Murder of Laurie Show

Lambert initially began harassing Show in 1991, after learning that Show had briefly dated Yunkin over the summer. Lambert and Yunkin had a previous relationship, but had reportedly not been dating during the time Yunkin was dating Show. Show and Yunkin had gone on a few dates, with Show reporting to her mother that Yunkin had date raped her.[3] Shortly after his final date with Show, Yunkin resumed dating Lambert, who was pregnant with his child. Reported to be "obsessively jealous" of Show, Lambert proceeded to harass Show in various ways, such as appearing at Show's job and verbally assaulting her. Tabitha Buck herself had a handful of altercations with Laurie Show. Buck, while at a mall, saw Laurie, ran up to her and began punching her repeatedly. Another attack on Laurie occurred at their high school and another at a ball, when Miss Buck jumped out of a moving vehicle and ran towards Laurie Show, intending to fight her. Lambert was very upset that Laurie was now dating her ex-boyfriend and that Laurie was spreading rumors about Buck, Lamberts friend, being gay. Tabitha Buck was also the one individual out of the three (Lambert, Yunkin, Buck) who knew what time the school bus came, what classes Laurie had, who Laurie's guidance counselor was, how long it would take Laurie's mother to leave their home to get to the high school. Tabitha Buck was also the only one who had the opportunity to get Laurie's new phone number out of the emergency contact sheet at their high school.[4] Witnesses reported that Lambert had expressed an intent to "scare Laurie, then hurt her, then slit her throat".[5]

On December 20, 1991, Laurie Show was discovered, fatally wounded, in her home by her mother. Police later recorded that Show had received "a five-inch gash to the throat; a stab wound that punctured a lung and another that grazed her spine; several wounds to the head; and a number of defensive wounds". An autopsy showed that Show's left common carotid artery had been severed. [6] Hazel Show was not at home at the time of the attack, having been duped by the killers into going to the high school to speak to a guidance counselor.[7] Show's mother reported to the police that her daughter had named Lambert as her killer, saying, "Michelle did it". Shortly after, Show bled to death. [8]

Police arrested Lisa Michelle Lambert, Lawrence Yunkin, and Tabitha Buck at a local bowling alley later that day for the murder of Show. While in custody, the police took notice of Buck's many fresh scratch marks on her face and shoulders, as well as a few wounds on Yunkin. For such a violent crime against Laurie Show, all three suspects should've had defensive wounds but Lisa Lambert had none. [9] Initial statements from the three claimed that Yunkin had dropped Lambert and Buck off at Show's house, where the two girls murdered Show. Yunkin stated that he had not participated in the murder, and that, while he was aware that Lambert and Buck planned to cut Show's hair with the knife as a prank, he did provide them with an alibi, as well as helping to dispose of evidence.[10] Lambert and Buck would later recant their initial statements, with Lambert claiming that an abusive Yunkin had encouraged her to harass and assault Show.[6] A few weeks after the crime, an earring back was found in the room of Laurie Show , which was found to belong to Lawrence Yunkin. This evidence was turned over the police and later lost. When Tabitha Buck was arrested, the officers found items in her purse that seemed to be new. They cataloged it and asked Laurie Show's mother if she had noticed anything missing from the apartment. After looking around, Laurie's mother found that Laurie's powder compact and mascara were gone. Tabitha Buck stole them after the murder had taken place.

Lambert, Buck, and Yunkin were each tried for the murder of Laurie Show. Yunkin agreed to testify against Lambert, stating that she and Buck had slit Show's throat after the two had punctured one of Show's lungs.[11] A pair of sweatpants Lambert had worn during the crime were entered into evidence by the prosecution, as Show's blood was present on them.[12] Another exhibit was a letter from Lambert to Yunkin, in which Lambert states, "I know I'm not an angel, but Lawrence, I never got mad enough to kill."[11]

Lambert appealed the 1992 conviction, and in 1997, appeared in court for a federal habeas corpus hearing.[12] U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell presided over the trial. Lambert's lawyers claimed several inconsistencies with the evidence and testimony given in the earlier trial and that Lambert was innocent. Lambert claimed she had been framed by Lancaster police officers to keep her from coming forward with charges that they had gang-raped her.[17]

Among the evidence provided at the hearing were the sweatpants entered into the 1992 proceeding, which were found to belong to Lawrence Yunkin and a size XXL. Lisa Michelle Lambert's clothing during the crime contained no traces of blood and no evidence that she was involved in the murder. Another key evidence point is the correspondence between Yunkin and Lambert where Yunkin admits in his handwriting that he and Tabitha Buck killed Laurie Show and asked Lambert to take the blame for him, claiming Lambert will get less prison time because she's female. While on the stand, the police and prosecutors consistently contradicted themselves and their story. One police officer claimed he never found a pink trash bag, allegedly including Lawrence Yunkin's bloody socks and high-top sneakers. Later, a video tape of this officer finding the pink trash bag with the evidence was shown on the stand. Another key point is that Laurie's mother, Hazel Show, told the judge on April 16, 1997, while in chambers, that she had seen Lawrence Yunkin at the crime scene on the morning of the murder and informed the police and the prosecutor multiple times, who told her not to worry about it. They also informed Miss Show not to worry about her neighbor's statement because, as they stated, she seemed a little off and crazy and wouldn't be a reliable witness for the state. The neighbor's statement that she had seen Lawrence Yunkin and his car fleeing the crime scene was withheld from Lambert's original trial lawyers. On April 16, 1997, Judge Dalzell released Lisa Michelle Lambert into the custody of her attorneys while her hearing took place. Lisa Michelle Lambert's conviction was overturned and she was found innocent on all counts on April 21, 1997, with Judge Dalzell citing that "prosecutorial misconduct" had resulted in an incorrect ruling.[6] Dalzell also barred the state of Pennsylvania from re-trying Lambert.[12] Dalzell's ruling was later overturned in January 1998 by a federal appeals panel that stated that Lambert had "not yet exhausted her appeals in state court" and Lambert was taken back to prison.[18]

