Pastor's wife accused of attempting to drown daughters pleads not guilty to lesser charges

By: YVETTE URREA - Staff Writer | Wednesday, October 11, 2006 12:15 AM PDT ∞

Escorted by Sheriff Deputy John Lorenz, Kristen Kaye Lawson of Escondido appeared in Vista court Tuesday afternoon.
JAMIE SCOTT LYTLE Staff Photographer
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VISTA ---- The wife of an Escondido Lutheran pastor pleaded not guilty during her arraignment Tuesday to charges stemming from an alleged attempt last week to drown her two young daughters.

Kristen Kaye Lawson, 30, who was led into a Vista courtroom wearing jail-issued clothes and with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, appeared serious but calm during the brief hearing.

Lawson was arraigned on two counts per child of felony child abuse and assault, said Deputy District Attorney Marnie Stein.

Police arrested Lawson on Thursday on suspicion of attempted murder while her husband was out of town with their 5-year-old son.

Stein said Tuesday that the evidence did not support the charge of attempted murder.

If convicted on the other counts, Lawson would face a sentence of up to 7 years and 4 months in prison, Stein said.

Lawson's bail was set at $250,000, which Stein said was a standard amount for such cases.

The proceeding before Superior Court Judge Adrienne Orfield, which took less than five minutes, was attended by a group of about 40 supporters, including Lawson's husband, the Rev. Robert Lawson Jr. of St. Paul Lutheran Church, her parents, congregation members and other pastors. Some sat in the crowded courtroom, and some stood at the back.

"The defendant placed her 6-year-old child and her 5-month-old child under the water in the bathtub," Stein said outside the courtroom, repeating a statement she made during the hearing.

Stein said she could not provide further details in the case because it is still under investigation.

Police reports show that on Thursday, a crying and distraught Lawson called police to report that her 5-month-old daughter had drowned; dispatchers could hear an infant crying in the background. When police arrived at the cul-de-sac home on Derringer Place, they found both children upset, but alive.

Neither of the two young girls suffered any lasting physical damage from the alleged attempted drownings, Stein said.

Defense attorney William Wolfe said Tuesday that Lawson, who was ordered by Orfield not to have any contact with her children, was not doing well.

"She's devastated. She's sad. She's just trying to figure out what happened. She completely misses her children and her children miss her," Wolfe said.

The children have made her cards and drawings that say they miss her and want her to come home, Wolfe said.

He said that due to the judge's order that prohibits her from any contact, Lawson won't be able to see any of those cards and drawings.

Wolfe said Lawson's only focus right now is how her children are doing and reuniting with her family.

"She'll do what it takes to get back to them. That's all that matters to her," he said.

At the end of the arraignment, supporters walked out in a group. They hugged each other outside the courthouse. Some said they were praying for the Lawsons.

A woman from the group said many of the people were from the Lawsons' church, but that pastors and members from other local Lutheran churches also attended to show their support.

"She's got an absolutely tremendous support base," Wolfe said. "This woman is adored ... they realize this is not her."

Last week, neighbors from the Lawsons' east Escondido neighborhood said Kristen Lawson was affectionate to her children and very protective of them.

-- Contact staff writer Yvette Urrea at (760) 901-4076 or yurrea@nctimes.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Jon B, wrote on Oct 11, 2006 6:24 AM:Not allowed to see pictures drawn by her children? How ridiculous. Certainly seeing them might help her recover, there is no way that it would hurt the children. This is more dumb heavy handed and literal enforcement of court orders. What next? HAve the kiddies banned from doing pictures to mommy?

Sealawyer comments: wrote on Oct 11, 2006 9:24 AM: The DA found the evidence in this case to be very weak. The women should have insisted on her Constitutionally protected right to a grand jury trial. Some lawyers dislike grand juries because they are not allowed in the jury room and that is fees missed. It is the Grand Juries responsibility to protect the suspect as well as look for probable cause. The suspect can not be charged unless the Grand Jury does find probable cause and indicts them. Then a judge will arraign the suspect. There is no cost to the suspect for the Grand Jury hearing. Yep, the woman should have insisted on her Grand Jury rights. There was nothing to lose and she could have been released due to lack of evidence to support probable cause.

ls wrote on Oct 11, 2006 10:51 AM:Maybe having 3 kids was too much for her, she must be going thru an after birth depression.(which most men do not understand) She does need help until she can get control of things.

agree with jon wrote on Oct 11, 2006 11:00 AM:This is heinous. She needs to reassure those girls of her love for them, she did call 911 to ensure their safety after the alleged incident happened. My heart breaks for this family and I am praying for them. I am *convinced* they will need financial assistance for legal fees, as I imagine a Lutheran pastor's salary can't be comparable to the private sector. CJ

Christian wrote on Oct 11, 2006 11:12 AM:Let her see the children, these girls need to see their mommy now more than ever. There is no way she can harm them in the presence of others, plus I don't believe she is a threat to them. I have heard she is a very loving mother, and we all have the capabilty to snap or lose it momentarily. There but for the grace of God go I.

