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Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioIn the early hours of Sunday morning, Thomas Lawson Jr. exited a bathroom inside the Mardi Gras Casino in Nitro, West Virginia, naked, except for a hat and shoes. He approached Nitro police officers working security, gave them the middle finger, shouted an obscenity, and attempted to flee before being tackled inside the casino.
He was redressed before being arrested by officers. While being held in police custody, details emerged of a far greater crime, the murder of his father.
He is accused of shooting Thomas Lawson Sr. hours before driving to the casino. Police found the father’s body near the son’s home. In his pocket was a revolver, but the weapon had not been fired and still contained all six rounds.
Investigators said Lawson Sr. had been shot at least six times in the back and the back of the head.
Just Trying To Be A Good Dad
The victim’s wife told police that her husband had gone to help his son cut trees. Officers also found a chainsaw near Lawson Sr.’s body. His wife says he was afraid of his son, whose behavior had become increasingly erratic. The pair had previously had physical confrontations.
Lawson Jr. frequently visited the casino and is said to have developed a severe gambling addiction. The Mardi Gras is one of the last casinos in the US to host greyhound racing.
On the day in question, Lawson Jr. arrived at the venue at around 5:30 p.m., just before racing started at 6 p.m. Police say he went out to cut trees with his father around 2 p.m.
Local news detailed a report on the incident that stated, “Mrs. Lawson advised deputies that Mr. Lawson Sr. was afraid of his son and was ‘just trying to be a good dad.’”
At around 10:30 p.m., his wife called the police, concerned that her husband had not yet returned home. McDowell County Sheriff’s Office Detective Randall Johnson Jr. arrived at the scene on Trail Hollow Road in Iaeger shortly before 2 a.m.
By this time, Lawson Jr. was already in police custody over the incident at the casino. He was initially charged with indecent exposure. As the death of his father came to light, he is now facing murder charges.
The 33-year-old was arraigned late Sunday in Kanawha County Magistrate Court after being charged with first-degree murder. He is now being held at the South Central Regional Jail without bond.
