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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 25 July 2024
Judge orders release of Missouri man whose murder conviction

was reversed over AG’s objections

By JIM SALTER what happened to Sandra
Associated Press Hemme.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) — A Mis- The 64-year-old woman spent
souri judge on Wednesday 43 years in prison for the fa-
ordered the release of Chris- tal stabbing of a woman in
topher Dunn, who has spent St. Joseph in 1980. A judge
33 years in prison for a killing on June 14 cited evidence
he has long contended he of “actual innocence” and
didn’t commit. overturned her conviction.
St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason She had been the longest-
Sengheiser’s decision came held wrongly incarcerated
after he overturned Dunn’s woman known in the U.S.,
murder conviction Monday, according to the National
citing evidence of “actual Innocence Project, which
innocence” in the 1990 kill- worked to free Hemme and
ing. He ordered Dunn’s im- Dunn. But appeals by Bailey
mediate release then, but all the way up to the Missouri
Republican Attorney General Supreme Court kept Hemme
Andrew Bailey appealed, imprisoned at the Chillicothe
and the state Department Correctional Center. Dur-
of Corrections declined to ing a court hearing Friday,
release him. Judge Ryan Horsman said
St. Louis Circuit Attorney that if Hemme wasn’t re-
Gabe Gore filed a motion leased within hours, Bailey
Wednesday urging the judge Christopher Dunn, right, listens to his attorney Justin Bonus from New York City during the first day himself would have to ap-
to immediately order Dunn’s of his hearing to decide whether to vacate his murder conviction, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at the pear in court with contempt
freedom. Carnahan Courthouse in St. Louis. Associated Press of court on the table. She was
“The Attorney General can- released later that day.
not unilaterally decide to advised the agency not to Office is legal counsel to the Dunn, or he would hold or- The judge also scolded Bai-
ignore this Court’s Order,” release Dunn until the appeal DOC and the DOC would der the warden be held in ley’s office for calling the
Gore wrote. plays out. When told it was be following the advice of contempt of court. Chillicothe warden and
A court filing said an attor- improper to ignore a court or- counsel.” Bailey’s office didn’t respond telling prison officials not to
ney for the Department of der, the Department of Cor- On Wednesday, Sengheiser to a message seeking com- release Hemme after he or-
Corrections told a lawyer rections attorney “responded said the prison in Licking had ment. dered her to be freed on her
in Gore’s office that Bailey that the Attorney General’s until 6 p.m. EDT to release Dunn’s situation is similar to own recognizance. q

Connecticut woman found dead hours before she was to be

sentenced for killing her husband

disclose any further details. found at her house, Kosu- State troopers found her
Kosuda-Bigazzi had been da-Bigazzi said she killed husband’s body in their
scheduled under a plea her husband with a ham- basement in February 2018
deal to be sentenced at 2 mer in self-defense, state during a wellness check re-
p.m. Wednesday in Hart- police said. She was free quested by UConn Health
ford Superior Court to 13 after having posted more staff. It was wrapped in
years in prison for the 2017 than $1.5 million for bail. plastic and showed an ad-
death of her husband, Dr. Police said Kosuda-Bigazzi vanced stage of decom-
Pierluigi Bigazzi, 84. wrote that she and her hus- position, authorities said.
Her lawyer, Patrick Toma- band got into a fight after The medical examiner said
siewicz, said her death was she told him repairs were he had died from blunt
unexpected. needed to their home’s trauma to his head.
“We were honored to be backyard deck. She wrote Investigators have said
her legal counsel and did that he came at her with they believe Pierluigi Big-
our very best to defend her a hammer and she man- azzi died sometime in July
Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi, 70, center, appears at Bristol Superior in a complex case for the aged to wrestle it away 2017 and that his UConn
court, accused of murdering her husband, Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi, past six years,” he said in a from him during a lengthy Health paychecks contin-
in Bristol, Conn., on Feb. 13, 2018. statement. “She was a very struggle, authorities said. ued to be deposited into
Associated Press independent woman who “I hit him just swinging the the couple’s joint checking
By DAVE COLLINS checks. State police said was always in control of her hammer in any direction + account until his body was
Associated Press they were investigating the own destiny.” then he was quiet for a few found.
A 76-year-old Connecticut “untimely death” of Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi pleaded seconds + then he stopped An internal investigation by
woman was found dead Kosuda-Bigazzi after be- guilty to manslaughter and breathing,” she wrote, ac- UConn resulted in the disci-
at her home Wednesday, ing called to her Burlington larceny in March after hav- cording to investigators. plining of a school medical
hours before she was to home for a welfare check ing been charged with mur- “I just wanted to slow him official who was supposed
be sentenced for killing shortly after 10:30 a.m. The der in the death of Bigazzi, down. I sat on the floor by to monitor Pierluigi Bigazzi’s
her husband and hiding his cause of her death was un- a professor of laboratory the kitchen cabinets across work but had no contact
body for months while con- der investigation, and po- science and pathology at from the stove next to him with him in the months be-
tinuing to collect his pay- lice and her lawyer did not UConn Health. In writings for a long time.” fore his body was found.q