Thirteen-year-old Owen Miles Lawson, born September 1, 2009, was found dead alongside his mother, 39-year-old Erin Nichole Johnson, inside their mobile home at 1511 Mydland Road, Lot 138 in Sheridan. Authorities determined both died on December 22, 2022, and the Sheridan County Coroner Dr. Robert Byrd described the manner of death as homicide; local reporting and the coroner indicated the killings involved a firearm. Their bodies were not discovered until officers forced entry on January 6, 2023, after a welfare call about a possible water leak and no response from the residence.

Sheridan Police said early in the investigation that one suspect had been identified but that person was reported to have been found dead in Colorado; officials did not release the name or details about that death and emphasized there was no ongoing danger to the community. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Crime Lab processed the scene and the case was treated as a major homicide investigation. Owen’s obituary recalls a boy who loved video games, camping, golf with his great-grandfather Mac, and his pet snake Jake, a small life cut off by violence.

If anyone knew Owen or Erin, or has information about the events of December 22, 2022, please come forward to the Sheridan Police Department.