Man Sentenced in Deaths Of 5 Children
JACKSON, Miss. -- David Lawrence spent his second night Sunday behind bars in a 65-year prison sentence.
Saturday, a jury found Lawrence guilty on all counts for the deaths of five children on the Natchez Trace. Lawrence was driving with a blood alcohol level 2.5 times the legal limit when he hit a family’s car last August.
“You know, it doesn’t bring them back but it’s a weight lifted,” said Michael Martin, brother of Lisa Miller, who was driving the car that Lawrence struck, killing her five children. “Maybe other people that drink -- it tells them you can’t do this.”
“I known he didn’t hit Lisa to kill our children,” said Nichelle Bradley, Lisa’s mother. “He made a horrible decision to drive drunk, and that was the end result. He may be resourceful. I can’t read his heart.”
Lawrence took the stand in his own defense during the weeklong trial. The rest of the time, he sat with his chin to his chest.
“He is as devastated as he can be now,” said Madison County District Attorney Rich Mitchell. “He knows what’s ahead of him, and it’s not a pleasant future. He is in his own little hell for 10 months and now he’s going to have to stay there for a while.”
After the six guilty verdicts the judge sentenced him to 125 years in prison -- some of which is a suspended sentence and some of which will overlap, leaving Lawrence facing 65 years behind bars.
While the state prevailed in its case against Lawrence, both sides agreed that, in the end, there were no winners.
Lawrence’s said they may file a request for a new trial, which would give them an extension on any appeals they plan to file in the coming weeks.