On the evening of May 5, 2012, in St. Louis, Missouri, Gwendolyn Ray, a 50-year-old female, was tragically killed in a brutal act of violence that also claimed the lives of her daughter and infant grandson. The devastating incident unfolded at the apartment Gwendolyn shared with her daughter, 22-year-old Breiana Ray.
The perpetrator was Eric Lawson, Breiana's ex-boyfriend and the father of her 10-month-old son, Aiden Lawson.
On that fatal day, Lawson went to the apartment and shot both Gwendolyn and Breiana in the head, killing them. After the shootings, he set two fires within the residence and locked the door as he departed, leaving his infant son and Breiana's 3-year-old daughter trapped inside. While the young girl was rescued by firefighters and survived her critical injuries, Aiden succumbed to smoke inhalation. He was later found in his deceased mother's arms.
Following an investigation, Eric Lawson was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. The legal proceedings that followed were protracted, facing numerous delays over the nine years it took to bring the case to a conclusion. These delays were attributed to various factors, including issues with jury selection and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021, a jury found Eric Lawson guilty of the murders of Gwendolyn Ray, Breiana Ray, and Aiden Lawson. The jury recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, a decision that was upheld by the judge. The family of the victims expressed that they were pleased with the verdict, feeling that justice had finally been served after a long and arduous wait.
