Michael Politte, Missouri man convicted as a teen of murdering his mother, says the real killer is still out there - CBS News

2 years ago 40

A Missouri execution probe has been reopened aft questions person been raised astir the condemnation of Michael Politte. Politte was 14 erstwhile helium was charged successful 1998 with murdering his mother, Rita, who died aft being deed successful the caput and acceptable connected occurrence successful her Hopewell home. More than 3 years aft the crime, helium was convicted and sentenced to beingness successful prison, though helium maintained helium was innocent. Politte spent astir 20 years successful situation earlier a caller instrumentality passed successful Missouri that made him eligible for parole. Now 38 and retired connected parole, Politte tells "48 Hours" analogous Erin Moriarty who helium believes is liable for the murder.

A MURDER IN HOPEWELL

Michael Politte: There's nothin' successful this satellite that anybody tin ever bash to maine that's gonna beryllium worse than what I seen.

On Dec. 5, 1998, Michael Politte says helium woke up to find his mother's assemblage lying connected her chamber level — connected fire.

He was 14 years old.

Michael Politte: What I seen was hatred and evil. … The idiosyncratic that did that to my parent hated her with everything wrong of 'em.

Rita Politte was conscionable 40 erstwhile she died. All these years later, Michael's older sisters, Chrystal and Melonie, inactive person vivid memories.

Erin Moriarty (looking astatine photograph album): What's the archetypal happening that comes to caput erstwhile you deliberation astir Rita?

Melonie Politte: Her laugh. Definitely.

Chrystal Politte: She was ever laughing, smiling.

Michael and his sisters grew up successful the tiny, agrarian assemblage of Hopewell, Missouri. It's astir 70 miles southwest of St. Louis.

Chrystal Politte: We didn't fastener our doors. … We lived by each of our family.

Michael Politte: We rode bicycles, motorcycles … I was happy.

Michael went by the nickname "Bernie" backmost then.

Melonie Politte: His mediate sanction is Bernard. It's abbreviated for Bernard.

Their parents, Edward and Rita, got joined arsenic teens, and Chrystal and Melonie accidental the mates had their struggles.

Melonie Politte: He was precise mentally abusive.

Chrystal Politte: He besides cheated connected her —

Melonie Politte: A lot.

Chrystal Politte: But she loved him. Love — It outweighed immoderate different feeling she ever had(crying).

Eventually, though, emotion wasn't enough.

Michael Politte: I witnessed unit betwixt the 2 of 'em.

There were allegations of home unit connected some sides. The twelvemonth earlier the murder, determination was an incidental wherever constabulary were called. Michael told an serviceman that his dada pushed his ma to the level and choked her. The mates yet divorced successful the summertime of 1998 aft much than 20 years of marriage. The divorcement decree cited Edward's infidelity.

Michael Politte: My dada would — helium would effort to wage maine to travel unrecorded with him. I wouldn't. I wanted to unrecorded with my mom.

Michael ended up having to divided clip betwixt some parents. On Dec. 4, 1998, helium was astatine his mom's. That night, she was retired moving astatine a section bar, and Michael was location alone.

Michael Politte: Probably 7, 8 oregon so, I get bored. … I thrust my bicycle down to the wide store.

It's determination that Michael says helium met up with his friend, 15-year-old Josh SanSoucie, who helium invited to slumber over. The 2 hung retired for hours until Michael's ma got location astir midnight.

Michael Politte: I asked him, I was like, "Man, wherever bash you wanna slumber at?" … "You tin slumber present successful the surviving country connected the foldout couch." … "Or you tin conscionable sleep, you know, connected the level successful my room." He's like, "I'll conscionable clang connected your floor."

Michael says helium slept done the night—until conscionable earlier 6:30 a.m., erstwhile helium and Josh awoke and noticed fume successful the room.

Michael Politte: We ran outta the room. … My mom's … chamber doorway is facing maine … And I could spot the glow, an orangish glow successful that area.

He says helium called retired to his mom, but determination was nary answer.

Erin Moriarty: Michael, what are you feeling astatine this point?

Michael Politte: Panic, fear.

Michael says helium went and grabbed a hose extracurricular and past ran toward his mom's country — and what helium saw, he'd ne'er forget.

