BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — The state of Missouri executed Lance Shockley, 48, on Tuesday evening, despite his long-standing claims of innocence in the 2005 shooting death of State Trooper Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. Shockley was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. following a lethal injection administered at the Bonne Terre prison.
Shockley was convicted for the murder of Graham, who prosecutors claimed was ambushed near his home in Van Buren, Missouri. Shockley allegedly used a rifle and a shotgun in the attack after waiting hours for the trooper to exit his patrol vehicle.
On the same day, Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was also executed in Florida for a double homicide committed in 1996. During the lethal injection process, Shockley spoke with family members in the witness room before laying back down and ceasing communication.
In his final meal, Shockley chose items from the prison canteen, including peanut butter and oatmeal. He left a written statement expressing hope to reunite with his loved ones in the afterlife.
The execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his appeals earlier in the day, and Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe denied his clemency request, emphasizing a commitment to ensure that violence against officers is not tolerated.
Legal representatives for Shockley sought DNA testing on evidence from the crime scene, arguing it could prove his innocence. They contended that even the possibility of exoneration warranted further investigation.
Shockley’s case has brought public attention to issues of wrongful convictions and the application of the death penalty. Observers highlighted the lack of direct evidence tying him to the crime and raised concerns about the reliability of the prosecution's case, which was primarily circumstantial.
As Shockley became the first person executed in Missouri in 2025, the debate continues over the integrity of the criminal justice system and the ethical implications of capital punishment.
Shockley was convicted for the murder of Graham, who prosecutors claimed was ambushed near his home in Van Buren, Missouri. Shockley allegedly used a rifle and a shotgun in the attack after waiting hours for the trooper to exit his patrol vehicle.
On the same day, Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was also executed in Florida for a double homicide committed in 1996. During the lethal injection process, Shockley spoke with family members in the witness room before laying back down and ceasing communication.
In his final meal, Shockley chose items from the prison canteen, including peanut butter and oatmeal. He left a written statement expressing hope to reunite with his loved ones in the afterlife.
The execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his appeals earlier in the day, and Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe denied his clemency request, emphasizing a commitment to ensure that violence against officers is not tolerated.
Legal representatives for Shockley sought DNA testing on evidence from the crime scene, arguing it could prove his innocence. They contended that even the possibility of exoneration warranted further investigation.
Shockley’s case has brought public attention to issues of wrongful convictions and the application of the death penalty. Observers highlighted the lack of direct evidence tying him to the crime and raised concerns about the reliability of the prosecution's case, which was primarily circumstantial.
As Shockley became the first person executed in Missouri in 2025, the debate continues over the integrity of the criminal justice system and the ethical implications of capital punishment.
