Authorities in Scott County, Missouri, are continuing an investigation into the 1992 death of 19-year-old Mischelle Lawless. Lawless was discovered bludgeoned and shot in her vehicle on November 8, 1992. While Joshua Kezer was convicted of the murder in 1994 and sentenced to 60 years in prison, he was declared innocent and released in 2009 after a judge determined the original prosecution was based on unreliable testimony and inaccurate evidence.
The initial investigation led by former Sheriff Bill Ferrell focused on Kezer after jailhouse informants claimed he confessed and an eyewitness, Mark Abbott, identified him near the scene. However, an independent review initiated in 2005 by Sheriff Rick Walter revealed that three informants later admitted to lying in exchange for legal deals. Furthermore, evidence presented as blood on Kezer's jacket and in a car was later determined through testing not to be blood.
A key witness, Chantelle Crider, who originally testified she saw Kezer arguing with Lawless at a party, later recanted her testimony. Crider stated she had been pressured by Sheriff Ferrell to provide the identification to link Kezer to the victim. Additionally, other attendees of the party provided sworn statements that Kezer was not present, information that Walter said did not reach the defense during the original trial.
In February 2009, Judge Richard Callahan vacated Kezer's conviction, stating that the justice system had made a significant error. Callahan, who later became a U.S. Attorney, found Kezer to be innocent rather than simply ordering a new trial. Following his release, Kezer thanked Sheriff Walter for reopening the case. Former Sheriff Ferrell and former prosecutor Kenneth Hulshof declined to be interviewed by "48 Hours," though Hulshof has publicly maintained his belief in Kezer's guilt.
The scale of the investigation involves at least six or seven individuals currently considered "people of suspicion" by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office. Among those noted in the report is Mark Abbott, the man who originally reported finding the body. Sheriff Walter cited inconsistencies in Abbott's account of the scene and noted that Abbott and his identical twin brother, Matt, had subsequent federal drug convictions in 1997. The sheriff is investigating theories that Lawless may have had information regarding drug activities, providing a potential motive for her death.
For the family of Mischelle Lawless, the overturning of Kezer's conviction means the case remains unsolved more than three decades after the crime. The day-to-day reality for the community involves an active, ongoing homicide investigation where the original suspects—including the victim’s boyfriend, Leon Lamb, and the Abbott brothers—remain under scrutiny. Sheriff Walter stated his determination to continue the search for the killer, while Kezer continues to live as a free man after nearly two decades of state custody. No specific dates for new charges or court proceedings have been reported.