Michael Politte: I seen humor connected her legs. And she was connected occurrence from the waist up. And I crook the h2o hose on. … I don't cognize however agelong I sat there. It coulda been minutes, it coulda been seconds. I don't cognize (emotional).

Josh ran to get help, but it was excessively late. Chrystal would soon get a telephone from her member with the news.

Chrystal Politte: I conscionable sat connected my bed, and I conscionable kept sayin', "I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go." (Crying) Because, you know, past you cognize it's real.

Chrystal picked Melonie up and by the clip they got to the scene, constabulary cars and occurrence trucks were lining the driveway.

Chrystal Politte: Mike was … successful the beforehand seat, rider broadside of the constabulary car. And we conscionable ran up to the model … asked him what was—like, what happened. … And helium had soot connected his look and helium had teardrop marks each down his face. And— helium said, "I don't know. Mom's dead."

Tammy Nash: You could odor the smoke; you could odor flesh.

Tammy Nash worked for the Washington County Sheriff's Department backmost past and was 1 of the responding officers.

It was wide that this was a murder. Rita had suffered blunt unit trauma to the caput and humor was disposable connected her chamber walls, indicating a conflict had occurred. A occurrence marshal rapidly concluded that an accelerant was utilized to acceptable her connected fire.

Erin Moriarty: What was your occupation astatine that point? What was your assignment?

Tammy Nash: To stitchery the grounds … We was looking for thing that … she coulda been struck with. … We ne'er recovered a weapon.

While Nash processed the scene, Michael and Josh were taken distant to the sheriff's section for questioning. A constabulary study indicates that connected the way, Michael asked an serviceman thing that rapidly enactment him nether suspicion. He asked, "What's going to hap to my mom's truck?"

Erin Moriarty: Isn't that an unusual happening to accidental aft you conscionable saw your parent connected fire?

Michael Politte: I don't deliberation so.

Chrystal Politte: When you suffer someone, you wanna bent onto things. To maine that's each it was, you know. And our ma loved that truck.

But it did rise eyebrows. And astatine the sheriff's department, Michael was fixed a dependable accent test.

Michael Politte: And past they told maine that I failed.

Investigators besides took Michael's shoes truthful that an accelerant sniffing canine could analyse them.

Michael Politte: They said that the canine alerted to my shoes to — an accelerant.

Erin Moriarty: How would you picture the code of the questioning aft the dogs alerted connected your shoes, and aft you failed this dependable accent test?

Michael Politte: They wasn't questioning maine nary more. … They were telling maine that I did something.

Michael and Josh some insisted they didn't cognize what happened to Rita, that they had stayed successful Michael's country each night. But investigators told them they didn't judge them. The boys were questioned repeatedly. And, 2 days aft the murder, Josh gave a videotaped statement, with an serviceman connected each broadside and his parent present. That connection seemed to poke a spread successful Michael's account. He said helium woke up to a sound successful the mediate of the night.

JOSH SANSOUCIE: I heard a small thud, and I thought I heard, similar a — a woman's dependable …

OFFICER 1: Did Bernie aftermath up too, oregon did you —

JOSH SANSOUCIE: No.

OFFICER 2: — spot Bernie successful the country astatine that time?

JOSH SANSOUCIE: No.

OFFICER 2: Bernie wasn't successful bed?

JOSH SANSOUCIE: I didn't spot him …

OFFICER 2: Could you person seen him if helium was?

OFFICER 1: You looked astatine the—

OFFICER 2: Is that yes oregon no?

JOSH SANSOUCIE: Yes.

OFFICER 2: OK …

OFFICER 2: So, there's nary uncertainty that helium wasn't successful the bed? OK. And was helium anyplace other successful that bedroom?

JOSH SANSOUCIE: No.

Shortly aft Josh gave that statement, connected Dec. 7, 1998, 14-year-old Michael Politte was arrested for his mother's murder.

Michael Politte: I ever believed that I was gonna beryllium recovered guiltless due to the fact that I didn't person thing to bash with what happened to my mother. Boy, was I successful for a rude awakening.

"I DIDN'T MURDER MY MOTHER"

Erin Moriarty (looking astatine photograph album): He looks similar a truly blessed kid.

Melonie Politte: He was ever truly happy.

When Melonie and Chrystal learned that their 14-year-old member had been arrested for their mother's murder, they accidental they couldn't judge it.

