On the night of the 4th of December 1998, two teenage boys were having a sleepover in a trailer in rural Hopewell, Missouri. They played games, they stayed up late, and eventually they fell asleep. In the early hours of the following morning, they woke up to the smell of smoke. It was coming from the room at the end of the hallway. Neither of them would ever forget what they found on the other side of that door.
Sources:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7 December, 1998 – “Woman Dies After Being Hit”
The Daily Journal, 7 December, 1998 – “Two Murders Under Investigation”
The Daily Journal, 9 December, 1998 – “Teen Charged”
The Daily Journal, 1 April, 1999 – “Judge Considers Adult Status”
The Daily Journal, 2 April, 1999 – “Defence Attorney Contends”
The Daily Journal, 8 April, 1999 – “Politte to Stand Trial as Adult”
The Daily Journal, 20 June, 1999 – “Boy Charged”
The Daily Journal, 24 August, 1999 – “Murder Trial Gets Change of Venue”
The Daily Journal, 18 September, 1999 – “Murder Trial to Begin”
The Daily Journal, 6 July, 2000 – “Murder Trial Delayed”
The Daily Journal, 21 January, 2001 – “Woman’s Body”
The Daily Journal, 14 July, 2001 – “Judge Grants Third Postponement”
The Daily Journal, 30 January, 2002 – “Murder Trial”
The Daily Journal, 31 Janaury, 2002 – “Testimony Continues”
The Daily Journal, 1 February, 2002 – “Politte Found Guilty of Murder”
The Daily Journal, 18 October, 2003 – “Conviction of Teen Who Set Mother on Fire”
The Daily Journal, 17 August, 2016 – “Local Murder Case”
St. Joseph News-Press, 14 October, 2021 – “Missouri Supreme Court”
The Kansas City Star, 19 November, 2021 – “2 More Jurors”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9 February, 2022 – “Missouri Man Convicted”
Columbia Daily Tribune, 10 February, 2022 – “Man Convicted”
The Des Moines Register, 5 March, 2022 – “Released on Parole”
St. Joseph News-Press, 23 April, 2022 – “Man Imprisoned”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 24 April, 2022 – “Michael Politte Leaves Prison”
Columbia Daily Tribune, 18 May, 2022 – “Prosecutor Seeks to Vacate”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 May, 2022 – “Second Prosecutor”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 23 April, 2025 – “Juror Leads Rally”
CBS – 12 KWCH, 14 April, 2022 – “Team of Lawyers”
48 Hours – The Case Against Michael Politte
