On November 15, 1982, in New Orleans, Edna Ann Muscarello Lester was pulled from a house fire with multiple stab wounds, and the case went cold. After the Devil is Dead follows Edna’s son, Michael Lester, decades later, as he tries to learn more about his mother’s murder. He uses family photos, old home video footage, and extensive interviews with family members, including his sister and cousins, as well as close friends of his parents.
The journey begins as Michael and his sister Angela describe their relationship with their father, Russell Lester Sr., a police officer. Michael and Angela, along with their brother, Russell Jr. (who does not appear in the documentary), and Edna were physically abused by Russell. Because he was a police officer, there was no one they could turn to except one another. Even that wasn’t enough as their father managed to turn his children against each other.
Eventually, Edna would leave Russell. She and her new boyfriend were caught up in drugs and owed money. One morning, Edna was on a phone call with her friend when the doorbell rang. It was someone Edna knew, and they hung up. That was the last time anyone heard from Edna before her body was found; she had been stabbed to death.
From there, the film follows Michael’s pursuit of answers as he tests old assumptions and chases new leads. That includes extended conversations with Vickie Morgan Blum, one of Russell’s former wives, as they compare timelines, stories, and patterns. The investigation keeps circling one question—whether the person closest to Edna was also the person who killed her—while Michael tries to get closer to the truth of what happened, and what “closure” can even look like after four decades of silence.
“…as he tries to find out about his mother’s murder…”
If you’re into true-life murder mysteries, you’re going to love After the Devil is Dead. There are only so many unsolved murders that get Hollywood’s attention. Part-time horror director and part-time documentarian Paul Catalanotto takes on the task of telling the story of Edna Lester and her more than 40-year-old unsolved murder. When you hear the story today, the obvious suspect seems to be Michael’s abusive father, Russell. But he had a solid alibi during the murder. The other suspect could have been someone tied to Edna and her boyfriend’s drug problems.
Director Catalanotto and Michael Lester decide to break down every detail of the case. They start with Michael’s tumultuous childhood under Russell Sr.’s thumb. He recounts the numerous times Russell threatened to kill him and his mother. There’s also a less-than-sympathetic reaction to her death. Relief would be one word to describe his feelings. Then the focus shifts to Edna’s drug associates.
There are many twists and turns in this story. All the known facts are brought out. We hear stories about potential suspects, their character, and their whereabouts. Are any of them capable of such heinous acts? We even meet Russell’s second wife, who drops a few grenades herself. I won’t spoil the ending, but it appears Catalanotto and Lester can definitively say who did it, bringing us to the point of the film: justice, which kicks off the final act. How do the police respond? They do respond.
This is a long documentary, and there are many details for the director Catalanotto to sift through and organize. He does a masterful job of laying out the facts, inserting interviews, and keeping the story moving at the right pace. After the Devil is Dead is a professional-looking documentary that could rival the network and streaming channels that rejected this story in the first place. Clarity is what you get at the end.
I love intriguing mysteries, and After the Devil is Dead is intriguing to say the least. I think the saddest part of the film is that it is a true story. Edna did die. Her three children don’t know who did it… and now they do. Now they have to live with this knowledge, knowing the killer could very well get away with it. If murder stories are your thing, buckle up for this thrilling roller coaster ride.
"…We even get to Russel’s second wife, who drops a few grenades herself."
