New Case, New Blog Item

Jan 27, 2025

Latest update on our newest true crime project: the 1938 murder of Reverend Charles Lee, a second cousin of Robert E. Lee, on St. Simons Island, Ga., as he prepared his Sunday sermon, a killing that generated national headlines ( https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/5096432-a-picturesque-georgia-island-with-a-violent-history-of-racial-injustice/).

For the first time, I am working with a co-author, historian Stephen Hoffius (a friend from Duke undergrad days) and colleague, Richard McBride. In our research so far, we believe that we have proven that the Black janitor George Clayborn was framed for the murder.

The question remains: Who did it?

With all the principals long dead, as well as many of their descendants, we must engage in some informed speculation. While not required to offer our own scenario, our combined experience strongly suggested that readers – and jurors – would want to know the answer.

The three of us were invited by the St. Simons Island Literary Guild to give a talk on January 7, 2025, on writing true crime – past, present and future. Two days before, on Epiphany Sunday, I attended the packed morning service at Christ Church Frederica, whose rector, Rev. Lee, was the victim. Outside the sanctuary, the current pastor, Rev. Tom Purdy recognized me from an interview in his study a year earlier. He was cordial but cautious, having read about the Literary Guild talk in a column by the Brunswick News’ Terry Dickson ( https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/column-perspective-author-exploring-1938-cold-case-murder-for-next-project/article_c28c3a66-c6f3-11ef-aefc-bf7463278d0e.html).

Thanks largely to the column, the presentation drew a capacity crowd of about 200 residents and visitors to the Casino Theater across the plaza from the St. Simons library. Steve spoke first on historical true crime, based on the book he co-wrote, Upheaval in Charleston: Earthquake and Murder on the Eve of Jim Crow.( https://www.amazon.com/Upheaval-Charleston-Earthquake-Murder-Crow/dp/0820344214) .

Next, I talked about contemporary true crime, based on my trial coverage for the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, including that of serial killer Ted Bundy and Green Beret Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, as well as my two nonfiction crime books, Met Her on the Mountain: The Murder of Nancy Morgan, and Drifting into Darkness: Murder, Madness, Suicide, and a Killing “Under Suspicious Circumstances.”

In the final third of the program, Rick McBride explained how he came to be involved in the case. Together, we talked about our progress in the investigation of the Lee murder. Our hope was that someone in the audience might know something about the killing that had been passed down from after family dinner conversations that they would share with us.

Before the presentation, I was cautioned by a longtime island resident about what kind of reception we might get.

“Remember, this is an extremely sensitive topic around here and you may get some doors shut in your face. This is what I’ve heard, no actual proof, although – years ago – a granddaughter of someone involved told me that that incident ‘was not talked about…ever….’ I hope I’m not being a downer. I love coastal Georgia and St. Simons Island but there’s times I feel like it’s ‘The Twilight Zone,’ run by the Good Ol’ Boys. I guess you’ve encountered that mentality a lot in your career, but, for me, it was an eye opener.”

Given that warning, we distributed 75 business cards to the audience, for those who might have some knowledge of the case but might be reluctant to speak publicly before such a large audience. When the presentation was over, Christine and Hunh Glover, who now own the rectory where the murder took place, came up to say hello. They agreed to let us make a second visit to the structure, a much-renovated structure they were lovingly restoring. We walked the inside and the yard, trying to mentally reconstruct where the Lee’s study was at the time of the shooting, as well as the yard.

Later, we conducted interviews around the island.

We came away from our visit to St. Simons with several scenarios that put the blame for the murder on a number of prominent men and families. Stay tuned for developments.