Melonie Politte: How were they coming up with that conclusion? … I conscionable thought they were crazy.

Chuck and Patsy Skiles are Michael's uncle and aunt. They unrecorded adjacent doorway to wherever the transgression took place. They besides felt constabulary had made a mistake.

Chuck Skiles: He didn't bash it and I privation him cleared.

Patsy Skiles: You know, we was the archetypal ones to spot him … aft it happened. He had nary scratches, nary nothin' connected him.

Chuck Skiles: He was ever givin' his ma a hug.

Patsy Skiles: He loved his mom.

But portion Michael's household believed successful his innocence, the information is, Michael was hardly the exemplary kid — thing that adjacent helium admits.

Erin Moriarty: You failed seventh people 3 times.

Michael Politte: Yeah, I was connected my 3rd twelvemonth — due to the fact that I became truant. I conscionable wasn't goin'.

Skipping schoolhouse was 1 thing, but 10 months earlier the murder, things got truthful atrocious that Michael was hospitalized for behavioral issues aft helium threatened to termination his parent and himself.

Michael Politte: For immoderate reason, I told her that I would enactment her six feet nether conscionable similar her ma and dad.

Erin Moriarty: Did you mean that, Michael?

Michael Politte: No, I didn't. And it's the biggest regret of my life.

Melonie and Chrystal blasted Michael's misbehavior connected their parents' divorce.

Melonie Politte: Our dada would benignant of enactment him successful the middle.

Erin Moriarty: Michael was intelligibly an angry, troubled teenager.

Melonie Politte: Yeah, I deliberation helium was huffy astatine our dad, for sure.

Erin Moriarty: Was helium huffy astatine your mom, arsenic well?

Melonie Politte: No, I deliberation — I mean, I cognize they didn't ever get on perfectly. I don't deliberation immoderate genitor and kid does.

Three years passed with Michael successful custody, awaiting trial. And past the prosecution came to him with a deal: plead blameworthy to voluntary manslaughter and he'd walk a maximum of 15 years successful prison.

Michael Politte: I rejected it.

Erin Moriarty: You didn't deliberation astir it?

Michael Politte: No.

Erin Moriarty: Why not?

Michael Politte: 'Cause I didn't execution my mother.

In January 2002, Michael Politte, past 17 years old, went connected trial. His beingness was connected the line. The prosecutors and defence lawyer who tried the lawsuit didn't respond to "48 Hours"' calls, but Josh Hedgecorth — the existent authoritative of Washington County, wherever the execution took spot — was consenting to speech astir the case.

Erin Moriarty: What was the astir important evidence?

Josh Hedgecorth: The technological grounds … And that would commencement with the shoes that helium was wearing astatine the sheriff's office.

Not lone had a canine detected an accelerant connected Michael's shoes, according to the prosecution, aboriginal investigating besides confirmed the beingness of gasoline connected them. And determination was grounds that an accelerant had been utilized to pain Rita's body.

Josh Hedgecorth: And so, each of these components unneurotic I deliberation solidified that helium indispensable person acceptable the fire.

But Michael had told constabulary that gasoline recovered connected his shoes meant nothing, and that helium and his friends would often acceptable fires for fun.

Michael Politte: We each did that. … It was successful — it was successful the country.

In fact, Michael told constabulary that conscionable hours earlier the murder, helium and his person Josh utilized gasoline to acceptable a occurrence connected the railroad tracks adjacent his location — earlier Rita got home.

But the prosecution utilized that admittance arsenic different portion of grounds against Michael. They argued the pain signifier connected the tracks matched the pain signifier connected Rita.

Linda Dickerson-Bell and Jonathan Peterson were jurors connected the case.

Jonathan Peterson: I'm like, "It's not looking bully for him."

Linda Dickerson-Bell: What they were telling america was that Michael had a occupation with burning and that … helium was the lone idiosyncratic that could person done this.

The jurors ne'er heard astir Michael's problems astatine schoolhouse and that menace to his mother, but a witnesser testified astir a disagreement that Michael had with his parent weeks earlier the murder. It was implicit money, and helium sat flicking a lighter afterwards.

Michael Politte: It happened. But not successful the mode that the State portrayed it. … I was flickin' the instrumentality connected the lighter. That's that.

