POPULARITY
Here's what we know. SLED reopened Stephen Smith's case in 2021 because of information found during the Murdaugh murder investigation. In 2023, SLED officially reclassified Stephen's death as a homicide. His body was exhumed. A second autopsy was performed. Those results are sealed. Kenny Kinsey — the prosecution's star forensic witness from the Murdaugh murder trial — is now independently investigating Stephen's death because he believes critical opportunities were missed in 2015. And still — no arrest. No suspect named. No charges.Eric Bland represents Sandy Smith and has a direct line into this investigation. On True Crime Today, he addresses whether SLED is deliberately holding back until the Murdaugh retrial plays out. He explains whether anyone from the prosecution's side has ever spoken to him about the overlap between these cases. And he gives Sandy's perspective on what another year of silence means for a mother who has been fighting since before anyone cared about the Murdaugh name.Bland also addresses the Buster Murdaugh defamation settlement — and whether that legal resolution makes it harder or easier for Sandy to get answers about her son.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#StephenSmith #AlexMurdaugh #SandySmith #EricBland #TrueCrimeToday #SLED #KennyKinsey #ColdCase #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers
The Murdaugh name appeared more than forty times in the original investigation of Stephen Smith's death in 2015. Stephen was a former classmate of Buster Murdaugh. He was found dead on a road miles from the Murdaugh family's hunting property. When SLED reopened the case six years later, they said it was because of evidence found during the Murdaugh murder investigation. They never revealed what that evidence was.Eric Bland has said publicly that he has no evidence the Murdaugh family was directly involved in Stephen's death — but that they may have known something. That's a specific claim from the attorney who represents Sandy Smith, who helped expose Murdaugh's financial crimes, and who has relationships with investigators on both cases.In this interview, Bland addresses what that claim is based on. He talks about where the "powerful older individual" thread leads and why it hasn't produced an arrest. He explains what the sealed autopsy results mean and whether Sandy's legal team has seen them. And he tackles the Buster Murdaugh defamation settlement — a legal outcome that resolved one set of claims while the underlying questions about Stephen's death remain completely unanswered.With the Murdaugh retrial potentially generating new discovery, this is the moment where Stephen Smith's case either moves forward or stays frozen. Bland tells us which one he expects.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#StephenSmith #AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #SandySmith #EricBland #SLED #MurdaughFamily #ColdCase #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers
Eric Bland has represented Sandy Smith since 2023 and has been publicly careful about what he shares regarding her son's unsolved death. But he's also dropped specific claims that suggest he knows more than he's saying. He told this show that the Murdaugh family may have known something about Stephen's death. He's hinted at relationships Stephen may have had with someone powerful. And he's been pressing SLED for information about what triggered the reopening of the case during the Murdaugh murder investigation.On Hidden Killers Live, Bland goes further than he has anywhere else. He addresses the sealed autopsy, the Buster Murdaugh defamation settlement with Warner Bros., and whether SLED is waiting for the retrial to play out before making a move on Stephen's case. He also answers the question Sandy Smith has been living with for more than a decade — whether any mechanism exists for her to access new evidence or testimony that the retrial process might produce.This isn't a recap of what's publicly known about Stephen Smith. This is the family's attorney assessing whether the Murdaugh retrial opens a door that's been closed for eleven years — and whether anyone on the other side is willing to walk through it.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#StephenSmith #EricBland #SandySmith #AlexMurdaugh #HiddenKillersLive #SLED #ColdCase #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #MurdaughRetrial
Prior to sentencing, the court received impact testimony from Kouri Richins' three minor children, delivered through their licensed therapists. The statements documented specific conditions — confinement to bedrooms, a sibling assuming caretaker duties including providing meals and transportation, and animal deaths due to neglect. All three requested permanent incarceration and stated they feel safe for the first time.The defendant then delivered an approximately forty-minute allocution that made no reference to the children's testimony. She announced her intention to appeal, characterized the jury's deliberation time as insufficient, directed the children to cease trusting their current caregivers, and stated her intention to return home. She conceded marital shortcomings while categorically denying the conviction. She introduced the claim that her husband "was in a lot of physical pain" — suggesting an alternative explanation for his manner of passing after the jury had already rendered its verdict.Jennifer Coffindaffer and Robin Dreeke examine the behavioral and legal dimensions of that allocution — whether the calculated admission paired with the categorical denial represents a coherent appellate strategy or a reflexive need to control the narrative. They assess whether Kouri's public statements could factor into post-conviction proceedings.The analysis extends to the Murdaugh retrial. Buster Murdaugh, who testified for the defense at the original trial, has reportedly distanced himself from Alex and is described by sources as furious, allegedly characterizing his father as a "selfish old man." Coffindaffer identifies a structural weakness in the State's family annihilation theory — Buster's survival undermines the motive logic as constructed. They also flag a SLED investigative gap involving a vehicle lead near weapon storage on the day of the killings that reportedly went uninvestigated. With the financial crimes evidence sharply limited at retrial, unresolved investigative questions carry significantly more weight.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #KouriRichinsSentencing #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #EricRichins
The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions on procedural grounds — finding the trial judge misapplied the burden of proof, violated Rule 606(b) by probing jurors' mental processes, and credited testimony the court deemed inadmissible. A retrial has been ordered under significantly narrowed evidentiary parameters. The central unknown heading into that proceeding is Buster Murdaugh.Buster testified for the defense at the original trial. He has since reportedly distanced himself from Alex — minimal prison contact, a quiet marriage, and according to sources, open anger about the retrial. He has allegedly characterized his father as a "selfish old man." Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI behavioral analyst Robin Dreeke examine whether the prosecution can leverage that fracture and what legal mechanisms exist to compel testimony about private conversations between father and son after the killings. Coffindaffer also identifies a structural weakness in the State's family annihilation theory: if Alex allegedly killed to eliminate exposure, the survival of Buster undermines the logic of the motive as constructed.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis provides the comprehensive legal breakdown. The Supreme Court ruled twelve and a half hours of financial crimes testimony was excessive and ordered sharp limitations at retrial. Faddis maps what survives — the CFO confrontation and the opposing attorney's hearing that form the motive timeline — and what gets excluded. He addresses the unresolved evidentiary challenges carried forward from the direct appeal: the firearm analysis, the blue raincoat, the gunshot residue testimony, and the iPhone demonstration. He also examines the retrial complications — Alex Murdaugh's locked-in testimony, Becky Hill's perjury conviction as a defense weapon, and the venue and jury selection challenges both sides face in a case with this level of public saturation.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #EricFaddis #BeckyHill #SCSupremeCourt #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Buster Murdaugh testified for the defense at his father's murder trial and told a jury Alex wasn't capable of killing Maggie and Paul. Then Alex was convicted, and Buster disappeared. Three years of near-silence. Barely any prison calls. A quiet marriage. A life built at distance. Now the South Carolina Supreme Court has reversed the convictions, the retrial is approaching, and sources say Buster isn't relieved — he's reportedly angry, allegedly calling Alex a "selfish old man."Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI behavioral analyst Robin Dreeke dig into what that anger signals and whether the prosecution can use it. If Buster's loyalty has fractured, everything shifts. He knows what Alex told him privately after the killings. The question is whether any legal mechanism can force those conversations into the open. Coffindaffer also raises a problem embedded in the State's own motive theory: if the case is family annihilation, why is Buster alive? Maggie wouldn't have believed a story about Paul's death if Buster were dead too. That gap sits at the center of the State's narrative before opening statements begin.Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis addresses the legal architecture of the retrial itself. The Supreme Court found the original trial judge placed the burden on Murdaugh instead of the State and violated Rule 606(b) by probing jurors' mental processes. Twelve and a half hours of financial crimes testimony was deemed excessive. Faddis identifies what survives in a second trial — the narrow exposure timeline anchoring the motive theory — and what gets stripped out. He also examines Alex Murdaugh's locked-in testimony, the unresolved evidentiary challenges from the direct appeal, and the strategic nightmare of venue and jury selection with Becky Hill's criminal conviction now on the record.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #EricFaddis #SCSupremeCourt #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #MurdaughTrial
