Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter says he'll continue to investigate the Mischelle Lawless case

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter soon will be leaving the elected office he has held since 2005, but he said he will continue to investigate the slaying of 19-year-old Mischelle Lawless -- a closed case he reopened two years into his tenure.

Incoming Sheriff Wes Drury also said he intends to continue the Lawless investigation when he takes office in January.

"There were three of us that really had much involvement here, which is detective (Branden) Caid, detective (Darren) Sides and myself, and we're all going to be gone, but we're not done," Walter said.

"We're still going to be able to be working on it. ... Obviously we won't have any involvement in Scott County Sheriff's Office after Jan. 1, but again, that doesn't mean things are not going to be followed up on or looked at it, at least on our end."

Walter said he is confident investigators will solve the case, even though much of the evidence is more than 20 years old.

The gravesite of Mischelle Lawless is seen Wednesday at Unity Cemetery in Benton, Missouri.Laura Simon

The undisputed facts of the case include:

Files from Joshua Keezer's case are seen Wednesday at the Scott County Sheriff's Office in Benton, Missouri.LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

• Lawless pulled her Buick Somerset over on the exit ramp between Interstate 55 and Highway 77 in Benton, Missouri, around midnight Nov. 8, 1992, about a half-mile from her home on Highway 77.
• Lawless rolled down her window, consistent with talking to someone, and exited the vehicle.
• Lawless was found dead in the front seat of the vehicle. She had sustained three gunshot wounds to her face, back of her head and back, from three .380 bullets. Three shell casings were found in the car.
• She sustained multiple other wounds from being struck, including one to her head consistent with the butt of a gun.
• Two blood trails were found going down a slope. The grass at the bottom of the slope was depressed, consistent with a struggle.
• DNA of Leon Lamb, Lawless' boyfriend, was found under her fingernails. Lamb was the last person to admit to seeing Lawless alive after being at his residence in Sikeston, Missouri. Lamb said they had sex that night, which led to his DNA ending up under her fingernails.
• "Matt" Abbott went into the Scott County Sheriff's Office during the early morning hours, shortly after midnight the day of the murder, and said a woman had been shot. He left the sheriff's office a short time later. Investigators went to the Abbotts' home later that day, and Matt Abbott said he had no idea what they were talking about.
• Matt and his identical twin brother, Mark Abbott, admitted they changed places often, and investigators had a difficult time telling them apart.
• Mark Abbott told investigators he touched Lawless' shoulder when he found her dead before he contacted police.
• Lawless knew Matt and Mark Abbott, based on interviews conducted with her friends.
• In a different statement, Mark Abbott told former Cape Girardeau police officer Bill Bohnert his friend Kevin Williams shot and killed Lawless.
• Matt and Mark Abbott were convicted of federal drug charges in 1997.

Walter said based on evidence, other aspects of the case are likely but unproven:

• Lawless knew her attackers, because friends and family said she was unlikely to pull over for someone she didn't know.
• There was at least one other vehicle at the scene, based on the placement of Lawless' vehicle on the ramp.
• Lawless was struck outside the car.
• At least two, and possibly three, people were involved in Lawless' death.

Joshua Kezer was convicted of killing Lawless, but after 16 years in prison, he was declared innocent in 2009 after multiple witnesses recanted their testimony and errors were found in the prosecution's case.

Over the past two years, Walter, Caid and Sides have made progress on the investigation, including re-interviewing witnesses who came forward after Lawless was killed in 1992 and interviewing new witnesses, making new discoveries in the process.

"The people we interviewed a few years ago when we first opened (the case), they were consistent with their story. They've never changed," Walter said. "There's been new witnesses that had never been interviewed before that we've interviewed in the last couple of years. I think we got, with new witnesses, they have kind of confirmed some things that we had suspected before."

In October 2013, investigators exhumed Lawless' body from a cemetery in Benton.

Investigators found wounds that were noted in the autopsy report but overlooked in the initial investigation.

Investigators took DNA samples from those wounds and had them tested by a private forensic laboratory, Walter said.

"We tested a few samples without any luck," Walter said. "We saved some because technology is evolving nearly on a daily basis. New procedures are found, new ways of testing DNA."

One of those newer tests was touch DNA from Lawless' clothing. DNA can be taken from pieces of clothing where Lawless was grabbed, Walter said.

"If you have more of a grip or something that will embed that DNA into the clothing or into the fabric, then you have a better chance of extracting something," Walter said. "We examined the clothing, and we actually found grip marks on the clothes. ... We were able to pull some DNA off of those that was consistent with one of our suspects."

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter speaks with a Southeast Missourian reporter Wednesday at the Scott County Sheriff's Office in Benton, Missouri.LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Drury worked in the Scott County Jail in 1992. He said he was looking forward to viewing the case in its entirety for the first time.

"We're going to look at it as soon as we possibly can," Drury said. "Just because a new administration comes in doesn't mean things will fall by the wayside."

Drury admitted his investigators may not be able to pursue the case right away, but Walter said he understands the day-to-day demands of a new administration.

"When you're coming into office, there are a whole lot of things going on. Again, there's a lot stuff, just the day-to-day operations you have to contend with," Walter said. "That's something he'll have to slowly get into."

Scott County detectives Caid and Sides were offered and accepted new jobs with other departments -- Caid with the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department and Sides with the Cape Girardeau Police Department -- but Walter said both will continue to work on the Lawless investigation.

Drury said he is confident he will be able to be in contact with Caid and Sides.

Walter said when this case receives attention, he receives threats.

One man recently threatened Walter on Facebook, stating it was open season on him once Drury took office.

"The person that made these threats is a very violent person, and he has a lot to lose if this case moves forward," Walter said. "All involved have a lot to lose if this case moves forward."

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address: 131 S. New Madrid St., Benton, MO