The famous portrait of the Lawson family originated before one of the most frightening crimes in history. Just a few days after the photo was taken, Father murdered six of his seven children and wife. , although many historians consider this case indisputable, some they believe they know the real motive of the murderer.
The Lawsons were A common working family from North Carolina’s American family, consisted by Father Charlie, wife Fannie and their seven children: 19-year-old Arthur, 17-year-old Marie, 12-year-old Carrie, 7-year-old Maybell, 4-year-old James, 2-year-old Raymond and four-month-old Mary Lou.
Shortly before Christmas in 1929 took Charlie his loved ones to Winston-Salem to buy new clothes and have a family portrait to make a family portrait. Since it was in the beginning of the Great Depression, It was considered a very costly gesture, especially for a farm class of worker class.
At first glance, normal family photography soon became a harbinger of brutal tragedy. Charlie Christmas killed his daughters Carrie and Maybell near a tobacco barn when they went to visit relatives. Then he returned to the house and He shot his wife Fannie on the porch. To the inside murdered Marie and then two sons, James and Raymond. Finally he was wiped by little Mary Lou to death.
Investigators noted that After the murder of seven members of his family, Charlie went to the forest and took his life. Tragedy survived only the eldest son of Arthur, who was saved by the fact that his father sent him to the city to buy bullets. Although, after the loss of his family, Arthur led life in the background, in 1991 he gave an interview in which he described the details of that terrible day.
There are several theories to reveal a real murderer motive. Some historians and experts They believe Charlie could suffer from a severe mental disorder that caught him up to madness.
Another theory says that Charlie was to sexually abuse his daughter Marie for many years, even to be pregnant. She was supposed to trust her girlfriend who She pointed out that Fannie also knew about their relationship. Many people believe that This was what led to the brutal massacre of his wife and children because Charlie did not want the secret to rolled up.
