Raleigh: Appeals court upholds Terrence Lawson's murder conviction in 2021 bedroom shooting

The N.C. Court of Appeals has upheld Terrence Pierre Lawson's first-degree murder conviction in the August 2021 shooting death of a man in his bedroom in Raleigh, the N.C. Attorney General's Office says.

The court released its opinion in State v. Lawson on Oct. 21, and the N.C. Department of Justice announced the ruling Thursday, Oct. 29. The case was originally tried by the office of Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman. The Department of Justice defends convictions when defendants appeal them to the state's appellate courts.

Raleigh police identified the man who was killed as Edward Cooper Outlaw, 37, according to ABC11's reporting in 2021.

What the case was about

According to the Attorney General's Office, the man's wife testified that the couple was asleep in their bedroom when a masked intruder came in carrying one of their infants. She testified that the intruder asked for money and pointed a gun at the infant, then dropped the infant and shot her husband multiple times.

The wife described the intruder to investigators, and Lawson was arrested after cell phone data placed a phone associated with him in the area of the shooting, the office said.

Raleigh police said in December 2021 that Outlaw was shot Aug. 26, 2021, in the 2300 block of Otterburn Place at the Perry Point Apartments off Capital Boulevard, and that he died at a hospital, ABC11 reported. Police said they had arrested Lawson, then 30, and charged him with murder.

Background

Lawson was convicted of first-degree murder in Wake County and appealed. In its Oct. 29 release, the Attorney General's Office listed the case among 15 appellate rulings from October that upheld convictions across North Carolina. The release did not state Lawson's sentence.

What we don't know yet

It is not known whether Lawson will ask the N.C. Supreme Court to review the case.

Timeline

• Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021: Edward Cooper Outlaw, 37, is shot at the Perry Point Apartments off Capital Boulevard in Raleigh and later dies at a hospital (Raleigh police, via ABC11).
• Friday, Dec. 3, 2021: Raleigh police say detectives have arrested Terrence Lawson, 30, and charged him with murder (Raleigh police, via ABC11).
• Later: Lawson is convicted of first-degree murder in a case tried by the Wake County District Attorney's Office, and he appeals (N.C. Department of Justice).
• Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026: The N.C. Court of Appeals releases its opinion upholding the conviction (N.C. Department of Justice).
• Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026: The Attorney General's Office announces the ruling (N.C. Department of Justice).

What happens next

Lawson could ask the N.C. Supreme Court to review the decision. We will update this story if there are new developments. This story is not an official or emergency notice. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No official agency photo was available to us for this story.