1 00:00:08,550 --> 00:00:09,930 (Operator speaking) 2 00:00:10,010 --> 00:00:11,930 (Bryan speaking) 3 00:00:29,279 --> 00:00:31,569 Bryan: There's nothing in this world 4 00:00:31,657 --> 00:00:34,697 that compares to having to take a life. 5 00:00:35,536 --> 00:00:36,536 Nothing. 6 00:00:39,748 --> 00:00:40,868 Bryan on recording: Oh, god. 7 00:00:42,501 --> 00:00:45,221 Bryan: All I do is think about every second of what happened that day. 8 00:00:45,254 --> 00:00:47,634 And if there was another option, 9 00:00:47,714 --> 00:00:48,974 I didn't know it. 10 00:00:52,594 --> 00:00:55,724 Bryan on recording: I couldn't take it no more, sir. 11 00:00:59,309 --> 00:01:01,349 Bryan: I'm looking at the rest of my life in prison 12 00:01:01,478 --> 00:01:04,148 but no matter what the outcome of this, 13 00:01:04,273 --> 00:01:06,983 my mind will always be trapped in a prison cell. 14 00:01:07,109 --> 00:01:10,489 You'll never escape that, no matter what. 15 00:01:10,612 --> 00:01:12,702 (Operator speaking) 16 00:01:12,823 --> 00:01:14,783 (Bryan speaking) 17 00:01:34,052 --> 00:01:36,472 Announcer: This is news channel 11 at noon. 18 00:01:36,555 --> 00:01:38,305 A man accused of first‐degree murder 19 00:01:38,390 --> 00:01:40,350 in the shooting death of his wife in January 20 00:01:40,434 --> 00:01:43,314 had his case bound over to the grand jury this week. 21 00:01:43,353 --> 00:01:47,153 Bryan Lawson is charged with first‐degree murder and reckless endangerment 22 00:01:47,232 --> 00:01:50,152 in the death of his wife, Beth chandra Lawson. 23 00:01:50,193 --> 00:01:52,363 Church hill police say a home surveillance system 24 00:01:52,487 --> 00:01:54,527 recorded Lawson shooting his wife. 25 00:01:54,615 --> 00:01:56,655 Investigators said that video also showed 26 00:01:56,700 --> 00:01:58,910 the pair in an argument before the shooting. 27 00:01:59,036 --> 00:02:04,076 The couple's small child was standing beside chandra Lawson when she was shot. 28 00:02:14,343 --> 00:02:15,973 Larry: It's a very serious charge. 29 00:02:16,094 --> 00:02:17,974 It's not a death penalty charge, 30 00:02:18,096 --> 00:02:20,806 but it is a first‐degree murder charge. 31 00:02:20,891 --> 00:02:24,231 Theoretically, he could go to jail for the rest of his life 32 00:02:25,687 --> 00:02:28,397 and he believes that he has a good case of self‐defense 33 00:02:28,523 --> 00:02:31,743 because he was in an abusive relationship. 34 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,320 The state's going to argue that it was not self‐defense, that he intended to do this, 35 00:02:37,449 --> 00:02:39,159 but my personal feeling is, 36 00:02:39,242 --> 00:02:41,452 when the jury does see what was taking place, 37 00:02:41,536 --> 00:02:45,786 they're going to realize that he had to defend himself 38 00:02:46,708 --> 00:02:49,088 and he doesn't wish to harm or hurt anyone. 39 00:02:49,836 --> 00:02:51,336 (Knocks on door) 40 00:02:52,297 --> 00:02:53,477 Larry: Hey, Bryan. Bryan: Hey, Larry. 41 00:02:53,507 --> 00:02:54,627 How you doing? All right. 42 00:02:56,677 --> 00:02:58,397 Larry: We're gonna look at the film, okay? Bryan: Okay. 43 00:02:58,428 --> 00:03:01,768 The events that led up to the actual shooting. 44 00:03:19,282 --> 00:03:20,532 Larry: Why don't you tell us, 45 00:03:20,659 --> 00:03:22,699 what the plans were this morning? 46 00:03:22,828 --> 00:03:26,328 Bryan: I got up that morning, sitting there waiting on her. 47 00:03:26,415 --> 00:03:29,665 She was in the bedroom, watching TV. 48 00:03:29,793 --> 00:03:31,553 I went back, 49 00:03:31,670 --> 00:03:33,960 she opened the door, greeted me, 50 00:03:34,047 --> 00:03:35,797 it was fine at that point. 51 00:03:36,675 --> 00:03:39,385 And I started saying, "hey, we gotta go. 52 00:03:39,511 --> 00:03:42,261 "We're already behind schedule, running late." 53 00:03:46,351 --> 00:03:50,441 And she snapped. 54 00:04:08,874 --> 00:04:10,884 Larry: Is there a reason why you just didn't get up 55 00:04:10,959 --> 00:04:12,149 and hit her back at that point? 56 00:04:12,169 --> 00:04:14,169 I was too scared to. 57 00:04:22,220 --> 00:04:24,140 Larry: Why do you think she continued to hit you 58 00:04:24,222 --> 00:04:26,562 as many times as she did on the video? 59 00:04:26,683 --> 00:04:29,353 She enjoyed it in these states. 60 00:04:30,437 --> 00:04:32,227 When she got into these fits of violence, 61 00:04:32,355 --> 00:04:33,725 anything was possible. 62 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,780 She was very dangerous. 63 00:05:00,509 --> 00:05:03,089 Had I said the wrong word right here, 64 00:05:03,178 --> 00:05:04,428 she would have killed me. 65 00:05:04,513 --> 00:05:05,823 She would have hit you with the bat. 66 00:05:05,847 --> 00:05:06,847 Yes. 67 00:05:06,973 --> 00:05:10,353 And my whole goal during this situation was 68 00:05:10,477 --> 00:05:13,437 to do everything to calm her down, 69 00:05:13,522 --> 00:05:16,272 any sign of aggression would have pushed her further. 70 00:05:20,153 --> 00:05:21,283 Larry: Why do you think 71 00:05:21,363 --> 00:05:23,533 she tries to strike the ground where your feet are? 72 00:05:23,657 --> 00:05:27,787 She knows that my left foot on this side is crippled. 73 00:05:28,912 --> 00:05:32,292 And she knows that my foot's been through multiple, multiple operations. 74 00:05:32,374 --> 00:05:37,634 She was trying to cause me the most pain and anguish she could that day. 75 00:05:42,843 --> 00:05:45,643 Larry: How many different times would you say, over the years, 76 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,390 she's used the ball bat on you? 77 00:05:48,515 --> 00:05:51,425 At least 10, 15 times. 78 00:05:51,518 --> 00:05:52,688 Okay. 79 00:05:52,811 --> 00:05:55,121 What about hit you in the throat with her fist or her knuckles? 80 00:05:55,146 --> 00:05:56,396 Almost every time. 81 00:05:56,481 --> 00:06:00,741 And that would be upwards of hundreds of times. 