York County jury finds man guilty of retired Rock Hill officer’s murder
The man accused of killing retired Rock Hill police lieutenant Larry Vaughan four years ago was found guilty by a 12-person jury in York County Tuesday afternoon.
Evan Hawthorne’s murder verdict came a couple hours after the jury heard closing arguments from attorneys at Moss Justice Center in the morning. A member of Vaughan’s family gasped as a court clerk read the verdict. Many began to cry and hug each other.
Judge Keith Kelly gave Hawthorne a life sentence in prison.
The courtroom was packed throughout the day. Some of Vaughan’s family wore red, his favorite color, and buttons with his face and a hashtag that said “JusticeForLV.” Uniformed Rock Hill police officers filled the seats just outside the courtroom, receiving updates on the trial throughout the day.
One officer, after Kelly’s sentencing, silently mouthed “for life.”
Closing arguments
In closing arguments, Assistant Solicitor Spenser Smith asked the jury to decide if Hawthorne had murdered Vaughan or if he was acting in self-defense, as argued by defense attorney Todd Rutherford.
Vaughan was found dead at his apartment on July 23, 2021. He was on his back, with a bloody face and lying in a pool of blood. A pathologist said his cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and neck, as well as strangulation.
Hawthorne, a former Chester County deputy, was arrested and charged with Vaughan’s murder the day after Vaughan’s body was found. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
Attorneys on both sides agreed that on the night Vaughan and Hawthorne met at Tattooed Brews, just down the street from Vaughan’s apartment, they didn’t know each other. The pair bonded over their work history in law enforcement throughout the night.
In his interview with law enforcement after the arrest, Hawthorne said he and Vaughan got in an argument about PTSD. They shared that they both experienced it after time in law enforcement, but Vaughan was dismissive of Hawthorne’s experience.
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The version of the night’s events diverges from there, according to attorneys, who picked at each other’s arguments throughout the trial.
Assistant Solicitor Smith said the defense was presenting “smoke and mirrors” to try and convince the jury of Hawthorne’s innocence. Rutherford said prosecutors were trying to find a way to prove a crime was committed without evidence.
Smith, who spoke first during closing arguments, reviewed footage from the bar and outside Vaughan’s apartment. He pointed out moments he said Hawthorne displayed aggression towards Vaughan.
He said Hawthorne then followed Vaughan back to his apartment, went inside and beat Vaughan’s face and strangled him. At some point, when Vaughan likely reached up in self-defense, Smith said, Hawthorne bit the tip of his thumb off and spit it out.
He then left Vaughan to die, Smith said. He didn’t check on him or call for help. Instead, Smith said, he went home and showered off evidence. And the next day, went and bought a case of beer.
Smith said Hawthorne committed murder because his actions showed malice. He was not acting in self-defense because, Smith said, Vaughan could barely stand and Hawthorne was bigger, younger and more muscular.
Defense attorney Rutherford argued it was clear Hawthorne was defending himself because of where Vaughan’s body was found in the bathroom. Hawthorne was in the guest bathroom when Vaughan came at him with his fist raised and cursing and yelling at him, Rutherford said.
To demonstrate what Hawthorne might have experienced, Rutherford lay between the desks where the attorneys sat. He spoke to the jury while briefly on his back, asking them to imagine being stuck in a tight space with an almost 6-foot, over-200-pound Vaughan who had a knife in his pocket coming at them.
He also said law enforcement was biased against Hawthorne from the beginning, including using Vaughan’s initialed handcuffs to arrest Hawthorne. The officers were friends with Vaughan, he said, and wanted to make the murder charge stick. He pointed to other issues in the investigation, including not documenting the knife in Vaughan’s pocket as evidence.
He also said that because Hawthorne was defending himself and didn’t act with malice, the jury must find him not guilty.
Vaughan’s family speaks
Following the verdict, Hawthorne received time with his attorneys and family before Vaughan’s family gave victim impact statements.
