Beloved Country Drummer Mark Laws Murdered in Home Shooting
Tragic news out of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee as it’s been confirmed that beloved country music drummer, bandleader, producer, and studio owner Mark Laws was murdered in a domestic dispute on May 25th. Laws was 62-years-old, and revered throughout the country music community. The stepson of Laws—25 year old Maxwell Alan Madon—has been charged with criminal homicide by the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department. Maxwell Madon is currently in custody.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Mark Stephen Laws was shot twice with a 9mm handgun after a verbal altercation at a home on Old Pearman Lane near Harrogate, Tennessee. Laws died at the scene. Maxwell Alan Madon lived with his grandparents, and got in an argument with them about cleaning his room according to reports. The argument turned violent, and Madon allegedly assaulted his grandfather. The grandmother then called Mark Laws who is Madon’s stepfather, who came to the residence to help.
After Mark Laws arrived, Maxwell Madon became argumentative once again, a physical altercation broke out, and Madon shot Mark Laws twice. Also during the incident, Madon shot through his own hand. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment before being sent to the Claiborne County Jail. Madon was booked into custody on May 27th, and has not posted bail at the time of this report. No more details are currently being shared due to the active investigation.
Mark Laws was known for working with country legends like “Little Jimmy Dickens, Larry Cordle, Bill Carlisle, Pam Perry, and others. Most recently Laws had been working as the bandleader and drummer behind young country traditionalist and American Idol alum Alex Miller—a position Laws held for the past five years.
“My heart is truly broken at the passing of my drummer Mark Laws,” Alex Miller said. “My grandad once told me that you’ll have lots of friends in your life, but finding a true friend is something that is rare and special. My grandad was a true friend, and so was Mark Laws. His loss to me is devastating. Please pray for his family for me.”
Mark Laws came up drumming for the Renfro Valley Barn Dance band where he worked with many country legends coming through town. He then used those connections as a session and live drummer, and a recording producer.
May 28, 2025 @ 8:24 pm
This is so very sad. I know Alex Miller and this is quite the blow to him. Prayers for all the family and friends.
May 29, 2025 @ 12:28 am
That’s so sad. Why does every blockhead own a firearm in the US? It’s never good news.
May 29, 2025 @ 7:36 am
One of the reasons firearm ownership is so prevalent in American is because large swaths of America are rural, and police services can sometimes be 30 to 45 minutes or more away. My big question here is who brought the gun into this scenario. Since the alleged murderer has a hole in his hand, there very well might have been a struggle for the gun. Whether it was his gun or Mark Laws brought the gun is a big detail here.
Also interesting to note that even though folks love to obsess over “assault rifles” in the United States, 9mm handguns continue to be the most deadly weapon in the United States, including since so many of them don’t even have safety switches. You’re more likely to be killed by your own 9mm than to use it to kill someone else, like an intruder or someone attacking you. This very well could end up being the case for Mark Laws.
May 29, 2025 @ 11:59 am
And in the US suicides are also tied in with the gun crime numbers.
May 29, 2025 @ 12:38 pm
Yes, and a 9mm is super easy to commit suicide with, unlike a long rifle.
May 29, 2025 @ 1:59 pm
unless you’re married to Courtney Love..
May 29, 2025 @ 12:12 pm
With your analysis in this comment, I’d argue it’s potentially a little premature to report this as a murder. Your analysis here is good.
May 29, 2025 @ 12:42 pm
Well, Mark Laws died of homicide. Maxwell Alan Madon has been charged with criminal homicide. Of course we must wait for the legal process to play out, but I’m not sure anyone is expecting for us to find out Mark Laws committed suicide.
May 29, 2025 @ 12:45 pm
Of course. But homicide and murder are different, and if Laws brought the gun into the sight and the hand would was defensive, there could be a legitimate defense against the charge. I just think “shot and killed” would be more accurate and neutral for a report of this magnitude.
May 29, 2025 @ 2:28 pm
@adam–You’re of course correct from a legal standpoint, but it’s fairly common–or even prevalent–for news media and public officials and candidates for office to refer to the “murder rate” in a locality or state or nationally, when what they’re actually citing are the statistics for general homicide. So, I’ll say that Trig is in good company–or maybe bad company, but plenty of company–in that linguistic miscue.
May 29, 2025 @ 2:43 pm
@luckyoldsun
That’s true, although I respect triggers news reporting more than I do media reporting on homicide rates. I’d rather both use more nuanced language, especially with developing stories.
May 29, 2025 @ 1:52 pm
Oh my. Seems like some wild speculation in your comment. Every now and then you reveal yourself.
May 29, 2025 @ 2:10 pm
Nothing speculative in that comment at all. Just citing well-established statistics and how they relate to the scenario we’ve been presented by authorities so far.