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Three boys wrote impact statements describing locked bedrooms, animals dying from neglect, a sibling sneaking meals to a brother who'd been shut away, and a childhood defined by fear. Their therapists read the words in open court because the children cannot be in the same room with Kouri Richins. Every one of them asked the judge to keep her locked up forever. They said they finally feel safe.Kouri's response was a forty-minute allocution that never once referenced what her children wrote. She told them she was coming home. She told them to stop trusting the family raising them. She attacked the jury for deliberating less than three hours. She admitted to being a flawed wife but drew an absolute line at the conviction. And she floated a claim that her husband "was in a lot of physical pain" — seeding doubt about his manner of passing even after the verdict.Jennifer Coffindaffer and Robin Dreeke break down the behavioral mechanics of that speech — the complete absence of acknowledgment, the calculated admission paired with the hard denial, and whether there's strategic value in the narrative she's building or whether it's simply someone who cannot stop controlling the story even after it's over.They also turn to the Murdaugh retrial and the Buster problem. Sources say Buster Murdaugh is reportedly furious about Alex's retrial, allegedly calling him a "selfish old man." Coffindaffer raises the structural flaw in the State's family annihilation motive — if Alex allegedly killed to protect secrets, Buster's survival breaks the logic. They also flag a SLED investigative gap involving a vehicle lead near weapon storage the day of the killings that reportedly went nowhere. With the financial crimes stripped from the retrial, every one of those gaps now stands exposed.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #KouriRichinsSentencing #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #EricRichins
Buster Murdaugh sat behind his father every single day of that first trial. He took the stand and told a jury Alex wasn't capable of this. Then Alex got convicted — and Buster disappeared. Three years of barely any prison calls. A quiet marriage. A life built as far from the Murdaugh name as he could manage. Now the convictions have been reversed and the retrial is coming, and sources say Buster isn't grateful. He's reportedly furious. He allegedly called Alex a "selfish old man."That's the son who was supposed to be the defense's emotional anchor. If his loyalty has cracked, both sides know it changes everything. Jennifer Coffindaffer and Robin Dreeke break down what Buster's anger means for the retrial — and whether the prosecution can use it. Coffindaffer raises the question buried inside the State's own theory: if this was family annihilation, why is Buster still alive? Maggie wouldn't have believed a story about Paul's death if Buster were gone too. That hole sits right in the middle of the motive the State has to sell a second jury.Then there's the insurance scheme — Alex allegedly staging his own shooting so Buster could collect ten million dollars. A father's desperate love or a con man using his last remaining son as a prop? A jury can read it either way, and both readings cut deep.Eric Faddis breaks down what the Supreme Court's reversal actually changed for the retrial — the evidence limits, Alex's locked-in testimony, Becky Hill's criminal conviction, and the strategic choice both sides have to make before anything else. The question Faddis leaves on the table: which side would a former prosecutor rather be on walking into round two?Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #EricFaddis #SCSupremeCourt #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #MurdaughCase
The behavioral collision in that courtroom was devastating. Kouri Richins' children had their therapists read statements describing locked rooms, dead animals, a sibling sneaking food to a brother shut away in his bedroom, and a father erased from every milestone ahead. Every one of them asked the judge to keep her away forever. They said they feel safe for the first time.Kouri responded with a forty-minute speech that didn't acknowledge a single word they wrote. She told them she was coming home. She told them to stop trusting the family that took them in. She attacked the jury. She admitted to being a flawed wife while drawing an absolute line at the conviction. And she floated a claim that her husband "was in a lot of physical pain" — planting doubt about his manner of passing even after the verdict.Retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke and Jennifer Coffindaffer have seen this pattern — the complete refusal to acknowledge harm when confronted directly. They examine what's actually operating beneath Kouri's speech: whether the absence of acknowledgment is strategic or reflexive, what her attack on the jury signals about her psychological posture, and whether someone who cannot release the narrative even when it's already over has any real path forward.Then the Murdaugh retrial. Buster Murdaugh reportedly hasn't spoken to Alex in meaningful terms since the conviction. Sources say he's furious, allegedly calling his father a "selfish old man." Dreeke and Coffindaffer analyze what Buster's withdrawal signals, whether his anger makes him a target for the prosecution, and why his survival may be the single biggest problem with the State's family annihilation theory. Two cases where the people left behind are caught between courtroom strategy and their own survival.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #KouriRichinsSentencing #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #EricRichins
Buster Murdaugh spent the entire first trial projecting loyalty — sitting behind Alex every day, testifying that his father wasn't capable of killing Maggie and Paul. Then three years of near-total silence. Now that the South Carolina Supreme Court has reversed the convictions and a retrial looms, the behavioral picture has shifted completely. Sources say Buster is reportedly furious, allegedly calling Alex a "selfish old man." That's not the posture of someone preparing to defend his father again.Retired FBI behavioral analyst Robin Dreeke and Jennifer Coffindaffer break down what Buster's withdrawal pattern actually signals — what three years of distance, minimal prison contact, and a quiet marriage say about where his allegiance sits heading into a second trial. Coffindaffer raises the structural flaw in the State's family annihilation theory that nobody else is asking about: if Alex allegedly killed to protect secrets, why is Buster alive? Maggie wouldn't have believed a story about Paul's death if Buster were dead too. That contradiction doesn't just weaken the motive — it reshapes how a jury processes the entire case.Then there's the insurance scheme — Alex allegedly staging his own roadside shooting so Buster could collect ten million dollars. Was that a father's warped devotion or a con man using his own son as a tool? Both readings are available to a jury and both cut in different directions.Eric Faddis rounds out the analysis with the legal framework. The Supreme Court's reversal found procedural violations and excessive financial crimes testimony. Faddis maps the retrial terrain: what evidence survives, what gets cut, how Alex's locked-in testimony constrains the defense, and what Becky Hill's criminal conviction means for jury selection. The question both sides have to answer: which side would you rather be on walking into round two?Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #RobinDreeke #JenniferCoffindaffer #EricFaddis #SCSupremeCourt #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #MurdaughTrial
Kouri Richins' boys couldn't stand in that courtroom and say what they needed to say. They wrote it down and gave it to their therapists. What those therapists read out loud described locked doors, animals dying because nobody cared for them, a brother sneaking food to a sibling shut away in his bedroom, and a childhood where fear was the only constant. Every one of them asked the judge for the same thing: keep her away forever. They said they finally feel safe — and that safety vanishes the second she's free.Then Kouri got up and talked for forty minutes. She didn't mention a single word those boys wrote. Not the locked rooms. Not the dead animals. Not the fear. She told them she was coming home. She told them to stop trusting the people who finally gave them stability. She attacked the jury for deliberating less than three hours. She admitted to being a flawed wife but refused to accept the conviction. And she floated a claim that her husband "was in a lot of physical pain" — casting doubt about how he died even after the jury already spoke.Jennifer Coffindaffer and Robin Dreeke have seen this before — someone confronted with the harm they caused and refusing to acknowledge any of it. They break down what's actually driving Kouri's speech, whether her announcement of an appeal carries any real legal weight, and the moment that cut deepest: children begging to be kept safe and a mother promising to come take them back.They also examine the Buster Murdaugh situation heading into Alex's retrial — sources say he's reportedly furious, allegedly calling his father a "selfish old man." Coffindaffer and Dreeke analyze what that fracture means for both sides and why Buster's survival may break the State's own motive theory before the retrial even starts.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #KouriRichinsSentencing #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #EricRichins
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Someone close to Buster Murdaugh called Alex “a selfish, selfish old man” after the Supreme Court granted a retrial. That's not the language of a family rallying behind a defendant. That's the language of a family that's done.Tony Brueski and Robin Dreeke work through listener questions about the distance between the 2023 family and the 2026 family. Buster testified for his father three years ago. Now he reportedly won't visit him. The brothers who went on Good Morning America insisting Alex was innocent have gone quiet. And then there's Maggie's side—Marian Proctor testified in trial one that Alex never once talked about finding who killed his own wife and son.Robin analyzes what three years of financial crime revelations do to family loyalty. The people who stood by Alex before the full picture emerged had to reckon with the scope of his deception afterward. Dozens of financial crime convictions. Stolen money from people the family knew. An entire legacy destroyed. Robin explains the behavioral pattern: the last people to let go are the ones who don't come back.Tony and Robin examine what the defense does when the witnesses who humanized Alex in round one become unavailable or hostile in round two.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughFamily #MurdaughRetrial #TrueCrime #MurdaughTrial #HiddenKillers #SouthCarolina #CriminalJustice #MurdaughMurders
