In a small Missouri town in 1992, the body of 19-year-old Mischelle Lawless was found in her car, stalled on the side of a road. 17-year-old Josh Kezer was convicted of her murder-even though he was several states away at the time, as proven by witnesses-and spent the next 16 years of his life in prison. How was Josh imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit? Author Stephen R. Snodgrass expertly unveils the web of manipulation and corruption that led to Josh's conviction, everything that could go wrong in the American criminal justice system did, from snitch witnesses who were coached by law enforcement to lie, to withheld exculpatory evidence, and an unscrupulous prosecutor knowingly using false testimony that had been recanted. Kezer was convicted and served 16 years in violent Missouri prisons until a part-time deputy who was at the murder scene was elected Sheriff of Scott County and quietly reopened the investigation and has continued his quest to find the real killer. Snodgrass draws on interviews with Josh himself, the research of Sheriff Rick Walter, the first responder to the scene who later went on to exonerate Josh in a re-trial, and his own legal analysis, to reveal the truth behind the case, the conviction, and the exoneration. This book is a timely, compassionate work of true crime that calls for better and more equitable justice for all.
Stephen R. Snodgrass has a JD from Washington University in St. Louis and a PhD in psychology from Johns Hopkins. Josh was his first innocence case, but he has since represented two more men wrongfully convicted of murder who have been freed, David Robinson, and Donald Nash. Along with the other two lawyers in the case, Snodgrass received the 2021 Missouri Lawyer of the Year Award for work on the Nash case.
Part I. The Murder Chapter 1. The First Twenty-Four Hours Chapter 2. The Initial Investigation Chapter 3. Digging Deeper Chapter 4. Getting Desperate to Charge Someone Chapter 5. The Trail Runs Cold Part II. The Arrest and Prosecution of Joshua Kezer Chapter 6. Josh Kezer Chapter 7. With Friends Like These Chapter 8. The Defense Chapter 9. The Trial Part III. Behind the Walls Chapter 10. Post-Trial Proceedings Chapter 11. The Appeal Chapter 12. Into the Lion's Den Chapter 13. The Case Against Josh Begins to Fall Apart Chapter 14. The Beginnings of Josh's Exoneration Part IV. Never Too Late Chapter 15. The Habeas Corpus Investigation Chapter 16. Habeas Corpus Preliminary Proceedings Chapter 17. Depositions for the Habeas Hearing Chapter 18. The Habeas Corpus Hearing Chapter 19. Freedom Part V. The Aftermath Chapter 20. Josh Kezer Chapter 21. Rick Walter Chapter 22. The Lawless Family
As someone who has known about this case for more than 15 years and spent the last five years deeply investigating it, I highly recommend this book by Stephen Snodgrass and Josh Kezer. Snodgrass and Kezer give behind-the-scenes insight into the grossly mishandled investigation of Mischelle Lawless's murder -- insight, and information that is not otherwise available to the public, including my podcast. I commend Snodgrass for his work in not just helping free an innocent man, but also for taking on the responsibility of telling this story. And of course, I commend Josh for being brave enough to involve himself in sharing excruciating details that are perpetually hurtful to talk about. Here's hoping that the book will not just be an interesting read about a serious miscarriage of justice and an unsolved murder, but that it will also play a role in pushing Mischelle Lawless's murder (and the flagrantly dishonest original investigation) into public consciousness.--Bob Miller, award-winning investigative journalist, and host of The Lawless Files podcast Undoing a wrongful conviction is like un-baking a cake, there is no recipe. Snodgrass and Kezer show the meticulous analysis and inventive persistence required to reverse this catastrophic error. The honest depiction of prison life offered by Kezer balances the legal incites provided by his lawyer. The contrast of struggles from inside and outside the prison walls provide more education about proving innocence than any textbook could.--Greg Hampikian, Co-Director of the Idaho Innocence Project, and Director of the Forensic Justice Project at Boise State University I have lived nearly my entire life in the shadow of this case and its injustice. Josh has been living inside the injustice of this case nearly his entire life. We are indebted to his passionate pursuit of truth and closure. It is right for him to seek his own justice, but it is honorable for him to also seek justice for our family.--Valerie Ward Lawless, Mischelle Lawless's sister The Murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless is a detailed account of the people, events, and murder trial that captivated a small town in Southeastern Missouri. As a volunteer in corrections in the Chapel at the Missouri State Penitentiary and later Jefferson City Correctional Center, I became familiar with Joshua Kezer's case. Joshua was and remains a complex but compassionate person, always seeking the "why" of any situation. He continues his fight for justice. Our friendship has continued and deepened since Joshua's exoneration. His faith remains his greatest asset. Details not previously known are revealed and will leave the reader with a better understanding of the judicial system: the good, bad, and ugly. Heartbreaking and intriguing, it's a must-read and riveting account for crime story enthusiasts and the general reader alike.--James Jackson, former pastor at the Missouri State Penitentiary Chapel and volunteer at the Jefferson City Correctional Center Josh Kezer's story is yet another tragic account of our failed criminal justice system and further proof that anyone can be wrongfully convicted. Josh was the victim of fabricated testimony by individuals, but more importantly he was the victim of a system that allows such testimony to be used by the government to convict the innocent. There is much to learn from Josh's story and much to do to stop it from happening again.--Justin Brooks, Director, California Innocence Project, Director, Latin American Institute of Law and Justice, California Western School of Law
