Louisiana man who fled attempted murder trial captured after 32 years on the run

ARCADIA, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man who fled his 1991 trial for attempted murder has been arrested more than three decades later after authorities found him hiding in Mexico, authorities said.

Greg Lawson, 63, was brought back to the United States on Thursday after being located in Mexico, the FBI said. Lawson was accused of shooting a man in 1991 in Bienville Parish.

Lawson fled the courthouse just as the jury was headed back into the courtroom to return a guilty verdict on a charge of attempted murder, KSLA reported. His truck was found a block away from the courthouse at the time.

The FBI posted video to X, previously known as Twitter, of Lawson being escorted by authorities at an airport. He is seen appearing to nervously laugh as authorities place him in handcuffs.

“The 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,” the FBI wrote.