On December 25, 1929, in Germanton, North Carolina, seven-year-old Maybell Lawson was tragically murdered along with six other members of her family. The perpetrator was her father, Charles Davis Lawson, who committed the familicide by shooting his wife, Fannie Manring Lawson, and their six children before taking his own life. The only survivor was their eldest son, Arthur Lawson, who was sent on an errand just before the murders took place.
The Lawson family was well-known in the community as tenant tobacco farmers. In the days leading up to Christmas, Charles Lawson took his entire family into town to buy new clothes and have a family portrait taken, which was considered unusual for a working-class rural family of that era. This led to speculations that Lawson's act was premeditated. On the afternoon of December 25, Lawson shot his daughters, Carrie and Maybell, as they were setting out to their uncle and aunt's house. He waited for them by the tobacco barn until they were in range, shot them with a 12-gauge shotgun, and ensured that they were dead by bludgeoning them. He then placed their bodies in the tobacco barn.
Afterwards, Lawson returned to the house and shot his wife, Fannie, who was on the porch. As soon as the gun was fired, their daughter Marie, who was inside, screamed, while the two small boys, James and Raymond, attempted to find a hiding place. Lawson shot Marie and then found and killed the two boys. Lastly, he killed the baby, Mary Lou, who was thought to have been bludgeoned to death. After the murders, Lawson went into the nearby woods and, several hours later, shot himself. The bodies of the family members were found with their arms crossed and rocks under their heads.
The tragic event shocked the community and left many unanswered questions. Investigators speculated that Lawson may have impregnated his eldest daughter, Marie, which could have been a contributing factor to his actions. However, no formal arrests, suspects, litigations, or investigations were conducted as the perpetrator was deceased.
Maybell Lawson, a young girl of seven years old, was a victim of this horrific crime, and her death remains a somber reminder of the fragility of life and the devastating impact of family violence.
