A Louisiana fugitive who spent half his life on the run was captured in Mexico Tuesday and laughed as he was handcuffed more than three decades after he was convicted of trying to murder a lifelong friend.
Greg Lawson, 63, was dragged back to U.S. soil after an informant reported seeing him in Huatulco, a resort region in the southwestern part of the country, the FBI announced.
The video showed the attempted murderer, dressed in a khaki shirt and flowy green pants, laughing before being handcuffed for the first time in 32 years.
He has been on the agency’s wanted list since May 1991, when he disappeared from the rural community of Ringgold, home to a dwindling population of 1,370 people.
Lawson had been convicted of attempted second-degree murder for attempting to shoot and kill his childhood friend in what the community remembers as the largest shooting Ringgold had ever seen, KTBS reported.
Lawson, then 31, had attempted to run his victim Seth Garlington’s car off the road moments earlier, sparking a fight in the gas station parking lot, where guns were later drawn.
Garlington survived his injuries, leading to Lawson’s conviction, but left town before the jury could return the verdict.
Louisiana fugitive Greg Lawson, 63, who spent half his life on the run, was captured in Mexico more than 32 years after being convicted of attempted murder.KTBS 3
Lawson was dragged back to U.S. soil after an informant reported seeing him in Huatulco, a resort region in the southwestern part of the country, the FBI announced.KTBS 3
The FBI followed numerous leads and alleged sightings across the United States over the past 32 years, and sought to renew its efforts in 2007 by offering a $10,000 reward for his whereabouts.
Ultimately, a solid lead and a coordinated effort with Mexican immigration authorities finally put him back behind bars.
Lawson was deported for immigration violations and escorted to Houston, where he was turned over to Louisiana police who have been searching for him for decades.
“We want to thank our partners and the public in this case, who never gave up hope that justice could be served for Mr. Lawson’s victim,” said Douglas A. Williams Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI in New Orleans. , in a statement.
“There is no doubt that Mr. Lawson could still be up in the air if our partners in Mexico had not been willing to address this so quickly.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn