Lawrence “Butch” Yunkin was a senior student at Conestoga Valley High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Not much is publicly available about his early life, family background, or education, as he came to media attention due to his role in one of the area’s most infamous crimes — the murder of 16‑year‑old Laurie Show. In the summer of 1991, Yunkin briefly dated Laurie, but the relationship quickly soured. According to court proceedings, Laurie claimed that Yunkin raped her, an accusation that deepened tensions between the girl and Yunkin’s long‑term girlfriend, Lisa Michelle Lambert.

Although he was not the person who physically committed the murder, Yunkin became a pivotal figure in the events leading up to it. Lambert, reportedly obsessed and jealous of Laurie, felt compelled to eliminate her as a rival. Yunkin was caught in the center of this obsession, aligning himself with Lambert and their mutual acquaintance, Tabitha Buck. Together, the trio would come to carry out one of the area’s darkest and most shocking crimes.

On the morning of December 20, 1991, 16‑year‑old Laurie Show was brutally attacked and murdered in her own home. The murder was a calculated and frenzied act, rooted in a tangled mess of teenage obsession, jealousy, and betrayal. According to court documents, Lambert and Buck arrived at the Show residence with the intention to kill. Lambert gained entry to the home, and Buck acted as an active participant, restraining Laurie and aiding Lambert in slashing the girl’s throat.

Although Yunkin was not physically present in the room at the time of the murder, evidence and testimony presented in court revealed that he was deeply involved in the conspiracy leading up to the crime. Yunkin was aware of Lambert’s obsession with Laurie and acted as an instigator and participant in the events that unfolded. The case quickly became a media sensation and shook the Lancaster area, highlighting the brutal nature of adolescent obsession and violence.

Yunkin was charged as an accomplice and co‑conspirator. In July 1992, he was convicted and received a prison sentence for his role in Laurie Show’s murder. After serving approximately 12 years, Yunkin was granted parole in 2003 and released from prison.