Episodios
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Former attorney Alex Murdaugh received a 40-year prison sentence in federal court for his financial crimes.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel handed down the sentence on April 1 at the United States District Courthouse in Charleston.
In this latest episode, Anne Emerson, Drew Tripp, and Charlie Condon discuss new information learned from the federal sentencing, which includes $6 million in missing money, 11 new unknown victims, and an alleged unnamed codefendant to Murdaugh's crimes.
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Alex Murdaugh's bid for a retrial falls short as Justice Jean Toal rules Becky Hill's likely improper contact with jurors didn't rise to the level of prejudicial jury tampering.
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Alex Murdaugh's defense team entered the ring throwing haymakers in a pre-hearing status conference on January 16th, hoping to bludgeon open a clear path to a retrial in Murdaugh's murder case. But retired South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, the newly appointed judge on the case, parried and rebuffed Murdaugh's ambitious volleys in stunning and decisive fashion. Now Murdaugh's opening to land the decisive blow against his dual murder convictions and life sentence appears vanishingly small.
Join Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon and Drew Tripp as they recap the important day in court and preview Murdaugh's upcoming evidentiary hearing on the controversial jury tampering allegations.
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Did Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill have improper communications with jurors during Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial? If so, did she create bias or prejudice among jurors potentially influencing their verdict and warranting a retrial?
Those are the two primary questions needing answers when state prosecutors and Murdaugh’s defense lawyers meet in court January 29 in a pivotal hearing to decide if Murdaugh’s dual convictions for the murders of his wife and son were fair and will stand.
Murdaugh’s defense lawyers in a brief filed ahead of the hearing adamantly argue the answer to both questions is “Yes,” while the team of prosecutors for the S.C. Attorney General's Office argue they still feel Murdaugh shouldn't even be getting a hearing.
Join Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon and Drew Tripp as they break down the legal battles taking shape.
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State investigators have found evidence linking a Colleton County government wiretapping scandal involving Jeffrey Hill to a public ethics complaint against his mother, the county’s elected clerk of court, Becky Hill.
In this episode, former S.C. Attorney General Charlie Condon tells hosts Anne Emerson and Drew Tripp how the ethics complaint and attacks on Hill's character might impact a potential retrial for convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh.
BACKGROUND:
The date of the wiretapping incident involving Jeffrey Hill came in late July 2023, about a month after someone filed an ethics complaint against his mother with the State Ethics Commission.
Becky Hill's county-issued cell phone was confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation. A public corruption investigation tied to the wiretapping incident has now been escalated to the S.C. Attorney General's Office.
The original ethics complaint against Becky Hill, dated June 2023, alleges that during the Murdaugh murder trial and afterward, she "utilized her authority, the Colleton County Courthouse and taxpayer's money outside the scope of routine court business."
In documents dated August 2023 reported by FITSNews, Hill categorically denies many of the allegations made in the original June 26 ethics complaint, and alleges other accusations have been crafted to exclude important context and other details to intentionally make her actions appear nefarious.
MORE: Source says Colleton wiretapping & corruption probe linked to court clerk ethics complaint
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A tenuous sense of finality has spread across the South Carolina Lowcountry like a late November cold front as another chapter in Alex Murdaugh's seemingly unending criminal saga comes to a close. Getting there, the world heard for the first time this week the raw emotional catharsis of several families victimized by Alex Murdaugh's beguiling treachery. Friends, peers and clients alike unleashed years of pent-up anger and disappointment in Murdaugh Tuesday as he was formally sentenced to 27 years in prison for his many frauds, thefts, forgeries and lies. To some, the sentence only serves to further stoke the fire of their anger as it seems to them not nearly enough. Others are simply glad to turn from the last page a dark chapter in their lives — more interested in peace and forgiveness than vengeance.
But what would this historic day be without the enigmatic and vexing Murdaugh once again attempting to seize the spotlight away from those owed justice to shine the attention on himself instead?
Join host Anne Emerson, legal analyst Charlie Condon and producer Drew Tripp for this jam-packed retrospective on Alex Murdaugh's financial crimes plea deal and sentencing.
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The legal maneuvering never ceases where Alex Murdaugh is concerned. This week, Murdaugh attorney Dick Harpootlian is once again raising concerns that his client won't be able to get a fair jury trial due to media attention when the Satterfield fraud and money laundering case goes to court on November 27 in Beaufort County. Harpootlian says a sampling of responses from potential jurors on pre-trial questionnaires show Murdaugh might find it impossible in "beautiful Beaufort by the sea" to find a juror who's a blank slate. Harpootlian now wants the case moved out of not only Beaufort, but of the Lowcountry entirely. A hearing on the issue is set for Friday, November 18, at 10 a.m. in Beaufort County.
