Lawson trial date postponed

March 8, 2005

KATE GOLDEN/Frontiersman reporter

ANCHRORAGE - A March 7 trial date set for a man accused of the slaying of former Talkeetna resident Bethany Correira has been postponed until July 5.

Michael A. Lawson, 46, of Anchorage, is charged with the May 2003 murder of Correira, 21, who had moved to Anchorage to attend college just days before she vanished. Correira's skeletal remains were found in the Trapper Creek area a year after her disappearance, and were identified through dental records.

"We are waiting to see what's going to happen with his federal case," Colleen Ouztz, a paralegal on the case at the Anchorage district attorney's office, said Monday morning, explaining the postponement of Lawson's trial date.

Ouztz was referring to a case in which Lawson pleaded guilty to defrauding Wells Fargo Bank and Allstate Insurance of more than $600,000. He has not yet been sentenced in that matter.

Anchorage police arrested Lawson and his brother, Robert E. Lawson Jr., on Feb. 19, 2004. Michael was charged with first- and second-degree murder, kidnapping, conspiracy, arson, tampering with evidence and misconduct involving weapons charges stemming from Correira's death.

Robert E. Lawson Jr., 48, his brother, reported to Anchorage police that Michael told him, "I shot somebody," on the night Correira is believed to have disappeared.

Robert said he and his brother worked together to clean the Anchorage duplex apartment where Correira was murdered, dumped Correira's body in a gravel pit off Mile 129 Parks Hwy., and set fire to the empty duplex. Robert led police to the gravel pit, and also let police surreptitiously record telephone conversations between him and his brother.

Both brothers pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding Wells Fargo of more than $600,000 through their business, Lawson Roofing and Remodeling. Michael testified in court that the brothers lied about his past aggravated rape conviction in Illinois to get loans for their roofing company. A judge ordered them to pay nearly $70,000 in restitution to Allstate Insurance and more than $350,000 to Wells Fargo Bank.

Prosecutors moved for a reduction from the top end of the sentencing range for Robert because he was cooperating in the Correira murder investigation. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Michael Lawson is being held at Cook Inlet Pre-Trial Facility in Anchorage in lieu of $2 million cash-only bail.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge Larry Card is presiding over Michael Lawson's case. Lawson's attorney is Leslie Hiebert, of the state Office of Public Advocacy. Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Sharon Marshall is prosecuting the case.

Contact Kate Golden at 352-2284 or kate.golden@frontiersman.com.