Linda Dickerson-Bell is determined to undo what she believes was a grave mistake she and other jurors made 23 years ago when they convicted then-teenager Michael Politte to life in prison without parole for the murder of his mother, Rita Politte.
“There was one piece of evidence that was given, gasoline on Michael’s tennis shoes, that has since been proven was not true,” she said. “Knowing that is false evidence, I cannot live with what we did to this young man.”
Politte was granted parole in 2022, after a federal court ordered Missouri to overhaul how it handles the parole process for offenders convicted of committing violent crimes as a minor. By that time, he had spent 23 years behind bars. Dickerson-Bell said that parole is an important step, but that his release from prison is not enough. She is pushing Washington County Prosecuting Attorney John Jones IV to pursue a wrongful conviction case.
“I want him to be 100% a free man, the way he should be, because he did not commit this murder,” she said.
Dickerson-Bell organized a rally outside Jones’ office on Tuesday and was heartened by the 25 or so people who participated. She hopes that greater numbers will get Jones to consider Politte’s case. She has asked to speak with Jones since he took office in January 2023 but has yet to hear back.
“I'm not a constituent of Washington County, so perhaps that's one of the reasons he doesn't want to meet with me. I don't believe so, but if that's the case, we'll get a petition gathered,” she said. “And if nothing else, we'll get him out of office [next election cycle].”
In the three years since his release, Politte has focused on spending time with his family and establishing his career. As a general foreman, he travels the Midwest for construction projects and spends the weekends with his sisters, niece, nephews and girlfriend. Politte said he’s proud of his ability to transition back into society after being incarcerated at 14 years old. But being on parole, he added, means he’s still not free.
“If my conviction is not overturned, I have a life sentence, which means I have a lifetime of parole — a lifetime of checking in with a parole officer, of getting travel permits so I can travel to and from work. I'll never be able to vote. I'll never be able to own a firearm, go hunting,” he said. “Having a felony conviction on your record holds you back in so many aspects of life. You can't be fully productive.”
Politte — who has representation from the MacArthur Justice Center, Midwest Innocence Project and Langdon & Emison law firm — has two other options if Jones does not take action. For him to be exonerated, the Eastern District of Missouri would need to act on a habeas petition that Politte’s attorneys filed in 2023. Otherwise, Missouri’s governor would need to grant a commutation.
For Politte, exoneration would mean more than freedom from the constraints of parole. He said it would also provide the opportunity for justice in Rita Politte’s murder case.
“I get exonerated; now they got an unsolved case. Now my mom's murder investigation is opened back up. Maybe they'll actually go investigate something like they should have 20-plus years ago,” he said.
Last Thursday marked Rita Politte’s birthday. Michael Politte and his family recognized it with what’s now a yearly tradition: setting stone angels by her gravestone. He said he keeps her memory alive by working to make her proud and remembering the way she laughed.
“I always think about her laugh,” he said. “Jubilant, full of life — when she laughed, she just sounded happy.”
To learn more about Mike Politte’s story, and to hear reflections from a juror who convicted him to life in prison, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
