A late summer argument in rural Stahlstown, Pennsylvania, ended with a 59-year-old man dead and his son charged with homicide. Edward Lawrence Jr. was found by authorities after calls to the scene around 7:45 p.m. on August 15, 2026. An autopsy reported a gunshot wound to his back and two stab wounds also in his back.

Neighbors and investigators were told the dispute began as bickering between Edward and his wife, Tammy, and their 28-year-old son, Cody Alan Lawrence, intervened. Tammy told police she heard a loud noise and then saw her husband and son leave the house; Edward reportedly exclaimed that he had been shot before running to a neighbor’s garage where he was later located deceased. Troopers recovered a pistol concealed near the front entrance and a folding knife nearby.

Cody Lawrence said he acted in self-defense, claiming a struggle over a gun and that a pocketknife dropped from his sweatshirt, but authorities said the physical evidence did not support that account and saw no indication Tammy was in immediate physical danger. Cody was charged with criminal homicide, denied bail and held pending a preliminary hearing set for August 28, 2026.

If anyone knew Edward or has information about what happened that evening, please share what you know with investigators.