The Problem With Erik: Privilege, Blackmail, and Murder for Hire in Austin
June 21, 2024 at 05:49PMA tale of bizarre goings-on in Austin, Texas. If you were blackmailed, would your first choice be to hire a hitman? It was for Erik Maund, which—unsurprisingly—escalated things further. With strong reporting from Katy Vine and Ana Worrel, this story races along to a tragic conclusion that could have easily been avoided.
Two days later, Erik met with Layla Love as planned; he made reservations with a different escort the following night. Afterward, he returned to Austin, where he went back to his routine at the dealership and the country club, in what would be the last few weeks of normalcy before the COVID-19 lockdown.
And then that text appeared on his phone. The message is now lost to the digital ether, but as court testimony would later establish, the sender threatened to expose him. Get me $25,000 dollars, the blackmailer demanded, or I’ll tell your wife everything.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2024/06/21/the-problem-with-erik-privilege-blackmail-and-murder-for-hire-in-austin/
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