Genevieve Orange, 29
Summary of Offense:
Mark E. Lawlor was sentenced to death in Fairfax County for the 2008 capital murder and rape of Genevieve Orange, 29, who was sexually assaulted and beaten to death, suffering dozens of blows to her head.
Lawlor was a leasing agent for her building at was then called the Prestwick Apartments near Seven Corners in Fairfax County. Orange was a 2001 graduate of Virginia Tech and an active churchgoer.
Lawlor suffered from drug and alcohol problems. He had been convicted of abduction, unlawful entry and harassing communications in Fairfax County in 1999 and was given a net sentence of six years.
On the evening of Sept. 24, 2008, Orange returned to her apartment from her job in Washington. Authorities believe she was on her couch watching television when Lawlor broke in and began beating her with a frying pan and hammer.
He broke in using a key from the office and brought a hammer with him. DNA from semen found at the scene matched Lawlor’s. After he killed her he tried to clean up the evidence before he fled.
A witness testified that Lawlor bought and smoked crack cocaine that day and was acting irrationally. Lawlor’s lawyers conceded he killed Orange but argued he was so high that he lacked the intent required to be convicted of capital murder.
The jury, however, found him guilty of capital murder and he was sentenced to death.
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