Portland cab driver stabbed to death identified as musician, artist from Fort Worth
A Portland, Oregon, cab driver who was stabbed to death last week was identified by Portland police as 43-year-old Reese Lawhon, a musician and artist from Fort Worth.
Lawhon was found with two stab wounds in his neck after picking up a fare on the evening of Easter Sunday, April 9, according to a report from The Oregonian/Oregon Live.
The suspect, Moses J. Lopez, was found exiting Lawhon’s cab with bloody clothes by American Medical Response employees. He was later seen dropping brass-style knuckles with an attached blade, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
After Lopez was treated for a hand injury, medical personnel found Lawhon dead inside the cab.
Lopez was detained and pleaded not guilty to unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree murder charges in Portland on Monday, The Oregonian reported.
Lawhon was born and raised in Fort Worth. He attended Trinity Valley School K-12, where he was described by his art teacher as a “Mozart in the visual arts,” according to his obituary.
He also played the guitar and a set of homemade drums while attending high school.
After high school, Lawhon attended The University of Oregon and moved to Portland, where he established himself as a musician and an artist.
In 2005, he joined the indie-rock band Aan as a bassist and a singer, according to the obituary. He played at venues across the country including the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, and toured with the Smashing Pumpkins.
Lawhon was also known for his love of nature and exploring the streets of Portland while driving for Radio Cab, where he was praised for his kindness and desire to get people where they needed to go, the obituary said.
He was also admired for his paintings of landscapes and realistic portraits.
He was “the most caring, witty, loving son, brother, uncle and dear friend you could possibly imagine having. He had the best gift of making people laugh and smile,” Lawhon’s family said in a statement Tuesday, according to The Oregonian.
He is survived by his parents, his siblings, aunts and uncles, and his nieces and nephews.
A memorial will be held for Lawhon on April 24 at 10:30 a.m. at the Gladney Center for Adoption located at 6300 John Ryan Drive in Fort Worth, followed by a reception in the garden.
