On November 12, 1980, Patricia Jeschke, a 31-year-old secretary, does not arrive at her job in St. Joseph, Missouri. Concerned, her library director, Dorothy Elliott, attempts to reach her, failing to make contact. The following day, Jeschke’s mother, Helen, discovers a horrific scene—Patricia is dead, strangled, with a telephone cord around her neck. The image of the once lively woman, now lifeless in her home, shocks the community and sets off a tense investigation.
Leading the investigation, Lloyd Pasley follows a trail that quickly leads to Sandra Hemme and Joseph Wabski. Hemme, with a troubled past, confesses under pressure but later recants, describing a scenario involving threats and coercion. Despite her confession being riddled with inconsistencies, she is convicted in 1981 after a hasty trial. A retrial in 1985, based solely on her confession, results in another guilty verdict, trapping Hemme in a web of injustice.
Years later, in 2024, Judge Ryan Horsman reviews the evidence, uncovering crucial details linking the crime to Michael Holman, a former police officer. Hemme, exonerated after decades in prison, embodies the tragic failures of the justice system. Her release highlights systemic flaws and the haunting reality of wrongful convictions.