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
The Supreme Court overturned everything five days ago. Since then, the AG put the death penalty on the table while running for governor. Buster Murdaugh reportedly called his father selfish and won't visit him. And the defense went on national television hinting at unnamed third parties.Three bombshells. One week. And the retrial hasn't even been scheduled.Tony Brueski and Robin Dreeke pull together every thread from their listener Q&A in one conversation. Robin applies FBI behavioral analysis to the political maneuvering—what Wilson's escalation tells you about prosecution strategy versus campaign strategy. He analyzes the family fractures—what Buster's absence communicates to a jury without a single word of testimony. And he examines the defense's third-party hints—whether the evidence supports another suspect or whether the morning-show statements are designed to contaminate the jury pool before selection begins.Tony pushes the listener questions that demand real answers. The picture that emerges is a retrial already being shaped by forces that have nothing to do with what happened at Moselle and everything to do with who benefits from what happens next.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughMurders #TrueCrime #MurdaughTrial #HiddenKillers #RobinDreeke #SouthCarolina #CriminalJustice #DeathPenalty
Three years ago, Buster Murdaugh looked a jury in the eye and said he didn't believe his father could hurt Maggie and Paul. That testimony mattered. It put a human face on the defense.Now sources say Buster is furious about the retrial, hasn't been to see his father, and someone in his circle has called Alex selfish for pursuing a second trial. The question for the defense isn't whether they want Buster on the stand—of course they do. The question is whether Buster wants to be there. And what it means if he doesn't.Tony Brueski and Robin Dreeke work through listener questions about every family relationship that matters heading into trial two. The Murdaugh brothers. Maggie's sister Marian, whose testimony about Alex's behavior after the murders quietly destroyed a piece of the defense's case. And Buster, whose evolution from loyal son to reported adversary may be the single most significant change between trial one and trial two.Robin applies FBI behavioral analysis to the pattern. What does it mean when the person closest to the defendant reaches a conclusion they won't share publicly but communicate through absence? Tony and Robin follow the thread to its uncomfortable endpoint.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughFamily #MurdaughRetrial #TrueCrime #MurdaughTrial #HiddenKillers #SouthCarolina #CriminalJustice #MurdaughMurders
He was the loyal son. He sat in the courtroom, testified for the defense, told a jury his father wasn't the man prosecutors claimed. Then Alex Murdaugh got convicted, and Buster disappeared. Three years of near-silence, almost no prison visits, and a life rebuilt at arm's length from the Murdaugh name.Now the conviction is gone, the retrial is coming, and Buster reportedly isn't relieved. He's furious. He called Alex a “selfish old man.” That's a very different Buster than the one who took the stand the first time.Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke sit down with Tony Brueski to unpack what Buster's anger means for both legal teams. If the defense can't count on him, they lose the emotional anchor that made Alex look human to the first jury. If the prosecution can get him talking, they may have the most devastating witness imaginable — a surviving son who no longer believes his father.Coffindaffer and Dreeke also dismantle the state's family annihilation theory from an angle no one's pushed: Buster's survival. They walk through the insurance fraud staging, the Murdaugh family's long history of self-protection, and the critical unanswered question — what does Buster actually know about the weeks after Maggie and Paul were killed? Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Jennifer Coffindaffer.LINKS & DISCLAIMERJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughTrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #MurdaughCase
Two cases where the people left behind are still fighting to be heard.Buster Murdaugh sat behind his father at the first trial and told a jury Alex wasn't capable of this. Three years of silence later, sources say he's furious about the retrial. He reportedly called Alex a “selfish old man.” Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke break down what that means for both legal teams, why Buster's survival may break the state's own motive theory, and the critical question of what Alex told his surviving son privately after the killings.Coffindaffer and Dreeke also put SLED's investigation under a microscope. A vehicle lead dismissed on the day of the killings. A crime scene compromised by rain. No weapon. No DNA. And a key witness whose accounts have shifted across multiple settings. Without the financial crimes, every gap in the physical case is now front and center.Then: Kouri Richins at sentencing. Her children gave their words to therapists because they couldn't be in the room. They described locked doors, dead animals, and years of fear. All of them asked the judge to keep their mother away. Kouri's response was a forty-minute speech that ignored everything they said, attacked the jury, and told her boys she was coming home. Coffindaffer and Dreeke examine the behavioral dynamics and whether Kouri's courtroom choices helped or hurt her appeal. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Jennifer Coffindaffer.LINKS & DISCLAIMERJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#AlexMurdaugh #KouriRichins #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #KouriRichinsSentencing #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #Coffindaffer
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Buster Murdaugh defended his father at trial, told the jury Alex couldn't have done this, and then went silent for three years. No interviews. Almost no prison visits. A quiet wedding. A deliberate distance. Now that the conviction is overturned, both sides are staring at the same person — and his loyalty is no longer a given.Sources close to the family say Buster is angry, not relieved. He reportedly called Alex a “selfish old man.” That changes the calculus for both the defense and the prosecution. If Buster won't defend his father a second time, the defense loses its most powerful emotional witness. If he's willing to talk to the state, the prosecution may have found someone who can look twelve jurors in the eye and say Alex Murdaugh was capable of destroying his own family.Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke examine the collision no one's addressing: the state's theory depends on family annihilation, but Buster's survival arguably contradicts that framework. They walk through what his silence tells us, whether the infamous insurance scheme helps or hurts Alex at retrial, and the question nobody's asking publicly — what did Alex tell Buster privately in the weeks after Maggie and Paul were killed?The retrial has a Buster problem. And nobody on either side has solved it yet. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Jennifer Coffindaffer break it all down.LINKS & DISCLAIMERJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughTrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #MurdaughCase
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Two interviews. Two families. Two courtrooms where the people who should matter most are being dragged back into it.Buster Murdaugh hasn't spoken since the conviction was overturned, but sources say he's angry, not relieved. He reportedly called his father a “selfish old man.” The defense needs his loyalty at retrial. The prosecution needs his anger. Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke break down why Buster's survival may actually contradict the state's family annihilation theory, what his silence means, and whether anyone can force him to reveal what Alex told him privately after the killings.They also go after SLED's investigation — a vehicle lead near the property dismissed on the day of the killings, a crime scene degraded by rain and foot traffic, and the question of whether the kennel video lie carries the same weight without twelve hours of financial crimes behind it.Then: Kouri Richins. Her children's words were read by therapists because the boys couldn't be in the room. Locked doors. Dead animals. Fear. Every one asked the judge to keep her away. Kouri responded with a forty-minute speech telling them she was coming home and warning them to stop trusting the family raising them. Coffindaffer and Dreeke dissect the behavioral dynamics and whether Kouri's courtroom speech helped or destroyed her appeal prospects. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Jennifer Coffindaffer.LINKS & DISCLAIMERJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#AlexMurdaugh #KouriRichins #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #KouriRichinsSentencing #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #Coffindaffer
Buster Murdaugh told a jury his father wasn't capable of killing Maggie and Paul. That was three years ago. Since then, he's barely spoken to Alex, got married without the Murdaugh spectacle, and built a life that looks like someone trying to put distance between himself and a last name that carries nothing but wreckage.The conviction just got overturned. A retrial is coming. And the person both legal teams need most isn't a forensic expert or a new witness — it's Buster. Sources say he's not relieved. He's reportedly furious, calling his father a “selfish old man.”Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke go deep on the collision point nobody's solving: if Buster won't play the loyal son again, the defense loses its most powerful emotional weapon. If he's willing to talk to the prosecution, they could have a witness who can tell a jury what Alex was really like behind closed doors.Coffindaffer and Dreeke pick apart the state's family annihilation theory — and why Buster being alive may actually undercut the prosecution's own motive framework. They examine the insurance staging scheme, the question of what Alex told his surviving son privately after the killings, and whether there's any legal mechanism to force Buster to answer that question under oath. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Jennifer Coffindaffer.LINKS & DISCLAIMERJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughTrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #MurdaughCase
