Murder & Magnolias, Episode 4: “Bluegrass Needs Another Benjamin”

Air date: November 29, 2022
Host: Keith Morrison (Dateline NBC)
Theme: The unraveling of a privileged Southern couple’s life amid betrayal, plotting, and a murder-for-hire scheme.

Main Theme and Purpose

In this captivating episode, Keith Morrison delves deeper into the Southern gothic tragedy of Nancy Cannon and Chris Latham—a seemingly perfect Low Country couple whose bitter divorce gave way to a chilling murder-for-hire plot. The episode traces the twisted journey from marital strife to criminal conspiracy, examining the roles of love, revenge, and desperation, and highlighting the lengths to which each character will go for vindication, money, and self-preservation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Southern Scene and Family Lore

• Morrison opens by placing listeners in Conway, South Carolina in 1988, recalling the night Chris asked Nancy’s father, O’Neill Cannon, for her hand in marriage.
  • Nancy recounts a vivid family story meant to “test” Chris’s intentions, ending with her father’s warning after a violent childhood spat:
    Nancy Cannon (03:25):
    “He said, well, son, I'm going to let you marry her, but I am going to tell you, if you ever hit her, don't go to sleep.”

2. From Love to Deceit and Conflict

• Morrison transitions to present day, hinting at betrayal and violence, then introduces listeners to recordings of Chris Latham and his lover, Wendy, displaying an intense, if illicit, affection.
  • Chris: "I think of you every second, honey." (03:58)
  • Wendy: "I think of you every second." (04:01)
  • The juxtaposition of their "young love" and the reality of their age underscores the delusion and escapism running through their actions.

3. Wendy’s Role, Prison Recordings, and The “Bluegrass” Payment

• Phone calls from jail reveal conspiring:
  • Joe Boykin (ATF, 06:05): “Their affection for one another in graphic detail, but also … they're conniving and scheming with one another.”
  • "Bluegrass needs another Benjamin" is code for needing another $100 bill—a $50,000 bribe for a Kentucky lawyer defending Sammy Yenawine, the accused hitman (06:21).
• Wendy and Chris manipulate Wendy’s parents to fund Sammy’s lawyers, hoping to keep Sammy from “rolling” (i.e., cooperating with authorities).

4. Estrangement, Obsession, and Escalating Divorce Warfare

• Nancy is isolated after news of the murder plot:
  • Nancy Cannon (07:56): “Not a peep, not a text, not an email. Nothing. Not a friend...Not one single person reached out to my children from team Chris.”
• She confesses becoming “maniacal,” obsessed with retaliation in her divorce:
  • Nancy (09:20): “I was becoming maniacal, like an evil villain ... I mean, I was Dr. Evil. I was so excited that I was hurting him. And it was just making me so happy.”

5. Public Confrontations and Pettiness

• Nancy makes public scenes in Chris’s workplace, accusing him of affairs to embarrass him:
  • Nancy (10:13): “Oh, my husband, Chris Latham, works here. Have you slept with him?”
  • Her actions escalate to trespassing and Chris leveraging his influence to push for her arrest.

6. Courtroom Antics and Spiraling Suspicion

• Nancy tries to out-irritate Chris in minor legal battles—a child's game with adult consequences.
  • The date/time of a court hearing later appears in the hit packet, suggesting Chris may have relayed this to the hit team (16:41).

7. Living in Fear and the Hitman's Death

• After the plot is exposed and suspects arrested, Nancy describes her ongoing fear:
  • Nancy (19:43): “What kind of evidence are they going to turn over? ... Should I go ahead and line something up now? And I think that was the fear.”
• Sammy Yenawine’s jailhouse death—officially ruled suicide—leaves uncertainty and lost secrets:
  • Bill Nettles (20:40): “He's so volatile ... I think it just pushed him over the edge.”

8. Circumstantial Evidence and the Slow Arm of Justice

• Prosecutors bide their time to build a case, aware of Chris’ potential to flee but believing he feels invincible.
  • Bill Nettles (21:48): “He really thought he was smarter than everybody else.”
• Crucial evidence: printer logs and photos tie Chris directly to the murder plot.
  • Bobby Callahan (23:35): “Printer log showing him from his computer and printer printing out maps of Nancy Latham's residence that were in the hit package.”

