Maine US Marshals Capture Man Wanted for Putnam and Thompson Stabbings; Several Other Crimes

Putnam/Thompson/Killingly, CT – A Putnam man was captured in Bangor, ME by the US Marshals Service and has been extradited to Connecticut on a Manslaughter warrant stemming from the homicide of a man who was dropped off at Day Kimball with a fatal stab wound in September 2023.

On June 12th, 2024 members of the U.S. Marshals, Maine Violent Offender Task Force apprehended Walter Lawson (addresses listed as Putnam, Dayville, Woodstock, and Bridgeport) in a Bangor, ME hotel without incident. Lawson is wanted for multiple area crimes including the September 2023 stabbing where a man was dropped off at the Day Kimball Birthing Center and later died, conspiracy in the May 2024 stabbing of a woman at Thompon’s Fabyan Rd Boat Launch, and attempting to sell narcotics to a minor in Killingly. While charges do not appear to have been filed, evidence submitted by Troop D in Lawson’s arrest warrant indicates he was likely involved in the May 2024 Buckley Hill house fire.

Lawson has been extradited to Connecticut by the Connecticut State Police (CSP) Eastern District Major Crimes Squad and United States Marshals Service, District of Connecticut, Violent Fugitive Task Force for the below charges. He is held on a combined $1,525,000 bond.

• Manslaughter 1st Degree (53a-55)
• Conspiracy to commit assault 1st degree (53a-59)
• Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Person <18 Years Old (21a-278a(a))
• Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Subsiquent Offense (21a-279(a)(3))

Day Kimball Stabbing Drop-off Incident/Investigation

According to an affidavit within Lawson’s arrest warrant for Manslaughter 1st Degree, provided by the Connecticut State Police, video was obtained depicting the front of the Quaddick Rd, Thompson residence where the stabbing occurred.

The video showed (as detailed by a CSP Detective within the affidavit) that at 2:21 PM on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023, a black SUV entered the U-shaped driveway and parked in front of the residence. A second black SUV, resembling a GMC Acadia, approached the residents seconds later. A heavyset male exited the Acadia’s driver seat and the victim exited the passenger seat. Following a verbal exchange with three females in the driveway, the victim and two of the females entered the residence followed by the heavyset man at 2:22 PM.

Statements from parties within the home (including Lawson) indicate the victim entered the house, ordered everyone out, and threatened to “shoot up” the house (worded differently in each statement), while the heavyset man had his hand inside his sweatshirt as if he had a firearm (all reports indicate no gun was ever brandished). Lawson explained in a later interview the heavyset male believed he was selling drugs out of the house, which he denied. A verbal altercation ensued where Lawson grabbed the victim by the collar before being broken up and the group left the house.

The video then skips to 2:23 PM where males can be heard shouting, likely within the residence.

At 2:24 PM a skinny male wearing a black tracksuit exits the front door and walks to a blue sedan parked in the driveway. Approximately 30 seconds later, a male wearing gray sweatpants and a black and white hoodie exited the front door walking fast with a backpack and small box in hand (This man is identified as Lawson). Immediately behind Lawson the victim also exited the residence walking fast.

Lawson turned around to face the victim saying “You REDACTED back up.” The victim then approached Lawson with his fists up, in a fighting stance saying “Put your hands up.” Lawson reached into his left pocket and pulled out an unidentified item. At this point, the heavy-set male exited the residence. Lawson can be heard saying “back up REDACTED back up” while walking backward towards a vehicle. As he moved backward the victim walked away. The heavyset male then walks up and begins speaking to Lawson. At this point the victim circled back around, walking up to Lawson and passing the heavyset male to get in front of him. The victim appeared to “pump fake: a punch to which Lawson did not appear to react to, the victim then immediately threw a punch, and simultaneously, Lawson thrust his right hand towards the victim’s upper torso. Lawson and the victim immediately back away from each other.

The victim turned and ran to the area of the front passenger door of the GMC Acadia, as Lawson backed up to the area where the blue sedan was parked and was heard saying “I stabbed your ass… stabbed your ass”. The victim was seen bending forward saying “You stabbed me…. you stabbed me in my chest.” The victim then entered the GMC Acadia while the heavyset man walked back to the driver’s seat saying “Oh, it’s on…oh, it’s on.” Lawson then entered the passenger seat of a vehicle in the driveway. As the Acadia left the driveway, the heavyset male was seen with the window rolled down holding his right hand up making a “shooting motion towards the driver’s seat of the vehicle where Lawson was seated.” As the Acadia drove away it was followed by the blue sedan.

At approximately 2:47 PM a dark-colored GMC Acadia SUV pulled up to the front doors of the birthing center at Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam. A male exited the front passenger seat of the vehicle and entered the hospital lobby where he took several steps and collapsed on the floor. After extensive effort by the staff to care for his wounds, he was pronounced deceased at 3:10 PM. It was later determined he had a single stab wound to the chest on his left side.

