Lisa Michelle Lambert

Case record: Lisa Michelle Lambert

Other details

Lisa Michelle Lambert was a defendant in the killing of 15-year-old Laurie Show. The case involved Lambert, Lambert’s friend Tabitha Buck, and Lambert’s boyfriend Lawrence “Butch” Yunkin. Lambert was described as jealous after Yunkin allegedly raped Show, and she thereafter harassed and stalked Show, often with friends’ assistance.

Lambert’s trial and later proceedings described a teenage love triangle involving Lambert, Show, and Yunkin. The federal proceedings described disputes about events and allegations, including allegations of abuse, mishandled evidence, and courtroom bias. Lambert’s account and other accounts conflicted on who attacked Show and how the killing occurred.

Lambert was incarcerated at Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Framingham, Framingham, Massachusetts, serving life without parole for first degree murder of 15 year old Laurie Show.

Timeline

• December 20, 1991 — Laurie Show was murdered in her home by Lambert and Lambert’s friend Tabitha Buck; Show’s mother found her.
• July 20, 1992 — Lambert was convicted for the December 19th, 1991 stalking and brutal stabbing murder.
• 1992 — Lambert filed post verdict motions claiming that her conviction was “against the weight of the evidence.”
• 1994 — Lambert’s defense relied on physical findings at the crime scene, the testimony at trial of the defendant, the trial testimony of Hazel Show, the history of ill will between defendant and the victim, and the circumstantial evidence developed at trial, leading to the conclusion that defendant was guilty of the murder of Laurie Show.
• 1996 — Lambert filed a lawsuit claiming that prison guard James Eicher had attacked her six times during 1994, and that another official had fondled her; she also claimed she was videotaped during a strip search.
• 1996 — Eicher was convicted of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to two years in prison.
• 1997 — Lambert was freed briefly when a federal district judge ruled that Lambert was “actually innocent.”
• 1997 — A Federal Appeals court overturned the ruling and Lambert was returned to prison, finding Lambert brought her case to the Federal Courts prematurely without exhausting her opportunities for appeal in Pennsylvania.
• 1997 — Lisa Lambert’s appeal — DENIED.
• 1998 — Conviction upheld; Lambert’s claim that she was framed by prosecutors rejected.
• 1998 — Request for release during appeal — DENIED.
• 2000 — Pennsylvania Superior Court upheld the PCRA court’s holding.
• 2003 — Eight Law Enforcement Officers cleared of misconduct in Lambert’s case.
• 2004 — Lawrence Yunkin served 12 years and was released in 2004.
• 2005 — Appeal to the Supreme Court; Supreme Court refused to hear her case.
• 2005 — Lambert exhausted all of her appeals and would continue to serve her life sentence.
• 2007 — A Lancaster County judge determined a civil lawsuit filed by State Correctional Institution-Cambridge Springs inmate Lisa Michelle Lambert against administrators at the facility for allegedly failing to prevent her from being sexually abused by employees was scheduled to be heard by a jury.
• 2007 — The state of Pennsylvania decided to settle a lawsuit brought by convicted killer Lisa Michelle Lambert, who claimed she was sexually assaulted by guards at the Cambridge Springs State Correctional Institution; the settlement amount was $35K for court costs, restitution, and any remaining funds for Lambert’s parents who were raising Lambert’s child and Lawrence Yunkin’s daughter.

Background

Victim

Laurie Show was a 16-year-old (and later described as 15-year-old) teenager. Her mother found her after Lambert and Tabitha Buck murdered her in Show’s home.

Show reported allegations about Yunkin to police, and later testimony included Hazel Show’s account of the murder scene and what Laurie said as she died.

Defendant and co-defendants

Lambert’s boyfriend was Lawrence “Butch” Yunkin. Lambert’s friend in the murder was Tabitha Buck.

Allegations and dispute

Lambert initially befriended Show, but after Yunkin allegedly raped Show, Lambert became jealous and enraged, convinced Show was pursuing Yunkin. Lambert began a campaign of harassment and stalking, often with the assistance of friends.

A dispute existed over who killed Laurie Show. Lambert gave changing accounts about the killing and also made claims against local police officers who were investigating the murder. In one account described in the proceedings, Laurie Show said “‘Michelle did it.’” Lambert was described as known by her middle name, Michelle.

The offence

On December 20, 1991, Laurie Show was murdered in her home. The killing involved a brutal stabbing, and her death was described as involving wounds to the throat. Lambert and Tabitha Buck were arrested quickly after the murder.

The record also described stalking activity connected to the murder case:

• Lambert was convicted for the December 19th, 1991 stalking and brutal stabbing murder.

