Ten years ago on this date, 29 November 2003, a convicted rapist and murderer, Leonard Keith Lawson died in his cell at the Grafton Correctional Centre in New South Wales, Australia. I will post information about him from Wikipedia and Murderpedia and some quotes from Paul B. Kidd’s book, before giving my comments and thoughts. His case was very similar to Barry Gordon Hadlow.
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Convicted murderer Leonard Lawson arrested and arraigned, Central Police Court, Sydney (Photo by Jack Mulligan) (PHOTO SOURCE: http://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/lawson-leonard-keith.htm) |
INTERNET SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Lawson
Leonard Keith Lawson (1927 - 29 November 2003), better known as Len Lawsonor Lennie Lawson, was a bestselling Australian comic book creator, successful commercial artist and photographer, and a convicted rapist and murderer.
Lawson first came to prominence as the creator of The Lone Avenger, an Australian comic book hero, whose first appearance was in the second issue of Action Comics in 1946, running for thirteen years, eventually taking over the entire comic and selling up to 70,000 copies. Lawson also created another masked Western vigilante hero The Hooded Rider, as well as Diana, Queen of the Apes and Peter Fury.
In 1954, however, Lawson kidnapped, assaulted and raped five models. He was sentenced to death but had his sentence commuted to 14 years in prison. After his release in 1961, he raped and killed another model on 7 November 1962 and on the next day, took several hostages at the Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School, killing a 15-year old girl in the ensuing siege. Sentenced to life imprisonment, Lawson died in prison in November 2003.
INTERNET SOURCE: http://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/lawson-leonard-keith.htm
Classification: Murderer |
Characteristics: Convicted rapist - Siege at a private girls’ school |
Number of victims: 2 |
Date of murders: November 7-8, 1961 |
Date of arrest: November 8, 1961 |
Date of birth: August 16, 1927 |
Victims profile: Jane Bower, 16 / Wendy Sue Luscombe, 15 |
Method of murder: Stabbing with knife / Shooting |
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Status: Sentenced to death on 25 June 1954. Commuted to 14 years imprisonment. Paroled in May 1961. Sentenced to life in prison, 1962. Died in prison on November 29, 2003 |
An artist, Lawson was convicted of the rape of two teenage girls in 1952. Originally sentenced to death it was later commuted to life imprisonment.
He was released on parole in 1961, whereupon he stabbed a 16 year-old girl and the next day strangled a 15 year-old girl in Sydney.
Again sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders, he is now eligible to apply to the Supreme Court for a fixed sentence. While in prison he tried to kill another female in 1972.
Leonard Keith Lawson
Leonard Keith Lawson, a convicted rapist and murderer, died on Nov. 29, 2003, in his cell at the Grafton Correctional Centre in New South Wales. Authorities say he probably suffered a heart attack. He was 76.
Lawson worked as a successful commercial artist and photographer before he became a violent criminal. In 1954, he kidnapped five models, took them into the Terrey Hills bush in north Sydney and raped two of them at gunpoint; he also sexually assaulted the others. Originally sentenced to be executed, Lawson received a 14-year prison sentence after the death penalty was commuted. When he was released, Lawson used his artistic background to lure new victims.
On Nov. 7, 1961, while painting a portrait of 16-year-old Jane Bower, Lawson tied her up, sexually assaulted her then stabbed her to death. The next day, he carried a gun into the Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School and took several students hostage. Fifteen-year-old Wendy Sue Luscombe, who was sitting in the chapel pews, was shot and killed during the siege. This time, Lawson received a life sentence.
Imprisonment didn't curb Lawson's violent tendencies. Ten years into his second incarceration, a group of dancers gave a concert for the inmates at his prison. At the end of the performance, Lawson jumped on stage and threatened to kill one of the dancers, Sharon Hamilton, with a knife. Although Hamilton was released unharmed, she committed suicide six years after the attack.
