Lawson gets 21 years for murder
A Spencer man was sentenced to 21 years in prison for beating a disabled man to death with the victim’s walker last year.
The defendant, Robert Lynn Christian, 39, entered a guilty plea Friday to the charge of second-degree murder and was directed to serve 21 years at 100 percent.
His sentence comes for the slaying last May of Donald Lawson of Spencer, who was a former Warren County resident. The murder weapon was the victim’s own four-pronged cane.
The slaying happened at Lawson’s Greenbrier apartment in Spencer. The killer and victim were neighbors. Authorities say Christian became angry and began beating the victim with the walker during a visit to his apartment. The victim was struck numerous times with the walker, and lawmen noted what they believed to be bite marks on the victim. Doctors who later examined Lawson’s body said the incident was one of the worst cases of rage killing they had ever seen.