82 00:06:03,822 --> 00:06:05,992 Larry: The video speaks for itself 83 00:06:06,116 --> 00:06:10,536 and that is very important to your defense in this case. 84 00:06:10,662 --> 00:06:12,002 If it wasn't for the video, 85 00:06:12,038 --> 00:06:14,168 you'd be looking at a serious amount of time 86 00:06:14,249 --> 00:06:17,289 but I suspect the state's gonna argue 87 00:06:17,377 --> 00:06:20,377 you did this knowing it was all gonna be on camera 88 00:06:20,505 --> 00:06:22,965 and set her up to cause her to beat on you, 89 00:06:23,008 --> 00:06:26,598 get her started beating on you so you could, in essence, pull the trigger. 90 00:06:28,930 --> 00:06:30,560 You need to be able to tell the jury 91 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,390 why you had an internal security system in your apartment. 92 00:06:34,477 --> 00:06:36,437 About a year prior to this, 93 00:06:36,521 --> 00:06:39,151 one night, I went out and I caught a girl that, 94 00:06:39,274 --> 00:06:40,824 about a week before had been arrested 95 00:06:40,901 --> 00:06:42,441 for breaking into another apartment. 96 00:06:42,527 --> 00:06:43,527 So, me and my wife 97 00:06:43,653 --> 00:06:45,453 decided to get a surveillance camera 98 00:06:45,530 --> 00:06:47,950 in case our apartment was broken into. 99 00:06:48,033 --> 00:06:49,083 She picked them out, 100 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:50,450 she purchased them, 101 00:06:50,535 --> 00:06:52,785 she brought them home, and I had them installed. 102 00:06:55,832 --> 00:06:58,422 I'd been with her almost 10 years at this point 103 00:06:58,501 --> 00:07:02,711 and she abused and abused and abused on me. 104 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:04,629 And I took it 105 00:07:04,758 --> 00:07:06,928 because there was no controlling her. 106 00:07:09,095 --> 00:07:11,965 And right here, she says, "I haven't decided for sure 107 00:07:12,098 --> 00:07:14,178 "how you're gonna die but you're going to." 108 00:07:23,234 --> 00:07:25,654 Why did you not walk away from this? 109 00:07:25,779 --> 00:07:29,569 I couldn't leave my son, she had him in the back room. 110 00:07:30,533 --> 00:07:33,043 And I believe that had I left 111 00:07:33,161 --> 00:07:37,291 or even called the police, before they would have got there, 112 00:07:37,624 --> 00:07:38,834 she would have took our lives. 113 00:07:39,834 --> 00:07:41,964 Larry: Was there access to weapons? 114 00:07:42,087 --> 00:07:46,257 She had a 12‐gauge, three‐and‐a‐half inch Magnum 115 00:07:46,341 --> 00:07:48,091 set up to shoot. 116 00:07:48,176 --> 00:07:50,636 It was hanging in her bedroom a little while. 117 00:07:50,762 --> 00:07:54,102 Also there was a Taurus .38 special back there. 118 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,060 And right here's when I retrieved the pistol 119 00:07:58,186 --> 00:08:00,186 from behind the couch, 120 00:08:00,271 --> 00:08:03,691 and I just got it, put it in my pocket for safety, 121 00:08:04,526 --> 00:08:07,146 tried to defend me and my son's life 122 00:08:07,195 --> 00:08:08,695 to the best of my ability. 123 00:08:29,009 --> 00:08:30,809 Larry: There's no dispute that Bryan shot her. 124 00:08:30,844 --> 00:08:33,224 There's no dispute that he said he shot her. 125 00:08:33,304 --> 00:08:36,734 The dispute is why he did it. 126 00:08:40,186 --> 00:08:42,806 I kept the domestic abuse a secret 127 00:08:42,897 --> 00:08:44,517 because I didn't want people to know 128 00:08:44,649 --> 00:08:47,149 that she was doing things like that. 129 00:08:48,528 --> 00:08:50,528 I didn't know what to do. 130 00:08:51,656 --> 00:08:54,656 There's no class for me and other guys to say, 131 00:08:54,784 --> 00:08:56,584 "hey, if your wife's beating you, 132 00:08:56,703 --> 00:08:57,703 "you need to do this, 133 00:08:57,787 --> 00:08:59,707 "these are the steps you need to take 134 00:08:59,789 --> 00:09:02,289 "if you're having these types of problems in a relationship." 135 00:09:03,626 --> 00:09:07,796 I'm 6'5". 250, 260 pounds. 136 00:09:07,922 --> 00:09:10,302 Why didn't you jump up and do anything?" 137 00:09:10,425 --> 00:09:12,635 Well, if I would have hit her, 138 00:09:12,761 --> 00:09:14,641 she would have killed me for sure. 139 00:09:18,850 --> 00:09:22,480 I tell you, one time, I did get mad enough to leave 140 00:09:22,562 --> 00:09:25,152 and she got a pistol out and put it in her mouth 141 00:09:25,273 --> 00:09:27,823 and had it not jammed, she would have killed herself. 142 00:09:33,156 --> 00:09:35,406 You know I love her just as much right now 143 00:09:35,533 --> 00:09:37,663 as I did the first day I met her. 144 00:09:37,744 --> 00:09:39,084 And I always will. 145 00:09:42,916 --> 00:09:44,956 I wish I would have done something different. 146 00:09:45,043 --> 00:09:48,673 It just spiraled out of control. 147 00:09:53,176 --> 00:09:56,006 Well, he's certainly guilty of pulling the trigger. 148 00:09:56,137 --> 00:10:00,887 Now, did he have reason to feel that his life was in danger? 149 00:10:00,975 --> 00:10:02,725 And that he was defending himself? 150 00:10:02,852 --> 00:10:05,112 I certainly think he does. Yes, I do. 151 00:10:05,188 --> 00:10:08,228 I think it's a classic case of self‐defense. 152 00:10:28,586 --> 00:10:33,336 Bryan: I met chandra when I was probably about 24, 25 years old. 153 00:10:33,466 --> 00:10:37,676 I guess it was just one of those love‐at‐first‐sight things. 154 00:10:39,639 --> 00:10:43,519 It was a fire that I was attracted to 155 00:10:43,643 --> 00:10:46,813 and it was not only warm to feel around you 156 00:10:46,896 --> 00:10:49,266 but it was beautiful to gaze upon. 157 00:10:51,276 --> 00:10:54,026 There were no bad times for so long. 158 00:10:54,154 --> 00:10:55,994 Everything was just beautiful. 159 00:10:57,657 --> 00:11:00,367 She was my queen to put on a pedestal. 160 00:11:03,788 --> 00:11:06,668 She was in the national guard at the time 161 00:11:06,791 --> 00:11:10,001 and she was about to do two tours of Iraq. 162 00:11:10,128 --> 00:11:13,168 But she got her neck broke during the training process. 