Witch hunts have always been the grotesque periphery of American culture. Not in the sense of the original reference of the phrase, which was a thing in 1400s Europe targeting women suspected of evil spiritual practices and sorcery. But, in the sense of accusatory hysteria marked by widespread uninhibited fear.
History Of Violent Deaths
The early 1900s was profoundly marked by this herd behavior. The stories were always identical. A White woman was allegedly assaulted, and although Black people were under a system of tyranny that guaranteed death for the slightest misstep, somehow, there were just enough possessing the boldness and audacity to commit the capital crime.
Lanier, a thriller from Scary Hours Productions, is inspired by the mystery surrounding Lake Lanier in Oscarville, Georgia. Urban legend has it that a spirit of revenge and vindication haunts the manmade lake, seeking the unfortunate who navigate it.
It all stemmed from the assault and resulting death of 18-year-old White female Mae Crow back in 1912. Three Black males, including Rob Edwards of Forsyth County, were arrested on suspicion of involvement. While in jail, a 2,000-person mob bombarded Edwards’ cell and proceeded to torture him before repeatedly shooting and lynching him. Later, Crow’s sister admitted to Edwards’ innocence.
Erasing The Past With A Water Dam
Other similar witch hunts consisting of fiery acts of violence occurred in the following years, with the overall motive to drive out Black residents for capitalistic projects. In 1956, Oscarville and prominent Black communities in the area were forever erased when the U.S. Army Corps built Buford Dam and filled its 38,000 acres with water, covering farmlands, unmarked graves, and its sordid history.
Increasing Deaths Feed Haunting Theories
Host of the very exclusive 1997 Bilderberg meeting — another historical component shrouded in conspiracy — and also the destination where famed R&B singer Usher Raymond’s stepson, Kile Glover, was tragically killed in a boating accident, Lake Lanier has counted more than 200 deaths in the last three decades.
Just as recent as July 2023, 24-year-old Thomas Shepard Millner was electrocuted in the water while visiting the lake on Thursday (July 27). A couple of days later, two separate people died on the same day during different times. Tracey Stewart, a 61-year-old swimmer, drowned in 46-feet deep water earlier on Saturday (July 29). Later that day, another swimmer, 27, was sucked under the water and never found, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.
Lanier, The Movie
Written and directed by William E. Anderson and Cindy E. Kunz-Anderson, the synopsis of Lanier reads, “Jeff Stevenson, his wife and daughter head off to a fun weekend getaway at Lake Lanier to celebrate his daughters birthday. The vacation turns into a work-cation for Jeff to solve a drowning case when he decides to go undercover to work on a drowning case to help a local detective named Daniel Wilson. As they work together, Jeff denies Daniel’s theories that Lake Lanier is haunted, not to mention the history of the fallen city under the lake, Oscarville.”
The cast includes Riley Madison Fuller, Shekeb Sekander, Jarrett Michael Collins, Ava Metallo, Chris Johnson, Patrick Lemon, Jaime Lee, Ali Ashtigo, Shan Moreno, Angel McCoughtry, Mara Flanagan, and Michael Schill.
Lanier will have a limited two-day release around the anniversary of Rob Edward’s death, Sept. 9-10. The independent film will then move to VOD on Sept. 16 and hit streamers in Oct.
