James Jim Baxter, a 58-year-old White male from Trenton, Nebraska, died on April 27, 2016, after being shot inside a home in the 200 block of West D Street. Deputies who responded in the early morning hours found Baxter deceased inside and another man, 49-year-old Robert Bob Lawing, dead outside the residence. Authorities identified the incident as a murder-suicide.
Investigators later released that Lawing fatally shot Baxter and then killed himself with the same handgun, which the sheriff s office described as stolen. Officials did not disclose what precipitated the shootings, and both men were residents of Trenton.
Two days after the killings, a house associated with Lawing burned down in a separate incident; the Nebraska State Fire Marshal determined the blaze had been intentionally set. Despite the confirmed arson, authorities reported no arrests connected to the fire.
Baxter s identity and age were confirmed through funeral and memorial notices published soon after his death. These sources corroborate the date of death and his long ties to the Trenton/McCook area.