163 00:11:15,967 --> 00:11:20,637 Due to her neck injury, they couldn't really deploy her. 164 00:11:22,849 --> 00:11:24,929 We turned to the doctors 165 00:11:25,018 --> 00:11:27,398 and they started giving her pain pills, 166 00:11:27,478 --> 00:11:30,938 hundreds and hundreds of narcotics a month. 167 00:11:31,441 --> 00:11:33,321 And then before you know it, 168 00:11:35,862 --> 00:11:37,742 she'd become addicted to it. 169 00:11:39,949 --> 00:11:42,869 I mean the love we had for each other, 170 00:11:42,994 --> 00:11:45,254 nothing could stop us in the beginning, 171 00:11:46,331 --> 00:11:49,631 but when the drugs came in, it just... 172 00:11:49,709 --> 00:11:51,419 It destroyed a lot of it. 173 00:12:09,687 --> 00:12:12,017 Larry: I interviewed Dr. Tom schock yesterday. 174 00:12:12,106 --> 00:12:15,936 The forensic psychologist who's been furnished 175 00:12:16,027 --> 00:12:17,987 substantial mental health records 176 00:12:18,071 --> 00:12:22,831 of the deceased lady, chandra Beth Lawson. 177 00:12:22,909 --> 00:12:26,039 What her mental health records show is that 178 00:12:26,162 --> 00:12:30,792 she was a substance abuser and she had a bipolar condition. 179 00:12:32,710 --> 00:12:35,880 Substance abuse mixed with a bipolar condition 180 00:12:36,339 --> 00:12:39,469 directly results to a problem with violence. 181 00:12:40,510 --> 00:12:45,310 Is he in a position to say that the medications that she was on 182 00:12:45,348 --> 00:12:48,638 or abusing exacerbated the bipolar disorder? 183 00:12:48,726 --> 00:12:49,976 Aggravated it. Okay. 184 00:12:50,103 --> 00:12:53,823 He went ahead to say people who have a bipolar condition 185 00:12:53,898 --> 00:12:56,148 and people who are substance abusers 186 00:12:56,234 --> 00:12:58,954 are six times more likely to commit a violent act 187 00:12:59,028 --> 00:13:00,778 than the average everyday person. 188 00:13:00,863 --> 00:13:03,493 And we also know that we have a document 189 00:13:03,533 --> 00:13:10,423 in her mental health file which says, when manic, she abuses her husband. 190 00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:13,630 That document itself it's a gold‐plated document 191 00:13:13,751 --> 00:13:15,881 that we wanna be sure and get into the record. 192 00:13:31,060 --> 00:13:35,060 Bryan: I was born with what they call severe clubfoot. 193 00:13:35,189 --> 00:13:38,739 It was almost turned completely backwards. 194 00:13:38,860 --> 00:13:44,160 From six months to 17, I had surgeries all the time. 195 00:13:44,282 --> 00:13:45,282 Doctors... 196 00:13:46,826 --> 00:13:49,846 You get to the point where there's nothing they can do other than take it off. 197 00:13:49,871 --> 00:13:52,921 So, it was pain management from then on out. 198 00:13:55,918 --> 00:14:00,378 I've been on morphine, I've been on opana. 199 00:14:00,465 --> 00:14:04,175 Any pain medication that there is out there, I've been on it. 200 00:14:05,970 --> 00:14:09,850 You keep getting more and more and more and then you start abusing them. 201 00:14:09,932 --> 00:14:11,562 You start crushing them. 202 00:14:11,684 --> 00:14:12,984 You start snorting them. 203 00:14:13,102 --> 00:14:18,022 And then you wake up one morning and you say "I'm a junkie." 204 00:14:21,194 --> 00:14:27,084 You know, I've ruined my hands, my arms, it's all from shooting up 205 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,330 and when you get to that stage... 206 00:14:30,661 --> 00:14:32,461 It's hard to come back. 207 00:14:35,375 --> 00:14:40,795 I was in rehab, called home to check in with my wife, 208 00:14:40,838 --> 00:14:42,468 she said she was pregnant. 209 00:14:44,634 --> 00:14:45,634 And it hit me... 210 00:14:46,677 --> 00:14:48,257 And I thought, "oh, god, 211 00:14:48,346 --> 00:14:50,906 "if you take the needles out of my arm, I wouldn't put them back." 212 00:14:52,016 --> 00:14:54,596 And I left the drugs and I left them behind. 213 00:15:02,026 --> 00:15:05,406 I think him being born saved my life. 214 00:15:08,116 --> 00:15:10,276 And I have never shot up since. 215 00:15:13,037 --> 00:15:15,327 But she never gave up the needle, 216 00:15:15,456 --> 00:15:17,916 and I never could convince her to. 217 00:15:20,002 --> 00:15:24,382 The worse the drugs got, the worse the violence got. 218 00:15:26,509 --> 00:15:29,509 Had we been able to skip the drugs, 219 00:15:32,306 --> 00:15:34,516 we wouldn't be sitting here right now. 220 00:15:53,953 --> 00:15:57,923 Larry: Okay, Bryan, are you telling me, without an absolute doubt, 221 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,540 that this woman mainlined every day? 222 00:16:00,668 --> 00:16:01,538 Bryan: Yes. 223 00:16:01,627 --> 00:16:03,497 Every day? Every day. 224 00:16:03,629 --> 00:16:04,629 Three times a day? 225 00:16:04,714 --> 00:16:06,134 Three times a day. 226 00:16:06,257 --> 00:16:10,467 She would go into the bedroom, back bedroom, where the camera's at, 227 00:16:10,553 --> 00:16:15,483 shut and lock the door because she didn't want kids or nobody to walk in on her, 228 00:16:15,558 --> 00:16:16,888 and she shot up. 229 00:16:16,976 --> 00:16:19,186 It's on that video, I promise you. 230 00:16:28,154 --> 00:16:30,494 So we want to try to see what's going on here. 231 00:16:34,202 --> 00:16:37,042 If it does show her using drugs intravenously, 232 00:16:37,163 --> 00:16:39,253 that could be very important to us. 233 00:16:39,373 --> 00:16:42,423 We can show that she's not an innocent victim, 234 00:16:42,502 --> 00:16:46,422 her actions are as much as what led to the event 235 00:16:46,506 --> 00:16:49,426 as anything, if not the lead cause of it. 236 00:16:49,509 --> 00:16:52,219 So I think it's important to show that to the jury. 237 00:16:58,351 --> 00:17:01,401 I don't know. It's not working is all I can say. 238 00:17:01,521 --> 00:17:03,811 It's not playing it. It's not a video file. 239 00:17:04,524 --> 00:17:06,614 There could be some exculpatory evidence on this 240 00:17:06,692 --> 00:17:09,492 that we really could hang our hat on, 241 00:17:09,529 --> 00:17:11,659 but it could potentially prove problematic for us 242 00:17:11,739 --> 00:17:14,159 if we can't access or see it. 243 00:17:17,620 --> 00:17:18,830 Larry: Okay, Bryan, 244 00:17:18,955 --> 00:17:21,995 let's just bring you up to date a little bit on what's going on. 245 00:17:22,124 --> 00:17:24,174 We've been working on this camera footage. 