Murder & Magnolias – Episode 2: "The Hit Packet"

Host: Keith Morrison (Dateline, NBC News)
Date: November 15, 2022

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Keith Morrison unravels the chilling true story of Chris and Nancy Latham—a couple in Charleston’s picturesque Low Country whose bitter divorce escalates into a murder-for-hire plot. Through vivid narration, first-person accounts, and law enforcement perspectives, listeners are taken inside the investigation that exposes betrayal, fear, and the resilience of a family targeted for death. “The Hit Packet” delivers intrigue, emotional depth, and step-by-step revelations as agents race to prevent a crime that could claim multiple lives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Transforming Marriage: From Love to War

• Keith Morrison introduces the Lathams as the “picture of a perfect couple,” but their amicable divorce disintegrates amid accusations and public humiliation.

  “Little wonder then that when crisis comes…some are surprised to find a stranger lurking behind their lover’s face.” (Keith Morrison, 00:33)

Notable Quotes:

• Nancy Latham: “Any love that I had for him was gone.” (02:15)
• Agent Bobby Callahan: “I don't know of anyone that's going through an easy divorce.” (02:19)
• Keith Morrison: “Public humiliation was not just an unfortunate byproduct, it was the goal.” (02:58)

2. The Unveiling of a Murder-for-Hire

• ATF Agent Bobby Callahan receives an early morning call: an ex-con claims to be involved in a murder plot targeting Nancy Latham (04:34).
• At the Day’s Inn, Callahan discovers a chaotic hotel room and a manila envelope—the “hit packet”—with detailed instructions for Nancy’s murder (05:42–06:11).

Notable Quotes:

• Agent Bobby Callahan: “At that point, that's when I realized that this appeared to be a legitimate murder for hire, which could entail quite an extensive investigation.” (06:01)
• Agent Joe Boykin: “In 26 years in law enforcement, it’s the first one I’ve ever gotten like that… About a murder for hire that was in play.” (03:50, 03:56)

3. The Contents of the Hit Packet

• The packet contains Nancy’s personal information, routines, photos, and even her children’s details (08:44–09:15):
  • License plate, children’s names, addresses, and routes.
  • Family photos and surveillance images.
• Chilling specificity made clear to investigators this was the real thing.

Notable Quotes:

• Joe Boykin: “Inside the package was a pretty comprehensive list about Nancy Latham.” (08:44)
• Joe Boykin: “It spoke about her children, also other folks that were residing with her at the time…and what grocery store she even shopped at.” (09:05)

4. The Desperate Race to Prevent Murder

• Agents facilitate undercover calls between Aaron Wilkinson (the confessed hitman) and Sammy Yenawine (the original hitman contact) to gather further evidence (11:04–13:31).
  • The recorded calls confirm Yenawine’s involvement.
• The team moves to protect Nancy, who is informed her life is in danger (14:41–20:01).

Notable Quotes:

• Aaron Wilkinson: “You want me to just pitch that pistol here or do you want me…” (03:38)
• Joe Boykin: “I asked him to make the undercover call to record Sammy…and to get incriminating information…” (11:06)

5. Nancy Latham Encounters the Truth

• Nancy is startled by police arriving at her home. She’s sceptical but soon convinced to take the threat seriously and evacuate with her daughter (17:10–19:21).

Notable Quotes:

• Nancy Latham: “[The officer said] ‘Is there any reason that somebody would want to hurt you?’ And I kind of laughed and said, ‘Well, my husband’s not very fond of me right now.’” (17:56)
• Officer (to Nancy): “There’s been a hit taken out on you. We need you and your daughter to get your stuff together and…get you out of the house because this is where the hit was supposed to take place.” (18:41)

6. Family & Friends React

• Nancy tells her best friend Kathy Harrell to protect Maddie, her youngest (20:13–21:19).
• Scene described with immediacy: Kathy grabs her gun and rushes to help.

