Stuti Gokhale
‘Serial: The Coldest Case in Laramie’ is a gripping podcast that provides an insight into the brutal 1985 murder of Shelli Wiley, a 22-year-old college student from Laramie, Wyoming. The homicide puzzled the detectives for over three decades, with no valuable leads or substantial suspects. However, the case took a shocking turn and led them to a former police officer, Fredrick Lamb, whose name had cropped up quite a few times during the early stages of the investigation but had not been adequately followed up. Now, if you’re interested to know Fred’s connection to Shelli’s murder and his current whereabouts, we have you covered!
Who is Fredrick Lamb?
In 1985, Fredrick James Lamb was employed with the National Guard and lived just outside of Laramie, Wyoming, with his wife, Linda, and their kid. From 1974 to 1985, he was a Sheriff’s Deputy with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and had previously worked as an officer at the Laramie Police Department. According to Fred, he was briefly a Lithographer who had toured Vietnam with the US Navy SEALs. While serving as a Law Enforcement Officer, he often frequented a truck joint named Foster’s with his work buddies. Incidentally, it was the same place where 22-year-old Shelli Wiley worked as a Waitress until her tragic murder on October 20, 1985.
The young college student was mercilessly stabbed to death in her apartment by an attacker, who then set the place on fire to destroy any evidence. At that time, Fred used to stay the weekends with his friend just two doors down in the same apartment complex. Not only that, he was reportedly acquainted with Shelli and her roommate, Michelle, and would bump into them sometimes. On October 20, 1985, Fred was present at the apartment complex when suddenly, a neighbor knocked on his door in the early hours of the next morning. The man stated that Shelli’s apartment was on fire, and she was stuck inside and asked for assistance to rescue her.
As per the man, Fred was allegedly nonchalant about the same and didn’t help much in dousing the fire in Shelli’s apartment. Suspecting his behavior, the neighbor repeatedly tried to point the investigators in his direction, yet they reportedly dismissed his claims stating the former police officer’s good record. Later reports indicated that when the police questioned Fred, he claimed he was unaware of the murder. Besides, reports claimed his hand had a strange cut, and his apartment door had a blood splatter. Moreover, Shelli’s roommate stated on the podcast that the police found a matchbook in his truck with an unidentified bloodied thumbprint.
Regardless, Fred was cleared of all suspicion and even allowed to go out of town for work while the police moved on to other suspects. However, Shelli’s friends and family firmly believed he was responsible for her death and hoped that the police would pay heed to their concerns. For the next thirty-one years, Fred’s name did not resurface in the investigation up until August 2016. According to reports, the detectives had allegedly discovered that a blood sample from the murder scene matched him. Hence, they arrested the former cop and charged him with first-degree murder and first-degree arson.
Fredrick Lamb Continues to Maintain His Innocence Today
During his arrest, 67-year-old Fred Lamb was employed as a Maintenance Worker at the County Detention Center since 2008. Initially, he denied recollection of Shelli’s murder and reportedly had blackouts during the interrogation. Albeit, court documents stated that he allegedly admitted to the murder during questioning. Some of Fred’s supposed statements included, “Fred Lamb did it. I’m not denying that I did it” and “the bottom line is, I killed a girl.” Although, when presented in court, it was concluded that those statements were out of context and did not include the exact questions he answered.
Eventually, the investigators found no relevant evidence tying Fred to Shelli’s death, and the charges against him were dismissed in early 2017. Furthermore, his criminal record was removed from the public domain and expunged in November of the same year. Though the investigators stated it to be a “temporary procedural hiccup,” charges have not been refiled again to date. Since then, Fred and his family have embraced privacy and still live in Laramie, Wyoming.
While Fred hasn’t shared much about the case publicly, he and Linda gave a joint interview for the podcast. Now 71, he again refused any involvement in Shelli’s murder and claimed that he was wrongfully charged and was being set up by police. He and his wife believe he is being framed without any reason but fear that if any new evidence comes again, he might again be arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Nonetheless, he and Linda lead a quiet life and do not seem to have any social media presence.
Read More: Shelli Wiley Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?