“Every now and then you reveal yourself.”
No clue what this means. Every now and then inane comments are taken as stark revelations by people who see what they want to see.
May 29, 2025 @ 2:34 pm
Interesting point regarding your handguns comment. The original NFA meant to also address handguns (Saturday night specials were all the rage), and short barrel rifles and shotguns were added to avoid a potential loophole. Then it changed so much to have a focus on rifles and now we’re seeing AR pistols as a loophole.
I’d even argue an SBR in .223 with hollow points is a superior personal defensive weapon to a 9mm, if only because they tumble when in contact with drywall, and are harder to shoot yourself or drop fire (thanks sig).
The safety concern with Glocks especially I can see either way, although the real problem is just firearm security in general.
As someone who would like to see real solutions to gun violence and deaths, and loves and respects the second amendment, the assault rifle hysteria is really frustrating.
May 29, 2025 @ 3:35 pm
Yeah, the concert-goers who cleared out of the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on 10/1/17 while Jason Aldean was on stage were a bunch of hysterics. Running and shoving, trampling over barricades toppling litter baskets. All because of one 64-year-old guy, who happened to have an “assault rifle”–and wasn’t even on the premises. It was really frustrating for me, viewing videos of it later, from 2,500 miles away.
May 30, 2025 @ 2:04 pm
I think the hysteria around assault rifles is in relation to events with a high number of casualties. There’s no reason anyone should be walking into a mall or school with the ability to shoot 30 or 100 rounds in a minute, just like no one needs that type of ammo for hunting or self defense. There’s no reason to own stuff like that unless you’re a male with small genitals. There are legitimate reasons to own other firearms, so if we could ban assault weapons (again), or better regulate them, it’s at least something. I’m a gun owner and have no issues with bans on assault rifles. I think we should at least see a stricter background check with references and registration for that kind of purchase. (That’s all I’m going to say on this contentious topic and expect many will disagree, which is fine).
May 29, 2025 @ 4:48 am
Sad, sad story.
May 29, 2025 @ 4:50 am
“Clean your room” = Jordan Peterson
May 29, 2025 @ 8:56 am
Oh,crap.Another example of The Armed Madhouse’s (America’s) and its 400,000,000+ guns wasting yet another life. (And before one of you gun-loving goobers tells me that Mr. Laws should have been able to choose from an arsenal to protect himself and his family,realize that his stepson,if he is the slayer,is THIRTY-SEVEN years Mr. Laws’ junior,and thus in a shootout would have enjoyed far more lively reflexes than his stepfather.But as a great Canadian cover boy-handsome and brainy-what do I know ?)
May 29, 2025 @ 12:10 pm
25 year old Maxwell Alan Madon is charged with shooting his stepfather, Mark Laws.
I believe it was Madon who pulled the trigger.
“… realize that his stepson,if he is the slayer,is THIRTY-SEVEN years Mr. Laws’ junior,and thus in a shootout would have enjoyed far more lively reflexes than his stepfather.”
What in the hell does your comment even mean?
This 25 year old male, intentionally pointed and fired a weapon with intent.
Take him down.
May 29, 2025 @ 5:41 pm
I’m sure you like the United Kingdom and their gun policies. Now, of course, they prohibit most knives. Is that really a free country?
A 92-year-old British man, missing a leg and likely suffering from dementia in his assisted living facility, was tased and pepper sprayed by police for not dropping his butter knife.
But hey, anything in the name of safety.
May 29, 2025 @ 2:20 pm
My comment is that Mr. Laws’ 25-year-old stepson,being 37 years younger than Mr. Laws,would have a vast edge in reflexes due to his youth were the two to simultaneously draw,unless Mr. Laws were a crack shot and his stepson wasn’t,and even then,a lucky shot from a poor shooter can be fatal.
June 3, 2025 @ 8:06 am
I’d like to comment to everyone…mark laws is my cousin his momma my aunt…you’d have to know mark then you’d all understand he was the victim caught in a situation trying to help his wife’s family. Please use a little bit of sensitivity in your comments as my entire will read everything that is written or commented on, this has shattered our entire family especially my aunt and his brothers and sister. Our hearts are broken and will never mend he was a very special fella and his absence will be constantly felt. Thank you
May 29, 2025 @ 4:19 pm
Good article but comments a little crazy. The main point of this story has gotten lost. If u are living with your grandparents, step grandparents, and they ask you to clean the room u r staying in, clean it. Doesnt matter your age. Respect that rule and none of this other stupid stuff happens.
May 29, 2025 @ 11:13 pm
Tigger could literally say “ice is cold” and someone would comment that he should have said it was “frozen”, then a heated debate would break out. The story is well written and reported correctly. Pray for the families if you are bored or need something to do.
