Man found guilty in 1996 murder of Shaw University student
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A jury reached a verdict Monday in the case of a man accused of killing a Shaw University student nearly 20 years ago.
Edwin Christopher Lawing, 41, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the May 17, 1996 killing of Lacoy McQueen.
McQueen - an aspiring doctor - was 20 when she disappeared. Her remains were later found in March 1997 by construction workers off U.S. Highway 1 near Kittrell.
Days later, police charged Lawing, who was a student at N.C. State University at the time, with McQueen's murder. They said McQueen was pregnant with Lawing's baby when she vanished. However, the charge was later dismissed.
After additional testing was performed on the evidence, the Wake County District Attorney's Office decided to reconsider prosecution of Lawing.
He was indicted in 2014.
In court Monday, the prosecutor said Lawing wanted McQueen to have an abortion and they argued.
"Chris Lawing was a calculating man, a man who did not want this baby and a man who had his mind made up that he was going to get rid of this baby no matter how much he had to do to get it done," said prosecutor Patrick Latour
But the defense claims McQueen got into a car with two men after an argument with Lawing, and they killed her.
"Christopher Lawing is an innocent man. He did not kill LaCoy McQueen. Her death is a terrible tragedy but he didn't do it," said Celia Visser.
Before sentencing Monday afternoon, Lawing told the judge "I did not do this."
He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
