HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A Henry County couple pled guilty to murdering a friend who was staying with them at their Stockbridge home.
Frank Lawler, 49, and his 62-year-old girlfriend, Evelyn York, were both sentenced in the 2018 death of 34-year-old Jonathan Scruggs.
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Scruggs was staying with the couple and sleeping on their couch when they got into an argument about money and the living arrangements. Scruggs was reported missing the next day.
Two days later, Scruggs was found dead in the woods about a mile from the home with a gunshot wound to the head.
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Investigators found that Lawler had asked friends to burn the couch that Scruggs had been sleeping on. Lawler and York also bought bleach and had their vehicle cleaned, but police still found traces of Scruggs’ blood inside the vehicle. They also found multiple guns at their home.
Lawler was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and concealing the death of another. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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York pled guilty to charges of concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As part of her plea deal, she was sentenced to 25 years with the first 15 years to be served in prison.
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