Investigation

Police found evidence at the scene, including clumps of hair on the floor. A medical examiner found multiple injuries, including bruises, cuts caused by stabs from a knife, defensive wounds, and a slashing wound on Show’s throat described as resulting from at least three strokes. The medical examiner’s testimony included an opinion about fatal wounds and the possibility of Show speaking after the attack.

Investigators for the defense stated that it had been brought to their attention by those they’d interviewed that “Lisa Lambert was a serious liar and very good at it.”

The proceedings described that Lambert’s story changed during questioning. In a described statement to police, Lambert admitted it was her idea to go to Show’s apartment and that Buck went alone to knock on Show’s door because Show’s mother knew Lambert; Lambert went into the apartment after hearing someone answer and the door shut, found Buck struggling with Show, and said Buck attacked Show with a knife while Lambert “just stood there” because she was “so scared.” The described account also included that Lambert said she could not look anymore and “I turned away.”

Arrest

Lambert, Yunkin, and Buck were quickly arrested after the murder.

Trial

Lambert and Buck were convicted and sentenced to life without parole. Yunkin pled guilty and testified against Lambert in exchange for a reduced sentence of 20 years, but later developments described that Yunkin’s earlier sentence deal fell through due to perjury. Later, Yunkin was sentenced to 10 to 20 years.

Lambert was convicted on July 20, 1992 for the December 19th, 1991 stalking and brutal stabbing murder. The sentencing described that Lambert received life in prison without parole.

Lambert waived a right to a trial by jury, and a judge found her guilty and sentenced her to life in prison. Tabitha Buck was found guilty in separate proceedings and sentenced to life in prison.

Lancaster County Judge Lawrence Stengel presided over Lambert’s case. The proceedings described that Stengel found Lambert guilty and sentenced her to life in prison, and that Buck was found guilty and also sentenced to life in prison.

Sentencing

Lambert was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Tabitha Buck was convicted of second degree murder and received a life sentence.

Lawrence Yunkin initially received a year in prison under a plea bargain, but the deal fell through because of his perjury and he was sentenced to 10 to 20 years. Yunkin served 12 years and was released in 2004.

Appeals

Lambert pursued post-verdict motions and subsequent appeals.

In 1997, a federal district judge ruled that Lambert was “actually innocent” and freed her briefly. A Federal Appeals court overturned the ruling and returned Lambert to prison, finding that Lambert brought her case to federal courts prematurely without exhausting her opportunities for appeal in Pennsylvania.

Lambert’s appeal was denied in 1997. In 1998, her conviction was upheld and her claim that she was framed by prosecutors was rejected. Her request for release during appeal was denied in 1998.

Lambert’s Post Conviction Relief Act hearing commenced on April 30, 1998; closing arguments occurred eight weeks later on June 24, 1998. The PCRA court denied Lambert relief on November 23, 1998.

On appeal in 2000, the Pennsylvania Superior Court upheld the PCRA court’s holding and did not find the conspiracy Dalzell saw.

The proceedings described that, between 2000 and May 2005, procedural questions remained central, including issues under the PCRA and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.

In 2003, eight law enforcement officers were cleared of misconduct in Lambert’s case.

In 2005, the appeal to the Supreme Court was refused; the Supreme Court refused to hear her case.

Lambert exhausted her appeals by 2005 and would continue to serve her life sentence.

Outcome

Lambert remained incarcerated and continued serving life without parole.

Tabitha Buck remained sentenced to life in prison.

Lawrence Yunkin was released in 2004 after serving 12 years, and later proceedings described ongoing impacts on the involved families and references to probation.

Lambert’s conviction for the murder of Laurie Show remained in force following appeal outcomes described above.

Aftermath

A civil settlement and additional legal proceedings involved Lambert’s claims of sexual abuse by guards at the Cambridge Springs State Correctional Institution. In 2007, Pennsylvania decided to settle Lambert’s lawsuit for $35K.

The proceedings also described that Lambert earned a college degree behind bars, and that she became a mother while incarcerated; her parents obtained custody of her daughter. The record described that Lambert’s parents Leonard and Judy obtained custody of her daughter, and that they divorced in 2009. The record also stated that it was not known where Lambert’s daughter lived.

The record described public statement denials issued by Leonard and Judy Lambert in 1998 denying Michelle’s charges that an unnamed family member had assaulted her, and describing that they said Rainville tried to persuade them that discussing this would help Michelle’s case.

The record described that the case helped lead Pennsylvania to enact anti-stalking laws in Pennsylvania.