The Murdaugh retrial has a problem nobody's solved: Buster. He defended his father the first time, then went silent for three years. Sources say he's not relieved about the overturned conviction — he's furious. Both legal teams need him, but for opposite reasons. Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke examine the strategic nightmare his anger creates, challenge the state's family annihilation theory on its own terms, and push into the question of what Buster actually knows.They also tackle SLED's investigative gaps — a dismissed vehicle lead, a compromised crime scene, and a physical case that has to carry the conviction alone now that the financial crimes are stripped out.Plus: Kouri Richins' sentencing. Her children had therapists deliver their words because they couldn't face her. They described fear, isolation, neglect. Every one asked to be kept safe from their mother. Kouri's response: a forty-minute speech that never acknowledged them, an attack on the jury, and a promise to come home. Coffindaffer and Dreeke break down the behavioral significance of total non-acknowledgment and whether Kouri's courtroom performance helped or buried her appeal. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Jennifer Coffindaffer live.LINKS & DISCLAIMERJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#AlexMurdaugh #KouriRichins #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #KouriRichinsSentencing #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #Coffindaffer
Three years of silence. Almost no contact with the prison. A quiet marriage built far from the Murdaugh name. And now Buster Murdaugh has to decide whether he walks back into that courtroom for his father — or against him.The South Carolina Supreme Court threw out Alex Murdaugh's conviction, and that should have been the best news Buster's heard in years. Instead, sources say he's angry. He reportedly called his father a “selfish old man.” For a man who sat behind the defense table every day of the first trial, that's a seismic shift.Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke dissect the strategic nightmare facing both legal teams. Buster isn't just a sympathetic face for the defense anymore. His emotional state, his knowledge of family dynamics, and whatever Alex told him privately after the killings make him a live wire for both sides. Coffindaffer also challenges the prosecution's core motive — if this was family annihilation driven by desperation, Buster's survival doesn't fit the framework.They walk through the insurance staging scheme, Buster's complicated history with the Murdaugh name, and whether there's a legal path to forcing him to testify about private conversations with his father. The retrial hasn't started and already the biggest variable isn't evidence — it's family. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Jennifer Coffindaffer live.LINKS & DISCLAIMERJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#AlexMurdaugh #BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughTrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #MurdaughCase
His mother is dead. His brother is dead. His father murdered them both.Buster Murdaugh still carries the name.Part 5 of "The Name" explores what remains after the Murdaugh dynasty collapsed. The victims who'll never be made whole. The survivors trying to figure out who they are.Can you escape your family's legacy?The Murdaugh law firm is gone. The property is being sold. The century of power is over. But Gloria Satterfield's sons are still grieving. Mallory Beach's family is still fighting.This final episode is for anyone who's tried to break free from toxic family patterns.You can't choose your family. But you can choose what you carry forward.Join Our Substack for AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter: https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#BusterMurdaugh #MurdaughAftermath #MurdaughLegacy #AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughVictims #MurdaughDynasty #TrueCrime #GenerationalTrauma #BreakingFamilyPatterns #MurdaughCase
Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein, who covered the Alex Murdaugh murder trial gavel to gavel, explains why the most revealing part of the Murdaugh saga isn't Alex at all. It's the 100-year legal dynasty that made him possible. We go back to Hampton County, South Carolina, a post–Civil War “burned county” built to enforce White Rule, and follow three generations of Murdaugh power: Randolph Murdaugh Sr., the solicitor who learned how to bend the system; “Buster” Murdaugh, a charismatic, ruthless prosecutor tied to bootlegging and alleged jury tampering; and Randolph Murdaugh III, the smoother operator who kept the machine humming, until cameras and modern technology started capturing what used to happen in the shadows. From the family's early courtroom tactics and railroad lawsuits to the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach and the frantic hospital damage-control captured on security footage, this is the story of how a dynasty built its power and how it finally collapsed from the inside. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today's Spivey v. Boyd/Williams hearing is available to all on our YouTube channel. Or Join LUNASHARK Premium to Join Our Hosts for all the context and community. But first... Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell and attorney Eric Bland break down the stunning oral arguments in Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction appeal before the South Carolina Supreme Court — and they have a lot of questions about the questions that weren't asked. The team dissects how the justices appeared to do the defense's heavy lifting, going hard on Judge Newman's evidentiary decisions and the state's case while going easy on Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin. Plus, Buster Murdaugh quietly settles his federal defamation lawsuit against Warner Brothers and Mandy shares her raw frustration after her motion to quash a deposition in the Parker case was denied, sparking a fierce conversation about First Amendment rights, discovery abuse, and why journalists shouldn't be harassed by untrustworthy lawyers who's clients don't like their deeds exposed for the world to see. ☕ Cups Up! ⚖️Episode References Eric Bland on CourtTV's “Opening Statements with Julie Grant”
This week, we draft the worst fast food restaurants and discuss the national championship game, the best college football teams of all time, the Indiana cheating allegations, a Miami fan who thinks Mario Cristobal should go analog this week, whether Buster Murdaugh is funding South Carolina's NIL, a Tennessee fan's proposed offer to Curt Cignetti, and our Genius of the Week! Follow us on Twitter:MBG - @BoardGeniusesCasey - @FromSluggoCourtney - @CourtAnne1225Hoos - @HoosFootballPodcast - @TheMBGPodcast Voice Intro:Virginia Hamilton, https://virginiahamilton.net/ Theme Song:Midnight Blues by lemonmusicstudio, https://pixabay.com/music/modern-blues-midnight-blues-21179/ Find more Message Board Geniuses content at https://messageboardgeniuses.com
The defamation lawsuit filed by Buster Murdaugh in the South Carolina Supreme Court involves Netflix/Cinemark, Michael Dewitt and The USA Today Company is moving along. You will hear parts of the Netflix documentary, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal that Buster Murdaugh believes caused the defamation to his name. A lot of Impact listeners have thoughts on the lawsuit and you will hear some of them. Matt Siembieda, an attorney and law professor at Temple Law School, joins Impact to discuss defamation law. Seton Tucker and Matt Harris began the Impact of Influence podcast shortly after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Now they cover true crime past and present from the southeast region of the U.S. Impact of Influence is part of the Evergreen Podcast Company. Look for Impact of Influence on Facebook and Youtube. Please support our sponsors Refresh your winter wardrobe with Quince. . Go to Quince dot com slash IMPACT for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-Edot com slash IMPACT. Free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince dot com slash IMPACT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When The Murdaugh Murders Podcast first released this episode on November 3, 2021, Mandy (and David) were just beginning to unravel the financial rot behind Alex Murdaugh's crimes.This pivotal chapter revisits the moment Eric Bland, Mark Tinsley, and even (Team Dick's) Joe McCulloch filed for a groundbreaking receivership motion — freezing Murdaugh's assets and setting the stage to expose the scale of his deception. This episode marks the turning point where the podcast stopped chasing headlines and started demanding accountability — connecting the courtroom, the cash, and the culture that protected Alex Murdaugh for decades. On Tuesday, November 2, 2021 Judge Daniel Hall appointed two outside parties — attorney John T. Lay Jr. and former U.S. attorney Peter M. McCoy Jr. — to have control over Alex and Buster Murdaugh's assets, which is known as “receivership” in the court.Lots to cover, so let's dive in...
Join investigative journalist Mandy Matney, as we look back at how the Murdaugh name was brought up more than 40 times during the course of the investigation of Stephen Smith's death in 2015. No suspects have been named to this day... but Mandy's original deep dive into the investigation file is so important to providing context on where the case stands today. As a result of their investigation into the homicides of Maggie and Paul, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) reopened Smith's 2015 death investigation, and once again publicly linked it to the Murdaugh name. Smith was found dead with severe head trauma, and rumors documented in the police investigation file implicated a connection to Buster Murdaugh and others. In this episode, we'll hear SCHP patrol investigator Todd Proctor interviewing several Hampton Kids about Stephen 's death... and we'll pull at those threads wherever they lead.... Let's dive in...
