Michigan Man Charged with Murder After Fatal Stabbing at Labor Day Barbecue

Cleo Lawson, 62, faces second-degree murder charges after allegedly stabbing his sister's boyfriend during a dispute over chicken preparation in Hazel Park, MI.

Stabbing at Hazel Park Barbecue Leaves One Man Dead

A 62-year-old Michigan man has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing his sister's boyfriend to death during a Labor Day barbecue, Law & Crime reports. The altercation began over a disagreement about how to cook chicken.

Cleo Lawson was taken into custody following the death of 60-year-old Kenneth Erwin Thomas, who was fatally wounded at a residence in the 1600 block of E. Granet Ave. in Hazel Park — approximately 10 miles north of Detroit.

According to a news release from the Hazel Park Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call at 5:20 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7. Thomas and his live-in girlfriend had been hosting the barbecue, with Lawson — the girlfriend's brother — among the guests.

"Lawson and Thomas had a dispute over how the chicken was to be cooked that led to a confrontation," the release states.

The argument escalated quickly into violence. First responders arrived to find Thomas with life-threatening injuries; he died while officers attempted to treat him at the scene. Authorities have not disclosed what weapon Lawson allegedly used.

The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office authorized a murder warrant against Lawson. He appeared before Magistrate Michael G. Mitchell, who ordered him held without bond at the Oakland County Jail. Lawson is scheduled to appear for a probable cause conference on Sept. 22 before 43rd District Judge Brian Hartwell, with a preliminary examination set for the following week.

Source: Law & Crime