Corbin man charged in connection with 2015 double homicide in Lily makes first court appearance

A Corbin man charged Saturday night in connection with a 2015 double homicide in Lily pleaded not guilty to murder and robbery charges Monday in Laurel District Court.

Thirty-four-year-old Bradley Justin Lawson is charged with shooting and killing 62-year-old Donnie and 58-year-old Sharon Jackson at their home on Slate Ridge Road on March 8, 2015.

Lawson remains in the Laurel County Detention Center on a $500,000 cash bond. Lawson is scheduled to return to court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is probable cause to present the case to a grand jury.

The grand jury meets Monday, meaning it will not have the opportunity to hear the case this month. The Laurel County grand jury does not meet in July, so the next opportunity for officers to present the case will be August 15.

According to Sheriff John Root, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Lawson based on information developed through the course of the ongoing investigation.

“This investigation was a very high profile case and many man hours were put in by many investigators at the sheriff’s office to solve this case. Investigators wanted to make sure all statements, witnesses, and evidence were collected and analyzed before the case is presented to the grand jury to seek indictment,” Root said.

“We had his (Lawson’s) name for some time,” Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, the department’s public affairs officer, added. “By the end of this past week, information developed that tied him to the scene.”

Detective Kevin Berry served Lawson with the warrant at the Laurel County Detention Center. At the time, Lawson was being held on federal drug trafficking charges.

Lawson and 24-year-old Christopher L. Jones of Lily were indicted April 29 in U.S. District Court in London on one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 or more grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint against Lawson, which was filed in U.S. District Court on April 7, DEA agents, working in conjunction with Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies and Williamsburg police, initially interviewed a confidential source on Aug. 6, 2015 who said that Lawson and Jones were on their way back to Kentucky with a supply of crystal methamphetamine.

Williamsburg Police were stationed on northbound Interstate 75 south of Williamsburg to wait for the pickup truck in which the duo was reportedly travelling.

About 5:30 a.m., Williamsburg Police Detective Bobby Freeman spotted the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Jones and Lawson was the passenger.

“Chief Bird asked Jones if he would consent to a search of the vehicle and Jones granted consent to search the vehicle,” DEA said in the affidavit.

Inside a black duffle bag, officers reported finding a plastic bag that contained 152.2 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine.

“Officers also located a plastic bag containing several smaller bags that are consistent with ones used for street level drug transactions and a set of digital scales,” Rogers said.

After being advised of his Miranda Rights, Rogers said Lawson agreed to speak with officers, explaining that he was picking up the crystal methamphetamine from a source in Georgia and returning it to Kentucky to sell.

Lawson is scheduled to go to trial in that case on June 28 in London.

Acciardo said Lawson and the Jacksons were acquainted, though he did not have details on how they knew each other.

“I don’t think the grandson was involved in any way,” Acciardo said, referring to their teenage grandson who lived with the couple.

Deputies were called to the home when the bodies were discovered inside by emergency personnel who responded to a structure fire.

Investigators said previously that Jacksons died approximately 8 a.m. that morning. The 911 call about the fire came in at 10:06 a.m. when the couple’s grandson returned home and saw flames shooting from the attic area.

Root said the murders appear to have been the result of a robbery gone bad.

Acciardo described it as a home invasion, explaining the murderer came to the door and forced his way inside.

Sharon Jackson was killed in the living room, while her husband was killed in a back bedroom.

Investigators have not recovered a murder weapon. However, Acciardo said all of the Jackson’s weapons have been accounted for.

As to what was taken in the robbery, Acciardo said investigators have been unable to determine what, if anything is missing.

Lawson is charged with two counts of murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree arson and tampering with physical evidence.

This case does meet the legal requirements under Kentucky Law for prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Under Kentucky Law, prosecutors may elect to seek the death penalty in cases in which there are aggravating circumstances such as an accompanying burglary, rape, robbery or kidnaping charge, or the death of two or more people.