Post by Brian on Feb 4, 2015 1:14:54 GMT -5
02/11/07 at 12:22 PM
Maria
How do you think people felt and reacted to the murders who knew Charlie and Fannie Lawson and their children whether they were family members, friends, class mates, or neighbors?
Maria
02/11/07 at 12:28 PM
jackhammer
Very interesting about Mr Bullins being in Charlie's class in school. I'm sure that he (Mr. Bullins - the grandfather of the man that was at the King showing) was shocked to one day find out that his schoolmate had killed his whole family and then himself.
jackhammer
02/11/07 at 12:32 PM
Maria
I've often thought about the children in Germanton at that time and wondered if they maybe became very frightened when they learned that a father had suddenly and inexplicably killed his children. Did they experience a fear of wondering if their father would suddenly do the same thing to them. I know I would have wondered and been afraid of that.
Maria
02/11/07 at 12:41 PM
jackhammer
Good point about the neighbor kids being in fear, Maria.
Just think how often, when we read a scary book or see a scary film, and have a heightened sense of fear, i.e.; double-checking to see if the doors and windows are all locked, hearing noises in the middle of the night, etc. And this | fear is after a viewing a film or reading a book. For those neighbor kids, it was a real event, and they would almost have to think, "if it could happen to them, it could happen to me".
jackhammer
02/11/07 at 06:37 PM
Maria
I remember this one man we interviewed who was 14 years old when the murders happened and he said he remembered being terrified. But his terror at the time was not that his father might turn and kill him and his family. But that was because at that time they didn't know that Charlie was the killer. They were afraid of some unknown person coming after them. I wonder if his fear changed from the proverbial stranger to his father after they learned it was Charlie. None the less it had to have been so very frightening for every one but especially the children.
Maria
02/11/07 at 08:23 PM
sissy
I can imagine that the poor children had to be afraid. They probably thought if I do anything wrong maybe my daddy will kill me too. That would be terrible to have to live with that kind of fear. It probably haunted these children for the rest of their lives.
sissy
02/11/07 at 09:48 PM
Maria
I'm sure it must have. Yet I sat in awe when we interviewed them and saw first hand how well adjusted and normal and happy they were. They apparently came to terms with it and moved on in life in a healthy way and though they never forgot it they didn't appear to be warped in any way from it. I can't help but admire them tremendously for that.
Maria
02/12/07 at 07:33 AM
douglasboulding
wonder how those kids felt walking to school thinking there may be someone out there trying to get them to. most had to walk for miles to get there.
keneth d boulding
02/12/07 at 07:50 AM
Maria
Hi Doug,
I know some of the children still walked to and from school but they had school buses at that time too. But it's been my understanding also that everywhere else the children went, like to church, the store, a neighbor's house or to visit family or friends, they walked. One lady told us that her parents had a car and her Daddy drove her to school every day but she had to walk everywhere else. If I were a child back then in Germanton and had to walk anywhere after that happened I would have walked with other children and carried a big stick.
Maria
01/18/08 at 03:24 PM
Angel71242
I was doing a search for something here in the forum and during my search I came across this thread from a year ago and wanted to respond. I imagine the young children and all the people of Stokes County felt horrified after this happened. They probably thought of the times they visited the Lawsons at their home and how the murders could have happened while they were there! That would just be so scary to think of - a horrible thing like this happening at a place that you have visited, maybe many times.
Angel71242
01/18/08 at 03:34 PM
Maria
You know Angel, even though f was not there, was not related to the Lawsons, was not even born then, I got very scared the first time I heard about it even though it happened 18 years before I was even born. So we know how much more intense their fear must have been. I've only known one person who was murdered, the woman who was tied to a tree on Payne road, raped, stabbed and left to die but when I attended her funeral I remember shaking uncontrollably, from fear I'm sure.
Maria
01/21/08 at 02:11 PM
NascarLover
I know it upset and shocked me when I heard about it from Maria. I couldn't even say anything at first I was so shocked. I remember my first words after she told me was: "that's the worst thing I've ever heard of."
