In the quiet community of Frenchtown Township, near Monroe, Michigan, the life of 35-year-old Joy Dawn Boswell was tragically cut short on the evening of Wednesday, February 3, 2021. The setting was the Shady Creek RV and Park Resort, also known as Camp Lord Willing, a place that became the scene of a fatal domestic disturbance. Boswell, a woman from Michigan, was shot in the face during an altercation with her boyfriend, who was living at the campground.
The incident unfolded as a fight
between Boswell and her partner escalated outside their vehicle near the entrance of the campground. A witness to the event, the nephew of the park's president, recounted seeing the argument culminate in the fatal shooting. In the immediate aftermath, the suspect reportedly expressed remorse before fleeing into the nearby woods. Boswell was rushed to Oakwood Southshore Hospital in Trenton, Michigan, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Austin Taylor Lucas of Plano, Texas, did not remain at large for long. A Monroe County Sheriff's deputy later found him walking along Steiner Road, covered in blood. Lucas was taken into custody and subsequently arraigned in First District Court in Monroe. He faced charges of open murder and felony firearms. During his arraignment, he was denied bond and remained lodged in the Monroe County jail. It was noted that Lucas and Boswell had a history of problems at the park, but none that had previously escalated to such a violent and tragic conclusion.