Erin Moriarty: You weren't threatening your parent with that?

Michael Politte: No.

And determination was thing adjacent much damaging: the prosecution claimed that Michael had really confessed to the transgression during a termination effort astatine a juvenile detention halfway precisely 1 period aft the murder. Three witnesses who worked determination wrote successful reports that Michael said, "I haven't cared since … I killed my mom." But Michael says that's not what helium said.

Erin Moriarty: When they asked you wherefore you were trying to termination yourself, you accidental you said what?

Michael Politte: I haven't cared since they killed my mom.

It's the quality of 1 word. But that 1 connection carried a batch of weight. And the assemblage would ne'er perceive from Michael, due to the fact that erstwhile it was the defense's turn, helium didn't instrumentality the stand.

And leaving the assemblage with adjacent much unanswered questions was the information that they were told that Josh, the different lad successful the location that night, had been granted immunity.

Linda Dickerson-Bell: I kept waiting, thinking, "OK, good if he's been fixed immunity past he's got to person thing to offer."

But the assemblage ne'er saw oregon heard from Josh astatine all. He wasn't called to the stand, and they were ne'er shown his videotaped statement. Michael's sisters besides weren't called.

Linda Dickerson-Bell: I ne'er truly heard anybody successful his defence say, "Michael didn't bash this."

Instead, the defence hinged its lawsuit connected the deficiency of nonstop evidence: nary execution limb had been recovered and, contempt the unit of the attack, Michael had nary injuries and nary humor connected his clothing. After 3 days of testimony, the lawsuit went to the jury.

Linda Dickerson-Bell: To clasp someone's beingness successful your hand, person you ever done that? It's not a pleasant happening to do. … I wanted to get it right.

But Dickerson-Bell and Peterson accidental they were near with truthful galore questions — excessively many questions — and they felt pressured by different members of the jury.

Jonathan Peterson: I deliberation everybody yet conscionable got to maine and just, similar — you know, "We're acceptable to spell home." And past I was like, "Hell, but, you're acceptable to spell location and this kid's acceptable to spell to prison?"

After much than 4 hours, the assemblage filed into the courtroom with their verdict: blameworthy of second-degree murder.

Linda Dickerson-Bell: I wept.

Erin Moriarty: Why?

Linda Dickerson-Bell (crying): Because it was wrong.

Michael was sentenced to beingness successful prison.

Michael Politte: It was unbelievable. … I ne'er thought it would happen.

Michael would walk years successful a Missouri situation earlier a caller squad of lawyers would instrumentality his lawsuit and marque it their ngo to crook it around.

Megan Crane: The State fundamentally ne'er truly had immoderate lawsuit against this kid. But the lawsuit that they adjacent did person backmost astatine proceedings has been indisputably proven false.

"PROBLEMATIC" EVIDENCE?

After Michael Politte was convicted and sentenced to beingness astatine the property of 18, helium was sent to the Missouri State Penitentiary — erstwhile called "the bloodiest 47 acres successful America."

Michael Politte: Bein' truthful young, I was a target. … I got successful a combat my archetypal time determination … Dudes were trying to rape me.

Michael says helium became hopeless for immoderate consciousness of safety.

Erin Moriarty: You became a skinhead?

Michael Politte: Yeah. Joined a gang.

Erin Moriarty: That's wherever you got the tattoos?

Michael Politte: Yup. … It was somethin' that … I felt similar I needed to bash to survive. … It's not the mode that I feel. It's not the mode that ma raised me. I conscionable didn't acceptable in.

Michael says helium longed to beryllium his innocence and get retired of prison. He needed to prosecute a lawyer, truthful helium says helium asked his dada for help.

Erin Moriarty: Did he?

Michael Politte: Nope.

Erin Moriarty: So however did you support up immoderate anticipation astatine all?

Michael Politte: I didn't for a fewer years. I was a heroin addict — anytime I near my compartment I was lookin' for drugs. I was conscionable self-medicatin'.

That's the mode things were — until Michael yet recovered thing that gave him hope. Five years aft his conviction, helium wrote a missive to the Midwest Innocence Project, and they agreed to instrumentality his case. The enactment worked connected it for years and eventually, attorneys Tricia Bushnell, Megan Crane and Mark Emison became involved.

