Louisiana man convicted of attempted murder caught in Mexico after 32 years on the run

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – A man in the US who fled town after being convicted of attempted second-degree murder in 1991 was apprehended last week in southern Mexico.

“The (more than) three-decades-long search for a man convicted of attempted murder is over, thanks to a tip received by #FBINewOrleans. This morning, 63-year-old Greg Lawson is back in a Louisiana jail awaiting action by Bienville Parish authorities,” FBI New Orleans said last Thursday on X.

The FBI launched a manhunt for Lawson, a resident of Ringgold, Louisiana, in May 1991.

“FBI New Orleans received a tip earlier this month that Lawson was indeed in Mexico. Agents in Shreveport and Mexico coordinated with FBI Headquarters and Mexican immigration authorities. Lawson was arrested in Huatulco, Mexico,” the FBI said in a statement.

The FBI also released a video on Thursday in which Lawson could be seen laughing as he was handcuffed during his arrest.

“We want to thank our partners and the public in this case, who never gave up hope that justice could be served for Mr. Lawson’s victim,” said Douglas A. Williams Jr., special agent in charge of FBI New Orleans. ​​​​​​​

“There is no doubt that Mr. Lawson might still be in the wind if our partners in Mexico had not been willing to deal with this so swiftly,” he added.

Lawson went on trial in 1991 for shooting a man named Seth Garlington in Bienville parish, Louisiana following an argument at a gas station.

A fistfight broke out between the two men. They both pulled guns and a shootout ensued, leaving Garlington wounded. Lawson was charged with attempted second-degree murder.

In 2007, the FBI had offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Lawson’s arrest.