On November 6, 1982, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Jerry Harrison Chafin was found shot to death in a motel room in Greenville, Texas. Police were immediately summoned. The victim's personal items, including a college identification card, several credit card receipts, and clothing, were strewn across the bed. A bullet cartridge was found approximately eight inches from the victim's head. No identifiable fingerprints were discovered. An autopsy revealed that the victim had been shot three times in the chest and once in the hand at a distance of at least three to four feet. The cause of death was the gunshot wounds to the chest. Three .25 caliber bullets were recovered from the body.
Lamb was arrested by a Florida state trooper on November 11, 1982, after an extended chase. Lamb was driving the victim's car. Recovered from Lamb's possession were the victim's billfold, driver's license, and credit cards. On November 13, 1982, two Texas law enforcement officers traveled to Florida to meet with Lamb. Lamb subsequently gave the Texas officers a written confession to the murder and robbery of the victim. Lamb's confession, in its entirety, reads as follows: