Man gets out of jail, and one month later he cuts a woman’s heart out, cooks it, and tries to serve it to his aunt and uncle
After admitting guilt to one of the most horrible and terrible acts imaginable, a man was given a life term in jail. Three individuals were slain by Lawrence, a 44-year-old man who was freed from jail as part of a mass commutation attempt. One of the victims had her heart severed from her body. A few short weeks had passed since his release from jail.
Lawrence’s plea agreement spared him the death penalty, but he will remain imprisoned for the rest of his life without the possibility of release. At the request of the victim’s families, who didn’t want to relive the pain of their loved ones’ murders during a protracted trial, prosecutor Jason abandoned plans to pursue the death sentence.
The specifics of Lawrence’s crime are horrifying and difficult to understand. After breaking into Andrea’s home and stabbing her to death, he removed her heart and brought it to the house of his uncle and aunt, Leon and Delsie. Leon, 67, and his 4-year-old granddaughter Kaeos were tragically stabbed by him after he prepared and attempted to feed them the heart. In the assault, Lawrence also hurt his aunt Delsie.
Delsie, 66, expressed her sadness at learning that a family member could do such a terrible act at the sentencing hearing. The mother of Kaeos Yates, Tasha, said, “Who murders a baby…who does that?” as she vented her indignation and shock at the catastrophe that had befallen her daughter.
It is worth noting that Lawrence was released from prison less than a month before the February 2021 attacks, following a commutation of his 20-year prison sentence for drug-related crimes by Governor Kevin, at the recommendation of the state Pardon and Parole Board.
A subsequent grand jury investigation found that Anderson was wrongly placed on the commutation docket in August 2019, after the board had rejected his commutation request the previous month. Under board rules, Lawrence would have been required to wait three years before reapplying for commutation. The board ultimately recommended commutation following his second request, which was approved by Governor Kevin.
Delsie and the families of the victims have filed a lawsuit against the governor, the Pardon and Parole Board, and others, citing federal civil rights violations related to Lawrence’s release. Although the lawsuit is still pending, all defendants have filed motions to dismiss the action. The events that transpired are a chilling reminder of the devastating consequences of inadequate justice reforms and the importance of ensuring public safety.
