Light Rain ~ 48°F   River stage: 27.15 Rising Friday, Mar. 12, 2010

Stories since 2002 Blogs Comments Photos Events Classifieds Marketplace Real Estate Everything (Google)

Joshua Kezer Lawless murder case to be subject of '48 Hours Mystery' episode (03/11/10) A murder case more than 17 years old, a man wrongfully convicted of the crime and a sheriff determined to find the real killer are the essence of Saturday's "48 Hours Mystery" hosted by Erin Moriarty. Moriarty and "48 Hours Mystery" producers began pursuing the Angela Mischelle Lawless murder case more than a year ago after Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter, who reopened the case in January 2006, asked the show's producers how he could reach Dutch forensic specialists that were on a previous episode.. ... A year out of prison, Joshua Kezer is steady in his desire to create a better future for himself and in his faith in God (02/17/10) One year after his release from prison, Joshua Kezer, a man wrongfully convicted in a 1992 Scott County murder, admits he has struggles. Mostly, though, he feels blessed to experience daily activities such as paying bills, washing his car and coming home to his own apartment... New federal prosecutor for Eastern District of Missouri begins work this week (02/11/10) With less than two years left of law school, Richard Callahan dropped his daytime classes for a full-time job at the Internal Revenue Service, where he aspired to become a tax lawyer. More than 30 years later, Callahan has become the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. President Barack Obama nominated Callahan in September. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 24, sworn in Jan. 22 and began his first official week on the job Monday... Kezer: Struggles persist for exonerated inmates in Mo. (02/04/10) COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri man who spent nearly 15 years in prison before he was cleared of murder said he and hundreds of other exonerated inmates struggle amid an often unshakable stigma and little help from the states that stole so many years of their lives... New witness found in 1992 Lawless murder (07/26/09) Scott County investigators say they still hope DNA tests will provide a forensic link to the 1992 murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, and the recent discovery of a new witness in the case, one who says he tried to tell his story shortly after the murder occurred, may help further narrow the field of suspects... Joshua Kezer adjusting to life out of prison, reuniting with family (07/13/09) For years, Hadley James said a specific prayer at each family gathering, asking that he would one day get the chance to have all five of his grandchildren together at dinner again. 'My whole world shattered' after '94 conviction, Kezer tells Cape Girardeau crowd (03/15/09) Sixteen years ago today, Joshua C. Kezer was sitting in the office of Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell when he learned he was charged with the murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, a nursing student killed in November 1992. Before his arrest that brought him across state lines to Benton, Mo., Kezer, then 18, had been living in Kankakee, Ill., working at the Kmart there and staying with his father, who sold cars for a living... Freed inmate Joshua Kezer to speak Saturday in Cape Girardeau (03/08/09) Joshua C. Kezer, recently released from prison after a judge exonerated him of the 1992 murder of a Southeast Missouri State University student, will speak Saturday in Cape Girardeau at an event planned by friends in the community. Kezer served more than 14 years in prison in Jefferson City, Mo., for the second-degree murder conviction. ... The worst fears of honest cops (02/24/09) As a retired New Haven, Conn., detective with 27 years of service, I followed with great interest the in-depth investigation by Southeast Missourian reporter Bridget DiCosmo in the case of Joshua Kezer. The utmost fear of an honest cop is the wrongful taking of a life or imprisonment of an innocent person. ... System that convicts also exonerates (02/22/09) In ruling that Joshua Kezer is innocent after he was convicted nearly 15 years ago of murdering a Benton woman, Judge Richard Callahan of the Cole County Circuit Court found reason after reason -- 44 pages' worth -- why he should never have been sent to prison... The next step: Joshua Kezer thinks about what to do now after nearly 16 years in prison (02/22/09) On the 40-mile ride to Columbia, Mo., from the Jefferson City Correctional Center on Wednesday, Joshua C. Kezer paused in conversation with his mother to stare out the window at someone walking two small dogs. "Look at those dogs. ... I get to own one of those," Kezer said slowly... Coverage should stick to facts (02/22/09) I am and always have been very disappointed in your newspaper's coverage of the Joshua Kezer case. Now your newspaper seems to blame the fact that Kezer was found guilty by a jury of his