Lasaaun Lawrence, a 27-year-old man, was senselessly murdered in a brutal act of vengeance stemming from a dispute over a small sum of money. The events leading to his death began on September 23, 2020, when Lawrence went to the Valley Stream home of Avita Campbell and her son, Raymond Jackson, to collect money he believed he was owed for a car repair. This encounter escalated into a physical altercation between Lawrence and Jackson.
Later that same day, the conflict took a deadly turn.
At approximately 5:40 p.m., Campbell and Jackson were captured on video surveillance exiting a white BMW on Beach 31st Street near Seagirt Avenue in Far Rockaway. Lawrence was sitting in his double-parked car at the location. Armed with a metal pipe, Campbell accompanied her son, who was carrying a handgun, as they approached Lawrence's vehicle. Jackson then fired about a dozen shots into the car, striking Lawrence multiple times. After the shooting, Campbell used the metal pipe to smash the windshield of Lawrence's car before she and her son fled the scene in their BMW. Lasaaun Lawrence died from the gunshot wounds.
The investigation into Lawrence's murder led police to Campbell and Jackson. On October 2, 2020, Campbell was pulled over while driving the same white BMW. A court-authorized search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded handgun and two magazines. Ballistics testing confirmed this was the weapon used to kill Lawrence. Campbell was arrested, but Jackson had already fled. In December 2020, Jackson was apprehended in Florida and extradited back to New York to face charges.
Both Avita Campbell and Raymond Jackson were indicted on charges including second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. In May 2023, the mother and son duo pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Campbell also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of personal identification information. For their roles in the cold-blooded killing, Raymond Jackson was sentenced to 24 years in prison, and his mother, Avita Campbell, received a 22-year prison sentence. Both were also sentenced to five years of post-release supervision.