246 00:17:24,293 --> 00:17:28,423 We've been unable to pull it up and I think it's part of the state's attempt 247 00:17:28,506 --> 00:17:31,466 to try to keep us from getting that information 248 00:17:31,592 --> 00:17:35,012 because it shows that this lady had a problem with drugs. 249 00:17:35,137 --> 00:17:36,697 I don't know why they're having such trouble. 250 00:17:36,722 --> 00:17:39,272 They handed us over the first 24 hours. 251 00:17:39,350 --> 00:17:40,520 More likely than not, 252 00:17:40,643 --> 00:17:42,813 they'd prefer us not to have this information. 253 00:17:44,230 --> 00:17:45,690 That's my personal opinion. 254 00:17:45,773 --> 00:17:47,783 They should be able to just hand it over. 255 00:17:47,858 --> 00:17:49,488 I think there's a problem there. 256 00:17:49,527 --> 00:17:50,857 Wait and see. 257 00:18:04,083 --> 00:18:07,593 Today, I'm going to court for a motions hearing. 258 00:18:08,838 --> 00:18:12,168 We've asked for the footage from the camera system 259 00:18:12,258 --> 00:18:14,138 that was operating in my house at the time 260 00:18:14,218 --> 00:18:17,928 and the hard drive they sent was completely blank. 261 00:18:18,014 --> 00:18:21,144 So, that's going to be the biggest issue we're addressing. 262 00:18:23,352 --> 00:18:26,192 It's a really big deal because if we go to trial, 263 00:18:26,272 --> 00:18:29,902 we need all that footage to compile a good defense. 264 00:18:39,201 --> 00:18:43,961 Court official: All rise for the honorable judge John dugger, presiding. 265 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,790 Thank you. Be seated. Good morning. 266 00:18:45,875 --> 00:18:48,535 This is case number 17cr070, 267 00:18:48,628 --> 00:18:51,208 state of Tennessee v. Bryan Lawson. 268 00:18:51,339 --> 00:18:53,669 Now, there was a motion about... 269 00:18:53,799 --> 00:18:59,809 You have a copy of the video by the tbi, a hard drive or something, 270 00:18:59,930 --> 00:19:02,850 that's been downloaded, that you're not able to open it. 271 00:19:02,975 --> 00:19:04,945 Larry: The point I'd like to make is this, your honor 272 00:19:04,977 --> 00:19:08,307 is they were able to give us that 45 minutes of the incident 273 00:19:08,439 --> 00:19:10,979 when the shooting began and ended. 274 00:19:11,067 --> 00:19:12,127 What I saw in the courtroom. 275 00:19:12,151 --> 00:19:13,441 What you saw in the courtroom, 276 00:19:13,527 --> 00:19:15,247 why can't they just give it to us like that? 277 00:19:15,321 --> 00:19:16,491 Well, your honor, 278 00:19:16,572 --> 00:19:18,242 we don't have any obligation 279 00:19:18,324 --> 00:19:20,334 to provide voluminous material 280 00:19:20,451 --> 00:19:22,701 that we don't think is remotely relevant. 281 00:19:22,787 --> 00:19:24,327 Of course, it's relevant 282 00:19:24,413 --> 00:19:28,583 we don't think we should spend our time or taxpayer money to produce something 283 00:19:28,668 --> 00:19:31,588 that's never going to see the light of day in the courtroom. 284 00:19:31,671 --> 00:19:33,031 What do you want to say about that? 285 00:19:33,130 --> 00:19:36,550 Larry: I think this is something that's exculpatory to him 286 00:19:36,676 --> 00:19:41,426 from the standpoint of how often, daily, she used these syringes. 287 00:19:41,514 --> 00:19:43,974 Let's assume, for the sake of argument, 288 00:19:44,100 --> 00:19:46,190 that she was using every day. 289 00:19:47,144 --> 00:19:51,404 What is the possible relevance to why he shot her three times? 290 00:19:51,482 --> 00:19:53,362 What is the possible relevance? 291 00:19:53,484 --> 00:19:56,154 I'll tell you exactly what the relevance is. 292 00:19:56,278 --> 00:19:58,738 A person who has a bipolar personality 293 00:19:58,864 --> 00:20:03,164 and who is addicted to any kind of opiate‐type medication 294 00:20:03,244 --> 00:20:06,254 is six times more likely to commit a violent act. 295 00:20:07,248 --> 00:20:09,418 Okay. So I am telling the state 296 00:20:09,500 --> 00:20:11,420 that they need to, technology‐wise, 297 00:20:11,502 --> 00:20:14,632 make sure that the tbi technology person talks to him 298 00:20:14,714 --> 00:20:17,054 so they can look at it. Yes, sir. 299 00:20:17,174 --> 00:20:18,804 I want this done before February. 300 00:20:18,926 --> 00:20:21,526 We're not getting to February and going, "I didn't get to see all the hours." 301 00:20:21,554 --> 00:20:23,644 This case needs to be tried. 302 00:20:24,432 --> 00:20:26,272 Court's adjourned. Thank you. 303 00:20:42,199 --> 00:20:45,449 Liam is my wife's son. 304 00:20:45,536 --> 00:20:47,286 So, he'd be my stepson. 305 00:20:49,123 --> 00:20:50,883 I was with him for about 10 years 306 00:20:50,958 --> 00:20:54,588 and we had a really great relationship. 307 00:20:55,546 --> 00:20:57,916 He's absolutely a great kid. 308 00:20:58,007 --> 00:20:59,877 From day one, I loved him. 309 00:21:09,685 --> 00:21:12,015 We don't get into the details of what happened. 310 00:21:12,146 --> 00:21:14,686 We're trying to help each other move on 311 00:21:15,357 --> 00:21:17,607 but I've got to be realistic about it. 312 00:21:17,693 --> 00:21:20,243 No matter what the reasons that I had that day, 313 00:21:20,321 --> 00:21:21,781 that's still his mother. 314 00:21:22,698 --> 00:21:23,698 (Doorbell rings) 315 00:21:27,203 --> 00:21:28,913 Come on in, buddy. Howdy. 