Sheriff arrests murder suspect, victim had island ties

An 83-year-old man was arrested for the Jan. 10 fatal shooting of a longtime Anna Maria Island hairstylist.
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eugene Matthews at the county jail several hours after he allegedly shot Rebecca Rawson, 65, of Bradenton, who was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton and pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m.
Rawson was a hairstylist at Lor-Ells Hair Designs in Anna Maria until the salon closed at end of June 2016. Before Lor-Ells, she worked many years at Head Quarters Salon on Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach.
According to MCSO reports, Rawson drove two family members to a Parrish residence at about 7 p.m. Jan. 10 to pick up her dog, Bart, when Matthews emerged with a handgun, fired twice into the air and then at the vehicle, where Rawson sat in the front seat.
Gunfire pierced the windshield and struck Rawson in the face.
Rawson’s brother-in-law, Rodney Rawson, who had gone to the front door and retrieved Bart, was on his way back to the vehicle when the shooting occurred. Rawson’s 26-year-old daughter also was in the vehicle, MCSO public information officer Dave Bristow said.
After Rawson was shot, the vehicle backed up and crashed, the report stated.
A struggle ensued between Rodney Rawson and Matthews before Rodney Rawson took the gun from Matthews, according to an MCSO report.
The tragedy was compounded by the Jan. 4 death of Ed Rawson, Rebecca’s husband, six days earlier.
Rebecca Rawson was well liked by people who knew her on the island.
She had moved to Tennessee about five years ago, according to Head Quarters owner Carol Conte, who remembers her as “a great worker, a great person.”
She returned to work at Lor-Ell’s on Pine Avenue, where Rebecca Barnett of the neighboring store, Anna Maria Island Accommodations, remembered Rebecca Rawson as “a very nice lady.”
Online records show Matthews faces a second-degree murder charge.
At his first appearance Jan. 11, a judge found probable cause for his arrest and ordered him held without bond.
However, a pretrial report recommends Matthews’ release on conditions, including electronic monitoring and surrendering and possessing no firearms.
His arraignment is set Feb. 10 at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.