W W W. S E M I S S O U R I A N . CO M
ESTABLISHED 1904, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. $1.00 SPORTS / 1B
WEDNESDAY
Crusaders beat Oran Saxony scores 4 runs in 4th, 5th innings to secure win
APRIL 18, 2018
N AT I O N / 7 A
BUSH DIES The former first lady died Tuesday at age of 92
Potential Greitens impeachment would face legal ambiguities Alleged misconduct took place before he was elected governor
A complicated unsolved murder has more questions now than ever.
BY DAVID A. LIEB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A SPECIAL REPORT
BY MARK BLISS AND BOB MILLER
SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN
F
ormer Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter believes he solved Mischelle Lawless’ murder,
PURSUIT OF PROOF
and had enough evidence to prove it. DNA tests
proved, he said, that one of the suspects was lying about
THE MISCHELLE L AW L E S S M U R D E R
his version of events on Nov. 8, 1992, the night Lawless was found bludgeoned and shot to death in her car at the Benton exit on Interstate 55. Crime reconstruction
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers considering whether to impeach Republican Gov. Eric GreInside itens may first have Attorney to wrestle general with an announces unprecGov. Greitens e d e n t e d could face question: charge for Does it charity donor matter the list, Page 3A. a l l e g e d actions occurred before he was in office? There is no definitive answer to that question because only one Missouri executive official has ever
J.B. FORBES St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, file
Gov. Eric Greitens speaks at a news conference April 11 in Jefferson City, Missouri, about allegations related to an extramarital affair with his hairdresser. been ousted from office following impeachment See GREITENS, Page 5A
experts, Walter said, corroborated his theory of how the crime transpired. A witness rescinded a suspect’s alibi. Another witness picked a suspect out of a lineup that put him at the murder scene. Before leaving office, after losing an election to current Sheriff Wes Drury, Walter said he filed two probable-cause affidavits with the county prosecutor. But no charges followed against the two suspects named by Walter and his chief investigator. Prosecutor Paul Boyd decided not to have a judge decide, in a public preliminary hearing, whether there was probable cause to proceed with a trial. Instead, Boyd opted to go with a grand jury, whose proceedings are kept secret. In 2017, a grand jury was convened to hear 15 hours of testimony over a twomonth period, Boyd said. The grand jury did not come back with an indictment, meaning the panel did not believe enough evidence existed to proceed with charges and a trial. But the Southeast Missourian has learned that at least
three key witnesses, and likely a fourth, were not called to testify before the grand jury. The witnesses who the Southeast Missourian has learned were not called are: A DNA expert, who could explain the technology and reliability of touch DNA. A crime reconstruction expert, who, Walter said, could have explained techniques used to re-enact the crime scene to show that suspect Mark Abbott was lying about his physical interaction with Lawless’ body that night. The ex-wife of another suspect, who now says that her then-husband, Kevin Williams,
PART I: Method of calling grand jury and not presenting key witnesses questioned INSIDE: 9 Reasons why investigators and prosecutors originally convicted the wrong man. ONLINE: Find a timeline of the murder at www.semissourian.com/lawless Part II: New evidence emerges against witnesses (coming Thursday) Part III: Sources say former Sheriff Bill Ferrell was friends with one of the suspects (coming Friday)
See LAWLESS, Page 4A
Inside: Law enforcement at odds Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd (left) and former sheriff Rick Walter (right) tell different stories about how and why the case went before a grand jury. Boyd says Walter understood the reasons for going to a grand jury. Walter said Boyd had promised to take the case to a grand jury for two years without doing so, and couldn’t trust Boyd to convene the jury, so he decided to file probable-cause affidavits before he left office.
New principal named at Cape Central High BY MARYBETH NIEDERKORN
SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN Cape Girardeau Central High School has named its next principal: Nancy Scheller, effective July 1. Scheller is director of Central Academy, formerly the Alternative Education Center, and, according to a district news release, has proved herself to be an extraordinary school leader. Scheller was formerly assistant principal at Central High School, the release stated. “It was a difficult decision leaving such great staff and students at Central Academy, but I know that Dr. Small will continue in the positive direction we are heading. I am looking forward to joining the CHS team again and continuing to make CHS an excellent place to educate our students,” said Scheller in the release, referring to Stephanie Small, an assistant principal at Central High School, who will step into the director role at Central Academy effective July 1. According to the district release, Small “quickly established herself as a
student-centered, dynamic leader,” and brings to the table 29 years of experience in education. Small’s LinkedIn profile lists her start date with CHS as July 2017. “I will truly miss the students and staff at Cape Central High School and am humbled, honored, and excited to continue my life’s passion as the Director of Central Academy for the 2018-2019 school year,” Small said in the release. “With the support of our Central Office team, I promise that I will do my very best to empower teachers in order to collectively meet the needs of the students and families we serve.” Superintendent Neil Glass said in the release, “We are looking forward the 2018-19 school year and watching the impact these two administrators will have with our students, staff, and families.” Central High School principal Chris Kase resigned effective June 30, according to district spokesperson Dana Saverino. mniederkorn@semissourian.com (573) 388-3630
FE AT U R E D O P P O R T U N I T Y
DISHWASHER AND LAUNDRY ATTENDANTS The Lutheran Home is seeking committed team members to serve seniors with quality and compassionate care. Find more in its ad on Page 1C. Contact Recruitment Marketing Specialist Katelyn Fritz at kfritz@semissourian.com · 573.388.2762
Work smarter. More jobs on page 1C
INDEX Classified...................... 1C Crossword ................... 4B
Daily Record ...............6A Dear Abby ................ 14A
Obituaries............6A, 7A Opinion ........................8A
Volume 114 • Issue 165
Sports............................ 1B TV listings ................. 14A Copyright © 2018 Rust Communications