In June of 2009, a heart-wrenching story unfolded in Oklahoma County involving the death of a six-month-old infant girl named Rachel M'Shale Lambert. The initial report to authorities came from her biological father, Willis J. Lambert, Jr. He claimed to have put Rachel to bed around 9:00 p.m., and upon checking on her at 4:30 a.m., he discovered she was not breathing and called 911.
However, the circumstances surrounding the infant's death quickly came under scrutiny.
An inquiry into her death was initiated on June 16, 2009, a week after she had passed away. This was prompted by a complaint received by the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, which highlighted a disturbing history concerning the father. It was reported that Willis J. Lambert, Jr. had a prior conviction for child abuse from a decade earlier involving another of his children. He had been released from prison just fourteen months before Rachel's death.
The investigation into Rachel's death led to the arrest of both of her parents. On June 26, 2009, the district attorney's office filed a first-degree murder charge against Willis J. Lambert, Jr. On the same day, Rachel's biological mother, Latrice Sheron Russell, was also charged with first-degree murder, or in the alternative, enabling child abuse. Following the tragic death of their infant daughter, the other two siblings who were in the home were removed.