316 00:21:29,038 --> 00:21:29,828 Good to see you. 317 00:21:29,872 --> 00:21:32,372 (Grunting) I love you so much. 318 00:21:32,458 --> 00:21:33,998 Liam: I love you, too. (Grunts) 319 00:21:34,126 --> 00:21:35,126 Good to see you. 320 00:21:35,169 --> 00:21:37,339 Come on. Let's go get you something to drink. 321 00:21:41,801 --> 00:21:43,801 So it's great to have you here. 322 00:21:43,928 --> 00:21:46,468 You have no idea what it does for me. 323 00:21:46,597 --> 00:21:48,927 I have something to be happy about. 324 00:21:49,016 --> 00:21:51,386 I just think it's no good to hold hate toward somebody. 325 00:21:51,519 --> 00:21:52,979 You're right, you're right. 326 00:21:53,020 --> 00:21:55,730 What good does it do to me to sit in a room 327 00:21:55,815 --> 00:21:58,525 and just be filled with anger towards you? 328 00:21:58,651 --> 00:22:00,321 And nothing good comes from anger. 329 00:22:00,402 --> 00:22:03,862 You can see that anywhere, anytime. 330 00:22:03,989 --> 00:22:08,659 These situations with drugs and domestic violence... 331 00:22:08,786 --> 00:22:10,116 I've lived through it. Right. 332 00:22:10,204 --> 00:22:12,604 I've been on one end of it, you've been on the other end of it. 333 00:22:12,623 --> 00:22:14,253 I knew something was going on 334 00:22:14,375 --> 00:22:15,915 and it was causing problems. Right. 335 00:22:16,001 --> 00:22:19,631 I hope you can forgive me for those times. 336 00:22:19,713 --> 00:22:22,933 And I apologize to you for that from the bottom of my heart. 337 00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:27,223 So... 'Cause, I love you. 338 00:22:27,346 --> 00:22:31,926 You coming to see me and you coming to hang out with me... 339 00:22:33,227 --> 00:22:36,107 It's the best thing I have going in my life right now. 340 00:22:36,981 --> 00:22:38,151 God love you. 341 00:22:38,232 --> 00:22:39,572 God love you. 342 00:22:41,694 --> 00:22:43,904 I love you, Liam. I love you, too, buddy. 343 00:22:45,614 --> 00:22:49,914 Liam: I loved my mom she was a very good mother she was very supportive, 344 00:22:49,994 --> 00:22:54,544 she was always there, but my mother had a bit of a temper 345 00:22:54,665 --> 00:22:56,825 and she let her anger take the best of her. 346 00:22:57,167 --> 00:22:59,797 I didn't like the arguing, I didn't like the yelling, 347 00:22:59,879 --> 00:23:05,129 the fussing, those moments were what... 348 00:23:05,259 --> 00:23:06,429 Um... 349 00:23:07,428 --> 00:23:09,098 It was just a hard thing to deal with. 350 00:23:10,055 --> 00:23:12,215 It was a terrible thing that she died, 351 00:23:13,017 --> 00:23:18,307 but you can't keep that hate because anger will destroy you. 352 00:23:19,398 --> 00:23:23,068 When my stepson comes to me and tells me he still loves me, 353 00:23:23,193 --> 00:23:27,033 that's the greatest love I can ever have bestowed upon me. 354 00:23:27,156 --> 00:23:31,156 And you've become everything your mother would want you to become. 355 00:23:31,243 --> 00:23:33,833 And I want you to know that 356 00:23:33,954 --> 00:23:36,794 I may not necessarily be the right person to tell you this, 357 00:23:36,874 --> 00:23:38,334 that she would be proud of you, 358 00:23:38,375 --> 00:23:40,125 but she would be. 359 00:23:42,463 --> 00:23:44,673 To a degree, I have forgiven you, 360 00:23:44,798 --> 00:23:48,468 but you will always be the man that killed my mother. 361 00:23:50,220 --> 00:23:52,350 The level of trust that we had before 362 00:23:52,473 --> 00:23:54,523 is never going to be there fully, completely. 363 00:23:55,184 --> 00:23:57,854 There's damage done that's always gonna be there. 364 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,520 We can still love each other, 365 00:24:01,190 --> 00:24:04,190 but we will never be there for each other in the same way that we were. 366 00:24:05,778 --> 00:24:08,028 You still have to atone for what you did. 367 00:24:08,155 --> 00:24:10,905 There still needs to be that justice served. 368 00:24:11,867 --> 00:24:14,787 And if that's your freedoms being taken away, 369 00:24:15,913 --> 00:24:19,503 whether it be five to 10 years, 370 00:24:19,625 --> 00:24:23,245 or 10 to 20 years, that's fine by me, I guess. 371 00:24:49,989 --> 00:24:52,569 Bryan: Larry has called me to come in 372 00:24:52,700 --> 00:24:54,790 and we're going to go through the video 373 00:24:55,327 --> 00:24:58,117 and I'm going to try to remember what was said. 374 00:24:59,123 --> 00:25:01,963 It makes you relive what happened that day, 375 00:25:03,085 --> 00:25:07,795 but without the video I wouldn't even have a shot at a defense. 376 00:25:09,008 --> 00:25:11,838 Who would have believed me? You know? 377 00:25:12,678 --> 00:25:15,218 Okay, Bryan you found anything new 378 00:25:15,347 --> 00:25:16,767 that appears to be different 379 00:25:16,849 --> 00:25:19,139 or enlightens you on anything that we've... 380 00:25:19,268 --> 00:25:21,018 There's a couple of things. 381 00:25:21,145 --> 00:25:24,225 One thing, I did notice this round about 8:07. 382 00:25:24,356 --> 00:25:28,026 She starts telling me that she will bash my brains in. 383 00:25:29,236 --> 00:25:32,696 She's telling me she wants my mother to have to clean my brains up. 384 00:25:33,866 --> 00:25:36,616 And that's why she gets the bat. 385 00:25:40,581 --> 00:25:42,751 My little boy was in the bedroom, 386 00:25:42,875 --> 00:25:45,125 she states that after she kills me, 387 00:25:45,210 --> 00:25:47,960 she's going to take Brayden and herself in the bathroom 388 00:25:48,047 --> 00:25:50,717 and get in the bathtub and cut their arteries with a scalpel. 389 00:25:53,343 --> 00:25:58,143 I tried to plead with her to put the bat down, stop talking about killing, 390 00:25:58,223 --> 00:26:01,773 but anything I say to her only makes her angrier. 391 00:26:02,770 --> 00:26:06,150 And then she very plainly points to the door 392 00:26:06,273 --> 00:26:08,783 and then she starts pointing at me. 393 00:26:08,859 --> 00:26:12,399 And then I remember now that she's telling me 394 00:26:12,529 --> 00:26:16,699 that no matter who comes in that door, everybody's dying. 