Lawson guilty in slaying of Talkeetna woman

August 14, 2007

By JAMES HALPIN

Associated Press Writer

ANCHORAGE - A murder trial in which the defendant admitted killing the victim - whose remains were present in the courtroom - ended Monday with a handcuffed Michael Lawson walking out of the courtroom grinning, convicted on two charges of second-degree murder.

Lawson, 49, was expressionless as the judge read the jury's verdict, which also convicted him of tampering with evidence in the May 3, 2003, death of Bethany Correira, a 21-year-old college student who had just moved to Anchorage from Talkeetna.

&#8220I just wanted justice to be done, and I think it was done,” said Correira's mother, Linda. &#8220I was hoping for a little bit more, but I'm satisfied … It's been very difficult. I'm glad it's come to an end.”

The jury deadlocked on other counts, including first-degree murder, kidnapping and arson, which didn't faze the family.

&#8220As long as the job is accomplished, he's not going to be able to hurt anyone in the future. That's the main issue,” said her father, Bill. &#8220To me it was pretty obvious.”

He said he brought Correira's cremated remains, which were contained in her favorite backpack, to be there for the verdict.

Prosecutor Sharon Marshall said the two second-degree murder counts were offered as differing theories about the motivation for the killing but will be only treated as one conviction for sentencing purposes.

Correira came to Anchorage to attend college, moving into a west-side apartment complex where Lawson worked as a manager. She was hired to clean apartments there, but a week after arriving, she disappeared.

Correira was first reported missing May 4, 2003, when her mother showed up to take her shopping at garage sales.

A massive search ensued, with Anchorage police along with friends and family posting fliers and scouring a 70-mile area, stretching from Palmer to Anchorage to Girdwood. A $40,000 reward was offered, but after about a month, the intensive search abated.

Lawson's brother, Robert Lawson, led police to Correira's grave in a gravel pit near Talkeetna, about 85 miles north of Anchorage a year later.

The state maintains that Lawson deliberately killed Correira after she walked in while he was cutting up cocaine at the apartment complex, where he was the manager, then called Robert Lawson to help ditch the body and burn the apartment to destroy the evidence.

Robert Lawson committed suicide in March 2006, after he agreed to help investigators by recording conversations with his brother. The agreement came after he was arrested on fraud charges.

At his fraud sentencing in September 2004, Robert Lawson told a federal judge he wanted to &#8220right my wrongs.” He called his involvement &#8220the worst decision I have ever made and … I have to live with that guilt every day.”

Robert Lawson apologized publicly to Correira's family for his role. Michael Lawson's lawyer at the time dismissed Robert Lawson's story as lies told to distract from his own guilt.

Throughout the trial, Michael Lawson never denied killing Correira, though defense attorney Mike Moberly maintained it was an accident. Lawson never testified, and the defense never offered a clear picture of what it says transpired that night.

In fact, Lawson's bare-bones defense strategy had no defense witnesses testifying, relying instead solely on the little cross-examination Moberly offered.

Moberly said he expected the split verdict and that Lawson plans to appeal.

&#8220We don't bear the burden of proof, the state does,” he said. &#8220Of course, it's always difficult when you have a young person who's dead.”

Lawson faces between 10 and 99 years in prison, Anchorage Detective Glen Klinkhart said. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 9.

After his initial convictions, the jury heard another short case against Lawson, this one on a charge of third-degree misconduct involving a weapon. Attorneys quibbled over whether certain documents should be admitted into evidence to support the charge, but the jury returned with a guilty verdict before Judge John Suddock could rule on the defense's objections.