Dedra and Deanna Lawrence
Over the course of three days, the jury and those keeping up with the trial of Joe Whittenburg heard hours of testimony about the man who killed two Pikeville women in a grisly way in 2017. Hours of testimony focused on his thought process, memories, feelings, and emotions. And yet for most of the trial, very little was said or learned about the victims, and what small part was said about them often came from a defense who wanted to paint Deanna and Dedra Lawrence in the worst possible light.
Sitting in the gallery was Natasha Stoner and several other of Deanna and Dedra Lawrence’s family. They listened to every word of testimony, and each argument for and against conviction. And on Thursday afternoon, at around 4:45 p.m., they heard a jury of 12 unanimously decide to convict Whittenburg on two counts of first-degree murder and sentence him to life in prison. After almost four years, the family had some relief.
“The guilty verdict that the jury handed down does give our family a sense of closure,” Ms. Stoner said via email. “This has been one of the absolute worst chapters of our lives, and we are all so thankful that we can finally turn that page. What happened to Deanna and Dedra is something you only see in the movies, or read about in a book. Things like that shouldn't happen in real life.”
She wants the world to know a different side of the two women than the one presented by the defense. She wants them to know that Dedra Lawrence had dreams of joining the Air Force when she was younger, and that even though she did not end up enlisting, Dedra still had other dreams and aspirations. The young woman had interest in photography, and loved the creative arts, music and design.
“She had the most infectious personality,” Ms. Stoner said. “She was so funny, and could make absolutely anyone laugh. She and her mother were both the perfect blend of sugar and spice. They were kind, but also feisty women that didn't cower when faced with adversity.”
And Deanna Lawrence was a woman to whom “family was everything.” Ms. Stoner said Deanna had a generous spirit and a big personality, and was always willing to help those in need.
“She was always the one to try to lighten the mood in a tough situation, or make a joke to see who she could get to laugh in the middle of any serious situation,” Ms. Stoner said. “She loved her children. Her son had a little red-headed baby girl of his own not too long ago. Deanna would have adored her.”
Ms. Stoner acknowledges that, just like every other person in that courtroom and every other person on earth, neither woman was flawless. And she said Deanna Lawrence was still a woman of faith who tried to live her life in a godly way.
“She loved the Lord. She was far from perfect, but who is,” Ms. Stoner asked. “The Bible says, 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.' She was a child of God just like the rest of us.”
“Deanna and Dedra both had their faults, but so do you and I. They were both human.
"They were also both so very loved. Our family will never forget those blue-eyed beauties, and all the laughter they brought to our lives.”
Ms. Stoner and the family said they wanted to thank the DA’s office and TBI for their work over the last four years “to bring justice to our girls” and said that their efforts will never be forgotten. But while there was a conviction, she said there are “no real winners” regardless of the verdict.
“We still have to live the rest of our lives without Deanna and Dedra,” Ms. Stoner said. “(Robert) Joe (Whittenburg)’s family will always have this to live with as well. My family prays for his.
"These last four years have been hard on all of us. We will do our best to move forward knowing that our cries for justice for them were heard. They can rest peacefully now.”