395 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,909 I ask her why she won't leave Brayden alone 396 00:26:22,915 --> 00:26:25,875 she said he was put on this earth to pay her back 397 00:26:26,001 --> 00:26:28,051 for every bad thing she'd ever done. 398 00:26:30,339 --> 00:26:32,109 Larry: There's your little boy patting his ears there. 399 00:26:32,132 --> 00:26:34,222 Bryan: Yes, because she's screaming. 400 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,350 He's just as scared as I am. 401 00:26:43,727 --> 00:26:46,857 About 8:31 she brings Brayden into the room. 402 00:26:48,607 --> 00:26:52,317 Up to this point she's done nothing but tell me how she's going to kill him. 403 00:26:52,694 --> 00:26:55,204 So, for my own son's safety, 404 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,120 I retrieved the pistol from behind the couch 405 00:26:59,284 --> 00:27:02,124 and I just put it in my pocket for safety. 406 00:27:04,289 --> 00:27:06,669 I didn't arm myself at the beginning. 407 00:27:06,792 --> 00:27:09,802 I armed myself when she convinced me that 408 00:27:09,878 --> 00:27:12,008 she was aiming to do him harm. 409 00:27:14,967 --> 00:27:17,967 Points at me, everybody's going to die 410 00:27:18,804 --> 00:27:20,354 Larry: Is that what she said? Yes, yes. 411 00:27:20,430 --> 00:27:24,180 Bryan: Right then. I wasn't going to risk his life. 412 00:27:24,309 --> 00:27:25,729 He was too precious. 413 00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:29,270 I couldn't take that chance. 414 00:27:33,443 --> 00:27:36,033 (Gunshots) 415 00:27:49,042 --> 00:27:51,042 After I pick up my little boy 416 00:27:51,170 --> 00:27:53,550 my whole intention was to get to that phone 417 00:27:53,630 --> 00:27:56,180 and get help as fast as possible. 418 00:27:57,551 --> 00:27:59,471 (Operator speaking) 419 00:27:59,595 --> 00:28:01,555 (Bryan speaking) 420 00:28:11,356 --> 00:28:13,226 (Operator speaking) 421 00:28:13,358 --> 00:28:14,478 (Bryan speaking) 422 00:28:22,409 --> 00:28:24,329 (Operator speaking) 423 00:28:24,411 --> 00:28:26,081 (Bryan speaking) 424 00:28:29,374 --> 00:28:31,544 (Operator speaking) 425 00:28:32,836 --> 00:28:35,086 (Bryan crying on recording) 426 00:28:38,342 --> 00:28:40,472 (Bryan speaking) 427 00:28:49,478 --> 00:28:51,058 That's it. 428 00:28:51,939 --> 00:28:53,359 (Sighs deeply) 429 00:29:06,495 --> 00:29:08,655 Bryan: Since those bullets left that pistol 430 00:29:09,122 --> 00:29:12,832 my mind has been nothing but pain and anguish. 431 00:29:14,795 --> 00:29:18,965 I regret she lost her life with all my heart and soul. 432 00:29:24,513 --> 00:29:28,733 All I do is think about every second of what happened that day. 433 00:29:29,184 --> 00:29:31,854 And if there was another option I didn't know it. 434 00:29:32,854 --> 00:29:35,154 I had to shoot my wife to save my son. 435 00:29:36,817 --> 00:29:40,147 But what I thought I did to save everything 436 00:29:40,904 --> 00:29:43,284 ended up being what made me lose everything. 437 00:29:53,417 --> 00:29:57,667 Bryan: The day that I was arrested, I was sitting in the police department 438 00:29:57,796 --> 00:30:00,626 and a tbi agent walked in and he says, 439 00:30:00,716 --> 00:30:05,136 "son, I got something I need to talk to you about." 440 00:30:05,220 --> 00:30:08,720 "Have you ever heard of this man?" And I said, "yes, I have." 441 00:30:09,308 --> 00:30:12,228 And he said, "have you ever heard 442 00:30:12,311 --> 00:30:14,101 "that he might be the father of your son?" 443 00:30:14,187 --> 00:30:16,607 And I said, "no, I have not. Never." 444 00:30:19,693 --> 00:30:24,073 He just showed up to the jail and said, "that's my son, 445 00:30:24,823 --> 00:30:26,493 "but nobody knows about it." 446 00:30:27,951 --> 00:30:30,411 I was still in such shock at what had happened that morning. 447 00:30:30,537 --> 00:30:36,337 I couldn't take it all in, but I thought there's no way. 448 00:30:38,128 --> 00:30:39,708 Me and Larry talked it through 449 00:30:39,838 --> 00:30:43,048 and he says we gotta do DNA immediately. 450 00:30:46,345 --> 00:30:48,595 So I get called in to Larry's. 451 00:30:50,265 --> 00:30:53,095 And then he gives me a copy of the DNA test. 452 00:30:54,603 --> 00:30:59,403 And it says Bryan Lawson is not the biological father. 453 00:31:00,067 --> 00:31:02,607 Bryan on recording: (Making playful noises) Yeah! 454 00:31:02,694 --> 00:31:04,364 I love you, love you. 455 00:31:11,912 --> 00:31:14,252 Brayden: No! No! 456 00:31:19,378 --> 00:31:22,378 Bryan: The most important thing in my world was that boy. 457 00:31:25,634 --> 00:31:30,644 It destroyed me because me and him had such a tight bond. 458 00:31:32,182 --> 00:31:33,812 In my heart, he's still mine, 459 00:31:34,518 --> 00:31:38,148 but they won't let me around him in any way, shape or form. 460 00:31:38,814 --> 00:31:40,024 So... 461 00:31:55,455 --> 00:31:58,665 My mom and my mother‐in‐law, chandra's mother, 462 00:31:59,167 --> 00:32:01,747 they have custody of him and he goes back and forth. 463 00:32:02,671 --> 00:32:09,011 I can't talk to him. I can't be anywhere he is. 464 00:32:10,262 --> 00:32:13,432 We go to trial and I win I can see him immediately. 465 00:32:13,849 --> 00:32:16,689 The court would have no reason to hold him from me. 466 00:32:18,353 --> 00:32:20,813 I miss him beyond belief. 467 00:32:20,897 --> 00:32:22,317 But... 468 00:32:23,692 --> 00:32:26,822 That little boy is what gives me the strength to keep living. 469 00:32:46,339 --> 00:32:48,879 Larry: Okay, Bryan, we're going to look at the film again, okay? 470 00:32:49,009 --> 00:32:50,009 Bryan: Okay. 471 00:32:50,051 --> 00:32:52,431 One of the cameras is in the bedroom, 472 00:32:52,512 --> 00:32:54,512 which is where we're looking at now. 473 00:32:54,639 --> 00:32:59,559 Yep. And I already found her shooting up four times. 