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Man Arrested Naked at West Virginia Casino Named Suspect in McDowell County Homicide

Jail records list a first-degree murder charge, with investigators withholding the victim’s identity during the active inquiry.

Overview

  • Thomas Jeffrey Lawson Jr., 33, of Iaeger, was arrested around 1 a.m. Sunday at the Mardi Gras Casino in Nitro on an indecent exposure charge.
  • McDowell County deputies discovered a deceased man during a 10:30 p.m. Saturday welfare check in the Trail Hollow area near Iaeger, the sheriff said.
  • Sheriff James Muncy confirmed Lawson is a suspect in the case and has not released the cause of death.
  • South Central Regional Jail records show Lawson is incarcerated and being held on a first-degree murder charge out of McDowell County.
  • A Kanawha County criminal complaint states Lawson approached a Nitro officer naked, made an obscene gesture, ran, was tackled, and was redressed before removal from the casino.