VANDALIA, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) – Patty Prewitt, Missouri’s longest-serving female prisoner, has been granted freedom after serving more than four decades in prison.
Prewitt, now 75 years old, was among nine individuals whose sentences were commuted by Missouri Governor Mike Parson on Friday. In addition, 16 others received pardons.
Prewitt had been serving a life sentence for the 1984 murder of her husband, Bill Prewitt, who was shot and killed while sleeping in their farmhouse in Holden, Missouri. Prewitt has always maintained her innocence, claiming that she was attacked that night and that someone cut the phone lines and disabled the power in their home.
Despite her claims, investigators quickly focused on her as the primary suspect, finding a murder weapon in a pond on their property and a boot print they believed matched hers.
The couple’s children have consistently stated they believed their mother was innocent, claiming that someone else was in the house that night. However, this information was not presented to the jury during the trial.
In a statement released this week, Prewitt expressed her gratitude for her release: “I am so grateful to be home with my family for Christmas. Thank you to Governor Mike Parson and to all the people who have supported me over the years.”