474 00:33:01,646 --> 00:33:04,766 So, right now, she's got the syringe in her hand. 475 00:33:07,527 --> 00:33:09,947 Now this, is Brayden's personal blanket. 476 00:33:10,030 --> 00:33:11,910 And she lays it out there. 477 00:33:12,199 --> 00:33:13,529 And, uh... 478 00:33:13,992 --> 00:33:16,372 She shoots up on top of his blanket. 479 00:33:18,747 --> 00:33:19,617 So now it's going in. 480 00:33:19,706 --> 00:33:21,996 See the black plunger going down? Mmm‐hmm. 481 00:33:22,125 --> 00:33:23,745 She's getting it in, right there. 482 00:33:29,257 --> 00:33:32,047 She's gonna be more relaxed because she's got her fix. 483 00:33:32,177 --> 00:33:33,387 It's over and done. 484 00:33:33,512 --> 00:33:37,472 If she hadn't had any, that's when you would notice it. 485 00:33:37,599 --> 00:33:41,769 Well, the significance of this, that Dr. Schock tells me, 486 00:33:41,853 --> 00:33:44,653 is that, the day that all this event happened on, 487 00:33:44,731 --> 00:33:47,981 she didn't have an injection or we'll call it "a fix", 488 00:33:48,527 --> 00:33:50,447 and it made her far more agitated... Yes. 489 00:33:50,529 --> 00:33:52,049 Than she normally would've been... Yeah. 490 00:33:52,072 --> 00:33:56,162 And this triggered the event that ultimately took place. 491 00:33:58,787 --> 00:34:01,037 I think it would be wise at this point, 492 00:34:01,540 --> 00:34:04,790 that you let Daniel and me take these to the da's office. 493 00:34:05,252 --> 00:34:07,592 And let them see what's there to be seen. 494 00:34:07,671 --> 00:34:10,381 And it may help modify their position. 495 00:34:10,674 --> 00:34:11,684 Bryan: Okay. 496 00:34:13,009 --> 00:34:14,399 Larry: But let me tell you, if you didn't have that videotape, 497 00:34:14,427 --> 00:34:16,467 you'd be looking at 50 years. Bryan: Yeah. 498 00:34:17,180 --> 00:34:18,310 Absolutely. 499 00:34:33,947 --> 00:34:37,487 Bryan, you know, I think now, the state is beginning to realize 500 00:34:37,576 --> 00:34:40,656 that there might be a problem with their case. 501 00:34:40,704 --> 00:34:43,834 We were approached by the da's office, Dan Armstrong, 502 00:34:43,915 --> 00:34:48,625 and he's beginning to talk some sense about trying to make a deal. 503 00:34:49,087 --> 00:34:50,447 Daniel: What they have proposed is, 504 00:34:50,505 --> 00:34:52,835 that they've come down to voluntary manslaughter. 505 00:34:53,425 --> 00:34:56,925 But, instead of considering you a standard offender, 506 00:34:57,012 --> 00:34:59,312 they're gonna consider you a mitigated offender. 507 00:34:59,973 --> 00:35:02,183 That just means you'd serve 20% of your sentence. 508 00:35:02,309 --> 00:35:04,729 It'd be 15 years, 20%. 509 00:35:04,853 --> 00:35:06,813 So, you'd serve roughly three years 510 00:35:06,938 --> 00:35:09,318 and then you're eligible for parole. Okay. 511 00:35:09,441 --> 00:35:11,821 It doesn't mean you're automatically released, 512 00:35:11,901 --> 00:35:13,821 it means you get your parole hearing. 513 00:35:13,903 --> 00:35:14,823 Okay. Okay? 514 00:35:14,904 --> 00:35:17,664 Right now, and is that what you would advise? 515 00:35:17,782 --> 00:35:21,372 Well, I... The final, the final decision always has to be yours. 516 00:35:21,494 --> 00:35:23,254 But, you know, I think that you've got 517 00:35:23,371 --> 00:35:25,081 a very good chance of acquittal. 518 00:35:25,206 --> 00:35:28,786 This is as strong a case of self‐defense as I've ever seen. 519 00:35:30,462 --> 00:35:32,342 Daniel: I would like for Bryan to go to trial. 520 00:35:33,632 --> 00:35:36,262 If it goes perfectly, I think he gets acquitted. 521 00:35:37,218 --> 00:35:39,298 But, the thing about jury trials 522 00:35:39,429 --> 00:35:42,389 is you never know what a jury is gonna hang their hat on. 523 00:35:43,475 --> 00:35:45,435 You kind of roll the dice sometimes. 524 00:35:46,019 --> 00:35:47,599 But with this kind of case, 525 00:35:48,438 --> 00:35:50,858 sometimes it pays off big to go ahead and roll that dice. 526 00:35:51,691 --> 00:35:53,441 If it was me, I'd take it to trial. 527 00:36:02,202 --> 00:36:06,712 Bryan: I have to let the da know if I'm gonna go to trial or I'm gonna take the plea. 528 00:36:08,375 --> 00:36:12,295 Under no circumstances, does her family want it to go to trial 529 00:36:12,379 --> 00:36:15,629 because they don't want all this stuff to come out about chandra. 530 00:36:16,508 --> 00:36:18,088 I know they want to hush this up, 531 00:36:18,176 --> 00:36:19,336 I take my plea. 532 00:36:19,469 --> 00:36:21,389 They wanna see me serve some time. 533 00:36:22,972 --> 00:36:25,182 The reason to do the things they have asked, 534 00:36:25,934 --> 00:36:27,604 is because they have control of Brayden. 535 00:36:30,772 --> 00:36:35,492 Right now, he's between my mother, Evelyn, and chandra's mother. 536 00:36:35,568 --> 00:36:38,608 I know that if I go against her family's wishes, 537 00:36:38,697 --> 00:36:41,197 then they can take him away from mom. 538 00:36:41,324 --> 00:36:42,834 But if I take the plea, 539 00:36:42,909 --> 00:36:46,039 I know that they'll still let Brayden be a part of her life. 540 00:36:48,873 --> 00:36:51,333 One minute, I'm ready to take the plea, 541 00:36:51,459 --> 00:36:52,999 one minute, I'm ready to go to trial. 542 00:36:54,671 --> 00:36:56,951 It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life. 543 00:36:57,507 --> 00:37:00,137 But if I had to make a decision right now, 544 00:37:00,260 --> 00:37:01,890 I'd go all the way to the jury. 545 00:37:03,346 --> 00:37:05,346 I think I have a good chance that I would win. 546 00:37:06,349 --> 00:37:10,169 And there is an advantage, because I have just told the flat‐out truth. 547 00:37:29,081 --> 00:37:33,211 Bryan: Today is February 1st and, uh, I have to have a decision. 548 00:37:34,669 --> 00:37:36,959 It's either plea or trial. 