In May of 2018, a 34-year-old man named Jonathan Scruggs was temporarily residing with a couple, Frank Lawler and Evelyn York, in their Stockbridge, Georgia home. An argument erupted on May 20th between Scruggs and his hosts concerning money and the living situation. After the disagreement, Scruggs went to sleep on the couch in their home. This would be the last time he was seen alive. The following day, he was reported as a missing person.
Two days after the argument, on May 22, 2018, the body of Jonathan Scruggs was discovered in a wooded area off of Georgia Highway 42 and Highland Boulevard, approximately a mile from the home he shared with Lawler and York. An autopsy would later reveal that he had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. The investigation into his death quickly focused on his roommates.
Lawler and York became the primary suspects in the case. During the investigation, it was discovered that on the day Scruggs was reported missing, Lawler had asked friends to burn the very same couch Scruggs was last seen sleeping on. The couple also purchased bleach and had their vehicle cleaned. Despite their efforts to conceal any evidence, investigators found traces of Scruggs' blood inside their vehicle. Multiple firearms were also discovered in the home.
In September 2018, Frank Albert Lawler, then 44, and Evelyn Yvonne York, then 58, were arrested and charged in connection with the death of Jonathan Scruggs. Lawler faced charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and concealing the death of another. York was charged with concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In April 2023, both Lawler and York pled guilty to the charges against them. Lawler was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. As part of a plea deal, York was sentenced to 25 years, with the first 15 years to be served in prison.
