APPELLATE COURT REVERSES LAWRENCE COUNTY MURDER PCR RULING, ORDERS NEW HEARING CITING JUDICIAL BIAS

BEDFORD, IN — In a major legal development, the Court of Appeals of Indiana has reversed a local court's ruling and ordered a completely new post-conviction relief (PCR) hearing for Evan J. Schaffer. Schaffer was convicted in 2018 for the 2017 murder of Justin Lampkins at a Bedford McDonald's drive-through.

The appellate court ruled on May 14, 2026, that Lawrence Superior Court Judge John M. Plummer III failed to maintain judicial impartiality during the PCR proceedings, effectively abandoning his role as a neutral arbiter to act as an advocate for the State.