KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Governor’s Office confirmed that the family of Eric DeValkenaere has submitted a clemency request.
In a bench trial, a judge found DeValkenaere, a former Kansas City police detective, guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Cameron Lamb in Kansas City in 2019.
We’re hearing from the Lamb family attorney, who is responding to the former detective’s wife, who spoke on a local radio station.
That attorney says it’s important that the now convicted felon stays behind bars, so this family can get complete justice.
They’re also planning to make their own appeal to the governor, for him not to use his power to pardon DeValkenaere.
This all happening as the Missouri attorney general has until Wednesday to respond to DeValkenaere’s request for another appeal bond. Which if granted by the appeals court, the convicted cop would get to stay out of jail while he continues to appeal.
But the answer that everyone wants is will Governor Mike Parson’s pardon or won’t pardon the former detective.
“We have three branches of government. This governor and the executive branch needs to stay in his lane and know his role,” David Smith the Lamb family attorney said.
On the heels of an interview given by the wife of DeValkenaere on “95.7 FM KCMO Talk Radio Mundo in the Morning.” She confirmed that they have indeed filled out the paperwork for a pardon.
The Lamb family attorney is responding, but not just here, but to the resounding results of what the justice system determined over the last four years. That DeValkenaere did not have probable cause to ever have been on Lamb’s property.
“Every judge that has looked at this case has said this man was guilty, the conviction was upheld. He’s got another shot at the Supreme Court, let the Supreme Court decide but don’t jump in now and make that decision. Her husband is going to be home for her and her children after his prison term. Cameron Lamb is not coming back for his mom or his children, he’s dead,” Smith said.
This all the backdrop to what sources told FOX4 last week that the FOP encouraged their members to call the governor, requesting he use his pardon power.
Parson’s office says they have in fact received hundreds of calls and have received DeValkenaere’s application for clemency.
As his wife pleads on the radio, Smith says Laurie Bey, Cameron Lamb’s mother in the coming days will make her own personal and very direct plea with the governor to not pardon the convicted detective
‘The blue wall of silence should stay silent this is a decision for the judicial branch. The justice system did not fail, the justice system worked just the way it’s designed,” he said.
