Lawler attorney says affidavit ‘doesn’t make sense’

The lawyer for the family of Brian Christopher Lawler said Monday he’s still trying to figure out an affidavit against a Hardeman County Jail inmate charged with stealing Lawler’s identity.

The affidavit, filed last week in Hardeman County General Sessions Court, says Danterriaus Jones committed identity theft by using Lawler’s Social Security number to make calls. Among the calls, according to the affidavit, was one to Lawler’s mother, Kay McPherson, on July 28 to tell her Brian had been assaulted and had a concussion, and that he wanted his dad, Jerry Lawler, to know.

Ted Hansom, the Memphis lawyer for the Lawler family, said the affidavit doesn’t make any sense because it’s unclear who made the complaint. Hansom said he’s not aware that anyone with Lawler’s family filed it, even though the affidavit says the unlawful use of Lawler’s information was “an attempt to deprive ... Lawler’s estate of it’s (sic) property.”

“If you’re skeptical, you might think that here’s a witness in the Hardeman County Jail that someone is attempting to discredit,” Hamson said. “That’s one scenario that makes sense.”

Lawler, a professional wrestler, died after he was found hanging in his cell at the Hardeman County Jail. He was being held on DUI-related charges. Lawler was transported to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, where he died July 29.

Lawler’s father, Memphis wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler, questions whether his son’s death was a suicide. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the case, and Hansom said his team is conducting its own investigation and will see if findings match up with the TBI findings.

In addition to calling Lawler’s mother, the affidavit charging Jones says Jones used Lawler’s Social Security number, which also served as his PIN, to make five other phone calls July 29. The number logged on the inmate phone system shows Jones was trying to reach Jeffrey Jones, identified as a family member.

The affidavit says the repeated personal calls, in addition to making the call Lawler requested before his death, proves Jones was attempting to deprive Lawler’s estate through fraud.

“At some point, Brian clearly gave this guy his PIN number,” Hansom said. “He (Lawler) told him to call his family and let Jerry know what was going on. All that is consistent. After Brian was transported to the Med, this guy attempted to contact his own family to tell them what was going on. But again, nobody has complained about it.”

Jones’ lawyer, Michael Floyd of Memphis, could not be reached.

A message was left for Hardeman County Sheriff John Doolen, but he did not return the call.