Meantime, we still don't know what'll happen with respect to Murdaugh's petition to the Supreme Court asking that they bar presiding Judge Clifton Newman from overseeing any more Murdaugh cases. This legal limbo hangs over the Attorney General's office responding to Murdaugh's request for a retrial in his murder case on jury tampering charges. Clerk of Court Becky Hill now claims the accusations against her are false, and the AG's Office takes the bold stance that Murdaugh despite scandalous claims doesn't actually have a credible claim to stand on.
Join Anne Emerson, former S.C. Attorney General Charlie Condon and producer Drew Tripp as they analyze everything new in the world of Murdaugh.
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Alex Murdaugh's lawyers have taken the extraordinary step of asking the Supreme Court of South Carolina to remove Judge Clifton Newman as the presiding judge in the Murdaugh cases. The petition cites the fact Judge Newman himself may be a witness in the looming retrial hearing over jury tampering allegations in the Murdaugh murder trial. The request to have Judge Newman taken off the cases also wades into the territory of potential misconduct and bias on the judge's part for statements made since the jury returned its guilty verdict against Murdaugh for the killings of his wife and son.
Join host Anne Emerson, legal analyst and former Attorney General Charlie Condon, and producer Drew Tripp as they break down the latest head-spinning developments in the world of Murdaugh.
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Alex Murdaugh entered a guilty plea Thursday to federal fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, marking the first formal acknowledgment of guilt by the disgraced former attorney. But of course, nothing in the Murdaugh case could ever be so straightforward. The hearing concluded with Murdaugh's attorneys requesting Judge Richard Gergel sign an immediate forfeiture order for Alex's assets to be seized by the federal government. Lawyers Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian projected altruism for Murdaugh's victims and cited a need to prevent other lawyers from "burning off" the money recovered by state court officers in charge of Alex's money. This has the potential to set up a legal fight between the state and feds over who has control over Murdaugh's millions.
Join investigative reporter Anne Emerson, legal analyst Charlie Condon and executive producer Drew Tripp as they break down the latest developments in the Murdaugh sphere.
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South Carolina prosecutors have filed their response to Alex Murdaugh's request for a new murder trial based on jury tampering allegations. The Attorney General's office concedes a hearing may be needed, but says "significant factual disputes" have already been revealed in the ongoing investigation. Meantime, Judge Clifton Newman this week sentenced Murdaugh co-conspirator Cory Fleming to 20 year in state prison on fraud and money laundering charges.
Anne, Charlie and Drew have the details in this lengthy breakdown from a busy week in the Murdaugh criminal saga.
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Alex Murdaugh's lawyers are demanding a retrial after several jurors who convicted their client of murdering his wife and son have suddenly come forward to accuse Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca ("Becky") Hill of impropriety. Attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian say the testimony of these jurors point to potential misconduct in office by Hill, alleging she attempted to influence jurors against Alex Murdaugh and deprived him of a fair trial.
Host Anne Emerson, legal analyst Charlie Condon and producer Drew Tripp break down the accusations and potential ramifications in an all-new episode.
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Creighton Waters, Savanna Goude, John Meadors and David Fernandez joined S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson to share insights with the Unsolved South Carolina team from their experiences in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. Podcast host Anne Emerson is joined by legal analyst Charlie Condon, producer Drew Tripp and reporter Tara Jabour to share highlights of this exclusive and intimate interview with the faces of the State's Murdaugh prosecution team.
Please be sure to check out Finding Brittanee Drexel, another podcast series from the Unsolved South Carolina team!
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If you've listened to this podcast and followed the Murdaugh saga, then you likely know the names Tommy Moore and Sandy Smith. ABC News 4 and the Unsolved South Carolina team were privileged to have them accept a joint invitation for an interview last week, and we're sharing highlights of that interview here.
READ: Attorney: SLED investigating Stephen Smith's death as a homicide
FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Death of Stephen Smith, Part 1 | The Death of Stephen Smith, Part 2
Sandy is the mother of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old young man found dead in the middle of a dark country road in Hampton County in July 2015. Stephen was in college studying nursing when he died. He also happened to be an openly gay man in the conservative, rural South. How Stephen died remains a mystery. Sandy has long suspected he may have been the victim of a hate crime, while the Hampton rumor mill churned with the name "Murdaugh" for years.
Meanwhile Tommy Moore is one of the dozens of people to have fallen victim to notorious attorney-turned-thief and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh. We were the first to share Moore's story with the public in January 2022 after an avalanche of fraud and money laundering charges came pouring down on Murdaugh. The connection between Moore and Sandy Smith and the Murdaughs comes full circle in a bizarre way. Moore recently divulged he helped lead Highway Patrol's investigation into Stephen's 2015 death.