549 00:37:39,257 --> 00:37:41,337 I'm just an absolute nervous mess. 550 00:37:41,468 --> 00:37:44,048 Can't sleep, can't eat. 551 00:37:44,805 --> 00:37:46,805 I don't feel well. I've been throwing up. 552 00:37:46,890 --> 00:37:49,270 You know, just knowing that... 553 00:37:50,102 --> 00:37:53,232 The end's coming, but not certain on what the end is. 554 00:37:57,943 --> 00:38:03,783 Taking a life fills you with so much emotional pain that it becomes physical. 555 00:38:07,536 --> 00:38:09,906 You'll never lose that pain. Never. 556 00:38:17,295 --> 00:38:20,255 This is Brayden's latest picture. 557 00:38:24,052 --> 00:38:26,472 I haven't seen him or spoke to him, 558 00:38:26,555 --> 00:38:28,425 or held him since that day. 559 00:38:29,975 --> 00:38:32,095 I've missed everything. 560 00:38:33,854 --> 00:38:37,404 He was in the room when his mother was shot and killed. 561 00:38:43,071 --> 00:38:45,121 Bryan: I did it to save him and me both. 562 00:38:45,198 --> 00:38:48,198 But will he understand that? I don't know. 563 00:38:49,286 --> 00:38:50,826 You know, that's his mother... 564 00:38:52,205 --> 00:38:53,205 Period. 565 00:38:53,415 --> 00:38:54,745 (Breathes deeply) 566 00:38:55,417 --> 00:38:57,287 That little boy should have his mother. 567 00:39:15,353 --> 00:39:17,313 Bryan: It's hard to believe that... 568 00:39:17,689 --> 00:39:19,359 The moment's here. 569 00:39:20,317 --> 00:39:22,567 Two years ago, I didn't think it was ever gonna come 570 00:39:22,652 --> 00:39:25,202 and now it's here, I wish it never would have. 571 00:39:31,244 --> 00:39:32,244 I'm ready. 572 00:39:43,548 --> 00:39:45,298 (Indistinct conversations) 573 00:39:47,510 --> 00:39:48,510 Court official: All rise. 574 00:39:50,138 --> 00:39:52,308 Court is back in session. Judge: You can be seated. 575 00:40:03,902 --> 00:40:07,782 This is case number 17cr070. 576 00:40:07,864 --> 00:40:10,914 State of Tennessee v. Bryan Steven Lawson. 577 00:40:10,992 --> 00:40:13,082 We're here today on a plea. 578 00:40:16,373 --> 00:40:18,253 General, you want to tell us about the plea? 579 00:40:18,959 --> 00:40:20,839 Your honor, count one, will be amended 580 00:40:21,169 --> 00:40:23,089 to voluntarily manslaughter. 581 00:40:24,673 --> 00:40:28,263 This plea offer was made on the recommendation of the mother of the victim 582 00:40:29,219 --> 00:40:31,139 and the eldest son of the victim. 583 00:40:31,763 --> 00:40:33,183 Is the victim's family here? 584 00:40:33,306 --> 00:40:35,016 Man: The son is, your honor. 585 00:40:36,059 --> 00:40:37,659 Judge: I'll say thank you for being here. 586 00:40:38,270 --> 00:40:39,980 State your full name for the court. 587 00:40:40,021 --> 00:40:41,651 Bryan Steven Lawson. 588 00:40:41,690 --> 00:40:45,110 You were originally charged by the grand jury with first‐degree murder. 589 00:40:45,193 --> 00:40:47,433 You've heard the Attorney General amend the charges today, 590 00:40:47,821 --> 00:40:48,991 to voluntary manslaughter. 591 00:40:49,114 --> 00:40:51,164 Do you know what voluntary manslaughter is? I do. 592 00:40:51,283 --> 00:40:53,373 Is this your signature on this waiver of rights 593 00:40:53,451 --> 00:40:55,001 to plead guilty? It is, your honor. 594 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,250 Did you read it? Did you understand it? I did. 595 00:40:57,330 --> 00:41:00,290 You understand by pleading guilty, this is the only trial, 596 00:41:00,375 --> 00:41:02,265 the only hearing you will ever have on these charges, 597 00:41:02,294 --> 00:41:04,964 there will be no opportunity for you after today 598 00:41:05,005 --> 00:41:06,965 to present evidence of your innocence 599 00:41:07,090 --> 00:41:08,380 or to plead not guilty? I do. 600 00:41:08,466 --> 00:41:11,136 What you are agreeing, is to take a 15‐year sentence. 601 00:41:11,177 --> 00:41:12,887 Do you understand that? I do. 602 00:41:13,013 --> 00:41:14,813 And it's gonna be, because you have no record, 603 00:41:14,931 --> 00:41:16,351 to a 20%. 604 00:41:16,433 --> 00:41:18,353 And do you understand 20% doesn't mean 605 00:41:18,476 --> 00:41:20,726 you're automatically released after serving 20%? 606 00:41:20,812 --> 00:41:22,612 You could be required to serve every day 607 00:41:22,689 --> 00:41:24,189 for 15 years. I do. 608 00:41:25,483 --> 00:41:27,743 Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty? Yes, sir. 609 00:41:27,861 --> 00:41:30,161 Any force, threats or pressure? No, sir. 610 00:41:30,238 --> 00:41:32,158 Anybody promise you anything other than 611 00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:34,830 what's on this waiver of rights to plead guilty? No, sir. 612 00:41:35,493 --> 00:41:37,583 Are you satisfied with your lawyers? I am. 613 00:41:37,662 --> 00:41:40,332 Did they do everything you wanted them to do? Yes. 614 00:41:41,333 --> 00:41:43,633 Do you have any statement, or anything you want to say? 615 00:41:45,045 --> 00:41:46,955 I'd just like to let the family know 616 00:41:47,088 --> 00:41:50,378 that I appreciate all their support during this. 617 00:41:51,468 --> 00:41:53,798 And I express every level of remorse 618 00:41:53,887 --> 00:41:55,717 that I have in my fiber to them. 619 00:41:57,682 --> 00:41:59,602 And I'm sorry this happened. 620 00:42:00,727 --> 00:42:03,227 In Hawkins county case 17cr070, 621 00:42:03,563 --> 00:42:06,323 I find you guilty to voluntary manslaughter 622 00:42:06,358 --> 00:42:08,318 and sentence you to serve 15 years, 623 00:42:08,401 --> 00:42:10,491 which means you're now a convicted felon. 624 00:42:13,323 --> 00:42:14,433 All right, you'll be in custody. 625 00:42:14,449 --> 00:42:16,029 You'll go over here with the sheriff. 626 00:42:22,874 --> 00:42:25,464 Bryan: With all my heart, I wanted to go to the trial. 627 00:42:26,336 --> 00:42:28,206 But it's not all about me. 628 00:42:30,173 --> 00:42:32,093 It's about a little boy's life. 629 00:42:33,843 --> 00:42:38,143 If I could take that suffering, off of him by going to jail... 630 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:42,310 Even if it's 100 years, 631 00:42:42,977 --> 00:42:44,307 I'm going to take it.