In the early evening of March 31, 2016, in the Shively area of Louisville, Kentucky, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet on Appleton Lane. A neighbor heard two gunshots and, upon stepping outside, noticed a white car with its windshield wipers still moving. Inside the vehicle were 20-year-old Kamal Lawson and his 26-year-old cousin, Jermaine Simmons. Both men had been shot and were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
The double homicide prompted an immediate and intense investigation by the Shively Police Department.
The investigation into the deaths of Lawson and Simmons moved quickly. Detectives believed the two men had arranged to meet the suspects for the purpose of a marijuana transaction. The violent encounter took place in a parking lot outside the apartment of one of the suspect's mothers. Within days, authorities made arrests in the case, bringing some measure of relief to the grieving families and a concerned community.
Two eighteen-year-olds, Marquice Hamilton and Brian Hutchings, were taken into custody and faced serious charges for their alleged roles in the killings. The charges filed against both men included two counts of murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of tampering with physical evidence. According to police, at least one of the suspects was acquainted with the victims prior to the fatal meeting.
Those who knew Kamal Lawson were shocked by his violent death. He was remembered as a 'strong but quiet' and 'likeable and smart' young man who had been an usher at West End Baptist Church. He had also been a football player during his time at Central High School. The arrests of Hamilton and Hutchings provided a degree of closure for Lawson's family, whom his reverend described as 'Godly people' deeply pained by the tragic loss.
