Lead investigator in Lawson murder trial takes the stand on day three

HINTON, WV (WVNS) — Testimony continued on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 in the Steven Lawson murder trial. Lawson stands accused of killing Fayette County teenager Azareyiah Mitchell.

Lawson murder trial continues in Hinton

Major James Mitchell with the West Virginia State Police took the stand as the lead investigator in the case against Steven Lawson.

Testimony began with Major Mitchell recounting how the West Virginia State Police case began as an investigation into a missing person, but quickly developed into a murder investigation and body recovery.

Major Mitchell recalled the moment they found the first set of Azareyiah Mitchell’s remains.

“Eventually, the defendant had to take us exactly to the location. We were having difficulty finding it, and there were two places where we were able to see that the ground had been disturbed. And so we started to dig in one location, went down about twelve inches, and we uncovered what looked like to be hair and a skull,” said Major Mitchell.

Testimony from Calissa Carper, a forensic scientist with the WV State Police, followed.

Carper testified how the bullet recovered from Mitchell’s body matched the gun found with Lawson’s belongings.

Testimony will continue March 14th, 2024.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.