May 30, 2025 @ 2:29 am
While guns are as easily available as they are in the US, minor disagreements will continue to escalate into murder. Insanity.
May 30, 2025 @ 12:24 pm
Dont really think its specifically about guns. A woman stabbed a guy to death just because he objected to her cutting in line at a store. Its called lack of morals and a rush to violence instead of common decency and the act of just turning the cheek.
May 31, 2025 @ 2:42 am
Of course it’s about guns. Approaching 25 years since Bowling for Columbine and some Americans are still trying to deny the link between access to guns and gun crime. If it wasn’t so tragic it would be hilarious.
May 31, 2025 @ 6:20 am
Dennis, it is NOT the guns, it is the attitude of people. Every time someone proposes to “ban” guns, you would just be taking them away from lawful gun owners – the criminals will always have access to weapons. And why would anyone think a ban on guns would work? Many drugs have been illegal for a long time, so nobody possesses or uses those banned drugs, right? Oh, wait, there are plenty of drugs around (and always will be)! And nobody ever drives their car above the posted speed limit, either!
So you are proposing to take guns away from people “just in case” they might use that gun to shoot someone. OK. Then we should take your car away from you, just to prevent you from being able to drive drunk and crash into someone, eh? Not to mention that we could lock up all men as a preventive to ensure they don’t commit rape, and you could pre-emptively lock up all women to ensure they don’t become prostitutes.
And let me state it clearer: Some of you folks are NOT anti-gun, you are anti-self-defense. I was dating a divorced woman in the 1970s. She wanted to own a gun for self-protection, but back then it was very difficult for an ordinary person to legally carry a pistol. So one night, her ex-husband stabbed her 32 times, murdering her. If she would have been armed with a pistol, there is a good chance she would still be alive and her assailant would be dead. To add insult to injury, her murderer was allowed to plead guilty to 2nd degree murder, and he was sentenced to only 7.5 years in prison. And after 4 years, he was released (time off for good behavior).
So if you don’t want people to own guns, you are saying you want 100 pound women to be defenseless against 200 pound men.
June 1, 2025 @ 2:03 am
Of course it’s about guns. If the guy who lost his mind in Vegas didn’t have one how many people do you think he’d be able to have killed and injured at the country concert before he got taken down? Maybe a dozen. Definitely not 473 innocent people.
This will be hard for you to hear, but while you continue to deny this fact YOU are part of the problem.
June 1, 2025 @ 7:16 am
Folks, we’re not going to solve the gun debate here. Nobody is going to convince anybody of anything else, so let’s please move on here.
June 2, 2025 @ 9:07 am
Replaying to Dennis at 6/1/25 @ 2:03 am:
Dennis, if mass-murdering is all about guns, what about Darrel Brooks, the crazed guy who drove his motor vehicle into a parade In Wisconsin, killing 6 and injuring scores of people? Did he use a gun? What about Mohamed Soliman, the madman who recently burned people in Boulder, Colorado? If someone else had a gun at those times, they could have stopped, or at least minimized, the carnage. To sum it up, to stop someone who is intent on committing mayhem, it takes someone with a weapon to stop those miscreants.
And I am not the problem, it is people like DENNIS who are the problem. Folks like me are the SOLUTION to people who want to commit crimes against other folks. I just want to be left alone, but if someone wants to mess with me, I will use whatever means are needed to stop them from being able to harm me or my friends or loved ones.
Trigger, I hate to have to respond, but Dennis is wrong. Guns are merely tools that can be used by bad people for bad purposes, or they can be used by good folks to stop those bad people. Why are the police armed? Because, of course, they know they can’t stop criminals by merely using “harsh language”!
Getting back to the sad story of Mark Laws, it is sad that in these modern times people seem to be more argumentative than in past times. Perhaps it is fueled by the over-supply of drugs such as meth and fentanyl?
May 31, 2025 @ 2:03 pm
I guess you only pay attention to the news that furthers your agenda. People get killed or injured with non gun weapons all the time, kids get beaten and killed without a firearm at all quite a bit. Its clear to anyone with common sense that while guns are part of a problem, the real problem lies within the people doing the violence. Until someone can fix that, there is no safety. Remember that when u are out there protesting for criminals and violent people that they deserve more leniency and tolerance.
June 3, 2025 @ 8:13 am
I’d like to comment to everyone…mark laws is my cousin his momma my aunt…you’d have to know mark then you’d all understand he was the victim caught in a situation trying to help his wife’s family. Please use a little bit of sensitivity in your comments as my entire will read everything that is written or commented on, this has shattered our entire family especially my aunt and his brothers and sister. Our hearts are broken and will never mend he was a very special fella and his absence will be constantly felt. Thank you
June 2, 2025 @ 10:12 am
It’s the culture, not the guns/knives/bats/cars/gasoline etc.
Our culture is sick. In more ways than one.