Lawson’s friends said he borrowed $200 to buy heroin on Feb. 1 and they hadn’t seen him since.
Lt. Jimmy Cunningham said numerous building and vacant houses were searched by police, and Lawson’s body was located at 701½ S. Main St., which is a rental property with an owner who lives in California.
“It is a neglected property,” Cunningham said, adding the property has multiple housing violations.
MORE: Landlords put on notice to clean up problem properties
Lawson’s cause of death will be determined by the Butler County Coroner’s office, but Cunningham said detectives believe he died of a heroin overdose.
Police searched several vacant residences in the city, and while checking a home on Clark Street, they found two men living there. The men told police they had lived in the home for a few days after they were released from the City Jail.
The men said they didn’t know Lawson, but police found a pill bottle with Lawson’s name on it in one of home’s rooms.
The two men — Jerimiah Lucas and Jason Whisman — have been charged with breaking and entering.
When police searched Lucas’ backpack they found three more pill bottles with Lawson’s name on them.
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