After Dalzell's ruling was overturned, the federal court system debated whether to keep Lambert in jail or to uphold Dalzell's verdict.[19] Lambert filed an appeal for a hearing over the second overturning of the verdict, but was denied.[20] In February 1998, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court returned the case to the Lancaster County Court system, stating that Lambert "must first take up her claims [there]".[21] The third trial took place in May 1998, with a federal appeals court agreed to temporarily free Lambert under the belief that she would win her case. The attorney general then filed a petition to stop Lambert's temporary release.[22] The Third Circuit Court then agreed to release Lambert on a $1,000,000 bond, which was again stopped by the attorney general. Judge Lawrence F. Stengel, who was Lambert's trial judge in 1992, oversaw the trial. Judge Stengel appointed himself as chief fact finder of the hearing and did not allow all the evidence from the 1997 hearing in Judge Dalzell’s court room to come in during this hearing. Judge Lawrence Stengel did not allow Lambert's attorneys to cross examine various state witnesses as hostile, even they had been exposed for lying on the state and admitted to doing so on the stand. While Lisa Lambert attorneys were cross examining one of the main investigating officers, they pled the Fifth Amendment 57 times. While Lisa Lambert's hearing was taking place, this officer was also involved in another court proceeding. He had been accused of child molestation and eventually was sentenced to prison, judge Lawrence Stengel considered this man a credible witness. Various witnesses were called to testify against Lambert, including the detective that had overseen the 1991 murder case as well as Lambert's accomplices, Buck and Yunkin. The detective’s testimony denied allegations that evidence had been tampered with.[23]

Lambert now testified that Yunkin had participated in the murders, choking Show. She also stated that she had attempted to help defend Show against the other two assailants and that she had tried to pull the victim out of the apartment.[24] Evidence from the 1997 re-trial was presented again. The defense argued that Lambert had not participated in the act, that she had been sent out of the room by Yunkin, and that Lambert had unquestioningly obeyed Yunkin’s orders due to battered woman syndrome.[24] A previous boyfriend of Lambert's confirmed that he had witnessed Yunkin "yank [Lambert] into a room", at which point Yunkin began yelling at her.[25] He also testified that he had seen a police officer, who matched one of the descriptions Lambert gave of her alleged rapists, give her a "threatening glare" at a local festival.[25]

Lambert's lawyers presented correspondence between Lambert and Yunkin that they claimed proved that Lambert had not been involved in the murder and that Yunkin had asked her to lie for him.[26] They also questioned whether or not Show would have been able to speak to her mother before her death, as her throat had been cut, and alleged that Show had written out the initials of her murderers, Buck and Yunkin.[26]

Buck denied these claims, testifying that Lambert had actively participated in the murder, and that she had instructed Buck to "wear her hair up and not to wear make-up or fingernail polish".[6][27] Yunkin was later brought to the stand, and the sweatpants that had been alleged to be his in the 1997 trial were produced. Yunkin was ordered to hold the sweatpants up against his body, which were shown to be too short for him, as well as being made of a different fabric from the garment entered into evidence in the 1992 trial.[28] A relative of Yunkin provided a poem written by Lambert in jail that described the murder. Crime scene experts also testified that no evidence of Show writing any initials in her blood was found and that other evidence discovered at the crime scene did not corroborate Lambert's story.[6]

In August 1998, Judge Stengel announced his verdict, stating he would uphold the original guilty verdict against Lambert, and that "even if he believed [her] story ... [she] would still be guilty of first-degree murder as an accomplice".[29] Federal Judge Anita Brody later upheld this verdict. Lambert attempted to appeal the 1998 decision in 2003 and to bring the case to the Supreme Court of the United States, but was rejected both times.[6][30] She exhausted her appeals in 2005.

An hour-long special episode of 20/20 was aired in February 1999, featuring interviews with several former classmates who said that Lambert had made death threats against Show, as well as presenting evidence that one of the officers who allegedly raped Lambert was on a honeymoon during the time the alleged rape occurred.[35] The murder was also featured on a season 8 episode of American Justice, titled "A Teenage Murder Mystery".[36]

In 2000, the murder was adapted into a TV film entitled The Stalking of Laurie Show (also known by the title Rivals outside of the US). The film was directed by Norma Bailey and starred Jennifer Finnigan as Laurie Show. Critical assessment of the film was poor, with one journalist commenting that the film's depiction of both Laurie Show and Lambert distorted the true story.[37]

In 2001, writer and journalist Lyn Riddle wrote Overkill, a true-crime book about Show's murder and the resulting trials of Lambert and her accomplices.[38]