Big Breakdown: The Fallout From The Crimes of Alex Murdaugh This comprehensive episode retraces the dramatic unraveling of the once-powerful Murdaugh dynasty of South Carolina. We begin the timeline in February 2019, when Alex's son Paul and friend Mallory Beach went missing after a nighttime boat crash—Paul had a BAC of .24 and Mallory's body didn't resurface until eight days later . The boat wreck forced the first cracks in the family's facade, triggering lawsuits and allegations of cover-up. Our coverage escalates to June 2021, when Alex's wife Maggie and son Paul were found shot dead at the family's Moselle estate, and Alex was indicted in July 2022—then swiftly convicted in March 2023 after jurors deliberated less than three hours . We explore the dual legacy: one of brutal personal betrayal and another of financial fraud—Alex allegedly stole $8–10 million via various schemes, including the Gloria Satterfield case and settlement diversions, and was later arrested on nearly 90 charges including money laundering and insurance fraud . We analyze how the dynasty's roots—four generations of prosecutorial influence—enabled corruption and protection, only to collapse spectacularly as crimes came to light . His legal troubles didn't end with the murders: he pleaded guilty to federal charges including defrauding the bank and stolen insurance money, serving a cumulative 27-year sentence . Finally, we assess aftershocks: Buster Murdaugh's retreat from public life, the Netflix and second-series revelations of deeper scandals, and lingering investigations into other suspicious deaths including Stephen Smith and Gloria Satterfield . This episode isn't just about a crime—it's about the collapse of a legal legacy, the ripple effect on a community, and lessons on unchecked power. Hashtags: #MurdaughScandal #AlexMurdaugh #FamilyDynasty #TrueCrimeToday #LegalCorruption Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Big Breakdown: The Fallout From The Crimes of Alex Murdaugh This comprehensive episode retraces the dramatic unraveling of the once-powerful Murdaugh dynasty of South Carolina. We begin the timeline in February 2019, when Alex's son Paul and friend Mallory Beach went missing after a nighttime boat crash—Paul had a BAC of .24 and Mallory's body didn't resurface until eight days later . The boat wreck forced the first cracks in the family's facade, triggering lawsuits and allegations of cover-up. Our coverage escalates to June 2021, when Alex's wife Maggie and son Paul were found shot dead at the family's Moselle estate, and Alex was indicted in July 2022—then swiftly convicted in March 2023 after jurors deliberated less than three hours . We explore the dual legacy: one of brutal personal betrayal and another of financial fraud—Alex allegedly stole $8–10 million via various schemes, including the Gloria Satterfield case and settlement diversions, and was later arrested on nearly 90 charges including money laundering and insurance fraud . We analyze how the dynasty's roots—four generations of prosecutorial influence—enabled corruption and protection, only to collapse spectacularly as crimes came to light . His legal troubles didn't end with the murders: he pleaded guilty to federal charges including defrauding the bank and stolen insurance money, serving a cumulative 27-year sentence . Finally, we assess aftershocks: Buster Murdaugh's retreat from public life, the Netflix and second-series revelations of deeper scandals, and lingering investigations into other suspicious deaths including Stephen Smith and Gloria Satterfield . This episode isn't just about a crime—it's about the collapse of a legal legacy, the ripple effect on a community, and lessons on unchecked power. Hashtags: #MurdaughScandal #AlexMurdaugh #FamilyDynasty #TrueCrimeToday #LegalCorruption Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Big Breakdown: The Fallout From The Crimes of Alex Murdaugh This comprehensive episode retraces the dramatic unraveling of the once-powerful Murdaugh dynasty of South Carolina. We begin the timeline in February 2019, when Alex's son Paul and friend Mallory Beach went missing after a nighttime boat crash—Paul had a BAC of .24 and Mallory's body didn't resurface until eight days later . The boat wreck forced the first cracks in the family's facade, triggering lawsuits and allegations of cover-up. Our coverage escalates to June 2021, when Alex's wife Maggie and son Paul were found shot dead at the family's Moselle estate, and Alex was indicted in July 2022—then swiftly convicted in March 2023 after jurors deliberated less than three hours . We explore the dual legacy: one of brutal personal betrayal and another of financial fraud—Alex allegedly stole $8–10 million via various schemes, including the Gloria Satterfield case and settlement diversions, and was later arrested on nearly 90 charges including money laundering and insurance fraud . We analyze how the dynasty's roots—four generations of prosecutorial influence—enabled corruption and protection, only to collapse spectacularly as crimes came to light . His legal troubles didn't end with the murders: he pleaded guilty to federal charges including defrauding the bank and stolen insurance money, serving a cumulative 27-year sentence . Finally, we assess aftershocks: Buster Murdaugh's retreat from public life, the Netflix and second-series revelations of deeper scandals, and lingering investigations into other suspicious deaths including Stephen Smith and Gloria Satterfield . This episode isn't just about a crime—it's about the collapse of a legal legacy, the ripple effect on a community, and lessons on unchecked power. Hashtags: #MurdaughScandal #AlexMurdaugh #FamilyDynasty #TrueCrimeToday #LegalCorruption Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell and attorney Eric Bland — (3:21) talk about the big reveal this past week of A-List Hollywood actor Jason Clarke in full costume as Alex Murdaugh. Clarke, who stars in the upcoming Hulu production based on the Murdaugh Murders Podcast — now True Sunlight Podcast — was seen filming in Atlanta and … let's just say he has more than just the LUNSHARK team excited for the series. It turns out the fake Alex Murdaugh wasn't the only one getting headlines this past week. The lawyers for the real (13:35) Alex did what the lawyers for the real Alex do best and that's getting mainstream media to help them wrongly paint the state Attorney General's Office as sneaky and underhanded. As usual, it's much ado about nothing. Also on the show, (34:08) will Buster Murdaugh's latest strategy in his federal defamation case against Warner Brothers actually work? Mandy and Liz pick Eric's brain on whether Alex's remaining son has a chance. Plus the latest in the (49:01) Sara Lynn Colucci case and why prosecutors need to rethink their interactions with victims and their families. Premium Episode Resources Deuxmoi's Instagram Post of Jason Clarke as Alex Murdaugh
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell share updates (1:19) about South Carolina's thrice-accused rapist Bowen Turner and his quest to get off the sex offender list, plus the latest in the (2:30) Christa Bauer case in Houston, where her husband, Lee Gilley, stands accused of murdering her and her unborn baby. (3:34) Also on today's show, Mandy and Liz comb through Buster Murdaugh's amended defamation complaint against Warner Brothers and share their thoughts on Buster's arguments and the challenges he and his defendants might face. (39:30) Plus, Myrtle Beach churchy business bro “Pastor” John-Paul Miller is at it again. The LUNASHARK Media team FOIA'd for a 911 call JP placed from his newest mid-scandal church on St. Patrick's Day. Turns out, JP — who stands accused of raping one child and sexually assaulting another — has some sort of homeschool operation happening in a rough-looking strip mall … or at least that's what he told police. Is JP running a quasi school? Or was he just saying this in the hopes of once again getting his revenge against protesters, who were filming him from the public parking lot? And finally, a quick update about Myrtle Beach Police Department's announcement that it reopened and reclosed the (36:22) Chris Skinner case. Let's dive in...
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell and attorney Eric Bland — think they know where the finale for the third season of “White Lotus” is headed … (01:42) let's just say things are seeming mighty familiar there. (22:09) Speaking of the Murdaugh family … on today's episode Mandy, Liz and Eric also dive into Buster Murdaugh's latest filing in his federal defamation case — specifically, the part of the memo that indicates Buster has depositions from people who have personal knowledge of the events that led to Stephen Smith's death in July 2015 … along with the origins of the rumor that Buster was somehow involved. What do those depositions say? Has he shared them with SLED? And wow are Mandy and Liz left speechless by the Stephen Smith-related news that Eric shares with them while on the topic of Buster's case. (07:49) Plus, why would Hunter Biden need Dick Harpootlian to be his attorney? (54:43) Also, the latest in Myrtle Beach “pastor” John-Paul Miller's frivolous defamation cases and the quick reopening and reclosing of Chris Skinner's 2021 death investigation by the Myrtle Beach Police Department. What does it all mean? ☕ Cup's Up! ⚖️ Episode Resources “SC attorney Harpootlian to represent Hunter Biden in federal libel suit” - Live 5 News, March 26, 2025 “Police close investigation into man's 2021 drowning death at Myrtle Beach pool” - WBTW, March 31, 2025 Eric's Book Signing at Hilton Head B&N on April 19, 2025 Premium Member Resources Dick Harpootlian's Pro Hac Vice Filing - March 3, 2025 Buster Murdaugh's Federal Reply Memo - March 24, 2025 SC Grand Jury Rules & Information SC Grand Juror Handbook Alexandra Cuozzo's Countersuit Transfer Order - March 26, 2025 Chris Skinner's Coroner Report Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ Premium Members also get access to episode videos, case files, live trial coverage and exclusive live experiences with our hosts. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. Check out Luna Shark Merch With a Mission shop at lunasharkmerch.com/ What We're Buying... Quince - Give yourself the luxury you deserve with Quince! Go to Quince.com/COJ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn Find us on social media: bsky.app/profile/mandy-matney.com | bsky.app/profile/elizfarrell.com | bsky.app/profile/theericbland.bsky.social Twitter.com/mandymatney | Twitter.com/elizfarrell | Twitter.com/theericbland https://www.facebook.com/cupofjustice/ | https://www.instagram.com/cojpod/ YouTube | TIKTOK SUNscribe to our free email list to get alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBM *** Alert: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** *The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes do not constitute legal advice. Listeners desiring legal advice for any particular legal matter are urged to consult an attorney of their choosing who can provide legal advice based upon a full understanding of the facts and circumstances of their claim. The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes also do not express the views or opinions of Bland Richter, LLP, or its attorneys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell provide updates on the case of Chris Skinner's suspicious death, Buster Murdaugh's defamation case, Johnnie James' suspicious/not suspicious death and the capital murder charge against Lee Gilley for the death of his pregnant wife Christa Bauer Gilley. [3:37] Hear the latest developments in the tragic and suspicious 2021 drowning death of Chris Skinner, the quadriplegic husband of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, “Pastor” John-Paul Miller's girlfriend, Suzi. In 2024 — after watching video footage of Skinner's final moments and seeing that it didn't seem like his drowning was an “accident” — Mandy and Liz called on the Myrtle Beach Coroner's Office to reopen its investigation into Skinner's death. This past week, that second investigation was finally announced publicly. [18:21] Also on the episode, Buster Murdaugh calls on a federal judge to reconsider his order to split Murdaugh's defamation case against Netflix, Warner Brothers and other defendants. Buster's argument? He'll be presenting evidence to the court proving that he didn't kill Stephen Smith — a gay teenager left for dead on a Hampton County road — including DEPOSITIONS of people who have “personal knowledge” of the events that led to Stephen's death in July 2015. Will Buster end up the hero in bringing justice to the Stephen Smith case? [33:35] Plus, an update on men's rights fan Lee Gilley, who is accused of killing his wife and unborn baby in Houston, Texas, and lying about it. Why is it taking the state so long to indict him and should we be concerned? [50:42] Finally, a correction in the Jane Doe No. 1 case against JP Miller and an appeal for information. Let's dive in...
