Deadly Secrets: The Lawson Family Christmas Murders
True Crime with Elli Mac
12/25/25
•42m
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This family photograph, taken just days before Christmas, appears ordinary at first. A father stands among his children.
A mother holds her baby. Everyone dressed up, wearing new dresses, and all arranged perfectly for the camera. Nothing seems out of place.
On the day the picture was taken, no one except Charlie Lawson knew why he had suddenly spent money he could barely afford.
Just days later, on Christmas Day, 1929, Charlie Lawson murdered his wife and six of his seven children before taking his own life—nearly erasing his entire family to protect a scandalous secret.
For decades, people studied that photograph, searching for answers. For some sign of what drove him to kill. It would take sixty years before the truth emerged—when a dark family secret finally came to light.
This is the story of the Lawson family murders, on Christmas Day.
Previous Episode
A Deadly Christmas In Oklahoma: The Murders Of Jack And Elaine Denney
December 22, 2025
•24m
Christmas in rural Oklahoma had always been a magical time for Jack and Elaine. Their little home on Iron Post Road glowed with decorations, and a small wooden manger stood proudly in the yard.
Inside, on December 23rd, 2007, Elaine spent the day doing what she loved most: cooking. Fresh loaves of her holiday bread cooled on the counter, and batches of her famous peanut brittle waited to be gifted to neighbors.
The couple were excited. Their daughter Sarah, her husband, and their three children were coming in just a few days to celebrate Christmas.
But when that day finally came... everything was wrong.
When Sarah and her family stepped through the door, they didn’t find the laughter or hugs they were expecting. Instead, they found Jack and Elaine—shot to death in their dining room. No signs of forced entry. No DNA. No fingerprints. No motive. Nothing.
The case baffled investigators. And for ten long years, it would go cold.
Until one witness came forward... and changed everything.
Next Episode
When A Father’s Love Turns Deadly: Ellie And Isobelle Cass
December 29, 2025
•16m
When David Cass arrived to collect his daughters, Ellie, three, and Isobelle, just 14 months old, it seemed like a normal custody visit. Kerrie Hughes kissed them goodbye, never imagining it would be the last time she saw them alive.
The following day, he called Kerrie, out of breath, and said: “They’re sleeping.” When she asked what he meant, he replied: “They’re sleeping forever.” Moments later, he hung up.
Locked in a bitter split and custody fight, David had made a devastating choice — to ensure his daughters would never return to their mother.
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