One of the oldest prisoners in Australia, Lawson spent 48 years in prison, and has been behind bars continuously since 1962. Several of his paintings currently hang at the prison where he died.
Leonard Keith Lawson (b. 16 August 1927), creator of The Lone Avengerand The Hooded Rider comic books, drove five female models on a photo shoot to bushland in the Terrey Hills area on 7 May 1954. After binding and gagging them at gunpoint, he raped three of them, and indecently assaulted the other two women.
He was apprehended by police and was initially sentenced to death on 25 June 1954, but this was later commuted to 14 years imprisonment. A model prisoner, Lawson was paroled in May 1961 after just serving seven years.
On 6 November 1961, he raped and murdered a teenage girl, Jane Bower, and was apprehended by police the following day during a siege at a private girls’ school where, while struggling with a teacher, Lawson’s gun went off, killing a student, Wendy Luscombe. Lawson was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1962 and died at the Grafton Correctional Centre on 29 November 2003.
Killer Lawson dies after 50 years in jail
By Candace Sutton - The Sun-Herald
November 30, 2003
One of NSW's most notorious criminals, Leonard Keith Lawson, 76, died in Grafton jail yesterday after being imprisoned for the better part of 50 years.
Lennie Lawson, as he was known, became a successful commercial artist and photographer before committing multiple rape and murder.
In his teens, he created a highly popular comic book character, The Lone Avenger, a masked lawman who saved women from kidnappers and brought murderers to task.
In 1954, at the age of 26, he took five June Dally-Watkins photographic models into the Terrey Hills bush in north Sydney and, at gunpoint, raped two and sexually assaulted the others.
He was condemned to death, but his sentence was commuted to 14 years' jail and he was released after serving only half the term.
On November 7, 1962, while painting a portrait of 16-year-old Manly girl, Jane Bower, in his flat at Collaroy, Lawson bound her arms, sexually assaulted her and stabbed her to death. The next day, he burst into the chapel of the Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School at Moss Vale, taking schoolgirls hostage.
(A few weeks earlier he had dined with the SCEGGS pupils and staff as an honoured "author", after convincing the headmistress he was researching a novel set in a girls' school.)
In the siege, a struggle ensued and his gun discharged, killing 15-year-old Wendy Sue Luscombe, who was sitting in the pews.
Lawson was sentenced to life imprisonment.
On December 15, 1972, a group of dancers arrived at Parramatta jail to give a concert for the inmates.
Lawson, on privileges, was in the audience. At the end of the performance, he whipped out a knife and jumped to the stage, holding the blade to the throat of dancer Sharon Hamilton in what prison warders believe was an escape attempt.
Hamilton later sought extensive psychiatric treatment and became a patient at the now notorious Chelmsford Hospital. Six years after the attack, Hamilton committed suicide.
Residing in Grafton jail, Lawson applied for day leave and, in 1994, for a determinant sentence.
He told a reporter that he believed he deserved some freedom and he wasn't a threat, although "the rhythms of the city and its women" got to him.
His application was rejected.
Lawson continued his painting throughout his life in jail, producing many canvases which hang in Grafton.
COMMENTS:
In Paul B. Kidd’s book, ‘Never to be released’, Lenny Keith Lawson won his parole for the two rapes he committed not only because of just escaping the death sentence, but also because he was a model prisoner, good artist and a devout Roman Catholic. Just like Barry Hadlow, Lenny played Christian to get out of prison.
Lenny’s case is a great embarrassment to Sister Helen Prejean who always insists that murderers should be allowed to keep their lives. I suggest anybody showing to her and see how she will freak out for sure! Three innocent lives were lost and Sister Helen Prejean will keep silent for sure!
Since Lenny died in prison already, Thank God that no one can free him or write any letters to him. I encourage people to destroy his artworks, such a disgrace to buy artwork from a rapist murderer. This is a perfect example of how flawed restorative Justice is.