The town of Hazlehurst Mississippi has been abuzz with scandal since the shock (and thankfully non-fatal) shooting of Senator Zackery F. Botrelle earlier this month. As he recovers and the dust begins to settle around this curious case, the residents of Hazlehurst have unsurprisingly begun to question what truly happened during that fateful encounter.

Varsity Hazlehurst can now exclusively confirm the already popular speculation that the wife of Mr Botrelle – Hazlehurst’s very own Ms Babe Botrelle, née McGrath – will be giving evidence as defendant in the trial. Many concerned residents will no doubt be wondering what could possibly have been going on in the Botrelle household. Meanwhile, the McGrath sisters have returned to town with some urgency. At present they have refused all offers to talk to the press; Varsity Hazlehurst will endeavour to publish all statements as and when they are released.

“I asked for the case. This is a small town, and the only other good lawyer [who, Varsity understands, is also the plaintiff] was unfortunately shot”

Although neither the defendant nor the plaintiff could be reached for comment at this time, Ms Babe’s lawyer, one Barnette Lloyd, was able to speak briefly with the press yesterday outside his practice. His taking on of such a high-profile case comes only six months after opening his own office in the town. Mr Lloyd was keen to emphasise his commitment to the case: “I asked for it,” he told Varsity Hazlehurst. “This is a small town, and the only other good lawyer (who, it is understood, is also the plaintiff) was unfortunately shot.”

Rumours continue to circulate that Mr Lloyd’s eagerness to take on this case stems from a life-long rivalry with Mr Botrelle – and have only been fuelled by further speculation that Mr Lloyd may hold a candle for his client, Ms Babe. Mr Lloyd was unwilling to comment on the suggestion that he had a personal interest in the case, instead stating that his only wish was for “some good news” for both himself and the “feisty McGrath sisters”. He quickly added that he also hoped for “the speedy recovery of Senator Zackery Botrelle”. 

The sisters, including singer Meg McGrath, will be present at the trial this week, currently set to run from Tuesday 17th to Saturday 21st. The trial will take place not at the local courthouse, but the Corpus Playroom – a decision made by judge of the trial, the Honorable Katie Woods. The move to the larger theatre was justified by her expectation of an unprecedented attendance from local people, who will no doubt turn out in force to support all involved. 

Ms Woods, originally from Britain, commented on Hazlehurst’s charm; she praised its “Southern American optimism” and “way of smiling at horrible things”. Although she could not comment explicitly on details of the case she did mention how particularly the intimacy of the trial has affected her, noting that the “characters” involved “drive the case”. Neither she nor Mr Lloyd would give comment on what they feel may be the outcome of the trial. However, when pushed, Mr Lloyd did mention the “difficulties within the Botrelle household”; namely that Zachary was “a man too busy at work and too unkind to his wife at home...  a situation we can all picture pretty clearly”.

Tessellations and translations

The Hon. Ms Woods went on to comment that “we all know the struggles of family”; but we at Varsity Hazlehurst wonder if the men and women of this town can really believe that one of our own would be moved so far as to shoot her husband, a most respected and hardworking senator? Varsity Hazlehurst could not possibly speculate on the all-important question of who really shot Senator Botrelle. Truly the answer will only be known by attending the unfolding trial yourself.  

Until then, we will plant ourselves firmly in St Edward’s passageway in a bid to uncover the truth for our loyal readers; this case may be in a playroom, but we at Varsity Hazlehurst do not play games in the pursuit of justice. 

These events will unfold in Crimes of the Heart, 17th – 21st January, 7pm at the Corpus Playroom