Missouri Executes Man for 2005 Killing of State Trooper, First Execution of 2025

A man from Missouri convicted of the 2005 murder of a state trooper was executed on Tuesday, marking the state’s first execution of the year. Lance Shockley, 48, died by lethal injection shortly after 6 p.m. at the Bonne Terre state prison.

Shockley maintained his innocence throughout the lengthy legal process. He had been convicted of fatally shooting Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. in March 2005. Prosecutors argued that Shockley waited for hours near Graham’s home in Van Buren before ambushing him. They claimed that after shooting Graham with a rifle, Shockley fired a shotgun at him as the trooper exited his patrol vehicle.

Final Moments in the Death Chamber

During the execution, Shockley was positioned with his head elevated on a pillow. He looked towards family members in the witness room, engaging briefly with a woman who appeared to communicate with him through the soundproof glass. After about 90 seconds of interaction, Shockley reclined his head back and seemed to cease speaking.

On the morning of his execution, Shockley’s final visitors included his two daughters and a close friend. His last meal was reported to consist of three packs of oatmeal, peanut butter, water, and two sports drinks, a standard selection for a prisoner on death row.

Shockley’s Last Words

In a poignant final statement, Shockley referenced a passage from the Book of John, saying, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” His appeals for clemency and a new trial had all been denied, with the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting his final requests just hours before the execution.

On the day prior, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe declined to grant clemency, affirming the state’s commitment to law enforcement personnel. “Violence against those who risk their lives every day to protect our communities will never be tolerated. Missouri stands firmly with our men and women in uniform,” Kehoe stated in a press release.

The Legal Battle

Shockley faced a lengthy legal battle following his conviction in March 2009, where he was sentenced to death two months later. Prosecutors alleged that he killed Sgt. Graham due to the trooper’s investigation into Shockley for involuntary manslaughter. This investigation stemmed from Shockley leaving the scene of a deadly accident that claimed the life of his best friend.

Jeremy Weis, one of Shockley’s attorneys, argued that prosecutors lacked direct evidence linking his client to the crime. “The state’s case remained circumstantial,” Weis remarked last week while discussing the case at the University of Missouri School of Law. He emphasized that the murder weapons were never discovered, and there were inconsistencies among the ballistics experts engaged by the prosecution.

Contentions on Evidence and Location

Defense witnesses indicated that Shockley was approximately 14 miles away from Graham’s home at the time prosecutors claimed he was waiting for the trooper. They argued that this raised significant doubts about the prosecution’s timeline. However, prosecutors countered that Shockley had inquired about Graham’s residence prior to the shooting and attempted to dispose of a box of .243-caliber ammunition around the time of the incident, according to court documents.

Missouri’s Execution Record

Shockley represents the first execution carried out in Missouri in 2025, and currently, there are no additional executions scheduled for the remainder of the year. The last execution in the state was on December 3, 2024, when Christopher Collings was executed for the sexual assault and murder of a nine-year-old girl.

On the same day as Shockley’s execution, Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was also put to death by lethal injection in Florida. Smithers was convicted of killing two women whose bodies were discovered in a pond in 1996. This event extended Florida’s record number of executions for the year to an unprecedented 14.

This report includes contributions from the Associated Press.