Missouri Supreme Court won’t transfer ex-KCPD detective DeValkenaere’s case
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Supreme Court has denied former Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere’s request to transfer his case to the state’s highest court.
The court’s decision Tuesday is just the latest in a slew of rulings that have gone against the convicted ex-KCPD detective.
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DeValkenaere is serving a six-year prison sentence for shooting and killing Cameron Lamb in 2019. A judge found DeValkenaere guilty of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in 2021.
Last year, the state’s appellate court also denied DeValkenaere’s request to transfer the case to the Missouri Supreme Court. But that opened the door for DeValkenaere’s attorneys to file a transfer application directly with the state’s top court.
The Missouri Supreme Court’s decision Monday means that DeValkenaere is largely out of options in the court system.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker released the following statement:
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“It is not unexpected that the Missouri Supreme Court has rendered a decision to deny transfer of the DeValkenaere decision for the Supreme Court’s review. We’re grateful for the full judicial process that’s been given this case.”
The appellate court also upheld DeValkenaere’s conviction last year, saying there was enough evidence to prove that he killed Lamb and acted with criminal negligence.
DeValkenaere and his partner were called to Lamb’s neighborhood for a traffic incident near East 41st Street and College Avenue on Dec. 13, 2019. A police helicopter saw a red pickup, believed to have been involved in the incident, turn into Lamb’s garage.
The two officers followed Lamb onto his property, and DeValkenaere admitted to shooting Lamb but said he was protecting his partner.
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The appellate court has also previously denied DeValkenaere’s motion to reinstate an appeal bond, leaving him behind bars while he waits for a decision from Jefferson City.
He is currently in out-of-state custody after he was transferred from the Platte County jail last year.
DeValkenaere is still waiting for Gov. Mike Parson’s decision on his clemency application.
Parson’s office has previously confirmed it is reviewing DeValkenaere’s clemency application, which urges the governor to pardon the former KCPD detective. The governor’s office said it’s received calls and requests from private citizens calling for the same.
Lamb’s family, their legal team and the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, however, have all urged Parson not to pardon DeValkenaere.
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“Every judge that has looked at this case has said this man was guilty. The conviction was upheld,” Lamb’s family attorney David Smith previously said.
Parson hasn’t made a decision on pardoning DeValkenaere, a spokesperson saying this case will get a thorough review before he comes to a conclusion.