A win for Buster Murdaugh's team. Seton and Matt break it down. Alex Murdaugh's hopes to get a new trial take another step. Russell Lafiite gets news on his new federal trial. Seton Tucker and Matt Harris began the Impact of Influence podcast shortly after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Now they cover true crime past and present fro the southeast region of the U.S. Impact of Influence is part of the Evergreen Podcast Company. Look for Impact of Influence on Facebook and the Impact of Influence Youtube page. please support our sponsors who allow us to continue doing these shows for you including Magic Mind Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with our link https://magicmind.com/impactinfluencejan Quince, Indulge in affordable luxury use code Quince.com/impact for free shipping Factormeals.com/impact50off to get 50%off plus free shipping on first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell, and attorney Eric Bland — talk about Mandy and David's trip to Charleston for yet another federal sentencing hearing of a rich South Carolina attorney. This time it was for Hilton Head attorney Peter Strauss, whose license to practice is on interim suspension... as of Monday, February 24, 2025.... Strauss pleaded guilty in fall 2023 to a single count of removal of property to prevent seizure to help his client — a man who later pleaded guilty in a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Catch up on Peter Strauss with TSP episodes 29 & 38 Also on today's show, what the latest decision in Buster Murdaugh's defamation case might mean for the investigation into Stephen Smith's death. Plus, according to court documents, JP Miller and a TikToker tried to negotiate a deal with Melissa Mancari, the paralegal JP is suing in a $6 million defamation case, to testify as a witness in his cases against the protesters. Why did the judge say this didn't set off alarm bells for him? And what can protesters do to protect themselves in court? ☕ Cup's Up! ⚖️ Episode Resources “Support Zoe's Family with Medical Debts” - GoFundMe for Erin Lee Carr's friend “The real injustice happening in Beaufort County? No cellphones in the courthouse | Opinion” - Liz Farrell, Updated Sept 9, 2019 “Hilton Head lawyer sentenced to 9 months for hiding millions for clients running Ponzi scheme” - The Post & Courier, Feb 21, 2025 IOLTA Overview - American Bar Association Liz's Tweet on JP Miller Update - Feb 20, 2025 “Casino mogul Wynn asks US Supreme Court to revisit Times v. Sullivan defamation rule” - Reuters, Feb 7, 2025 Premium Episode Resources JP Miller's Defamation Lawsuit against Melissa Mancari & her Motion to Dismiss JP Miller's Invasion of Privacy filings in Myrtle Beach Magistrate Court Buster Murdaugh's Defamation Lawsuit - June 14, 2024 Order to Sever & Remand in Buster Murdaugh's Defamation Lawsuit - Feb 19, 2025 Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ Premium Members also get access to episode videos, case files, live trial coverage and exclusive live experiences with our hosts. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. Check out Luna Shark Merch With a Mission shop at lunasharkmerch.com/ What We're Buying... Hungryroot - hungryroot.com/coj - Let Hungryroot know Cup of Justice sent you! 40% off your first delivery will automatically apply at checkout. Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn Find us on social media: bsky.app/profile/mandy-matney.com | bsky.app/profile/elizfarrell.com | bsky.app/profile/theericbland.bsky.social Twitter.com/mandymatney | Twitter.com/elizfarrell | Twitter.com/theericbland https://www.facebook.com/cupofjustice/ | https://www.instagram.com/cojpod/ YouTube | TIKTOK SUNscribe to our free email list to get alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBM *** Alert: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** *The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes do not constitute legal advice. Listeners desiring legal advice for any particular legal matter are urged to consult an attorney of their choosing who can provide legal advice based upon a full understanding of the facts and circumstances of their claim. The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes also do not express the views or opinions of Bland Richter, LLP, or its attorneys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Buster Murdaugh is the only surviving son of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, the once-powerful lawyer who was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and youngest son, Paul Murdaugh in 2021. As a member of the influential Murdaugh family, which controlled the legal system in South Carolina's Lowcountry for nearly a century, Buster has lived under intense public scrutiny due to the family's history of legal scandals, crime, and corruption. While Buster Murdaugh has never been charged with a crime, his name has frequently been linked to the unsolved 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student whose body was found on a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina. Smith's death was initially ruled a hit-and-run, but years of speculation and whispers in the community suggested a possible connection between Buster and the case. No evidence has ever officially linked Buster to Smith's death, but renewed media interest, especially following his father's high-profile murder trial, has kept his name in the conversation. In 2024, Buster Murdaugh filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, Warner Bros., and several other media companies, alleging that they falsely implicated him in Stephen Smith's death through true-crime documentaries and news reports. The lawsuit specifically calls out Netflix's “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal”, Discovery+'s “Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty”, and HBO Max's “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty”, arguing that these productions used misleading reenactments, speculative interviews, and selective storytelling to imply he was involved in a crime he has never been charged with. Buster claims that these documentaries damaged his reputation, fueled baseless public suspicion, and caused him emotional distress. His lawsuit seeks monetary damages and demands retractions or corrections from the media companies. The Ongoing Legal Battle Buster Murdaugh's lawsuit has now become one of the most closely watched media defamation cases of recent years. The case was initially filed in Hampton County, South Carolina, a jurisdiction where the Murdaugh family once held significant influence. However, Netflix and the other defendants attempted to move the case to federal court, arguing that they are out-of-state corporations and that the lawsuit belongs in a larger legal arena. In December 2024, a federal judge ruled in favor of Buster Murdaugh, sending the case back to state court in Hampton County, where a local jury could ultimately decide whether the media outlets crossed a legal line in their reporting and documentary portrayals. Netflix, Warner Bros., and the other defendants have denied wrongdoing and are expected to fight the lawsuit aggressively, likely arguing that: They never directly stated that Buster Murdaugh was guilty of any crime. They were simply reporting on existing rumors and public interest cases. Buster Murdaugh is a public figure, making defamation harder to prove under U.S. law. This case has sparked a larger debate on the ethics of true-crime documentaries, the responsibilities of media companies when covering ongoing investigations, and the boundaries between storytelling and defamation. The Impact on the Murdaugh Family Name Buster Murdaugh's legal battle comes at a time when his family name is already synonymous with scandal. His father, Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to life in prison for the double murder of Maggie and Paul, a crime that exposed the family's web of financial fraud, legal corruption, and hidden secrets. For Buster, this lawsuit represents more than just a fight against Netflix and Warner Bros.—it's an attempt to salvage what remains of his reputation. If he wins, it could set a legal precedent that true-crime documentaries cannot rely on speculation and dramatization to tell stories at the expense of real people's reputations. If he loses, it may further cement his name in true-crime infamy, keeping him permanently tied to Stephen Smith's case in the court of public opinion. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Buster Murdaugh is the only surviving son of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, the once-powerful lawyer who was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and youngest son, Paul Murdaugh in 2021. As a member of the influential Murdaugh family, which controlled the legal system in South Carolina's Lowcountry for nearly a century, Buster has lived under intense public scrutiny due to the family's history of legal scandals, crime, and corruption. While Buster Murdaugh has never been charged with a crime, his name has frequently been linked to the unsolved 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student whose body was found on a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina. Smith's death was initially ruled a hit-and-run, but years of speculation and whispers in the community suggested a possible connection between Buster and the case. No evidence has ever officially linked Buster to Smith's death, but renewed media interest, especially following his father's high-profile murder trial, has kept his name in the conversation. In 2024, Buster Murdaugh filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, Warner Bros., and several other media companies, alleging that they falsely implicated him in Stephen Smith's death through true-crime documentaries and news reports. The lawsuit specifically calls out Netflix's “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal”, Discovery+'s “Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty”, and HBO Max's “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty”, arguing that these productions used misleading reenactments, speculative interviews, and selective storytelling to imply he was involved in a crime he has never been charged with. Buster claims that these documentaries damaged his reputation, fueled baseless public suspicion, and caused him emotional distress. His lawsuit seeks monetary damages and demands retractions or corrections from the media companies. The Ongoing Legal Battle Buster Murdaugh's lawsuit has now become one of the most closely watched media defamation cases of recent years. The case was initially filed in Hampton County, South Carolina, a jurisdiction where the Murdaugh family once held significant influence. However, Netflix and the other defendants attempted to move the case to federal court, arguing that they are out-of-state corporations and that the lawsuit belongs in a larger legal arena. In December 2024, a federal judge ruled in favor of Buster Murdaugh, sending the case back to state court in Hampton County, where a local jury could ultimately decide whether the media outlets crossed a legal line in their reporting and documentary portrayals. Netflix, Warner Bros., and the other defendants have denied wrongdoing and are expected to fight the lawsuit aggressively, likely arguing that: They never directly stated that Buster Murdaugh was guilty of any crime. They were simply reporting on existing rumors and public interest cases. Buster Murdaugh is a public figure, making defamation harder to prove under U.S. law. This case has sparked a larger debate on the ethics of true-crime documentaries, the responsibilities of media companies when covering ongoing investigations, and the boundaries between storytelling and defamation. The Impact on the Murdaugh Family Name Buster Murdaugh's legal battle comes at a time when his family name is already synonymous with scandal. His father, Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to life in prison for the double murder of Maggie and Paul, a crime that exposed the family's web of financial fraud, legal corruption, and hidden secrets. For Buster, this lawsuit represents more than just a fight against Netflix and Warner Bros.