After six and a half years as governor of Missouri, Mike Parson will leave office in January.
And while the Republican former sheriff said he "doesn't like" the fact that former Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere is serving six years for killing Cameron Lamb in 2019, he has hinted that he could pardon or commute the sentence.
But Parson still won't say whether he'll do so before he leaves office in January.
"I'm governor for 30 more days, so we'll see what all happens with all this," he told KCUR's Up To Date in a recent exit interview.
"I'm not saying I'm doing anything, and I don't want to mislead anybody. I don't want to mislead his family. I don't want to mislead the victims' families," he said. "You know, those are decisions I'll decide to make, and hopefully it's going to be sooner than later, but we'll kind of see how it goes."
A Jackson County judge found DeValkenaere guilty of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in November 2021. Prosecutors argued that he acted recklessly when he entered Lamb's backyard without a warrant or other legal reasons, and fired his weapon within seconds of coming across Lamb in his pickup truck.
A federal court also ruled this September that DeValkenaere's actions violated Lamb's constitutional rights, opening the door to a payout for Lamb's family.
Parson said that most people in prison don't serve their full sentence. DeValkenaere's family formally requested clemency with Parson's office last year, a move vocally opposed by the Jackson County Prosecutor.
If Parson chooses not to act, Mike Kehoe, the governor-elect, has said he will send DeValkenaere home. Kehoe will be sworn in January 13.
Hear Up To Date's full conversation with Parson above.
- Missouri Governor Mike Parson
