The Murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless: An Honest Sheriff and the Exoneration of an Innocent Man

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. 18-year-old Josh Kezer was arrested and charged for her murder—even though he was in a different state 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 witnesses who were coached by law enforcement to lie, to withheld exculpatory evidence, and an unscrupulous prosecutor knowingly using false, recanted testimony. Snodgrass draws on interviews with Josh himself, the research of Sheriff Rick Walter, the first responder to the scene, 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.

• Publication date: 27 November 2025
• Page count: 320
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-13: 9798216369028