Ep 4: The Horn Family Contract Killings

Detective Society

In this week's episode, we discuss the murders of Mildred Horn, Trevor Horn, and Janice Saunders, the complicated legacy of this case, and the publishing of "Hit Man" a controversial manual on contract killings. Then Natalie and Michael reflect on the trials and tribulations of being alive in 2016.

Show Intro:

Lawrence Horn was born in 1939.

Not an easy time to be born black, but he joined the navy and aimed to make something of himself.

He spun records aboard aircraft carriers and honed his skills with electronics, so when he was looking for a job after being discharged

And by all accounts he was a natural; crazy-smart, talented and a hard worker

Combining his musical and technical talent, he became Motown’s premier engineer, pioneering vocal mixing processes that are still being used today.

Horn, the chief engineer on “My Girl,” was on fire. He was behind the boards for hits from Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, and Stevie Wonder.

He was on top of the world.

But, as we all know, the good times for Motown Records didn't last forever and by the early 90s Horn had been laid off and divorced twice. His second wife had taken the children and moved across the country to Silver Spring Maryland from Los Angeles.

He was literally just scraping by when he was notified that his ex-wife and 8-year-old son had been brutally murdered.

So How was it that just one week later he became the prime suspect in their murders? Even though he had been on the opposite side of the country at the time of their deaths??

This is Lawrence Horn triple murder.