Notable Quotes:

• Kathy Harrell: “She said, ‘Kathy, I need you to come get Maddie and keep her safe.’…She said, ‘Just please come get Maddie.’” (20:19)

7. Living Under Police Protection

• Law enforcement arrange for Nancy’s older daughter Emily to be escorted from college (24:59–26:29); the family is reunited at a safe house.

Notable Quotes:

• Emily Latham: “I was actually in my pajamas playing a video game when I got a call from my mom that I was going to be picked up by a South Carolina police officer and I was going to be escorted to the safe house…” (25:09)
• “My school told me that I was a danger by being on campus, so they made me leave.” (26:04)

8. Examining the Evidence: The Hit Packet’s Revelations

• Nancy and agents examine the packet: she recognizes her husband’s handwriting and photos—yet handwriting isn’t the smoking gun she’d hoped (27:32–28:58).
• The evidence—especially a family photo used as a murder target—devastates Nancy:

  “It felt like somebody had kicked me in the stomach because I then realized with absolute certainty that he knew Emily wouldn’t be in the house…but there was still a description of her in the hit packet.” (Nancy Latham, 30:09)

• Nancy is tormented by the idea collateral damage to her daughter or friends was part of the plan.

Notable Quotes:

• Nancy Latham: “He was essentially saying, these are the two people that are going to be in the house. Do whatever you have to do. And as a parent, I cannot understand that.” (31:10)
• “My fear is that I would…have to listen as they shot my daughter Madison. And that is something I will never, ever be able to forgive him for.” (32:16)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

| Time | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:15 | Nancy Latham | “Any love that I had for him was gone.” | | 03:13 | Keith Morrison | “This is the story of two people so committed to winning that a viable strategy became murder.” | | 08:44 | Agent Joe Boykin | “Inside the package was a pretty comprehensive list about Nancy Latham.” | | 17:10 | Nancy Latham | “There are two police officers at the door…if there are two police officers at the door at 8 o’clock in the morning, it’s not good.” | | 30:09 | Nancy Latham | “It felt like somebody had kicked me in the stomach because I then realized with absolute certainty that he knew Emily wouldn’t be in the house…but there was still a description of her in the hit packet.” | | 32:16 | Nancy Latham | “My fear is that… as I lay on the ground bleeding… I would have to listen as they shot my daughter Madison.” |

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:33–03:13 – Introduction: The Lathams’ marriage and embittered divorce
• 04:34–06:11 – Agents discover the murder plot and the “hit packet”
• 08:44–09:59 – Detailed description of murder-for-hire evidence
• 11:04–13:31 – Undercover call between the hitman and mastermind
• 14:41–19:21 – Nancy is warned and evacuated by police; best friend Kathy is enlisted
• 24:59–26:29 – Emily’s college evacuation and family safe house reunion
• 27:32–31:41 – Nancy and the agents review the hit packet, emotional fallout
• 32:16–33:22 – Nancy’s deepest fears about what the plot could have meant for her family
• 33:22–34:21 – Investigators set sights on Chris Latham and the mysterious woman involved

Tone & Atmosphere

• The episode wields Morrison’s signature blend of darkly poetic narration and keen, sensitive interviews.
• There’s both procedural suspense—“who plotted this?”—and psychological depth as Nancy processes unimaginable betrayal.
• The pace is brisk but immersive, moving from investigative breakthroughs to raw, personal reflections.

Closing Thoughts

“The Hit Packet” stands out for its visceral account of how quickly a bitter domestic conflict can turn deadly, the meticulous investigative work that thwarted tragedy, and the scars—of fear and betrayal—that last even after the danger has passed. The episode concludes with unresolved threads—how did a high-brow banker become entangled with an ex-con, and who was the woman in the shadows—setting up the next chapter in this Southern true crime saga.

For listeners who haven’t tuned in, this summary provides a comprehensive, scene-by-scene guide to the emotional, procedural, and evidentiary heart of the episode, preserving the urgent, authentic voices at its core.