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Inset: Kathy Lawton (Pueblo police). Background: The Bonaventure Assisting Living Center in Pueblo, Colorado, where Lawton stabbed her husband to death (Google Maps).
In a shocking incident at a Colorado assisted living facility, a 73-year-old woman stabbed her 85-year-old husband multiple times following a heated argument. The tragic event unfolded at the Bonaventure Assisted Living Center, located in Pueblo, approximately 110 miles south of Denver.
Kathy Lawton was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of second-degree murder. The verdict was delivered in December, following the death of her husband, Larry Lawton. The violent encounter occurred on November 24, 2024, when Kathy Lawton, described as “hysterical,” rushed to the front desk, covered in blood, claiming that her husband had died.
The facility staff immediately contacted emergency services and hurried to the couple’s apartment. Upon arrival, they discovered Larry Lawton on the floor, suffering from at least three stab wounds to his chest, as detailed in a probable cause arrest affidavit. Sadly, paramedics declared him dead at the scene.
Investigators reported that Kathy Lawton had a strong odor of alcohol and struggled to provide a coherent explanation for her husband’s injuries. When questioned by police, she initially claimed, “He fell on the floor, he laid there, and he wouldn’t get up.” She acknowledged that they had both been drinking and had argued, though she was unable to recall the specifics of the dispute.
Evidence of a struggle was apparent in the apartment, and officers discovered a knife smeared with blood, suggesting an attempt to clean it. Additionally, Larry Lawton had several defensive wounds, indicating he tried to fend off the attack.
Staff at the facility also told cops that Kathy Lawton had previously assaulted her husband. He had scratches and bruises on his body but he chalked it up to being “clumsy,” cops wrote. Staff also previously removed a gun and kitchen knives from their apartment.
After the suspect signed a Miranda agreement to speak with detectives, her first thought was apparently not about her husband. Instead, she asked the detective if he owned any pets. She told him she had two cats.
Speaking about her husband’s death, she said she discovered his body when he didn’t come to bed and she went to check on him. She said she worked as a paramedic and knew he was deceased when she saw him because “he had dead eyes.” She said she had become frustrated with him in recent weeks because he recently had back surgery, which made him weaker, and he was not rehabbing properly.
Cops arrested Kathy Lawton and charged her with murder.
“Our community deserves accountability in all cases but especially in cases where a vulnerable victim is targeted. While no sentence can undo the harm caused by this defendant, today’s sentence affirms the District Attorney’s commitment to pursuing justice with diligence and resolve,” 10th Judicial District Attorney Kala Beauvais said in a statement.