READ: Sandy Smith & Tommy Moore agree Stephen Smith didn't die in a hit-and-run
Moore and his Highway Patrol colleagues insisted Stephen's death was not related to an automobile hit-and-run based on evidence available at the time; rather, they felt it appeared Smith's body had been dumped in the roadway after being killed elsewhere. However, other law enforcement agencies, death investigators and medical officials seemed disinterested in pursuing a homicide probe into Stephen's death.
The case went cold, but Sandy's fight to bring justice and closure for her son never waned. Then, the case gained national attention as part of the broader Murdaugh criminal saga in the summer of 2021. But how are the Murdaugh's connected? Initially, several witnesses interviewed by Highway Patrol back in 2015 and 2016 told Troopers someone in the Murdaugh family was connected to Stephen and may have knowledge of his death. But attempts to track down those rumors led nowhere. It's an allegation never proven, and one which Buster Murdaugh vehemently denies.
READ: New details in 2015 Stephen Smith death investigation
Little else was heard about Stephen's case until the summer of 2021 when SLED announced out of the blue it was opening a new investigation into Stephen's death based on evidence and information gathered while concurrently investigating the June 2021 murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. And as of March 21, 2023, SLED confirms to the Smith family's lawyers that they're officially considering Stephen's case a homicide investigation. That's welcome news to both Sandy Smith and Tommy Moore.
Listen along as reporters Anne Emerson and Tara Jabour join former S.C. Attorney General Charlie Condon and retired S.C. Highway Patrol Lt. "Trooper Bob" Beres to share highlights of the interview with Sandy and Tommy, and offer insight into the story.
READ: Independent autopsy to be performed on Stephen Smith
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Colleton County Sheriff's Detectives Laura Rutland, Daniel Greene and Jason Chapman were among the first on the scene the night of June 7, 2021, after Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. And while it was almost unthinkable in the first few hours after the killings, these detectives said they picked up right away on things that weren't adding up -- primarily focusing on Murdaugh's demeanor, emotions and body language. Plus, the detectives respond to rampant criticism of investigators throughout the trial, saying some of the complaints against them were far from fair or reasonable. Join hosts Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon and Drew Tripp as they discuss the new details learned from this exclusive interview.
Want to hear more from the Colleton County investigators? Check out the links below to the stories Anne Emerson and Tara Jabour have published on the topic.
EXCLUSIVE: First CCSO responders to Murdaugh murders talk about the case and trial | WCIV (abcnews4.com)
CCSO investigators respond to criticisms by defense in Murdaugh trial | WCIV (abcnews4.com)
CCSO deputies dig deeper into Murdaugh's motives for killing wife and son | WCIV (abcnews4.com)
You can catch up on all of our Murdaugh coverage, old and new, by visiting the special Murdaugh Murders section on the ABC News 4 website. Charleston Murdaugh Murders | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | WCIV (abcnews4.com)
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Judge Newman offers stunning rebuke of Alex Murdaugh as he gives him two life sentences for the murders of Maggie & Paul. Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon & Drew Tripp recap a stunning final day of the #MurdaughTrial.
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After less than three hours of deliberations, a jury found Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts Thursday evening for the June 7, 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, in a trial that spanned more than five weeks and drew attention from across the nation to rural Colleton County, South Carolina. Murdaugh was found guilty on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He will be sentenced Friday morning, March 3, by Judge Clifton Newman.
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The State ties the loose threads in its closing arguments against Alex Murdaugh as his double murder trial nears a conclusion. Prosecutors implored the jury not to let Murdaugh fool them the way he fooled so many others. Did the message land? Join Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon & Drew Tripp for a full breakdown. #MurdaughTrial
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The State's forensic expert Ken Kinsey headlines a powerful final day of testimony in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, picking apart the Defense expert's claims about alternative shooting theories. Plus, forensic pathologist Dr. Ellen Riemer stands up to Dick Harpootlian's onslaught of questions criticizing her autopsy. Also in this episode, Murdaugh's former law partner Ronnie Crosby defends his integrity in a heated exchange with Harpootlian, and a forensic cell phone expert spends his weekend doing somewhat less than scientific research into throwing cell phones, and all the hog hunting content you ever (never?) wanted. Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon & Drew Tripp break down the highlights and look ahead to what's next as trial nears its end. #MurdaughTrial
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Alex Murdaugh's Defense team uses expert witnesses to question autopsy findings in the Murdaugh murders, while also using a forensic expert's testimony to advance a two-shooter theory. Plus, Alex's brother John Marvin Murdaugh offers emotional testimony about his relationship with Paul Murdaugh. Anne Emerson, Charlie Condon and Drew Tripp review the highlights. #MurdaughTrial
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