CBS 48 Hours: Where is Michael Politte now?

In 1998, Michael Politte was only 14 years old when his mother was beaten and set on fire inside the same house that he was sleeping in with a friend.

He was convicted of Rita Politte's murder in 2002 and five years later, a new defense team took his case and alleged that he was wrongfully convicted. Michael served 23 years behind bars and was released on parole under a new law in April 2022.

Michael's defense is picking apart the case and is looking for fresh leads and evidence to have his conviction reversed and name cleared. He is currently embroiled in a legal struggle to clear his name, while also spending time with his two sisters, making up for lost time. However, his exact whereabouts remain uncertain at the moment.

CBS 48 Hours is scheduled to revisit the decades-old case and conviction of Michael Politte while also following up on the recent developments the case saw. The episode, titled The Case Against Michael Politte, airs on the channel on Saturday, November 26 at 10 pm ET.

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Michael Politte was released from prison after serving 23 years for the 1998 murder of his mother

Michael Politte, 38, was released from jail in April 2022 after serving almost 23 years in prison for the murder of his mother, which he claims he did not commit. Two months after being given parole, Politte was discharged from the Jefferson City Correctional Center. However, the challenge of vacating his conviction still looms around his life.

On December 5, 1998, Michael's mother Rita Politte was murdered at their family home in Hopewell, Missouri. She was brutally beaten up and set on fire. Michael, who was 14 at the time, and a friend were also at home sleeping and woke up in a smoke-filled room. That's when they found the burning body of his mother and although they tried to extinguish the fire, Rita was dead by then.

While investigating the crime scene, authorities discovered that 40-year-old Rita, had sustained blunt force head trauma. Additionally, there was blood on the wall, which suggested a struggle. They also concluded that an accelerant was used to set the fire.

Michael was immediately put under suspicion after he failed a voice stress test. They found a trace of accelerant on his shoes. He was arrested two days later and went to trial when he was 17 in 2002.

A jury found him guilty of second-degree murder after his defense failed to prove that the gasoline found on his shoes was not relevant to the case. It was also alleged that he confessed to the crime during his time at the juvenile detention center, but Michael refuted the claim. He was sentenced to life in prison and has maintained his innocence.

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Currently out on parole, Michael Politte and his defense are working on proving his innocence in the case

Five years later, his new defense attorneys picked apart the case, uncovering fresh information that may help in reversing his conviction and proving that he was wrongfully convicted during his trial. They also believe that at the time of the incident, authorities failed to look into other potential suspects.

Eventually, in 2021, an unexpected bill was passed in Missouri, granting juvenile offenders who were convicted of major offenses a second chance. The new law allowed for Michael's parole release in April 2022. Michael Politte believes that they will get justice for his mother and is actively working on the case with his defense team.

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48 Hours airs on Saturday, November 26, 2022, at 10 pm ET on CBS.