—it's an attempt to salvage what remains of his reputation. If he wins, it could set a legal precedent that true-crime documentaries cannot rely on speculation and dramatization to tell stories at the expense of real people's reputations. If he loses, it may further cement his name in true-crime infamy, keeping him permanently tied to Stephen Smith's case in the court of public opinion. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
Buster Murdaugh is the only surviving son of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, the once-powerful lawyer who was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and youngest son, Paul Murdaugh in 2021. As a member of the influential Murdaugh family, which controlled the legal system in South Carolina's Lowcountry for nearly a century, Buster has lived under intense public scrutiny due to the family's history of legal scandals, crime, and corruption. While Buster Murdaugh has never been charged with a crime, his name has frequently been linked to the unsolved 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student whose body was found on a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina. Smith's death was initially ruled a hit-and-run, but years of speculation and whispers in the community suggested a possible connection between Buster and the case. No evidence has ever officially linked Buster to Smith's death, but renewed media interest, especially following his father's high-profile murder trial, has kept his name in the conversation. In 2024, Buster Murdaugh filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, Warner Bros., and several other media companies, alleging that they falsely implicated him in Stephen Smith's death through true-crime documentaries and news reports. The lawsuit specifically calls out Netflix's “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal”, Discovery+'s “Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty”, and HBO Max's “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty”, arguing that these productions used misleading reenactments, speculative interviews, and selective storytelling to imply he was involved in a crime he has never been charged with. Buster claims that these documentaries damaged his reputation, fueled baseless public suspicion, and caused him emotional distress. His lawsuit seeks monetary damages and demands retractions or corrections from the media companies. The Ongoing Legal Battle Buster Murdaugh's lawsuit has now become one of the most closely watched media defamation cases of recent years. The case was initially filed in Hampton County, South Carolina, a jurisdiction where the Murdaugh family once held significant influence. However, Netflix and the other defendants attempted to move the case to federal court, arguing that they are out-of-state corporations and that the lawsuit belongs in a larger legal arena. In December 2024, a federal judge ruled in favor of Buster Murdaugh, sending the case back to state court in Hampton County, where a local jury could ultimately decide whether the media outlets crossed a legal line in their reporting and documentary portrayals. Netflix, Warner Bros., and the other defendants have denied wrongdoing and are expected to fight the lawsuit aggressively, likely arguing that: They never directly stated that Buster Murdaugh was guilty of any crime. They were simply reporting on existing rumors and public interest cases. Buster Murdaugh is a public figure, making defamation harder to prove under U.S. law. This case has sparked a larger debate on the ethics of true-crime documentaries, the responsibilities of media companies when covering ongoing investigations, and the boundaries between storytelling and defamation. The Impact on the Murdaugh Family Name Buster Murdaugh's legal battle comes at a time when his family name is already synonymous with scandal. His father, Alex Murdaugh, was sentenced to life in prison for the double murder of Maggie and Paul, a crime that exposed the family's web of financial fraud, legal corruption, and hidden secrets. For Buster, this lawsuit represents more than just a fight against Netflix and Warner Bros.—it's an attempt to salvage what remains of his reputation. If he wins, it could set a legal precedent that true-crime documentaries cannot rely on speculation and dramatization to tell stories at the expense of real people's reputations. If he loses, it may further cement his name in true-crime infamy, keeping him permanently tied to Stephen Smith's case in the court of public opinion. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
Investigative journalists — Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell have encountered one of the strangest things they've ever seen from a murder suspect who hasn't even been arraigned yet … a campaign website! Last week a listener sent in a tip about former South Carolina resident Lee Gilley, who is facing a Capital Murder charge in Houston, Texas, in the October 2024 death of his wife, Christa Bauer and their unborn child. A website had been published about Lee and his life as an apparently flawless human being incapable of murder. It's yet another brazen move from an entitled good ole boy who thinks the normal procedures of the justice system don't apply to him. Also on the show, a follow-up on the YouTube creator who is being sued by JP Miller. Plus, updates on Bowen Turner's alleged parole violations and Buster Murdaugh's defamation case. Plus, we'll update you on the latest in the Peter J. Strauss case who's sentencing is set for 2pm on February 20th in Charleston. Let's dive in...
Buster Murdaugh Files Suit In Attempt To Clear His Name-2024 Year in Review This is the " The Year in Review," where we delve into the true stories behind this year's most compelling headlines. Your host, Tony Brueski, joins hands with a rotating roster of guests, sharing their insights and analysis on a collection of intriguing, perplexing, and often chilling stories that have dominated the news. This is not your average news recap. With the sharp investigative lens of Tony and his guests, the show uncovers layers beneath the headlines, offering a comprehensive perspective that traditional news can often miss. From high-profile criminal trials to in-depth examinations of ongoing investigations, this podcast takes listeners on a fascinating journey through the world of true crime and current events. Throughout the past year, we've followed and dissected cases such as P. Diddy, Karen Read, Scott Peterson, Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrand, the Delphi Murders, Kouri Richins, Bryan Kohberger, Rex Heuermann, Alex Murdaugh, Chad and Lori Daybell, and the Adelson family. Each episode navigates through these stories, illuminating their details with factual reporting, expert commentary, and engaging conversation. Tony and his guests discuss each case's nuances, complexities, and human elements, delivering a multi-dimensional understanding to their audience. Whether you are a dedicated follower of true crime, or an everyday listener interested in the stories shaping our world, the "The Year in Review" brings you the perfect balance of intrigue, information, and intelligent conversation. Expect thoughtful analysis, informed opinions, and thought-provoking discussions beyond the 24-hour news cycle. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
After accused killer Lee Gilley appeared in court in Houston, Texas supported by lead defense attorney Dick DeGuerin, investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell dive in to what happened to Christa Bauer Gilley of Summerville, South Carolina. Court documents in the case reveal shocking details of how Lee Gilley acted after his wife's death at their Houston Heights home. You'll hear the latest on Lee Gilley's bond agreement and what's next to get Justice For Christa. And affidavits filed in Christa's children's custody case show the horrible way her family found out about her death … and about how she died. We also take a look at the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to vacate the conviction and sentence of one of Alex Murdaugh's alleged co-conspirators — bank enabler Russell Laffitte. Why did the court do this? When will Russell be released from prison? What about all the money he still owes his attorneys? And will Murdaugh trial superstar Creighton Waters — with that Big Creighton Energy — step in to prosecute Russell on his pending 21 state charges for allegedly helping Alex steal clients' money? Plus an update on a trial date in the Sara Lynn Colucci case and the latest in Buster Murdaugh's defamation lawsuit. Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ Episode Resources Man charged with capital murder in pregnant wife's death first reported as suicide in Heights: Houston man accused in wife's death considered fleeing, relatives say The Yum Yum Snack Shop on Instagram Christa Gilley's Obituary Information on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Recap on the Colucci Case Join Luna Shark Premium today at Lunashark.Supercast.com. Premium Members also get access to searchable case files, written articles with documents, case photos, episode videos and exclusive live experiences with our hosts on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. What We're Buying... Hungry Root - https://hungryroot.com/mandy to get 40% off your first delivery and get your free veggies.. Hungry Root is the easiest way to eat healthy. They send you fresh, high-quality groceries, simple, delicious recipes, and essential supplements. Task Rabbit - Use promo code "mandy" at https://www.taskrabbit.com/ for 15% off your task. Task Rabbit connects you with skilled Taskers to help with cleaning, moving, furniture assembly, home repairs, and more. Peloton - onepeloton.com Find your push. Find your power with Peloton at onepeloton.com. Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn And a special thank you to our other amazing sponsors: Microdose.com, PELOTON, and VUORI. Use promo code "MANDY" for a special offer! *** ALERT: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** For current & accurate updates: TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia tiktok.com/@lunasharkmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
