Facts of the Crime:
Brenda and Gary Lawrence separated soon after they were married. Michael Finken moved in with Brenda and her two daughters, Kimberley and Stephanie Pitts, as well as Rachel Matin, Stephanie’s friend. On July 28, 1994, the day of the murder, Gary and Michael drank a beer at a friend’s house after driving Brenda to work. After Brenda got off work, Gary and Michael picked her up and took her back to their friend’s house so they could drink more beer. Upon returning to Brenda’s apartment, Gary got into an argument with Michael and hit him when he discovered that Michael and Brenda had been sleeping together. Gary and Michael seemed to resolve their dispute, and Michael went to sleep on the couch. Soon after Brenda and Gary spoke, Brenda went around the house gathering weapons, which included a pipe and a baseball bat. Brenda and Gary told Rachel and Kimberly that they were “going to knock off Mike.” Gary also told Kimberley to “stay inside your bedroom no matter what you hear.”
While in their bedroom, Rachel and Kimberly said that they heard a pounding sound. Rachel said that she heard the victim yell, “Stop it, if you stop, I’ll leave.” She said that the victim made this statement several times. Kimberly stated that the victim also said, “Please don’t hit me, I’m already bleeding.” Once the pounding noise ceased, the girls were required to help clean up around the victim. At trial, both girls described the mutilation of the victim’s face. Even after the beatings, the victim was still alive.
Kimberly said she saw her mother, Brenda, coming out of the kitchen with something that looked like a dagger. Then, although Kimberly did not know what her mother had in her hand at the time, she witnessed her mother make a stabbing motion towards the victim. Brenda then asked that the girls go enlist the help of Chris Wetherbee. When Chris entered the apartment, he saw the victim’s crushed skull, indistinguishable face, and a mop handle shoved down the victim’s throat.
When Chris asked Gary what was going on, Gary responded by kicking the victim and saying, “This is what’s going on.” When the mop handle was removed from the victim’s throat, Chris heard three or four ragged breaths come from the victim before the victim stopped breathing and died. Gary told Chris that he had beaten the victim with a baseball bat after having already beaten him with a pipe until it bent. Gary and Brenda took a small amount of money from the victim’s pockets. They then wrapped the body in a shower curtain before putting it in the victim’s car. Gary drove the vehicle to an isolated area and set the body on fire. When Gary returned to the apartment, he and Brenda danced. Gary was arrested later that same day while he was driving the victim’s car. Gary confessed to the murder stating that he had beaten the victim because Brenda and the victim had been sleeping together. The medical examiner testified at trial that the victim’s death was caused by blunt trauma and possible asphyxia. He also stated that the victim was still alive when the mop handle was forced into his throat. The victim had a very high blood alcohol level, and it was possible that one or more of the blows to his head could have caused a loss of consciousness.
Lawrence was sentenced to death in Santa Rosa County on May 5, 1995.
Co-defendant information:
Brenda Lawrence (DC# 975279)
B. Lawrence was convicted and sentenced for the following offenses (CC# 94-396):
Count I: First-Degree Murder – Life sentence
Count II: Conspiracy to Commit Murder – 1 year 10 months
Count III: Grand Theft Auto – 1 year 10 months
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