Politte Gets Parole in Mother's Murder

(Jefferson City, MO) After being convicted of setting his mother on fire, killing her in 1998, Michael Politte is being given parole and will be freed from prison. Reports indicate Politte, who is now 37, was 14 when the incident took his mother's life. Jurors who helped convict Politte raised concerns over their decisions in the past few years as forensics advanced and more evidence became available. One of the jurors, Linda Dickerson Bell, says during the trial jurors were told the forensics tests showed there was gasoline, the accelerant used to start the fire, on Politte's tennis shoes.

Modern day forensic tests on Politte's shoes show there was no accelerant on them, contradicting the original tests. Politte will be released from the Jefferson City Correctional Center in April. It's reported he will continue to fight to have the conviction overturned.