It has been a little over three weeks since Brian Christopher Lawler, wrestler and son of Jerry Lawler was found hanging in his Tennessee jail cell. Lawler was found braindead and his cause of death was ruled a suicide. However, The King believes that there was more that wasn’t being told about his son’s death. He voiced his suspicions initially but was waiting for further proof and the end of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s inquiry. However, Lawler and his attorney spoke to a Memphis TV station and presented a few inconsistencies in the official story. Namely Brian’s mental and physical condition as well as marks around his neck being inconsistent with hanging via shoelace, which is the method authorities said Brian used to end his life.
More via WMC in Memphis:
“Jerry said the sheriff told his fiancée that Brian used his shoestrings to hang himself. The photos show marks on either side of Brian’s neck, but not in the front of his neck.
“Just look at his neck and look at his hand,” Jerry said. “You can see the lines on his neck all the way around here to here and what would be the length of your hand as if he was trying to keep the pressure off.”
“I think the pictures indicate something other than someone hanging himself with a shoelace,” Hansom said.”
Investigation Ongoing
The TBI’s investigation is ongoing. But there is plenty to be suspicious about. For one, Lawler spoke with his son the day of his death and didn’t seem to think anything was wrong. Also, Brian was moved to his own cell, not because of his notoriety but because he was involved in a scuffle in another cell. Jerry Lawler also claimed his son asked for medical attention after the incident and never received it. There were also multiple security cameras out of order.
American jails are notoriously dangerous and lacking in oversight. Prison violence is all too common and often leads to unnecessary injury and criminal behavior. I don’t want to believe the jail would cover up a murder, but it wouldn’t be without precedent.
We will keep you updated on this story as we learn more.