BONNE TERRE, Mo. — A man from Missouri, Lance Shockley, who consistently proclaimed his innocence, was executed for the shooting death of a state trooper over two decades ago. Shockley, aged 48, was declared dead at 6:13 p.m. following a lethal injection at a state prison in Bonne Terre.
Shockley was convicted in a notorious case in which prosecutors accused him of ambushing Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. outside the trooper's home in March 2005. The case against him hinged on circumstantial evidence, with claims that Shockley had waited hours for Graham and used both a rifle and a shotgun in the attack.
On the same day as Shockley's execution, another man, Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was executed in Florida for the 1996 murders of two women.
In his final moments, Shockley visited with his daughters and a friend. His last meal comprised peanut butter, oatmeal, water, and sports drinks. He expressed a parting message in a written statement, conveying a sense of hope and reunion with his loved ones beyond death.
The execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed last-minute appeals, and Missouri’s Governor Mike Kehoe denied a clemency request. Kehoe emphasized the state's commitment to protecting law enforcement following the execution.
Legal representatives for Shockley sought DNA testing of crucial evidence, arguing that it could potentially exonerate him; however, their efforts were unsuccessful. The prosecution contended that the DNA test results would not undermine the conviction, with the case exhibiting significant inconsistencies and lacking direct evidence tying Shockley to the crime.
Shockley is the first individual executed in Missouri in 2023. The last execution in the state occurred in December 2024, and there are currently no further executions scheduled.