Just outside of the courtroom, Solicitor Smith said he was grateful the jury returned a guilty verdict.
“It’s always the most tense moment,” he said. “I’m relieved.”
After coming back into the courtroom, Vaughan’s sister, Lori Williams, mother Sherry Williams, daughter Tyler Vaughan, and Rock Hill Police Chief Chris Watts all spoke. They asked the judge to give Hawthorne the maximum sentence. Each spoke of their grief and grappling with the loss of Vaughan.
Lori Williams said she felt lost without her brother. Sherry Williams said she would never wish the loss of a child on her worst enemy.
Vaughan’s daughter said he loved being a “girl dad.” He would let her put makeup on him as a kid and watch her favorite shows with her. She recalled a story where he forgot to take nail polish off before patrol and spent time biting it off so his coworkers wouldn’t make fun of him.
After he medically retired, Tyler Vaughan said, he had a “pep in his step.” He spent more time with his kids and family, often asking to get dinner and spend time at his apartment watching a movie. They loved Shark Week, she said.
But she’s started to forget things about him in recent years — like his laugh and the sound of his voice. She has to listen to videos to remember. And she also reflected on the fact that her father won’t be there for major milestones like birthdays, weddings, and the birth of his grandchildren.
“The hole in my heart closed a little today, but it will be there forever,” she said.
Tyler Vaughan said she’s been prescribed medication for anxiety since his death. She said she repeatedly dreams he’s still alive, but she’s aware he’s going to die.
But after four years of pain, she said, there has been some justice.
Hawthorne’s family sent a press release on Wednesday saying questions about the fairness of the investigation and his trial remained.
“Evidence was mishandled, key materials were concealed, and investigators with personal ties to the deceased were allowed to take part in the case,” the release said. “These actions deprived Evan of the fair and impartial process that every citizen is guaranteed under the law. Regardless of the jury’s decision, the people deserve to know the truth: justice cannot be built on a foundation of bias.”
The press release said the family would continue to pursue “every avenue” to hold investigators accountable.
“Our hearts break for our son. Every citizen deserves both a fair investigation and a fair trial,” the family said. “Evan was denied both, and we are asking for justice”
Hawthorne’s family speaks
Hawthorne’s mother, Vonda Hawthorne, and a family friend also spoke on his behalf, asking the judge to consider some leniency in his sentencing.
Hawthorne’s mother, who stood next to her husband, said he has a “precious” and “caring” heart, and that he’s not a murderer. Even as a child, she said, Hawthorne believed everyone deserved to be loved. Hawthorne has continued to carry the pain of the night since Vaughan died, she said, and hoped the judge would give him mercy.
“He still has so much life to live,” she said.
Hawthorne’s attorney, Jack Swerling, also spoke to the judge, asking for the minimum sentencing. One thing that didn’t get to come up during the trial, but that he hoped the judge would consider, was that Hawthorne was the victim of sexual abuse as a child.
Rutherford, Hawthorne’s other attorney, said Hawthorne was one of the finest people he’s ever met. He called Hawthorne a voice of reason when things grew tense between his family members and attorneys.
Curtis Copeland, one of Hawthorne’s defense attorneys, provided a statement about the trial on Wednesday.
“We respect the trial process and the role of the jury in our system, but we are disappointed in the result and intend to seek appellate review,” Copeland said.
Hawthorne’s words
Lori and Sherry Williams, just before addressing the court, gave an interview outside the courtroom. Lori Williams said she’s happy with the verdict, but it will never be enough.
“Everybody loved him,” Vaughan’s sister said. “He was a good human who loved people and what he did.”
Vaughan’s mother, Sherry, said being an officer was his calling. He went to college on a football scholarship with aspirations of becoming a gym teacher. He decided on becoming a police officer in his third year.
Just before the judge read his sentence, Hawthorne was asked if he would like to say anything. He kept it short.
“I’m sorry to everyone in this room,” he said.
This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 2:54 PM.
