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UTAH STATE PRISON — Richard D. Lawrimore will be released from prison. But his father, Richard L. Lawrimore, will not.
In 1996, the Lawrimores were convicted of attempting to kill three employees of an East Millcreek Arby's restaurant while robbing the store. One man was shot and two women had their throats slashed. The women played dead until the Lawrimores left the store, and then they drove themselves to a local hospital.
Richard L. Lawrimore, then 37, was sentenced to three consecutive sentences of five years to life. His son, who was 18 at the time, was sentenced to one five-years-to-life term.
Both recently had parole hearings at the Utah State Prison. After their hearings, the full five-member board voted whether to grant parole.
On Feb. 16, the board voted that Richard L. Lawrimore, 56, will serve his full life sentence in prison.
The board, however, voted to parole Richard D. Lawrimore, 38, on Sept. 13.
The women testified during the trial that as the younger Lawrimore was slashing their throats, the elder Lawrimore told him, "You're not cutting her enough. Cut her more. Cut her more.''
The younger Lawrimore had previously worked at the fast-food restaurant. One of the women testified that she had offered him rides at night after his shifts so he wouldn't have to walk home alone.
"You took this trust and turned it against them," Judge Leslie Lewis said at his sentencing.
"He knew exactly what he was doing the moment he walked in the door and called my name," the woman said, rebuking testimony that the younger Lawrimore had been under the influence of drugs and acting under his father's command.
