However, Marcus left with a strong impression.
Lawson’s reaction suggested recognition of the subject and a clear desire to prevent the conversation from continuing.
Afterward, Marcus stepped back and allowed law enforcement to proceed.
Detectives began with what is known as voluntary contact. At that point, they did not possess a search warrant or an arrest warrant. Lawson remained a free individual.
Detective Denise Carter drove to Lawson’s residence to ask questions and observe his reaction.
As Carter’s vehicle approached the property, Lawson noticed the police presence.
Instead of waiting for contact, he attempted to leave through the back of the house.
Officers stopped him on the property and transported him to the station for questioning.
The action was not an arrest for murder. It was a detention to clarify circumstances and explain behavior that appeared evasive.
During the interview, Lawson insisted that he had only been at the Coleman house during daytime hours while performing contract work.
He claimed that his involvement with the property had been routine and limited to the job he was hired to complete.
When asked why he had tried to leave when police arrived, he could not provide a coherent explanation.
While Lawson was being questioned, investigators retrieved physical evidence collected in 1989.
Among the items preserved were latent fingerprints from the interior side of the back door and the window frame.
At the time of the original investigation, those prints had not produced an identification.
By 2003, however, federal fingerprint databases had expanded significantly.
The prints were processed through the updated system.
A match was confirmed.
The fingerprints belonged to Derek Lawson.
The result transformed the investigation. Lawson’s presence inside the house was now documented through forensic evidence.
His earlier statements also took on new significance. He had insisted he had only been at the property during daytime work.
Yet his fingerprints were located on interior surfaces connected to entry points of the home.
Combined with his attempt to avoid police contact, the match provided grounds for further action.
Investigators documented the findings and obtained a search warrant for Lawson’s residence.
The search was conducted while Lawson remained in custody.
Officers observed that the residence did not resemble a stable living space. Several belongings were packed or partially packed, and documents were separated as if prepared for removal.
The arrangement suggested urgency rather than an organized move.
During the search, investigators examined storage areas and containers holding items unrelated to everyday use.
Among Lawson’s possessions, they discovered a neatly folded floral night gown.
The garment was stored separately from his clothing. Its size and style did not match anything he owned.
The fabric appeared carefully preserved.
The night gown was submitted for forensic analysis.
Laboratory testing confirmed that it belonged to Renee Coleman.
DNA recovered from the garment matched her profile.
The discovery created a direct physical link between Lawson and Renee herself.
Until that moment, the investigation had relied on circumstantial evidence and forensic connections to the house. The night gown connected Lawson directly to the victim.
However, one major element was still missing.
Renee’s body had never been found.
Without a body, investigators had been unable to confirm her death or determine the cause.
That changed in the fall
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