In the early morning hours of June 22, 2016, a tragic event unfolded in a small camping trailer off Dutterow Road near Lacey, Washington, ending the life of 31-year-old Terron R. McGrath. A Caucasian female, McGrath, along with two men, Jackson L. Edens, 28, and Gerald M. Berkey, 36, were found shot to death inside the trailer where McGrath and Edens resided.
The scene, as described by law enforcement, suggested the violence happened quickly and without a significant struggle.
The investigation began after a fourth individual, a man who had been shot in the chest, managed to call 911 around 5:15 a.m. He informed dispatchers that his friends were dead and that he was injured, but was unsure of his location. Authorities were able to trace his cellphone signal to the fifth-wheel trailer. Inside, they discovered the bodies of McGrath, Edens, and Berkey. The lone survivor was transported to a local hospital and underwent surgery. Investigators did not consider him a person of interest in the killings. A search of the trailer uncovered a significant quantity of drugs, including half a pound of methamphetamine and a baseball-sized amount of black tar heroin, in addition to several thousand dollars in cash and multiple firearms.
Within a week of the discovery, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of a suspect. Dugan John Lawton, 24 years old at the time, was taken into custody and booked on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and attempted murder. Investigators identified Lawton as the alleged shooter in what they believed was a pre-planned incident that occurred during a residential burglary. The gravity of the charges was underscored by the possibility of the death penalty, as the crime was considered an aggravated offense. Bail for Lawton was set at $5 million.
Later, another man, Enrique Lamere, was also implicated in the crime. Initially sought as a material witness, Lamere was eventually charged in connection with the triple homicide. In April 2018, Lamere pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his role in the robbery that led to the deaths of McGrath, Edens, and Berkey. He was subsequently sentenced to 19 years in prison. For Terron McGrath’s family, the loss was immeasurable. They remembered her as a loving mother of two daughters who was preparing to enter drug court in an effort to turn her life around.