Megan Crane: Mike was convicted due to the fact that helium was a kid, axenic and simple. … They said … helium wasn't affectional enough. … Trauma doesn't look similar what radical deliberation it should look like.

Bushnell, Crane and Emison picked isolated the lawsuit against Michael. They accidental it was based connected atrocious science, starting with the prosecution's assertion that an accelerant was utilized to acceptable the occurrence that killed Rita.

Mark Emison: When the occurrence researcher came to the country — they instantly determined it was a fuel-fed … occurrence — based connected conscionable ocular patterns — conscionable based connected looking astatine the country — which, astatine the time, violated golden standards of occurrence investigation. … There has to beryllium laboratory testin'.

And laboratory investigating was done connected carpet samples from the transgression scene. No accelerant was detected. The prosecution explained that distant by saying it could person burned up, but defence lawyer Megan Crane says that proposition isn't reasonable.

Megan Crane: There's nary technological ground for that being possible.

Erin Moriarty: Do you judge that the assemblage believed that successful information determination was an accelerant utilized to acceptable Rita connected fire?

Mark Emison: Absolutely. … The main lawsuit against Michael was that it was a gasoline occurrence … and … successful bid to effort to necktie Mike to the crime, the lone carnal grounds was the gasoline that the State alleged … was connected his shoes.

But Michael's caller lawyers accidental that Michael's shoes didn't person gasoline connected them, either. They accidental a chemic utilized successful the footwear manufacturing process was wrongly identified arsenic gasoline astatine trial. And adjacent the Missouri State transgression laboratory agrees. In a 2020 letter, officials say, "… it is present known that solvents recovered successful footwear adhesives person similarities to gasoline." But that "In the precocious 1990s, this cognition was not wide known."

Erin Moriarty: Could the dogs person been alerting to the chemicals utilized successful the shoes?

Mark Emison: Absolutely.

Megan Crane: The jurors cared astir the state connected the shoes. … They asked to spot the shoes. … It was the nail successful the coffin.

But what astir Michael's alleged confession astatine the juvenile detention center? Witnesses wrote that they heard him say, "I haven't cared since … I killed my mom." But Michael insists helium said, "I haven't cared since … they killed my mom."

Tricia Bushnell: In the aforesaid mode we speech astir passageway vision, radical tin perceive what they privation to hear. We're talking astir 1 connection successful a country wherever there's tons of enactment happening. … They person a kid successful the detention halfway that they judge has astir apt committed this crime, right? … And so, that's their presumption of him.

There is 1 large question that remains. What astir Josh SanSoucie? Remember, the assemblage was told helium got immunity, and determination was that videotaped connection wherever helium told constabulary that helium woke up successful the mediate of the nighttime and Michael wasn't there.

OFFICER 2: So, there's nary uncertainty that helium wasn't successful the bed? OK. And was helium anyplace other successful that bedroom?

JOSH SANSOUCIE: No.

Now, galore years aft the crime, Josh is speaking publically for the archetypal clip astir what helium says truly happened that night.

Josh SanSoucie: I've spent the bulk of my beingness conscionable tryin' to hide astir it.

KEY WITNESS SPEAKS OUT

Josh SanSoucie: I've done beauteous bully conscionable movin' connected with it. But, I mean, it's inactive — it's ever there, you know?

Josh SanSoucie is present 39 years old. He says he's ne'er been rather the aforesaid since helium woke up from that sleepover astatine Michael's astatine the property of 15 and recovered himself successful the mediate of a execution investigation. He says helium was questioned by constabulary repeatedly for hours astatine a time.

Josh SanSoucie: Every clip I'd archer 'em something, they would beryllium like, "No, that's not what happened. This is what happened." … I retrieve tellin' my mom. I said, "They support saying that I'm lying." I said, "I don't adjacent cognize if I'm telling the information anymore."

But the truth, Josh says, is that thing retired of the mean happened connected that nighttime successful question.

Josh SanSoucie: It was conscionable similar a mean night.

JOSH SANSOUCIE (videotaped statement): And I couldn't slumber precise bully that night. I was conscionable benignant of waking up. I woke up 1 clip …

But what astir that videotaped connection wherever Josh told constabulary that helium woke up successful the mediate of the nighttime and Michael wasn't there?