peers on the Scott County Sheriff's Department, prosecuting attorney's office and special prosecutor Kenny Hulshof... Scott County sheriff says DNA, right person stepping forward could solve Lawless murder case (02/20/09) More than 16 years have passed since the murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, a college student found slain in her car near Benton, Mo., but Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter says the crime is still solvable, thanks to DNA advances and the possibility of the right person stepping forward... Joshua Kezer is exonerated of the 1992 murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless (02/18/09) Last March, when asked how he'd react if ever cleared of the murder conviction that's kept him in prison for nearly 15 years, Joshua C. Kezer said he didn't know what his emotions would be like. "I'd like to think I'd take a moment to stop and praise God -- when you get a miracle, shouldn't you take a minute to stop and thank the one who gave it to you?" he said... Kezer thanks judge on his first day out of prison (02/18/09) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — When Joshua C. Kezer left Jefferson City Correctional Center a free man this afternoon, the first stop he wanted to make was the Cole County Courthouse. He wanted to thank the man who freed him from the murder conviction that's kept him behind bars for nearly the past 15 years... Friends, family prepare for reunion with Kezer following exoneration (02/18/09) The decision of Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd not to retry Joshua C. Kezer means Kezer will be a free man in a couple of hours. Kezer, who turned 34 on Monday, has been imprisoned in Jefferson City Correctional Center since convicted in 1994 for the murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless... Judge who exonerated Kezer said justice system 'failed' on many levels (02/17/09) Missouri's criminal justice system not only made a mistake in convicting Joshua C. Kezer in 1994 of a Scott County homicide, it suffered a breakdown at every possible level, a Cole County judge ruled Tuesday. Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan issued a ruling in Kezer's case Tuesday morning, freeing him from the second-degree murder and armed criminal action conviction that has kept him in prison for more than 14 years and ordering his release from Jefferson City Correctional Center within 10 days, unless the state decides to retry him.. ... Judge's ruling in Kezer case has harsh criticism for Hulshof (02/17/09) COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- A Southeast Missouri man convicted 15 years ago in a college student's murder may soon be set free under a judge's ruling that sharply criticizes former Rep. Kenny Hulsof, who prosecuted the case, for withholding evidence from defense attorneys... Judge pledges to resolve Kezer murder conviction challenge quickly (12/11/08) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Cole County judge said at the conclusion of a hearing Thursday that he intends to decide the fate of Joshua C. Kezer, a man fighting his 14-year-old conviction in a Scott County murder case, as quickly as possible... Judge says he will rule on Kezer case as quickly as possible (12/11/08) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The judge who will decide the fate of Joshua C. Kezer said he will rule as quickly as possible. Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan, who is hearing the wrongful conviction suit because Kezer is imprisoned in his jurisdiction, heard from the last witness Thursday, wrapping up a hearing that started Dec. 2 and continued Dec. 3... Joshua Kezer attorneys say new evidence clears their client; prosecution says enough evidence remains for a conviction (12/07/08) It's a case of technicalities. It's a case of changed stories. Of questionable evidence. For Joshua Kezer and the attorneys representing him, it's a case of unjustified imprisonment, an unfair trial and new evidence that proves Kezer was not the right man. ... In second day of hearing, Joshua Kezer says he never heard of murder victim before her death (12/04/08) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The first time Joshua C. Kezer laid eyes on the 19-year-old girl he was convicted of killing 14 years ago was when his attorney sent him an obituary with her picture while he was awaiting trial, Kezer told a courtroom Wednesday morning... Recently uncovered document could have changed outcome of Joshua Kezer's murder trial, his former defense attorney testifies (12/03/08) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A document discovered last week by the Missouri attorney general's office could have saved Joshua Kezer from his 1994 murder conviction, Kezer's former defense attorney said Tuesday. The document in question is a statement by key prosecution witness Shawn Mangus to Bill Stokes, then an investigator for the Scott County prosecuting attorney. ... Kezer says he never met