Where is justice for Cameron Lamb?

Missouri Gov. Parson is about to pardon a convicted killer cop after insisting that an innocent man, Marcellus Khaliifah Williams be executed.

Former Police Officer Eric DeValkenaere took the life of Cameron Lamb at his own home without legal justification, reason, or basic decency and tampered with the crime scene afterward.

When Missouri courts determined “qualified immunity” did not apply, it underscored that his actions went beyond the protections meant to shield law enforcement from unreasonable lawsuits. Removing that immunity requires a higher burden than is allowed for any other human. Qualified immunity was never intended to excuse the reckless, fatal, and unethical acts committed against Mr. Lamb. 

DeValkenaere shot and killed Cameron Lamb within seconds of breaking through a fence into his backyard. He then blocked EMTs from assisting Lamb for 14 minutes while he died. When crime scene investigators arrived, it was clear the scene had been tampered with and staged to protect DeValkenaere.

The criminal justice system was put into action, and DeValkenaere was given his due process. The circuit court, Western District Court of Appeals, and the Missouri Supreme Court all reviewed the case and upheld the conviction. It resulted in a sentence of six years in prison – a light penalty for purposely taking a life.

Now, Lamb’s family and community have been denied the peace of simple justice in a court of law—a recourse every American deserves. Even the Federal Court looked at the facts and determined DeValkenaere acted criminally when he killed Cameron Lamb.

We see the striking contrast before us: Marcellus Khaliifah Williams, a man convicted on insufficient evidence, was executed on September 24, 2024, over the objections of the local prosecutor and after a circuit court found he was likely innocent. Meanwhile, Eric DeValkenaere tampered with a crime scene after killing a man in his own backyard, and Governor Parson is talking about making sure he gets home for Christmas. 

Gov. Parson is selecting when to trust the system he has worked in his whole life and the judges that he appointed to the Bench. To ask for the release of a convicted officer speaks to a troubling disregard for both the process of justice and the people it’s meant to protect. Why should the people of Missouri trust our judicial system if the governor doesn’t trust the system? How do we restore confidence in law enforcement if we can’t trust the system to hold guilty officers accountable?

Who truly deserves to be behind bars? This double standard can no longer stand. We have already watched as those with connections and privilege avoid accountability, leaving families and communities to grieve without closure or justice. So, we ask: where is justice for Cameron Lamb? Where is justice for his family and friends, who continue to carry the weight of this loss?

We are calling on governors, attorneys general, and others who wield power to recognize that those who commit violence against unarmed individuals in our communities should face the full consequences of the law. We ask them to listen to the same evidence as a dozen judges and come to the same conclusion, Eric DeValkenaere must face the consequences of his actions. 

We are joined in this statement by a multi denominational coalition that is comprised of clergy from the following denominations: Missouri Missionary Baptist State Convention, Missouri Progressive Baptist State Convention, African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church), Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church), United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, and the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri.

Nimrod Chapel is president of the Missouri State NAACP