BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – A Beckley man has pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the shooting death of his mother at Beckley Crossing in December 2023.
Deshawn Lawson has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was initially facing first degree murder charges, but he accepted the plea deal of second degree murder today in court.
Lawson admitted to shooting his mother, Patreese Lawson, in the head at the Beckley Crossing Shopping Center on Dec. 29, 2023.
“We know this case got some attention not only because of the facts, but also where it occurred, at the Beckley Crossing shopping center,” Joshua Thompson, assistant Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney, said. “Our office takes this as seriously as it possibly can, and we always will.”
Lawson told Judge Darl Polling that he suffers from several mental health disorders, including bipolar disorder, manic depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and anxiety. However, he said he understood the situation and the plea deal that was offered.
He also told Judge Polling that he dropped out of school after eighth grade and failed to get his GED due to his learning disability.
Lawson avoids the possibility of life in prison without parole, which is the maximum penalty that first degree murder carries. Instead, he was sentenced to thirty years in prison. The plea agreement did not include any guarantee for parole.
Thompson said that the earliest Lawson would be eligible for parole is in seven and a half years. However, he said it could stretch well beyond that.
“We’re happy with having the 30 year number on him going forward,” he said. “I’d like to commend the work of the Beckley Police Department, specifically Detective Deems. I would like to thank our investigator on the prosecutor’s office, Jeff Shumate, as well as my legal assistant, Amber Lelling. We believe that justice has been done today.”
