Governor Mike Kehoe

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 13, 2025

Governor Kehoe Denies Clemency Request of Mr. Lance Shockley

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that clemency will not be granted to Mr. Lance Shockley.

On March 20, 2005, Shockley ambushed and murdered Sergeant Carl DeWayne Graham, Jr., of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. At the time, Sergeant Graham was investigating the manslaughter of Jeffrey Bayless, a passenger killed while riding in a car with Shockley, who was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. Shockley went to Sergeant Graham's home, where he first shot the Trooper from behind with a rifle, severing his spinal cord and paralyzing him. Shockley then delivered fatal shotgun blasts to Graham's face and shoulder. Sergeant Graham's murder left his family and the law enforcement community shocked and grieving.

“The murder of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Carl DeWayne Graham, Jr., who was investigating Lance Shockley's criminal actions at the time, was an attack not only on a dedicated law enforcement officer, but on the rule of law itself,” said Governor Kehoe. “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.”

“Mr. Shockley has received every legal protection afforded to him under the Missouri and United States Constitutions, and his conviction and sentence will remain for his brutal and deliberate crime. The State of Missouri has—and will continue to—pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law. Carrying out Lance Shockley's sentence is evidence of our commitment to the pursuit of justice,” continued the Governor.

Shockley was unanimously convicted of first-degree murder along with three aggravating factors. His case was reviewed and upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court, the federal district court, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. 

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