Angela Mischelle Lawless (12/03/08) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The first time Joshua C. Kezer laid eyes on the 19-year-old girl he was convicted of killing 14 years ago was when his attorney sent him an obituary with her picture while he was awaiting trial for her murder, Kezer told a courtroom Wednesday morning... Friends, family gather at vigil to show support for Joshua Kezer (12/02/08) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A small group of friends and family gathered Monday night at a Columbia church to show support for Joshua C. Kezer, convicted 14 years ago for the murder of a Southeast Missouri State University student. Today, a Cole County circuit judge will hear testimony challenging Kezer's 1994 conviction for the murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless and arguments that key evidence was withheld during his original trial... Hearing challenging Kezer murder conviction to start this week in Cole County courtroom (11/30/08) A hearing begins this week in Cole County challenging the murder conviction of Joshua C. Kezer for the killing of a college student in Benton, Mo., in 1992. Kezer, currently serving a 60-year sentence for second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, was awarded the hearing in August after a Cole County judge agreed to hear evidence indicating Kezer may have been wrongly convicted... Hulshof discusses his political history, plans for the future in Southeast Missourian interview (09/21/08) Rudi Keller: The first question, since I have known you since the time you began seeking political office... Hulshof: Were you covering the '94 race? Keller: I covered the '94 race and actually was hanging around when George Mazurak was covering the 1992 selections for the recommendation for Boone County prosecutor. But when did you first decide that it was politics, that you wanted to become a candidate for public office?... Kezer's day in court (08/12/08) Fourteen years is a long time for a prison convict to maintain his innocence, but there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of inmates around the country who insist they didn't commit the crime that sent them to prison. So why is the case of Joshua Kezer, who was convicted for the 1992 murder near Benton, Mo., of Angela Mischelle Lawless, different?... Kezer wins day in court (08/05/08) Exactly 14 years after Joshua C. Kezer served the first day of a 60-year prison sentence for the 1992 murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, a Cole County judge decided he deserves another day in court. On Monday, Cole County Circuit Judge Richard G. Callahan granted Kezer an evidentiary hearing, to function as a bench trial, set for Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 in Jefferson City, said Charles Weiss, Kezer's attorney... Judge to hear testimony from witnesses in Kezer case (08/04/08) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Cole County judge has decided to hear testimony from witnesses in the case of Joshua C. Kezer, a man serving a 60-year sentence for the second-degree murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless. Cole County Circuit Judge Richard G. Callahan granted an evidentiary hearing, essentially a court trial, in the habeus motion Kezer's attorneys filed in April alleging that Kezer, 33, was wrongly convicted, Charles Weiss, attorney for Kezer, said Monday... Experts: Handwriting on report in Kezer case was Scott City officer's (07/30/08) Three handwriting experts have determined a key document in the reopened case of convicted murderer Joshua C. Kezer was indeed written and signed by former Scott City officer Bobby Wooten. The document is at the center of an investigation that has called into question the conviction of Kezer, who was blamed for the 1992 murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless based on testimony of inmates who later recanted their stories... Report in Kezer case to undergo analysis (07/07/08) Tests to verify the authenticity of a police report related to the 1992 shooting death of Angela Mischelle Lawless are currently being performed in Jefferson City, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said Friday. The report, a statement taken by then Scott City officer Bobby Wooten, has become a key piece of evidence in the wrongful conviction case of Joshua C. Kezer, who was convicted of Lawless's murder and sentenced to 60 years in prison... The Kezer case (06/11/08) The twists keep turning in the Joshua Kezer case. Kezer, in prison on a 1992 conviction for murdering Angela Mischelle Lawless, is trying to get a new trial. Here is what we know: n Neither DNA evidence nor fingerprints put Kezer at the crime scene... Kezer case report questioned (06/10/08) A former Scott City police officer has found himself in the middle of Angela Mischelle Lawless' re-opened murder case, and now -- like many of the witnesses in the case some 16 years ago -- his story appears to have changed. The state of