Current:Home > InvestTeen faces adult murder charge in slaying of Michigan election canvasser-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Teen faces adult murder charge in slaying of Michigan election canvasser
View Date:2025-01-13 06:25:15
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A 15-year-old has been charged as an adult with murder in the death of a Michigan election canvasser he is accused of shooting after asking the worker for a dollar.
The teen was arraigned Wednesday in district court in Lansing and ordered held without bond. Court records Thursday did not list a defense attorney for the teen, who The Associated Press is not naming due to his age.
Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane said Theodore Lawson’s slaying Sunday does not appear to be connected to his political activities or beliefs. Lawson, 63, was a member of Ingham County’s Board of Canvassers and served as secretary of the county’s Democratic Party.
Lansing police have not released any details around the circumstances of the shooting, but Lansing City Council at-large candidate Trini Lopez Pehlivanoglu told the Lansing State Journal that Lawson was knocking on doors for her campaign when he was shot. He later was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Security video in the area recorded Lawson leaving a driveway as three teens were walking on the other side of the street, a police detective wrote in a court affidavit.
One of the three crossed the street toward Lawson before he and Lawson walked out of the camera’s view. A short time later a gunshot was heard. The video then recorded the three teens running away.
A juvenile court officer later identified each of the teens in the video. One teen told investigators he saw the 15-year-old shoot Lawson after asking Lawson for a dollar, according to the affidavit.
The other two teens are 15 and 17. A .22-caliber handgun was recovered in the home where the 15-year-old charged with murder was found. He denied being involved in the shooting, the affidavit said.
The 15-year-old who was charged with murder also faces gun charges. A probable cause conference has been scheduled for Oct. 20.
Lansing Police Dept. Chief Ellery Sosebee said in a statement that Lawson’s murder was “senseless” and “speaks to the careless mindset of a very small section of our most violent offenders.”
“ ... too often, these acts of violence, are by youthful offenders with no value of consequence or accountability,” Sosebee wrote. “Based on the evidence gathered, the suspect’s intent was to get money from the victim in an attempted robbery. There is no evidence or information this was related to any political motive or affiliation.”
Dewane, the county prosecutor, said he opted to charge the teen as an adult due to the nature of the offense and his previous interactions with the court system.
veryGood! (388)
Related
- Mega Millions winning numbers for November 8 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
- Miranda Lambert Says She Raised a Little Hell After Concert Selfie Incident
- Oppenheimer Moviegoers Spot Mistake in Cillian Murphy Scene
- Ariana Grande Dating Wicked Co-Star Ethan Slater After Dalton Gomez Breakup
- Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
- Savannah Chrisley Slams Rumored Documentary About Parents Todd & Julie's Imprisonment
- Feel Free to Salute These Secrets About Saving Private Ryan
- Savannah Chrisley Slams Rumored Documentary About Parents Todd & Julie's Imprisonment
- Nevada trial set for ‘Dances with Wolves’ actor in newly-revived sex abuse case
- Megan Fox Caught in Middle of Scuffle After Man Attempts to Punch Machine Gun Kelly
Ranking
- Quincy Jones' Cause of Death Revealed
- Nordstrom Clear the Rack Sale: Find Deals on Your Next Go-To Shoes from Adidas, Dr. Martens, ECCO & More
- Former reverend arrested for 1975 murder of 8-year-old girl
- You'll Bend and Snap for Reese Witherspoon and Daughter Ava Phillippe's Latest Twinning Moment
- College Football Fix podcast addresses curious CFP rankings and previews Week 12
- Disney Singer CoCo Lee’s Funeral Details Shared
- Love Island U.K.'s Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury Engaged After Welcoming Baby
- Jersey Shore’s Snooki Gets Candid on Her Weight Struggles in Message to Body Shamers
Recommendation
-
Indiana man is found guilty of murder in the 2017 killings of 2 teenage girls
-
Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $300 Tote Bag for Just $83
-
US surpasses 400 mass shootings so far in 2023: National gun violence website
-
You'll Buzz Over Samuel L. Jackson's Gift to Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds for Their 2008 Wedding
-
What does the top five look like and other questions facing the College Football Playoff committee
-
Lisa Rinna Leaves Little to the Imagination in NSFW Message of Self-Love
-
Disney Singer CoCo Lee’s Funeral Details Shared
-
Savannah Chrisley Slams Rumored Documentary About Parents Todd & Julie's Imprisonment