When a 58-year-old divorced woman was found brutally murdered in her home, her family was devastated. But as authorities dug deeper, it became clear that someone close to him was responsible for the murder. Survey discovery’Web of Lies: Divorced and in Danger’ chronicles how the police focused on Sheila Hackmeister’s son, Jason, for her murder. So, let’s find out exactly what happened then, shall we?
How did Sheila Hachmeister die?
Sheila Rae Hachmeister was originally from Texas and graduated from high school in Kansas in 1971. The 58-year-old earned her bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and married Bill Hachmeister in 1974; they then separated. She worked as a health information technician for many years. At the time of the incident, she was living in Topeka, Kansas, with her son, Jason. Sheila also had another son named Aaron.
Around 5 p.m. on September 10, 2011, authorities received a call from Jason regarding the discovery of his mother in a pool of blood. The house was a bloody crime scene. Sheila had several cuts on her body – at least 98, according to the coroner. She suffered defensive wounds, with one of her fingers nearly severed. Sheila also had cuts to her hands and head, but the cause of death was strangulation – a string was stuck in her neck.
Who Killed Sheila Hachmeister?
At home, there was no sign of a break-in. While some items were missing, the place didn’t seem ransacked for valuables. Authorities then began to focus on Jason, who was living in his mother’s basement at the time of the murder. They learned that around 11:30 a.m. on September 10, 2011, Jason left the house and ran several errands before coming home and calling 911 around 5 p.m. However, authorities believed Sheila had died hours before the 911 call.
The manager of a strip club told authorities about a conversation she had with him in September 2011. After talking about wanting to kill his mother, Jason said he killed her and then had to change the carpet because it was soaked in blood. . Additionally, Aaron recalled seeing Jason with bruises all over his body and what looked like carpet burns on his knuckles. But Jason tried to explain it by saying he fell.
While Jason was in police custody, letters were sent to the media, the police, and a friend of Jason’s implying that the writer was the killer and that Jason was innocent. All were intercepted at the local county jail. According to the writings, the supposed killer claimed that Sheila turned him down at a bar, leading him to find and kill her. In one of the letters, the person claimed to be an employee of the county jail and provided a work schedule as proof. However, prison surveillance captured Jason retrieving someone’s work schedule from a trash can.
Authorities believed Jason killed his mother for financial gain. He was to receive $125,000 from a life insurance policy. Also, it was stated that Sheila was planning to kick Jason out of the house at the time she was killed. His fate was sealed when DNA was found on the rope used to strangle Sheila. Earlier, he claimed to have never touched that rope.
Where is Jason Hachmeister now?
During a search of the house, authorities found extensive evidence of child pornography in Jason’s possession. In December 2013, he was convicted of 105 counts of child sexual exploitation and sentenced to seven years and two months in prison. In July 2015, then 40 years old, Jason was convicted of premeditated first degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. This sentence was to run at the same time as the seven-year sentence. Prison records indicate that Jason remains incarcerated at Ellsworth Correctional Facility in Kansas. The earliest he can be released is in 2062.
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