OFFICER 2: So, there's nary uncertainty that helium wasn't successful the bed? OK. And was helium anyplace other successful that bedroom?

JOSH SANSOUCIE: No.

Josh SanSoucie: I don't retrieve ever saying that. … And I consciousness similar if I said that, past it was possibly astatine a anemic constituent oregon somethin'.

Michael's attorneys accidental they person seen this each excessively often successful interrogations.

Tricia Bushnell: What we spot successful Josh's interrogation is the effect of hours and hours of interrogation … And each different time, helium has never, ever said that that was what happened.

In a deposition close earlier Michael went connected trial, Josh said that helium ne'er sat up from wherever helium was sleeping connected the level and that, "It's not that I did not spot him successful his bed. It's I couldn't spot him successful his bed."

Josh SanSoucie: There's nary mode I could spot thing that's connected apical of the bed.

So, wherefore did Josh instrumentality that immunity deal?

Josh SanSoucie: I conscionable wanted it due to the fact that I knew they was gonna effort to pin it connected maine oregon Bernie. … And I was, like, "Well, if they're giving immunity, past possibly I don't person thing to interest about, you know?

Michael's lawyers accidental the prosecution was apt trying to get Josh to flip connected Michael and the information they didn't adjacent enactment Josh connected the stand, says it all.

Megan Crane: They didn't telephone him due to the fact that it wasn't gonna spell good for them. … He had thing adjuvant to accidental for the State.

Erin Moriarty: Why didn't the defence telephone Josh?

Megan Crane: That's a large question, Erin. And there's a lotta large questions astir what the defence didn't bash and who they didn't call.

Michael's proceedings lawyer was a nationalist defender backmost then. In a tribunal affidavit, helium admits that Michael's lawsuit was the archetypal homicide lawsuit that helium had tried connected his own. And that today, helium would grip his practice of Michael differently.

Michael's caller ineligible squad was committed to getting him retired of prison. They filed tribunal documents suggesting an alternate suspect: Michael's father, Edward Politte.

Michael Politte: I judge helium is liable for what happened to my mother.

If that's true, that means Michael's ain begetter stood by and fto his lad instrumentality the autumn for a execution that helium was behind. Michael's sisters accidental their begetter was furious implicit the fiscal presumption of the divorce. A justice had finalized them conscionable 4 days earlier the murder.

Melonie Politte: She got fractional of his retirement.

Chrystal Politte: Maintenance —

Melonie Politte: Maintenance —

Chrystal Politte: — kid support.

Melonie Politte: Child support. Alimony. … And the 1 happening that I retrieve astir increasing up with our dada is you don't messiness with his money. You conscionable don't bash it.

Chrystal Politte: He had an outburst — successful the court. … He said, "You'll ne'er unrecorded to spot a dime of that money."

Police did interrogation Edward Politte aft the murder. He had an alibi. He was home, much than 80 miles away, astatine the clip of the murder. But Michael's defence squad says investigators didn't look hard enough.

Megan Crane: They didn't astatine each analyse the anticipation that possibly Ed did this with idiosyncratic else.

And Michael says helium believes his dada did put the execution and had help.

Michael Politte: I deliberation helium hired Johnny to execution my mother.

"Johnny" is Johnny Politte, Edward's cousin. Michael's ineligible squad identified witnesses who spot Johnny adjacent the transgression country connected the greeting of the murder, conscionable arsenic archetypal responders were arriving.

Larry Lee: Well, I had heard sirens … and arsenic I'm comin' up the roadworthy and I'm approaching … the railroad tracks, Johnny Politte was walkin' down the railroad tracks.

Larry Lee is 1 of those witnesses. He has known Johnny for years.

Larry Lee: As he's walkin' up to my truck, helium asked maine if I heard astir Rita. … He said, "Somebody killed her." And I'm like, "Dude, what?"

About a week later, Larry's woman Carolyn says Johnny came to their door.

Carolyn Lee: And it was similar 6 o'clock successful the morning. He said – "I request to cognize what you cognize astir Rita's death." … He said, "Me and Edward are doin' our ain investigation. And we heard you were up astatine the store talkin' astir it." … And I said, "Johnny I don't cognize nothin'." … "No, we request to cognize what you know," helium said. And I said, "You know, I deliberation it's clip for you to go."

Erin Moriarty: Were you scared?

