LANCASTER, PA. — Two men who investigated the 1991 murder of Laurie Show in East Lampeter Twp. are suing the author and publisher of ‘Love, Murder, and Corruption in Lancaster County,’ the book co-authored by convicted murderer Lisa Michelle Lambert. The lawsuits, filed separately by East Lampeter Police Chief John Bowman and Ronald Savage claim the 2016 book libels them when they are accused of raping Lambert in June of 1991 and later framing her for Show’s murder. They each seek $50,000 in punitive damages, and Bowman’s wife is also seeking punitive damages.
Both Bowman and Savage were East Lampeter Twp. police officers at the time of the murder. Both call Lambert’s claims lies. Bowman says he was on a vacation when Lambert claims the rape took place.
In the suit, Bowman says he did meet Lambert’s mother prior to the murder investigation, because he was investigating a complaint that Lambert had assaulted Show. Lambert had stalked and harassed Show for months prior to the murder, obsessing over the fact that Show had gone out with Yunkin twice over the summer of 1991, when Lambert and Yunkin were not seeing each other. It was later learned that Lambert was pregnant with Yunkin’s child.
Lambert is not named in the lawsuits, but co-author David Brown and Camino Books, as well as several law firms and paralegals who helped research the book and are mentioned in the book’s acknowledgements are named as defenants.
Lambert, along with schoolmate Tabitha Buck and Lawrence Yunkin were convicted for murdering 16 year-old Laurie Show, whom Lambert perceived as a rival for Yunkin’s affections, on December 20, 1991. Show was still alive when her mother found her, and told her, “Michelle did it.” Laurie Show suffered a brutal death, her throat was slashed and her lung punctured, as well as over 20 defensive wounds. There were clumps of hair on the floor and a rope around her neck.
Lambert and Buck are serving life sentences without parole. Yunkin, who drove Lambert and Buck to Shows house and later helped hide evidence, is free on parole, after receiving a lighter sentence in exchange for his testimony.
