Episode 156 Blame No One But I: The Lawson Family Murders

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 918 Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2024

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On Christmas Day in 1929, the community of Germanton, North Carolina, was forever changed by the tragic murders of seven members of the Lawson family. One fact remains indisputable: Charlie Lawson was responsible for the deaths of his family. However, the question that has lingered for nearly a century is: why did he commit such a heinous act? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries PodcastInstagram: @southernmysteriesEmail: [email protected] Episode Sources Greensboro Daily News: Stokes Farmer Murders Family, Dec 26, 1929 Greensboro Daily News: Victims to be Buried in Single Grave, Dec 27, 1929 Statesville Record and Landmark: Only One Member of Family of 9 Left, Dec 30, 1929 The Sentinel: No Report on Brain of Charlie Lawson, Jan 7, 1930 Statesville Record: Commercializing the Lawson Home, Feb 3, 1930 PlanetSlade: So hard to die: Murder of the Lawson Family Murderpedia: Charles Davis Lawson CLEWS: Christmas Murders and the Lawson Family Massacre, December 2006 M. Bruce Jones with Trudy Smith: White Christmas, Bloody Christmas, 1990. Trudy Smith: The Meaning of Our Tears Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey friends, it's Shannon Ballard. This is our final episode of 2024, but rest assured, I'll be back with new episodes starting on Monday, January 20th.
0:11.4	For my much obliged Southern Mysteries patrons, you'll hear a new episode of the patron exclusive, audacious podcast, December 23rd.
0:20.3	As we wind down the year, I want to say a special thanks to each
0:24.4	of my Southern Mysteries patrons. Your support helps sustain this show and makes it possible for me
0:30.3	to continue to share episodes of Southern Mysteries, which means the world to me. Thanks to our
0:36.4	newest patrons, Karen Newsome from Guyton, Georgia,
0:39.8	Miss R from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Elizabeth Stewart from San Antonio, Texas, Natalie Don Chay
0:46.3	from Santa Rosa, California, Erin Haley from Roberts Del, Alabama, April Crawford from
0:52.9	Cordova, Alabama, and Jeannie Pritchard from
0:56.4	Maline, Alabama. And thanks to Lisa Maryweather from Caparice Cove, Texas, Lee Fowler from
1:03.2	Brandon, Mississippi, Melody Carter from Bristol, Tennessee, Kelly Erlandspiel from
1:08.8	Worcester, Ohio, Morgan Addie from White Lake Michigan, and Lynette LeCore from Washington, Louisiana.
1:15.0	And thanks to those Southern Mysteries patrons who are listening and supporting from a mysterious location, James Wyckoff, Adam Hess, baseball Miller, Carrie Rottilla, Amber Quistad, Kelly Lowry, and Tylana.
1:31.7	Greatly appreciate your support.
1:34.5	Now, if you would like to join these very kind folks in supporting the show on Patreon,
1:40.0	you would get to hear ad-free episodes and the show archive of the first three seasons.
1:45.0	You can also join at a level called Much Obliged, where you have access to a lot of bonus content, like the archives of patron-exclusive podcast, and our monthly patron podcast, Audacious, tales of scandalous and shocking crimes in American history.
2:02.2	There are two options to join in on Patreon, and it's really easy to opt in and out.
2:07.9	Check it out for yourself and start listening to episodes you haven't heard before at patreon.com
2:14.0	slash Southern Mysteries.
2:33.5	Thank you. slash southern mysteries. Days before Christmas, days before Christmas, 1929, in North Central North Carolina, snow began to blanket the region. By Christmas morning, the Germantin
2:36.4	community looked like a Norman Rockwell illustration, with snowy Christmas scenes and families
	...

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