Thomas L. 'Shorty' Whitson, an 84-year-old Korean War veteran and lifelong resident of Pickaway County, died unexpectedly at his residence in Orient, Ohio, on March 30, 2014. He was born on October 27, 1929, to John and Eva Whitson. Whitson was a retired prison worker and farmer, well-known and respected in his community.
The circumstances surrounding Whitson's death were tragic and involved a calculated and premeditated act.
On the night of March 30, 2014, Shaun Lawson, Whitson's grandson, along with four of his friends, broke into Whitson's home. Lawson, who was 30 years old at the time, shot Whitson in the head while he was asleep in his favorite chair. The motive behind the murder was Lawson's desire to obtain Whitson's guns to sell them for drugs.
Lawson's friends, Kyle Robinson , Jordan Legg , and Joshua P. Johnson , were also involved in the crime. Robinson helped plan the murder but was not present in the house when Whitson was killed. Legg and Johnson participated in the burglary but did not know about the murder beforehand. Robinson was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for aggravated murder, while Legg received the same sentence. Johnson was sentenced to seven years for aggravated burglary and grand theft.
The case was investigated by Pickaway County Sheriff's Detective John Strawser, who managed to apprehend Robinson and his accomplices without incident. Lawson, who admitted to being the trigger man, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The court proceedings revealed that Lawson had a history of mental illness, including anti-social personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression.
The tragic death of Thomas Shorty Whitson left his family and community devastated. His son, Doug Whitson, expressed the profound grief and loss he felt, stating that he couldn't sleep and would often drive to his father's house only to realize he was gone. The family remembered Whitson as a generous and caring man who loved his chickens, grew delicious tomatoes, and made the best cornbread from scratch.
In summary, Thomas Shorty Whitson's death was the result of a premeditated murder carried out by his grandson and his friends, motivated by a desire to obtain Whitson's guns to sell for drugs. The case involved multiple arrests, convictions, and sentences, highlighting the tragic and senseless nature of the crime.
