Eric Lawson Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Ex-girlfriend, Her Mother, and Their Baby

A 32-year-old Missouri man who killed his ex-girlfriend, their infant, and his ex's mother has been sentenced to life by a jury. This comes nearly ten years after he committed the horrific crime.

Eric Lawson, a 32-year-old man who killed his 10-month-old son, his ex-girlfriend, and her mother in 2012, has been sentenced to life in prison following a jury verdict.

On May 5, 2012, Lawson killed his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend Breiana Ray, and her mother, Gwendolyn Ray, 50, by shooting them at their apartment.

He then set the apartment on fire and locked the door on his way out, leaving his and Breiana's ten-month-old son Aiden trapped. As the fire spread, the little one seemingly crawled to his mother as authorities found him dead in her arms.

Breiana's three-year-old daughter, McKenzie, was also trapped in the house. She suffered smoke inhalation but survived, making her the only survivor in the incident.

Authorities report that after leaving Breiana's house, Lawson went home where he changed his clothes and started sexting a woman while the police and firefighters worked at the scene.

Gwendolyn's brother, Vincent, is grateful for how the case ended.

Lawson's sentence came after several of his relatives testified to how his upbringing in poverty and lack of family support eventually led to his exposure to violence.

Following the testimonies, the jury recommended that Lawson be sentenced to life in prison instead of giving him the expected death penalty.

Judge Micheal Noble, the judge presiding over Lawson's trial at a St. Louis Circuit court, accepted the jury's recommendation and pronounced the judgment.

The case reportedly went to trial at the Missouri court because Robert Steele, a former prosecutor with the Circuit Attorney's Office, had once counseled Lawson when he was still a public defender.

In total, the case took nine years to get to trial due to multiple setbacks encountered, including changes of personnel on the state and defense legal teams as well as issues in the jury selection process.

Though the court judgment comes nearly a decade after Lawson committed the crime, Gwendolyn's brother, Vincent, is grateful for how the case ended.

The 56-year-old reportedly revealed that his family is happy that justice has finally been served for Breiana, Gwendolyn, and little Aiden.

Surely, many others who were saddened by the gruesome murder of the trio are also happy to know that Lawson has received the deserved punishment for his crimes.