Greg Lawson, wanted after fleeing Louisiana following an attempted murder in 1991, is FINALLY arrested in Mexico
- Greg Lawson, 63, was found and arrested Tuesday in Huatulco, Mexico
- He fled before being convicted of attempted manslaughter in 1991
- He shot Seth Garlington, who later survived, decades ago after a fistfight in a gas station parking lot
A Louisiana fugitive who fled a 1991 shooting trial was ultimately arrested more than 30 years later after authorities found him hiding in Mexico.
Greg Lawson, 63, fled the country before being convicted of attempted manslaughter in 1991. Over the years, he was one of the most wanted criminals by FBI agents.
A tip sent to the FBI earlier this month led to the arrest, according to A press release by the New Orleans FBI.
Lawson left 32 years ago, just before a jury found him guilty of attempted manslaughter in the shooting of Seth Garlington.
His truck was a block away from the Claiborne Parish Courthouse where the case was tried, but he was nowhere to be found – until now.
Greg Lawson, now 63, was arrested 32 years ago after shooting Seth Garlington but fled before being found guilty of attempted second-degree murder. He is depicted in a 1991 mugshot
The fugitive was found and arrested Tuesday in Huatulco, Mexico, after the FBI received a tip earlier this month and cooperated with Mexican immigration authorities. He is pictured here after returning to the US from Mexico
Lawson was deported for immigration violations after agents in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Mexican immigration authorities worked together to find him.
‘There is no doubt that Mr. Lawson would still be in disarray had our partners in Mexico not been prepared to handle this so quickly,” said Douglas A. Williams Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in New Orleans .
In 1991, Lawson forced Garlington’s vehicle off the highway and started a fistfight in a gas station parking lot. The two had been childhood friends.
“They couldn’t handle things with their hands, so they brought out the guns,” Ryanie Evans, a former friend of Lawson, said in an interview with KSLA NEWS in 2007.
Garlington was shot but survived. Lawson was arrested but fled before the verdict was read aloud in court.
Photos from 1991 show some of the evidence police used against Lawson
The fugitive was found and arrested Tuesday in Huatulco, Mexico, after the FBI received a tip earlier this month and cooperated with Mexican immigration authorities.
He arrived at the Houston airport and met Bienville Parish sheriff’s deputies for his ride to jail
The FBI offered a $10,000 reward for his arrest in 2007, hoping to shed new light on the cold case.
For decades, the FBI had suspected the fugitive was somewhere in Mexico. Sightings of Lawson in foreign provinces had been reported to officers.
Evans also said in 2007 that he caught a glimpse of Lawson:
“And he pulled up in a truck, (a) Chevy with Texas tags, rolled down the window and went.”
Lawson is said to have gotten away with other crimes during his lifetime due to his family’s influence in the area.
“Money was never a concern for Lawson,” Evans said.
Lawson was known for his temper, Evans added. “He enjoyed the fact that there was some kind of controversy going on all the time, he thrived on that.”