Murder of Carl Graham Jr.

On the evening of November 26, 2004, Lance Collin Shockley and his sister-in-law's fiancé, Jeffrey Bayless, went for a drive in Bayless's truck, and both men got into an accident near [[Van Buren, Missouri]]. The accident caused the death of Bayless, and Shockley, who survived the crash, fled the scene. The investigations of the car accident was headed by Sergeant Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. of the [[Missouri State Highway Patrol]]; Shockley was named a suspect behind the incident. During investigations, the police recovered beer cans and a tequila bottle inside the truck and a blood smear above the passenger-side wheel well on the outside of the truck.<ref name="State v. Shockley (2013)"/>

On the evening of November 26, 2004, Lance Collin Shockley and his sister-in-law's fiancé, Jeffrey Bayless, went for a drive in Bayless's truck, and both men got into an accident near [[Van Buren, Missouri]]. The accident caused the death of Bayless, and Shockley, who survived the crash, fled the scene. The investigations of the car accident was headed by Sergeant Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. of the [[Missouri State Highway Patrol]]; Shockley was named a suspect behind the incident. During investigations, the police recovered beer cans and a tequila bottle inside the truck and a blood smear above the passenger-side wheel well on the outside of the truck.<ref name="State v. Shockley (2013)"/>

A few months later, on March 20, 2005, just when he returned home from his patrol shift, Sergeant Graham, then a 12-year veteran of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, was shot by an assailant with a rifle; the killer was none other than Shockley himself, who likely perpetuated the shooting to stop the investigation, after Sergeant Graham had identified him as the prime suspect behind the accident and Bayless's death, which had been classified as involuntary manslaughter.<ref name="State v. Shockley (2013)"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Man facing death for murder of Missouri trooper loses appeal |date=July 12, 2017 |work=KY3 |url=https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Man-who-killed-Missouri-trooper-loses-appeal-433906243.html }}</ref>

A few months later, on March 20, 2005, just when he returned home from his patrol shift, Sergeant Graham, then a 12-year veteran of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, was shot by an assailant with a rifle; the killer was none other than Shockley himself, who likely perpetuated the shooting to stop the investigation, after Sergeant Graham had identified him as the prime suspect behind the accident and Bayless's death, which had been classified as involuntary manslaughter.<ref name="State v. Shockley (2013)"/><ref name="KY3">{{cite news |title=Man facing death for murder of Missouri trooper loses appeal |date=July 12, 2017 |work=KY3 |url=https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Man-who-killed-Missouri-trooper-loses-appeal-433906243.html }}</ref>

Autopsy results showed that of all the gunshot wounds found on the victim, one of the bullets was fired from behind Sergeant Graham and severed his spinal cord at the neck. Another two gunshot wounds were inflicted into the face and shoulder. In between the first gunshot and the other two gunshots, Sergeant Graham had fell onto the ground, sustaining fractures to his skull and ribs upon impact with the pavement.<ref name="State v. Shockley (2013)"/>

Autopsy results showed that of all the gunshot wounds found on the victim, one of the bullets was fired from behind Sergeant Graham and severed his spinal cord at the neck. Another two gunshot wounds were inflicted into the face and shoulder. In between the first gunshot and the other two gunshots, Sergeant Graham had fell onto the ground, sustaining fractures to his skull and ribs upon impact with the pavement.<ref name="State v. Shockley (2013)"/>