Missouri Supreme Court Sets Execution Date for Man Convicted in 2005 Trooper Killing
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Supreme Court has scheduled the execution of Lance Shockley, who was convicted of murdering a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper two decades ago.
Shockley is set to be executed on October 14, according to an order issued by the court.
In 2009, a jury found Shockley guilty of first-degree murder in the 2005 shooting death of Sgt. Dewayne Graham, who was gunned down outside his home in Carter County.
Investigators determined that Shockley killed Sgt. Graham to prevent him from completing an investigation into Shockley’s involvement in an earlier fatal crash. At the time, Graham was looking into potential charges of involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident. The crash initially appeared to have involved only one person—believed to be the driver—who was killed.
Since his conviction, Shockley has filed numerous appeals, all of which have been denied. His initial execution date was scheduled in 2014, but legal proceedings delayed enforcement of the sentence.
With the date now set, Shockley faces execution more than 20 years after the murder.