Greg Lawson, a 63-year-old Louisiana man who had been a fugitive for 32 years, was captured in Huatulco, Mexico this week. Lawson was convicted in absentia for attempted second-degree murder in 1991 but had fled before the jury’s verdict. He was apprehended following a tip received by FBI New Orleans and is now back in Louisiana, awaiting action by Bienville Parish authorities.
The FBI released a video showing Lawson being escorted by authorities at an airport in Mexico, where he was seen laughing just before being handcuffed. “The three-decades-long search for a man convicted of attempted murder is over, thanks to a tip received by FBI New Orleans,” the agency said in a social media post.
Lawson was accused of attempting to shoot Seth Garlington in 1991 after a disagreement at a gas station. Garlington survived the encounter, but Lawson evaded arrest by leaving town before the jury reached a verdict. The FBI launched an initial search in May 1991 and over the years received various tips and alleged sightings, suspecting from the beginning that Lawson had fled to Mexico.
The capture involved coordination between FBI agents in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Mexico, as well as immigration authorities. Lawson was deported back to the U.S. for immigration violations.
Douglas A. Williams Jr., Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans, expressed gratitude to the Mexican partners and the public, saying, “There is no doubt that Mr. Lawson might still be in the wind if our partners in Mexico had not been willing to deal with this so swiftly.” Earlier this year, another individual from the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list was also arrested in Mexico.
