Teen Girl Endured Jealousy-Fueled Terror Before Throat Was Slashed — But Final Whisper Exposed Her Killer By Christina Coulter

Laurie Show was just 16 when she was ambushed in her own bedroom — stabbed, slashed and left bleeding on the floor by classmates in what prosecutors would later call a murder fueled by teenage jealousy and rage. 

On the morning of Dec. 20, 1991, Laurie was found dying by her mother, Hazel Show, at her East Lampeter Township home in Lancaster County, Pa. 

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, her throat had been slit and more than two dozen defensive wounds were found on her body. 

She managed to whisper “Michelle did it” as she lay dying, according to court transcripts cited by the Los Angeles Times.

Police quickly identified three suspects: 19-year-old Lisa Michelle Lambert, 17-year-old Tabitha Buck, and 20-year-old Lawrence “Butch” Yunkin. Lambert and Buck were classmates of Laurie’s.

The Inquirer reported that Lambert had become “obsessively jealous” after Laurie briefly dated Yunkin the previous summer, and court documents noted Laurie had accused Yunkin of rape — a claim that intensified Lambert’s hostility, per the outlet.

Lambert and Buck systematically stalked and threatened Laurie, repeatedly calling the condo where she and her mother lived as well Laurie’s workplace at the local mall. In one instance, Lambert punched Laurie at the mall — bystanders were too frightened to intervene, per the Inquirer.

“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 ABC News. “And these were not necessarily Laurie Show’s friends. Many of these [witnesses] were the friends and acquaintances of Lambert herself.”

Early on the morning of Dec. 20, Buck called Laurie’s mother, Hazel, posing as a school counselor in order to lure the mother away. According to the Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, this enabled Lambert and Buck to enter the home while Hazel was gone. 

Prosecutors said Buck held Laurie down while Lambert repeatedly stabbed her and slit her throat.

Yunkin, who waited in a getaway car, later admitted under oath to disposing of evidence, including blood-stained clothing and the murder weapon, per a December 1991 arrest affidavit .

All three suspects were apprehended later that day at a bowling alley. Police noted fresh scratch marks on Buck, and investigators found Laurie’s makeup — a powder compact and mascara — in her purse.

Yunkin struck a plea deal in exchange for his testimony, pleading guilty to third-degree murder. He later admitted to lying under oath and had his sentence increased; he was eventually paroled in 2003, according to WGAL.

In July 1992, Lambert was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy; Buck, a minor at the time, was found guilty of second-degree murder. The Inquirer reported both received life sentences without parole.

In 1997, U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell overturned Lambert’s conviction during a federal habeas hearing, citing “wholesale prosecutorial misconduct” including suppression of evidence and false testimony, according to ABC News. 

Dalzell declared Lambert “actually innocent,” but his ruling was reversed in 1998 by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on procedural grounds, leading to her return to prison. Now, Lambert remains behind bars.

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Buck’s case resurfaced following the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision that deemed mandatory life sentences for juveniles unconstitutional. She was re-sentenced in 2017 to 28 years to life and was granted parole in late 2019, according to WGAL. 

She was released Dec. 21, 2019, at age 45, after nearly 28 years behind bars. Her parole is subject to strict conditions, including a ban on contact with Laurie’s family and a prohibition on returning to Lancaster County, according to WGAL. 

Meanwhile, Hazel Show emerged as a leading advocate for anti-stalking legislation. According to the Los Angeles Times, her efforts led to the passage of Pennsylvania’s first anti-stalking law — dubbed “Laurie’s Law” — in June 1993.

“Laurie was my life,” Hazel told Los Angeles Times reporters while campaigning for the bill. “I had to do something.”