The death investigation of Memphis wrestler Brian Lawler, found hanged in his Hardeman County jail cell this past weekend, continues. His brother Kevin Lawler told Local 24 Tuesday the family will wait for a TBI investigation to wrap up before they’ll consider ‘possible’ legal action.
Wrestler Dustin Starr and Brian Lawler go back two decades, and Starr told Local 24 he’s still reeling from the shock of the man he knew as so energetic and full of life to be found lifeless inside a jail cell.
State investigators are now digging into how Lawler hanged himself and why.
“I’ve looked up to Brian Christopher from before the time I met him, all the way to the time he passed away, regardless of if he was struggling, because we all struggle,” says Starr.
For Starr, he’ll remember his longtime friend and fellow wrestler as a man who always stood out in and out of the ring.
“He was always on, he was hyper and just real fun to be around,” says Starr.
Starr said the son of Memphis wrestling legend Jerry Lawler worked hard and made his own worldwide name for himself.
“Brian was on top of his game in USWA in Memphis. He was on top of his game in WWE. He made it to Wrestlemania,” says Starr.
But the highs came with recent lows. Lawler’s life ended this weekend after the 46-year-old hanged himself inside a Hardeman County jail, dying Sunday at Regional One Medical Center.
“I’m just going to miss him forever,” says Starr.
The TBI is now investigating what happened. Hardeman Sheriff John Doolen issued this statement about the death:
Mr. Lawler, resident of Hardeman County, was arrested for third offense DUI, driving on a revoked driver’s license and felony evading arrest. Mr. Lawler’s bond was set at $40,000.00. He appeared before the Judge of the General Sessions Court at which time his family requested time to determine if they were going to hire a private attorney or wanted the public defender to represent Mr. Lawler. Mr. Lawler, because of his notoriety, was placed in a cell by himself, but as the Sheriff’s Department had no indication that he was suicidal, he was not on suicide watch. When Mr. Lawler was discovered, he was given CPR and airlifted to the MED in Memphis. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was notified and requested to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr. Lawler. Any further information will be provided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The TBI released this information to Local 24 Tuesday:
As with any investigation, we don’t really have a set time as to how long an investigation may take. Each case is fact-specific, and could involve any of a number of aspects, such as reviewing video and/or audio tape where it exists, talking with witnesses, waiting for the completion of forensic and/or autopsy results, etc. As an investigation proceeds, we do communicate during that time with the DA and provide that office with our findings as we go. At the conclusion of our investigation, the DA’s office will review the investigative case file to make any charging determinations.
Attorney Jeff Rosenblum, who doesn’t represent the Lawler family, said they still deserve answers.
“If Brian Christopher didn’t have anyone to talk to and didn’t have the right ongoing evaluation to determine his levels of depression and perhaps unbecoming, suicidal ideation, that would be problematic to me,” says Rosenblum. “When people are in custody, they’re more depressed, they’re more hopeless than hopeful.”
Rosenblum knows firsthand. He’s filed about 40 lawsuits involving suicides or suspicious deaths inside Tennessee jail cells. That’s why he’s especially curious about Lawler’s hanging.
“When you are keeping someone in segregation, because of notoriety, that’s essentially punishing them because they’ve had success in their life,” says Rosenblum.
According to Tennessee’s correctional facilities standards, every jail must have a suicide prevention program and all staff must go through annual suicide prevention training.
“But you can’t stop there, because people’s risk levels change from day to day sometimes,” says Rosenblum. “Anything that can be used as a mechanism of death, remove. Shoestrings, belts, shirts, any type of clothing.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into what happened and a report will allow the district attorney to decide whether anyone will be charged.
“It’s not just, you know, the pursuit of truth, and justice here is to provide answers for this family but also to prevent deaths in the future,” says Rosenblum.
Brian Lawler’s visitation is noon Friday. His funeral at 2:00 p.m. at Hope Church in Cordova.