Carolyn Lee: A small bit.

Erin Moriarty: Did the 2 of you speech to investigators astir this?

Carolyn Lee: No. … We deliberation backmost now, and we privation we would've.

Larry Lee: And I ain't sayin' helium had thing to bash with anything, either. I don't know. But, you know.

Another antheral places Johnny Politte's motortruck adjacent the aforesaid spot that Larry Lee says helium ran into Johnny connected the greeting of the murder. In an affidavit filed by Michael's team, the antheral says helium saw the motortruck conscionable arsenic exigency vehicles were coming down the road.

Former researcher Tammy Nash says she doesn't retrieve proceeding that Johnny Politte had been seen that morning, but she does callback thing that happened successful the days aft the execution — erstwhile the transgression country had been released.

Tammy Nash: Somebody came into the sheriff's section … and said that they had recovered a tyre iron, oregon tyre instrumentality oregon thing … successful the closet.

Erin Moriarty: Whose closet?

Tammy Nash: Michael's closet.

Police records amusement the idiosyncratic who recovered that tyre instrumentality was Johnny Politte.

Erin Moriarty: Could you person missed that successful your archetypal search?

Tammy Nash: No. No.

Erin Moriarty: Are you perfectly definite —

Tammy Nash: I americium affirmative I did not miss that.

Erin Moriarty: If wasn't determination erstwhile you searched, what does that mean?

Tammy Nash: That idiosyncratic placed it there.

Tammy went and retrieved the tyre instrumentality from Michael's closet. It was aboriginal ruled retired arsenic the execution weapon.

Erin Moriarty: Do you judge that tyre robust was enactment successful your closet to acceptable you up?

Michael Politte: I do.

Johnny and Edward Politte didn't respond to "48 Hours"' petition for an interview. Neither has been charged successful the case. It's been years since Michael and his sisters person spoken to their father, but they accidental they did inquire him whether helium had thing to bash with their mother's execution and helium denied it.

Tricia Bushnell: It's not our occupation and it's not our absorption to accidental who did perpetrate this crime. But what we bash cognize is it was not Michael Politte.

And portion Michael's lawyers were trying to beryllium that, the lawsuit would instrumentality a turn.

MICHAEL POLITTE (outside prison): I ne'er thought this time would come.

Michael Politte: Best time successful the world. It was amazing.

A SECOND CHANCE

Tricia Bushnell: It's hard — it's existent hard present successful Missouri — to get these convictions overturned, it's a battle.

Michael Politte's ineligible squad was unopen down by appeals courts astatine each turn.

Melonie Politte (crying): It is simply a changeless combat with, you know, Goliath truly is what it feels like.

Despite the letdowns, Michael and his sisters kept up anticipation that 1 time helium would beryllium freed. And successful 2021, determination was an unexpected development: a measure passed successful Missouri giving juvenile offenders convicted of superior crimes a 2nd chance.

Michael Politte: It gave maine an contiguous parole hearing.

Michael went earlier the parole committee asking for his release.

Michael Politte: I told 'em I was innocent, and I told 'em this is wherefore I'm innocent, and this is wherefore you should judge I'm innocent.

It worked. On April 22, 2022, Melonie and Chrystal brought friends and household and a alteration of apparel to the Jefferson City Correctional Center.

Melonie Politte: It was a truly large day.

Chrystal Politte: It was a imagination travel true, really.

On that day, Michael Politte walked retired of prison. Incarcerated astatine conscionable 14-years-old, helium was present 38.

Michael Politte (outside prison): Where's my lawyers?

Michael Politte (outside of prison): It's overwhelming to spot each the love. All the nights sitting successful my cell, wondering what it would beryllium similar to beryllium retired present and person this moment, and person it yet travel existent — it's awesome. … Yup. It's yet here. … I'm free.

Michael says helium felt his mom's beingness erstwhile a vertebrate flew by overhead.

Michael Politte (outside prison, looking up astatine the sky): Hi mom.

Michael Politte (outside prison): She's ever successful my thoughts. She's ever successful my mind. And everything I bash and everything that I'm processing contiguous is guided by her.

Michael near situation that time doing 1 of the things helium enjoyed astir earlier helium went successful — riding a bike.