In a statement with Lawson obtained before his arrest for this incident, he explained he had another individual [the blue vehicle] follow the black SUV to the hospital to ensure they arrived. He also stated he felt remorse for what happened and that he did not intend for the man to die.

Lawson also explained he, his wife, and another person were living in a hotel room following a 2023 fire that damaged their home, however, they spent some evenings at the Thompson home owned by an elderly man.

The incident began as a Putnam Police investigation but was turned over to the CSP Eastern District Major Crime Squad (EDMCS) at approximately 12:28 AM on Wednesday, September 27th, 2023 as information indicated it had occurred with the CSP jurisdiction.

Dayville Narcotics

During the investigation of the September 26th, 2024, stabbing it was believed evidence of the homicide could be found at a Tracy Rd, Dayville location (Likely the Comfort Inn and Suites based on Lawson’s explanation of himself, his wife, and another individual primarily living in an area hotel).

At approximately 3:09 AM on Wednesday, September 27th, 2024, a CSP detective drove to the Tracy Rd location. The Trooper observed a red 2003 Saturn rapidly back out of a parking space, strike a parked truck, and flee at a higher rate of speed after nearly striking the trooper’s vehicle. Believing the suspect may be in the vehicle the trooper followed. The vehicle came to an abrupt stop on Cotton Bridge Rd, Killingly, causing the Trooper to reverse his vehicle and wait for additional units. When another Trooper arrived on the scene the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed, Troopers initiated a pursuit. As the vehicle approached a sharp corner on Route 44, before the intersection with Route 198, the Saturn left the roadway striking multiple trees before coming to a stop on its roof in the woods. The operator fled on foot. The driver fled on foot and a perimeter was established by Troopers from Troop C, D, and EDMCS detectives. Several CSP K-9 teams were deployed to track the suspect.

While still on the scene Troop D received a call from a mother that her juvenile son had just crashed his car on Route 44 and she had picked him up and brought him back to their Eastford residence. Troopers responded to the residence and placed the juvenile under arrest.

Through statements from the Juvenile and electronic records obtained from his smartphone, Troopers determined the Juvenile was attempting to purchase drugs from an individual “L” later identified as Walter Lawson.

Later that day a search warrant was executed at the Tracy Rd location (it is unclear if the warrant was regarding drugs or the stabbing). The search revealed 7 items suspected to be narcotics and several other items which were documented and seized as evidence. The Statewide Narcotics Taskforce (SNTF) was requested to the scene and took possession of the suspected narcotics, following field testing. Narcotics-related items obtained in the search included crack cocaine, bottles of liquid methadone, a digital scale with white residue on the plate, a clear plastic bag of baking soda, wax paper folds containing a purple powdered opiate, clear plastic bags containing white colored rock-like substance with a cocaine base, and a clear plastic bag of cocaine hydrochloride. Several “burner phones” and tablets were also seized.

In a written statement Lawson admitted to selling (and using) the drugs found during the warrant execution. He also stated the drugs were his own and the other individuals residing with him were not involved in the selling of drugs.

The Juvenile’s statement and video described in the arrest warrant indicate two females assisted Lawson in selling drugs at the Dayville location.

Thompson Stabbing Incident/Investigation

According to an affidavit within Lawson’s arrest warrant for Conspiracy to commit assault 1st degree, provided by the CSP, at approximately 5:10 PM on Friday, May 10th, 2024, Troop D received a call from a female stating she was in a black Ford Focus or Fusion (later determined to be located at the Fabyan Rd Boat Launch in Thompson) with an unknown Hispanic male driver and an unnamed female to sell “crack.” After punching the victim multiple times, the assailant called Lawson to ask what to do next.

The woman began assaulting the victim again as she attempted to defend herself with her legs, the woman then stabbed the victim’s legs multiple times with a pocket knife before dragging her from the vehicle and leaving her at the boat launch.

The woman attempted to stop the bleeding with a bandana and called 911 again. EMS transported her with serious injuries to UMass Worcester.

Buckley Hill Fire

Within the affidavit submitted in support of the May 2024 stabbing were the details of a recording of a cell phone conversation between an unnamed person and Lawson that occurred on 5/11/24. During the conversation, Lawson talked about killing an unnamed man’s mother that night by burning her house down. Two days later on Monday, May 13th, 2024, at approximately 3 AM firefighters were called to a house fire at 210 Buckley Hill Rd, Thompson. The homeowner was able to knock down the bulk of the fire with a garden hose before the structure was consumed. At the time of this article, no cause has been released and the incident remains under investigation by the Thompson Fire Marshals Office, Connecticut Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit, and the Eastern District Major Crimes Squad. Read our original article on the fire here.