” another participant said in the announcement.

Jerrell Morton, director of Job Point’s YouthBuild, emphasized the importance of visibility. Morton said in the announcement, “At its core, this day is about visibility — showing lawmakers, community leaders and the public what these young people are capable of. Our students aren’t just learning skills — they’re building confidence, leadership and a vision for their future.”

Addressing workforce needs

The event also highlighted the broader need for investment in workforce development initiatives like YouthBuild at the state level. Across Missouri, employers continue to report unfilled jobs and growing skills gaps. YouthBuild programs are helping to address that challenge by equipping young adults with practical training, work experience and the tools needed to succeed in high-demand industries such as construction, healthcare, IT and manufacturing.

For Job Point, participation in the event reinforced its commitment to empowering opportunity youth to overcome barriers, reclaim their education and achieve self-sufficiency and economic stability, according to the announcement.

“It’s a great experience. I love Job Point,” another student reflected in the announcement.

As the day concluded, trainees left with a new sense of confidence after meeting with their state representatives, senators and their staffers and standing up on the Missouri House and Senate floors, according to the announcement.

Job Point YouthBuild participants demonstrated their construction skills and shared their personal stories at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on April 21.

A hands-on project

“It was a very good day. We had to build the chairs over there. I did a little measurement, cutting, all of that,” one Job Point YouthBuild student said in the announcement.

The experience highlighted not only technical skills, but also the importance of teamwork and communication, according to the announcement.

“Working together as a team, putting things together was exquisite. Communication was key,” another student shared in the announcement.

Sharing personal journeys

For students, the experience of participating in a statewide event and demonstrating their abilities in such a visible setting was both affirming and inspiring.

“I loved it! I had a great time. We built chairs. It was a good experience,” another participant said in the announcement.

Addressing workforce needs

“It’s a great experience. I love Job Point,” another student reflected in the announcement.

This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.

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