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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 8:12:16 GMT -5
I was surfing the web a little while ago for anything relating to the Charlie Lawson murders and came across this article. It was posted on CLEWS: The Historical True Crime Blog owned by Laura James. Here is the article:
Having read The Meaning of Our Tears, I must dispute the veracity of Ms. Smiths assertion that she "has the story of what happened inside the house that day from a man who witnessed these murders as a 9 year old." Ms. Smith did not interview that man, she was only told a story by someone who knew that man for about 2 years. She never attempted to contact any of the man's family -- I know because that man was my father, who died in 2005. Ms. Smith's lack of thorough investigative journalism in this very crucial part of her book leads me to wonder what other "facts" may be as poorly researched as this one was. Sissy
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 8:18:37 GMT -5
OMG Sissy, that is an awesome find. I use to visit the CLEWS site but have not been in there in a month or so. This is VERY interesting indeed. I've been saying all along that I did not believe Hassell Miller was at the Lawson house when the murders were occurring. THANKS for sharing this very important article written by Hassell's daughter Deborah Morton.
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 8:21:21 GMT -5
Good job finding that Sissy!!! That just proves to me that those books were written in a hurry just to make money and therefore have alot of mistakes in them, some that are very serious mistakes. douglasboulding relative of the Lawson family
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 9:04:38 GMT -5
In his entire life of seventy five years Hassell Miller never told anyone in his entire family or his circle of friends that he had witnessed Charlie Lawson killing his wife and children yet we're suppose to believe that he told some care taker that he was there. I also find it strange that Hassell Miller was never named as a witness to the murders until AFTER he died. And the story of him being in the Lawson home that day and witnessng the murders as they took place arrived on the author's doorstep not by Hassell Miller himself or any one in his family but rather from his care taker. Maria
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 9:06:42 GMT -5
I thought all along that the story about Hassell Miller witnessing the murders was like swiss cheese...full of holes. These letters and posts prove what I believe. Sissy
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 9:20:36 GMT -5
Was she referring to something that was in Trudy's second book because there was no name mentioned in the firsst book, just that there was someone else there that ran when Charlie went to the house. Hillbillyghosthunter
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 9:22:51 GMT -5
In the seond book she claims that Hassell Miller told his care taker that he witnessed the murders that day. The lady that wrote that letter in cLEWS was Hassell Miller's daughter. Sissy
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 9:39:42 GMT -5
Seems a little un-believable that a child would not tell his parents that he had just witnessed a man they all knew killing his entire family. Even if he ddn't tell, you'd think his parents would notice something was wrong and get it out of him. I know my six year old tells me everything immediately. Angel71242
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 9:44:31 GMT -5
I located Hassell Miller's daughter Deborah Morton today and spoke with her at length over the phone. She is indeed Hassell Miller's daughter and my impression of her is that she is a very nice and gracious lady and I was very impressed with her level of intelligence and her way of reasoning things out. I will not say what we discussed as she may be joining our message forum and will therfore let her tell her story herself in her own words. I really enoyed talking with her alot. Maria
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 9:46:39 GMT -5
WOW Maria, what great news. I am so glad you found Deborah. Maybe she will join our forum, that would be great. What an excellent researcher you are. Sissy
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 10:26:23 GMT -5
Thanks Sissy. Actually she was easy to find, no great research skills needed!! Makes me wonder why she nor anyone else in her family was ever contacted about the claim that her father witnessed Charlie Lawson kill his entire family when he, her father, was nine years old. Why was this care taker contacted in the first place rather than one of his children or another close relative? Especially after his care taker Renee Dudley told that story. A story of such immense importance should have been verified or denied by at least 2 more relatives. But no relative was even given that chance since none of them were contacted. For his care taker to assume that his family knew about it as she said in her rebutal seems very very suspicious to me especially since her employer was hassell Miller's daughters. Maria
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 10:29:13 GMT -5
I know from reading his daughter's letter that she sounds very upset over the way the informaion or lack of it was handled. I hope she does join our forum. I for one would like to hear her story. Sissy
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 10:57:24 GMT -5
It disturbs me how many people so closely connected and affected by this horror were never given a voice. They were not contacted at all. So many people told us that when we interviewed them for our Documentary. I remember this one gentleman we interviewed who was so happy that we went to talk with him and shared with him photos and stories about his side of the family that he had never seen or known about. Tears filled his eyes and I was afraid he was going to lose it. Through it all, the one thought that kept coming to me over and over was that "The people themselves are more important than the story". This story does not stand alone. Many people were affected deeply and their lives were changed forever in the blink of an eye. Their voices needed to be heard. Whether they were anngryor hurt or frightened or confused, their voices and their feelings were the focal point of it all. Some people were sure to be unknown about and unable to be located, that's un-avoidable, but every effort needed to be excercised in finding out who they were, then given the chance to tell their story. That's why I have kept in touch with so many of the people we interviewed even now because I might hear about another person who just wants to have the chance to talk about it. This message forum is just one more way to learn of someone else who lived through this tragedy and provides them with the opportunity to get in touch with us so that their voices can be included. Maria
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 10:58:34 GMT -5
I couldn't have said that better. Matt32
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Post by Angela on Apr 17, 2009 17:04:39 GMT -5
I also think his care taker should have contacted his daughters to see if they had any objection to her telling something about their father that could not be verified by him that was going to be published in a book that thousands of people would read. Fot the care taker to assume that his family already knew about it is ludicrous in my opinion. Obviously his family did not know the care taker would and did tell this story. She didn't even tell them what she hd done after she did it. How could she assume they they already knew it? After all, she nor the author ever contacted them. Maria
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