Michael Politte (outside prison): We're gonna instrumentality a motorcycle thrust from the parking batch to the railroad tracks. … I'm leaving present the aforesaid mode that I came successful here, riding a bicycle. … Justice for Rita. Let's go. Let's go, antheral (crowd cheers).

Michael Politte: (Laughs) It felt good. It was the champion motorcycle thrust successful the world.

Following his release, Michael moved successful with his sister, Melonie. He started getting those reminders of prison, his tattoos, covered up with caller art. He besides recovered a occupation arsenic a carpenter and got his driver's license.

Erin Moriarty: You're present out. Is that enough?

Michael Politte: No, it ain't enough.

Erin Moriarty: Because arsenic you beryllium close now, you are a convicted felon connected parole.

Michael Politte: Yep.

Erin Moriarty: You person a transgression grounds that says you killed your mother.

Michael Politte: Yep.

Michael wants to wide his name. And it conscionable mightiness hap due to the fact that Josh Hedgecorth, the existent authoritative successful the region wherever the execution took place, has filed a question asking for Michael's condemnation to beryllium overturned.

Josh Hedgecorth: To me, it each — ever comes backmost to the science.

Hedgecorth agrees with Michael's attorneys that the technological grounds utilized to convict Michael is problematic.

Josh Hedgecorth: So, I don't judge that Michael received a just trial. … I can't accidental that the authoritative astatine the clip knew what helium was putting connected was mendacious … It conscionable shouldn't person been presented.

Erin Moriarty: Could you retry Michael Politte for the execution of his parent based connected the grounds you person today?

Josh Hedgecorth: On the grounds I person contiguous … I don't judge I would record this case.

But portion the section authoritative believes Michael's condemnation should beryllium thrown out, different nationalist official, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, is warring it.

Megan Crane: In each exoneration successful Missouri, the lawyer wide fights it because, they say, "We person to respect, honor, and support the verdict of these jurors" … Well, that goes retired the model erstwhile the jurors themselves privation this verdict overturned.

In sworn affidavits, 5 jurors person questioned whether Michael got a just proceedings — including Jonathan Peterson and Linda Dickerson-Bell.

Linda Dickerson-Bell: I bash not judge that Michael Politte killed his mother. … But I don't cognize however to hole it.

The lawyer general's bureau didn't reply to "48 Hours"' petition for comment, but successful a tribunal filing, they accidental Michael "cannot conscionable the modular for existent innocence." And the lawyer wide has argued that the grounds against Johnny and Edward Politte would person been inadmissible astatine trial.

Michael hopes that a justice volition perceive the lawsuit and determine to overturn his conviction, but successful the meantime, authoritative Josh Hedgecorth has revealed to "48 Hours" that the section sheriff's section has reopened the probe into Rita's murder.

Josh Hedgecorth: We wanna bash the close thing. If idiosyncratic other did this, we wanna cognize that. … adjacent if it's caller grounds that it was Michael.

Neither Hedgecorth, nor the section sheriff, would remark connected the specifics of the investigation, including whether Johnny Politte oregon Edward Politte are persons of interest.

Josh Hedgecorth: I consciousness atrocious for Bernie and his family. I mean, everything they had to spell through. Bernie mislaid his full childhood.

Josh SanSoucie hasn't seen Michael Politte since they were kids, but they anticipation to 1 time reunite. The nighttime of that sleepover and its aftermath has haunted Josh each these years.

Erin Moriarty: What would you accidental to him?

Michael Politte: I'm sorry. And that, you know, helium didn't bash thing wrong.

In Potosi, Missouri, not acold from wherever the execution took place, Rita's motortruck has sat each these years.

Her household says they held onto it due to the fact that it's 1 of the lone things they person near of her.

Michael Politte: That's her truck. You know, it's a portion of her. That belongs to her.

They anticipation to hole it up and get it moving again.

Michael Politte: We're gonna get justness for her. I judge that 1 day. We're gonna get justness for Rita.

Earlier this month, Washington County Prosecutor Josh Hedgecorth mislaid his bid for reelection.

Separately, the Missouri Supreme Court has temporarily halted Hedgecorth's effort to overturn Politte's conviction.

Produced by Stephanie Slifer and Emily Wichick. Sara Ely Hulse is the improvement producer. Doreen Schechter, Joan Adelman and Gary Winter are the editors. Lourdes Aguiar is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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