Support Lance Shockley
in his fight for clemency.
Lance Shockley
is a father to two loving adult daughters, who visit and call him regularly. He is deeply committed to his faith, family, and community. He is a faith leader, counselor, and a peacekeeper – a man trusted by those around him to de-escalate tense situations and to be an example of moral justness. Lance Shockley is also a man on death row in Missouri’s Potosi Correctional Center (PCC), and he’s fighting for justice. Lance was convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Sergeant Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. with circumstantial evidence that was riddled with inconsistencies.
Sergeant Graham’s murder was a terrible tragedy and devastating loss for his family, his community, and the state of Missouri. He was a beloved public servant who dedicated his life to the line of duty for many years. Lance’s heart goes out to every member of Sergeant Graham’s family. He prays that they find some measure of comfort as they continue to face the life-altering loss they have suffered and continue to endure daily.
Lance has said from the beginning that he is not responsible for Sergeant Graham’s death. His conviction and subsequent appeals have raised significant concerns regarding the integrity of the trial process and the effectiveness of his legal representation. Today, Lance needs your help in this fight for his life. He faces an execution date of October 14, 2025.
Photo: Lance with his family. Left to right, daughter Morgan, Lance, daughter Summer, and son-in-law Michael.
Issues with the Case, Conviction, and Sentencing
At a recent court hearing, the State continues to concede the case against Lance was circumstantial. Of the limited circumstantial evidence against Lance, all of it is rife with conflicting facts from many witnesses including both the crime’s timeline and forensics. Even though questions still linger about his guilt, Lance was convicted and sentenced to die. Lance has told everyone, since day one, that he was not the killer and he continues to maintain his innocence, urging his legal team to pursue further DNA testing on key pieces of evidence in the hopes of exoneration.
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A Problematic Investigation
The victim was a police officer, which added emotional weight and may have biased the investigation from the beginning.
Of the 500 investigative leads, 132 identified multiple other alternative suspects with both motive and opportunity. These leads were overlooked and went uninvestigated by law enforcement.
Witnesses say police pressured them to change their statements to match a pre-set timeline.
The investigation was widely criticized for its narrow focus on Shockley instead of following all the evidence.
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Inadequacies in Legal Representation
After a jail guard claimed he overheard a “confession,” Shockley’s public defenders stepped aside—stripping him of continuous, consistent counsel.
The private lawyer who took over never ran his own investigation or hired the experts a capital case demands, leaving the defense threadbare.
No mitigation specialist was brought in, so jurors learned almost nothing about Shockley’s life story before voting on his fate.
The defense failed to push back on flawed forensic evidence and missed key chances to bring in their own experts.
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No Physical Evidence
There is no direct evidence tying Lance to the scene: no blood or body fluids, no fingerprints, no hair, no DNA, no weapon, and no eyewitnesses.
Prosecutors leaned on the so-called “Theory of Identification,” a method widely criticized as unscientific.
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Bad Ballistics
Even the state’s own firearms examiner later recanted his testimony about where the bullets came from—yet the defense never fielded an expert to challenge the forensic evidence.
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Juror Misconduct
A juror wrote a fictional autobiography of a man slighted by the justice system who used vigilante justice to avenge his wife’s death.
During Lance’s trial, the juror handed the book out to other members of the jury and the bailiff. A copy even made it to the judge’s desk.
The juror was removed from the penalty phase of Lance’s case, but the prejudicial damage was already done.
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Problems with Sentencing
In the penalty phase, the jury could not decide on death. When that happens in Missouri, instead of an automatic life without parole sentence, the decision goes to the judge.
Missouri is only one of two states to do this. This practice takes the decision out of the hands of the jury and subverts the will of the people.
The judge sentenced Lance to death.
Lance Shockley Today
Today, Lance is the President* of the Restorative Justice Organization at Potosi Correctional Center (PCC). He was also hand-picked by Deputy Warden Francis for the inagural class of the Inmate Peer Support (IPS) program. Through this program, Lance provides counseling to other inmates in crisis and supports others in the prison’s special needs housing through religious counseling and intervention services.
From 2020 through 2024, Lance served as the designated Christian Representative for the group Christians at Potosi. As the voice for the entire Christian community at PCC, he coordinated with the Partners in Correction (PIC) to speak on behalf of all the Christians in the population. He also gave sermons, planned events like baptisms and banquets, and invited new members to the congregation.
Lance is also a graduate of the first Kairos Prison Ministry International retreat in 2010 at Potosi. Kairos is a non-denominational faith-based program designed to encourage community, faith, and pro-social behavior. The program now happens annually at PCC and other institutions throughout the state. Lance was selected to give the commencement speech at the end of last year’s program.
Lance keeps close ties to home in Carter County. Many in the community still have questions about his guilt, and his friends and family pray that he will not be executed.
*The harsh reality is that with an October 14, 2025 execution date set for Lance, the Restorative Justice Organization will be forced to choose a new President. At the time of publication, Lance retained his title and duties as President of the organization.
Clemency Makes Sense
Lance’s plausible innocence claim, along with juror misconduct, and a jury that couldn’t decide on death, makes Lance’s case prime for clemency. There is no physical evidence tying Lance to the crime. The many viable alternative suspects and unchecked official corruption at the time of crime muddied the investigation.
This uncertainty presents the Governor with the opportunity to save a potentially innocent man, honor the jury’s original decision, and respect Missourians belief in the right to life.
Photo: Archbishop Rivituso with Lance Shockley
Among the mission and values extolled by the Missouri Department of Corrections (MODOC) is the belief in the ability of people within the community to change, become productive and succeed both inside and ultimately outside of their institutions. PCC has been “home” for Lance Shockley for more than 16 years, and each day he partners with members throughout the PCC community to define what it means to embody restorative justice for himself and the community. We ask for clemency for Lance not just as a man innocent of the crime he’s charged to die for, but as a man who stands as an example of the power of restorative justice, deep faith, and giving back to community through Christian brotherhood.
Photo: Lance and his family in a prayer circle. Photo credit: Warden Cofer, PCC.
