Lance Shockley is scheduled to be executed by the state of Missouri on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, for the 2005 murder of Missouri State Trooper James Bonham. Governor Nicole Kehoe denied Shockley’s request for clemency, marking the first execution authorized during her tenure.
The case, originating from a traffic stop gone awry, has drawn renewed attention to Missouri’s death penalty and the debate surrounding capital punishment. Shockley fatally shot Trooper Bonham during a roadside encounter on July 28, 2005, near St. Louis. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 2006. The denial of clemency means Shockley will be put to death by lethal injection at the Potosi Correctional Center.
According to court documents, Shockley flagged down Trooper Bonham, claiming his vehicle had broken down. When Bonham arrived, Shockley produced a handgun and opened fire, fatally wounding the trooper. He then stole Bonham’s patrol car and fled the scene, leading to a multi-state manhunt before his eventual capture.
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