Jane Pucher

It was certainly very, very frustrating and disturbing to watch, after Judge Horstman granted habeas relief in June, to watch concerted efforts to try and prevent Sandy from being released, which had been ordered by Judge Horstman, had been affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected further challenges to it, and yet she remained in for days and days more.

It was certainly very, very frustrating and disturbing to watch, after Judge Horstman granted habeas relief in June, to watch concerted efforts to try and prevent Sandy from being released, which had been ordered by Judge Horstman, had been affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected further challenges to it, and yet she remained in for days and days more.

That was disturbing and something I have never seen in another case. You know, at the end of the day, she is home. She has been home since July. She is doing very well and savoring every moment with her family. But she could have and should have had at least several weeks more time home with her family than she got. That was very, very disturbing to see.

That was disturbing and something I have never seen in another case. You know, at the end of the day, she is home. She has been home since July. She is doing very well and savoring every moment with her family. But she could have and should have had at least several weeks more time home with her family than she got. That was very, very disturbing to see.

But we're going to try to focus on moving forward and where she is now. And, you know, hopefully we don't see anything like that again.

But we're going to try to focus on moving forward and where she is now. And, you know, hopefully we don't see anything like that again.

Well, so when relief was granted back in June, I was actually getting on a plane with my family. So I remember that. That was an exciting time to hear that and wonderful news to hear. You know, there have been a lot of big moments in this case, but that was definitely memorable.

Well, so when relief was granted back in June, I was actually getting on a plane with my family. So I remember that. That was an exciting time to hear that and wonderful news to hear. You know, there have been a lot of big moments in this case, but that was definitely memorable.

She wrote to us saying she was innocent. She had been wrongfully convicted. She had nothing to do with this crime and asking for our help. We at the Innocence Project get thousands of letters every year through our intake department from people who are maintaining their innocence. And we are really selective with the cases we take on. We want to take on cases where we are

She wrote to us saying she was innocent. She had been wrongfully convicted. She had nothing to do with this crime and asking for our help. We at the Innocence Project get thousands of letters every year through our intake department from people who are maintaining their innocence. And we are really selective with the cases we take on. We want to take on cases where we are

really convinced that the person didn't do the thing they were accused of and also where we think we can be of help. And so it was after a few years of review of her case by our intake department, getting records, trying to figure out what we could learn from, you know, about such an old case that we took it on. And there was one other attorney in my office who worked on her case first.

really convinced that the person didn't do the thing they were accused of and also where we think we can be of help. And so it was after a few years of review of her case by our intake department, getting records, trying to figure out what we could learn from, you know, about such an old case that we took it on. And there was one other attorney in my office who worked on her case first.

And then when she left to take on another opportunity, I came on to Sandy's case and I was thrilled to be able to work on it because it is both such a righteous cause, so outrageous and disturbing what happened to her, but also because the more I got to know Sandy and her family, the more compelled I was by them and I am by who they all are and wanting to do whatever I could.

And then when she left to take on another opportunity, I came on to Sandy's case and I was thrilled to be able to work on it because it is both such a righteous cause, so outrageous and disturbing what happened to her, but also because the more I got to know Sandy and her family, the more compelled I was by them and I am by who they all are and wanting to do whatever I could.

Every case is a little bit different. I mean, there are, you know, unique stories and challenges and obviously facts to every case. I do think that something that was... uniquely shocking for my practice about this case was just the way that she was questioned and the condition she was in at the time that she was questioned.

Every case is a little bit different. I mean, there are, you know, unique stories and challenges and obviously facts to every case. I do think that something that was... uniquely shocking for my practice about this case was just the way that she was questioned and the condition she was in at the time that she was questioned.

You know, we had testimony at the hearing from a forensic psychiatrist who explained, you know, that Sandy was as vulnerable as any person could be, was in a medical and psychiatric crisis when questioned. You know, someone who I think today no one would even deign to talk to in that condition. They shouldn't.

You know, we had testimony at the hearing from a forensic psychiatrist who explained, you know, that Sandy was as vulnerable as any person could be, was in a medical and psychiatric crisis when questioned. You know, someone who I think today no one would even deign to talk to in that condition. They shouldn't.

And the fact that she was questioned repeatedly is really shocking. So I think that is something in that level I personally have not seen in my cases. I know it has happened in other cases, but that was new to me. And, you know, I think working, you know, within a system where... It was so clear from the beginning that she did not have connections to this case or to this crime.

And the fact that she was questioned repeatedly is really shocking. So I think that is something in that level I personally have not seen in my cases. I know it has happened in other cases, but that was new to me. And, you know, I think working, you know, within a system where... It was so clear from the beginning that she did not have connections to this case or to this crime.

And yet she was continually pursued is something that is, again, not unheard of, but was definitely a standout fact of this case for me.

And yet she was continually pursued is something that is, again, not unheard of, but was definitely a standout fact of this case for me.

And so the very first thing they did was to get Sandy to go and be able to see her dad at his bedside. And we were very grateful that that was able to happen, because in the midst of this litigation and the efforts to prevent Sandy from being released, as she should have been, there was this really ominous question of whether she was going to get out in time to say goodbye to her father.

And so the very first thing they did was to get Sandy to go and be able to see her dad at his bedside. And we were very grateful that that was able to happen, because in the midst of this litigation and the efforts to prevent Sandy from being released, as she should have been, there was this really ominous question of whether she was going to get out in time to say goodbye to her father.

We had a proceeding where the Attorney General's office was ordered to make sure that Ms. Hemi was released by that evening. And she was met by a number of members of her family, one of her sisters, some nieces and cousins, and her granddaughter. It's a big, beautiful, supportive family who surrounded her. And At the time, her father, who has since passed, was in the hospital.

We had a proceeding where the Attorney General's office was ordered to make sure that Ms. Hemi was released by that evening. And she was met by a number of members of her family, one of her sisters, some nieces and cousins, and her granddaughter. It's a big, beautiful, supportive family who surrounded her. And At the time, her father, who has since passed, was in the hospital.

Thank you.

Thank you.