9. The Dramatic Arrest – Nancy’s Detective Work

• When agents can’t locate Chris, Nancy helps, using Facebook clues to determine his whereabouts at Lake Jocassee.
  • Nancy (25:52): "Here's the address... I'm like 99.9% [sure he’s there]."
• The FBI arrest Chris at a lake house packed with teens:
  • Joe Boykin (27:33): “Chris Latham looked right up at me and all he could say was, you gotta be kidding.”
  • Arrest occurs just after midnight on Nancy’s birthday.
    • Nancy (29:08): “Best birthday present ever. Happy birthday to me.”
  • Joe Boykin’s quip (29:24): "If you want to find a husband, call a pissed off wife."

10. Chris’s Side of the Story (Detention Center Interview)

• Chris, well-dressed in jail, claims media bias and maintains his innocence:
  • Chris (32:28): “There's only one side of this story that's been out there, and the media ... I've been tried and convicted in the media long before this ever started.”
• His defense: Nancy’s alleged adultery (which she denies), and that his divorce was not uniquely acrimonious.
  • Chris (34:14): “I've been blessed with the people, friends and family that truly know me … they know that I would never even think ... to harm Nancy.”
• He denies Wendy Moore (“Wendy number two”) had a motive to kill Nancy:
  • Chris (35:21): “There's no incentive whatsoever for Wendy to want to harm ... Nancy Latham.”

11. Divorce Settlement and the End of the Latham Marriage

• With Chris under criminal indictment, he has no leverage. Nancy receives most of the marital estate, and reclaims her maiden name:
  • Nancy (37:23): “Cannon. That's a powerful name. Bright Cannon.”

12. Cliffhanger: Awaiting Justice

• Morrison closes on the note that Chris and Wendy face trial in a few months, as Nancy steels herself for the ordeal.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (by Timestamp)

• “If you ever hit her, don't go to sleep.”
  — Nancy Cannon’s father’s warning to Chris at their engagement (03:25)
• “I was Dr. Evil. I was so excited that I was hurting him.”
  — Nancy Cannon on her rage-driven behavior during the divorce (09:20)
• “If you want to find a husband, call a pissed off wife.”
  — ATF Agent Joe Boykin’s advice after Nancy helps locate Chris (29:24)
• "Best birthday present ever. Happy birthday to me."
  — Nancy Cannon, on learning of Chris’s arrest on her birthday (29:08)
• “I've been tried and convicted in the media...”
  — Chris Latham, maintaining his innocence and blaming public perception (32:28)
• "Cannon. That's a powerful name. Bright Cannon."
  — Nancy, reclaiming her identity after the divorce is finalized (37:23)
• “You gotta be kidding.”
  — Chris’s stunned reaction at the moment of his arrest (27:33)
• "There's no incentive whatsoever for Wendy to want to harm...Nancy Latham."
  — Chris, denying any conspiracy by Wendy Moore (35:21)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Engagement family story, father’s warning: 01:02–03:35
• Prison phone calls/Bluegrass needs another Benjamin: 03:48–06:26
• Nancy reflects on divorce, obsession: 07:56–09:20
• Public embarrassment at the bank: 10:13–10:50
• Trespassing charge and petty battles: 11:47–16:23
• Hit packet, possible tipping of hit team: 16:41–17:31
• Living in fear after arrests: 19:43–20:04
• Sammy Yenawine’s suicide: 20:40–20:57
• Evidence against Chris: printers and logs: 22:05–23:53
• Nancy’s detective work finds Chris: 24:28–26:13
• The arrest scene at Lake Jocassee: 26:13–29:08
• Joe Boykin’s “pissed off wife” quote: 29:24
• Chris’s in-custody interview: 31:39–37:23
• Nancy reclaims the name ‘Cannon’: 37:23

Episode Tone & Style

• Southern charm and dark humor blend into a tale of escalating pettiness, psychological warfare, and danger.
• Morrison’s narration is wry yet empathetic, relishing the ironies while respecting the fear and suffering involved.
• Nancy’s candor and self-deprecation bring levity to an otherwise suspenseful, grave story.
• Audio clips and quotes keep the narrative visually and emotionally vivid.

For New Listeners

This episode is riveting for true crime fans, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how messy divorces can turn deadly amid privilege and power. Nancy emerges as a fierce protagonist, while Chris’s protestations of innocence are chilling and revealing. The stepwise tension, from family anecdotes to undercover operations, makes for irresistible listening—even if you missed earlier episodes.

Next Episode Tease:
Chris and Wendy’s trial looms, with Nancy prepared for court; the true fate of all players remains uncertain.
Quote:
Nancy Cannon (38:12): “I watched as Wendy turned around and smirked to her family. And I remember Chris kind of got this look on his face like, yeah, we're getting off... This is not good. This is not good.”