Federal Judge Is a Killer's Best Hope

Aug. 24 -- A federal judge not only holds the fate of convicted murderer Lisa Michelle Lambert in his hands, but also his tarnished reputation.

U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell believes he righted a wrong when he overturned Lambert's murder conviction for the 1991 slaying of romantic rival Laurie Show. However, law enforcement officials, Pennsylvania state judges and several residents of Lancaster County, Pa., believe he set a cold-blooded murderer free.

But Dalzell, who had a reputation as a no-nonsense, conservative, tough-on-crime judge before hearing Lambert's appeal, did more than overturn the conviction. In his written opinion, he declared Lambert "actually innocent," accused Lancaster County prosecutors of misconduct and corruption, and barred them from putting Lambert on trial again.

Dalzell's ruling was overturned on a technicality when the 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled that Lambert's conviction should have been challenged in the state courts first. Now Lambert's case is back before Dalzell — and he could set her free again, possibly as soon as this fall.

Experts believe that the prosecutorial and investigative misconduct alleged in Lambert's appeal warranted at least a retrial. But did Dalzell go too far? Or have the calls for Dalzell's impeachment and criticism by Lancaster residents and local papers over the years been unfair?

"Judge Dalzell is a very bright judge, not a softy in terms of criminal cases," said Alan Yatkin, a Philadelphia-based attorney who has represented clients before Dalzell in criminal and civil rights cases. "I found him to be a good, fair-minded judge … he tended to give stiff sentences, more likely to be on the higher end of sentences."

Yatkin said Dalzell is a very intellectual judge with a strong sense of justice. Dalzell, he said, must have truly been outraged by the investigation to make the ruling he did.

"I remember at the time [of Dalzell's ruling] thinking there must have been some exceptionally troubling aspects of the prosecution's case for him to be as strong in the language he used," Yatkin said.

‘Prank’ Turns Into Murder

Prosecutors say Lambert had a long history of friction with Show before the 16-year-old was killed in December 1991. Lambert, prosecutors say, was angered when she believed Show had slept with her boyfriend, Lawrence "Butch" Yunkin, and witnesses told them that she often talked about killing her.

"Witness after witness told us of the threats of Lambert to kill Laurie, to kidnap Laurie, to harm Laurie, in any way possible by Lambert," prosecutor John Kenneff told ABCNEWS. "And these were not necessarily Laurie Show's friends. Many of these [witnesses] were the friends and acquaintances of Lambert herself."

Prosecutors say Lambert recruited Yunkin and their friend Tabitha Buck in an alleged plan to pull a prank on Show. Yunkin dropped off Lambert and Buck at Show's house when they knew she was alone, and the prank allegedly involved just cutting Show's hair.

Instead, the alleged prank turned out to be a murder plot with Lambert allegedly slitting Show's throat and Buck and Yunkin acting as accessories. Lambert was convicted in 1992 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole; Buck was convicted of second-degree murder and Yunkin pleaded no contest to third-degree murder.

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