Missouri answered motions presented by Joshua C. Kezer's attorney Monday, and a judge set a court date for July 28 to rule on those motions as part of a wrongful incarceration case... Date set for next hearing on Kezer conviction (06/09/08) A Cole County, Mo., judge continued hearings on the murder conviction of Joshua Kezer today, setting another court date for July 28 in Jefferson City.Kezer's defense team is challenging his conviction for the 1992 murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, whose body was found at an Interstate 55 exit ramp near Benton, Mo. ... Kezer's side questions court tactics (06/08/08) As the clock ticks down to Monday's court hearing that could be the first step toward undoing the murder conviction of Joshua Kezer, Kezer's original defense attorneys are questioning some of the tactics used by the prosecution at the time. A potential violation in court law that prohibits prosecutors from knowingly or unknowingly keeping evidence from the defense will be at the center of Kezer's fate starting Monday. ... Hulshof's record comes under added scrutiny (06/08/08) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- As a star prosecutor, Kenny Hulshof could rivet a courtroom. His commanding presence and oratorical skills led to convictions in some of the state's most gruesome death penalty cases -- and paved the way to six terms in Congress. Now Hulshof wants to be governor of Missouri, a job that includes the ability to grant a pardon or commute a death sentence... Kenny Hulshof on the Kezer case (06/02/08) U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, Republican candidate for governor, talks about the case against Joshua Kezer. Hulshof prosecuted the case. . ... Witness who identified Joshua Kezer in 1992 murder case says he could be wrong (06/01/08) In 1994, Mark T. Abbott testified that he'd identified Joshua C. Kezer from a lineup as the man he'd seen at a Cut-Mart convenience store near where police found Angela Mischelle Lawless' body. Abbott's testimony provided the sole evidence in the case linking Kezer to the scene of the murder, which occurred on the Benton, Mo., exit ramp of Interstate 55... DNA from Lawless case not a match to Kezer (04/28/08) DNA evidence collected in the 1992 homicide of Angela "Mischelle" Lawless has eliminated Joshua Kezer, the man convicted of the crime and currently serving a 60-year sentence at a maximum-security prison in Jefferson City, Mo, as a possible contributor for the blood and other physical evidence found at the scene... Tests stalled on bullets from Kezer case (04/27/08) Ballistics evidence that could lead investigators to new witnesses and new truths in the Mischelle Lawless case has fallen prey to a quagmire of miscommunication and a tangle of red tape. Joshua Kezer, 32, currently sits in a Jefferson City prison, serving a 60-year sentence imposed in 1994 for the murder of Lawless. ... The Kezer conviction (04/23/08) Joshua Kezer is serving a 60-year sentence for murder based on the recanted and unrecanted testimony of three inmate snitches, one of whom admitted in a letter it was a scam concocted to bargain down their own jail time with prosecutors. Meanwhile, other men have reportedly bragged about their roles in the 1992 murder of Mischelle Lawless, which was chalked up to bravado... Some re-examined the evidence from the Mischelle Lawless murder (04/15/08) Editor's note: In the beginning of 2006, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter reopened a case resolved by Missouri courts in 1994. Unconvinced the right man was sent to prison for the murder of a Benton, Mo., college student named Angela Mischelle Lawless, Walter has been investigating old evidence. In less than two months, a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to retry the case. This is the last of three stories detailing old and new aspects of the case... As the Lawless investigation progressed, witnesses changed their stories (04/14/08) Editor's note: In the beginning of 2006, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter reopened a case resolved by Missouri courts in 1994. Unconvinced the right man was sent to prison for the murder of a Benton, Mo., college student named Angela Mischelle Lawless, Walter has been investigating old evidence. In less than two months, a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to retry the case. This is the second of three stories detailing old and new aspects of the case... New questions in 1992 murder case (04/13/08) Editor's note: In the beginning of 2006, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter reopened a case resolved by Missouri courts in 1994. Unconvinced the right man was sent to prison for the murder of a Benton, Mo., college student named Angela Mischelle Lawless, Walter has been investigating old evidence. In less than two months, a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to retry the case. This is the first of three stories detailing old and new aspects of the case...