Escondido PD wrote on Oct 11, 2006 11:31 AM:I don't trust them.

Mary wrote on Oct 11, 2006 11:48 AM:Something odd is going on with this women. If the kids were put underwater, her husband needs to get her to conseling and provide for full time childcare while he is absent from the home. She should not be trusted alone with these kids for a long time. Thank God she was pulled back from the brink.

To Escondido PD wrote on Oct 11, 2006 12:37 PM:Were you there? Nope! Ignorance is Bliss! Wait til the facts come out before you Monday morning quarterback the situation!

A Christian Bail Bondsman... wrote on Oct 11, 2006 1:21 PM:Yes, something happened with this women. But it was the grace of God that made her stop and not follow through. Was it complications from medication or was it the devil? Not sure but God will forgive her and I'm glad that her community is reaching out to help her. Too bad she's at Los Colinas though....

Friend wrote on Oct 11, 2006 4:37 PM:This friend of mine is the best mother I know and this unfortunate incident does not take away from that. It is too bad that depression can hit anyone from any walk of life, but it can. God has forgiven her, and through His grace, He will reunite this family and use this experience to His glory. Please keep this family in your prayers in the months to come.

a friend wrote on Oct 11, 2006 7:26 PM:What a sad situation. I'm sure this has upset the whole family. It is evident that Kristen needs to seek professional help. Please keep the entire family in your prayers

To "friend" wrote on Oct 11, 2006 8:20 PM:The "best mother you know"???? Who do you hang out with? The Mansons? That's not saying much about your friends and family. Is it?

Kais El Paso TX wrote on Oct 12, 2006 6:14 PM:Some of you sure rush to judgement...Let he who is without cast the first. Instead of mean spirited words, how about 30 seconds of prayer for this family?

Friend wrote on Oct 16, 2006 7:13 AM:To "To friend": You are a very lucky person to have no family member or friend who has struggled with an illness of this nature, or alcohol or drug addiction....or made a mistake of any kind. If you did, you would know the difference between the actions of the disease, and the actions of the true individual. Thank God for this blessing in your life, and keep those of us with average, imperfect loved ones in your prayers.

To All of you wrote on Oct 19, 2006 5:29 AM:I am a mother of 3 who suffers from depression...I have never attempted to "drown" my children....but guess what...there have been many times that they have slid down the back of the tub or went under water or pushed each other under water only to come up gasping for air. Some of you must not have kids if you think the only way a kid can drown in a tub is by the mother attempting to murder them. I can't wait to see all of the facts....this could be just a simple misshap. Let's pray for this woman not judge her.

schoolmate and pastor's wife myself wrote on Oct 19, 2006 11:28 AM:I knew Kristen in college and I know for a fact this was an act of illness, as well as Satan. SHe was a wonderful, gentle, kind lady. She was an RA of mine in college. Having had depression throughout my life, and having 2 children myself, my heart is breaking for her and their family. What a miracle of our Lord for her mind coming back to her and her children living. The Lord has forgiven her and no matter what happens, she will someday be reunited with them in Heaven for eternity. We are praying for you Lawson family. PPD is a serious thing and we need to watch for the warning signs.

a family friend wrote on Oct 26, 2006 9:52 PM:I know Kristen's a good person. My sister is best friends with her daughter and they would hang out together all the time. Even to this day I would trust her with my sisters. I think what both sides of the family needs (the children and Kristen) is each other. The kids need to know Mommy's ok and that she still loves them even though she experienced a temporary lapse in judgement. Don't be so quick to judge if you've never been in her position and you don't know much about the family beyond what newsmedia has provided you. There is definately much more to this family of faith than they're willing to provide. God Bless.

Arlene wrote on Oct 29, 2006 1:50 PM:Why did a Christian Bail Bondsman say that it's too bad Kristen is at Los Colinas? I am praying for Kristen and I know from my child's experience that mental illness is a sad and real thing and must be treated. It sounds like she didn't receive the help she needed after her first experience with it.God help this family as they work through this terribly sad thing.

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