Son charged in father's fatal shooting in Cook Township

Pennsylvania State Police charged 28-year-old Cody Lawrence with criminal homicide after his father, 59-year-old Edward Lawrence Jr., was found dead near a residence on Lawrence Lane in Cook Township on Aug. 15, 2026. Cody told troopers he struggled with his father as the elder allegedly reached for a gun and said a pocketknife fell from his sweatshirt; investigators found a pistol and a folding knife at the scene and observed a gunshot wound and two stab wounds on the victim. Cody was detained, charged and denied bail; police reported no physical evidence indicating the victim’s wife was in danger or that Cody had been involved in a separate altercation.