T.C. Bowman
NascarLover
Maria
How do you think people felt and reacted to the murders who knew Charlie and Fannie Lawson and their children whether they were family members, friends, class mates, or neighbors?
Maria
02/11/07 at 12:28 PM
jackhammer
Very interesting about Mr Bullins being in Charlie's class in school. I'm sure that he (Mr. Bullins - the grandfather of the man that was at the King showing) was shocked to one day find out that his schoolmate had killed his whole family and then himself.
jackhammer
02/11/07 at 12:32 PM
Maria
I've often thought about the children in Germanton at that time and wondered if they maybe became very frightened when they learned that a father had suddenly and inexplicably killed his children. Did they experience a fear of wondering if their father would suddenly do the same thing to them. I know I would have wondered and been afraid of that.
Maria
02/11/07 at 12:41 PM
jackhammer
Good point about the neighbor kids being in fear, Maria.
Just think how often, when we read a scary book or see a scary film, and have a heightened sense of fear, i.e.; double-checking to see if the doors and windows are all locked, hearing noises in the middle of the night, etc. And this | fear is after a viewing a film or reading a book. For those neighbor kids, it was a real event, and they would almost have to think, "if it could happen to them, it could happen to me".
jackhammer
02/11/07 at 06:37 PM
Maria
I remember this one man we interviewed who was 14 years old when the murders happened and he said he remembered being terrified. But his terror at the time was not that his father might turn and kill him and his family. But that was because at that time they didn't know that Charlie was the killer. They were afraid of some unknown person coming after them. I wonder if his fear changed from the proverbial stranger to his father after they learned it was Charlie. None the less it had to have been so very frightening for every one but especially the children.
Maria
02/11/07 at 08:23 PM
sissy
I can imagine that the poor children had to be afraid. They probably thought if I do anything wrong maybe my daddy will kill me too. That would be terrible to have to live with that kind of fear. It probably haunted these children for the rest of their lives.
sissy
02/11/07 at 09:48 PM
Maria
I'm sure it must have. Yet I sat in awe when we interviewed them and saw first hand how well adjusted and normal and happy they were. They apparently came to terms with it and moved on in life in a healthy way and though they never forgot it they didn't appear to be warped in any way from it. I can't help but admire them tremendously for that.
Maria
02/12/07 at 07:33 AM
douglasboulding
wonder how those kids felt walking to school thinking there may be someone out there trying to get them to. most had to walk for miles to get there.
keneth d boulding
02/12/07 at 07:50 AM
Maria
Hi Doug,
I know some of the children still walked to and from school but they had school buses at that time too. But it's been my understanding also that everywhere else the children went, like to church, the store, a neighbor's house or to visit family or friends, they walked. One lady told us that her parents had a car and her Daddy drove her to school every day but she had to walk everywhere else. If I were a child back then in Germanton and had to walk anywhere after that happened I would have walked with other children and carried a big stick.
Maria
01/18/08 at 03:24 PM
Angel71242
I was doing a search for something here in the forum and during my search I came across this thread from a year ago and wanted to respond. I imagine the young children and all the people of Stokes County felt horrified after this happened. They probably thought of the times they visited the Lawsons at their home and how the murders could have happened while they were there! That would just be so scary to think of - a horrible thing like this happening at a place that you have visited, maybe many times.
Angel71242
01/18/08 at 03:34 PM
Maria
You know Angel, even though f was not there, was not related to the Lawsons, was not even born then, I got very scared the first time I heard about it even though it happened 18 years before I was even born. So we know how much more intense their fear must have been. I've only known one person who was murdered, the woman who was tied to a tree on Payne road, raped, stabbed and left to die but when I attended her funeral I remember shaking uncontrollably, from fear I'm sure.
Maria
01/21/08 at 02:11 PM
NascarLover
I know it upset and shocked me when I heard about it from Maria. I couldn't even say anything at first I was so shocked. I remember my first words after she told me was: "that's the worst thing I've ever heard of."
T.C. Bowman
NascarLover