There was a settlement in a Mallory Beach fatal boat crash lawsuit. A judge in another Beach case recuses himself. There are new filings in Buster Murdaugh's defamation lawsuit. Seton Tucker and Matt Harris began the Impact of Influence podcast shortly after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Now they cover true crime past and present from the southeast region of the U.S. Impact of Influence is part of the Evergreen Podcast Company. Look for Impact of Influence on Facebook and Youtube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell begin their look into the Oct. 7 death of 38-year-old Christa Bauer Gilley in Texas and the arrest of her husband, Lee Gilley, who initially told investigators that Christa died by suicide after an argument they had. Christa, who was nine weeks pregnant at the time of her death, was strangled to death according to investigators. It's yet another instance in which a woman's cause of death is presented to law enforcement as a suicide when evidence points to homicide. Mandy and Liz consider whether this is a new trend or something that has existed for generations and it's taken until now to see through the Big Suicide Lie from spouses and romantic partners. Also on the show, the Top 10 Systemic Failures that have benefitted thrice-accused rapist Bowen Turner who is due to be released from prison on Halloween — including his latest quickie appearance in court where he was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to resisting arrest earlier this year. Remember that ride to jail? When Bowen asked the state trooper to take him to his grandmother's house because he didn't believe White boys should go to jail? Plus updates in Buster Murdaugh's defamation case and the Mallory Beach civil conspiracy case. Please consider supporting the GoFundMe for Christa Bauer Gilley children. Any money raised beyond the immediate needs of the family will go directly to Christa's children to help provide for their futures. gofund.me/041c0f9a Episode Resources The State v. Bowen G. Turner (In re: Victim C.B.) Overview Bowen Turner Victim Appeal Hearing - 9/10/24 H.R.4250 - PRESS Act Law & Crime's article on Christa Gilley's murder Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ Join Luna Shark Premium today at Lunashark.Supercast.com. Premium Members also get access to searchable case files, written articles with documents, case photos, episode videos and exclusive live experiences with our hosts on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. What We're Buying... Hungry Root - https://hungryroot.com/mandy to get 40% off your first delivery and get your free veggies.. Hungry Root is the easiest way to eat healthy. They send you fresh, high-quality groceries, simple, delicious recipes, and essential supplements. Task Rabbit - Use promo code "mandy" at https://www.taskrabbit.com/ for 15% off your task. Task Rabbit connects you with skilled Taskers to help with cleaning, moving, furniture assembly, home repairs, and more. Peloton - onepeloton.com Find your push. Find your power with Peloton at onepeloton.com. Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn And a special thank you to our other amazing sponsors: Microdose.com, PELOTON, and VUORI. Use promo code "MANDY" for a special offer! *** ALERT: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** For current & accurate updates: TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia tiktok.com/@lunasharkmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As you likely know, we are taking off from COJ and True Sunlight this week to focus on educating students around the Midwest so thank you for understanding and we hope you enjoy this bonus content! In today's Premium Dive Bonus episode, Attorney Rebecca Lindahl and reporter Sam Berlin discuss the implications of Buster's media interviews and public appearances, which could make him a public figure, complicating his defamation case. They highlight the legal protections for press, such as the Fair Reporting Privilege and Absolute Privilege. Also, Mandy Matney and producer/husband David recount Mandy's defamation lawsuit involving former USC professor, David Voros, criticizing the attorney Bill Padgett for pursuing baseless claims. Mandy shares the emotional and financial toll of the lawsuit, which cost over $33,000 plus all the stress, emotional toll, and havoc it caused. Becky Lindahl advises on handling defamation claims, emphasizing the importance of gathering evidence and seeking legal counsel early. We believe in the importance of anti-SLAPP laws and the need for legal protections against strategic lawsuits aimed at chilling public speech or silencing specific individuals. Special thank you to Rebecca Lindahl for lending her voice to today's show and you can learn more about her and her firm here: Rebecca K. Lindahl Partner and Chair, Commercial Litigation Group Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP https://www.katten.com Join Luna Shark Premium today at Lunashark.Supercast.com. Premium Members also get access to searchable case files, written articles with documents, case photos, episode videos and exclusive live experiences with our hosts on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. And for those just wanting ad-free listening without all the other great content, we now offer ad-free listening on Apple Podcast through a subscription to Luna Shark Plus on the Apple Podcasts App. Or become a Premiere Member on YouTube for exclusive videos and ad-free episodes. Visit our events page Lunasharkmedia.com/events where you can learn about the upcoming in-person and virtual appearances from hosts or submit your own ideas at lunasharkmedia.com/newevents. Or follow @mandy_matney on Instagram for the latest pop-ups. SUNscribe to our free email list to get that special offer for first time members, receive alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBMJcP What We're Buying... Hungry Root - https://hungryroot.com/mandy to get 40% off your first delivery and get your free veggies.. Hungry Root is the easiest way to eat healthy. They send you fresh, high-quality groceries, simple, delicious recipes, and essential supplements. Task Rabbit - Use promo code "mandy" at https://www.taskrabbit.com/ for 15% off your task. Task Rabbit connects you with skilled Taskers to help with cleaning, moving, furniture assembly, home repairs, and more. Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn And a special thank you to our other amazing sponsors: Microdose.com, PELOTON, and VUORI. Use promo code "MANDY" for a special offer! *** ALERT: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** For current & accurate updates: TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia tiktok.com/@lunasharkmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alex Murdaugh receives a blow in his attempt for a lesser sentence on financial crimes.. Murdaugh's disgraced banker buddy, Russell Lafitte, asks for a new trail. Buster Murdaugh's defamation lawsuit moved to state court. We discuss with Seton's father and attorney Matt Siembieda. Matt Siembieda is an attorney and law professor at Temple Law School. Seton Tucker and Matt Harris began the Impact of Influence podcast shortly after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Now they cover true crime past and present fro the southeast region of the U.S. Impact of Influence is part of the Evergreen Podcast Company. Look for Impact of Influence on Facebook and Youtube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Investigative reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell celebrate Alex Murdaugh's biggest loss yet … one that will effectively keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. Also on the show, Buster Murdaugh triples down on his defamation claims against Netflix and Hampton County reporter Michael Dewitt. In a federal filing this week, Buster argues that — though he left out the context of Dewitt's words in his original filing in South Carolina — including all of Dewitt's interview on “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,” actually helps strengthen his claim. Plus, the drama outside Solid Rock Ministries church in Myrtle Beach has NOT calmed down. On Sunday, pastor JP Miller was accused of assaulting a protester dressed as Jesus, and protesters were accused of harassing JP's alleged paramour by shouting “demeaning” comments at her. Mandy and Liz also took a look at the FOIA logs for Myrtle Beach and Horry County police departments to see who was seeking information on Mica Francis. And what they found was shocking: Before her death, Mica was seeking public information from the police … and they gave her next to nothing. Premium Episode Resources Liz's Tweet about Alex Murdaugh's Appeal Dismissal David Weissman's Arthur Badger Article from the Myrtle Beach Sun News Mica Francis Timeline Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ Join Luna Shark Premium today at Lunashark.Supercast.com. Premium Members also get access to searchable case files, written articles with documents, case photos, episode videos and exclusive live experiences with our hosts on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. What We're Buying... Hungry Root - https://hungryroot.com/mandy to get 40% off your first delivery and get your free veggies.. Hungry Root is the easiest way to eat healthy. They send you fresh, high-quality groceries, simple, delicious recipes, and essential supplements. Task Rabbit - Use promo code "mandy" at https://www.taskrabbit.com/ for 15% off your task. Task Rabbit connects you with skilled Taskers to help with cleaning, moving, furniture assembly, home repairs, and more. Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn And a special thank you to our other amazing sponsors: Microdose.com, PELOTON, and VUORI. Use promo code "MANDY" for a special offer! *** ALERT: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** For current & accurate updates: TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia tiktok.com/@lunasharkmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cup of Justice Co-hosts Mandy Matney, Liz Farrell and Eric Bland — have returned to their respective studios for the latest episode of Cup of Justice in which there was A LOT to talk about. Over the past few weeks there have been several court filings, including in Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction appeal. Dick Harpootlian suddenly has love for more sunlight in this case and is advocating for the South Carolina Supreme Court to unseal SLED's investigation into Juror 785 … you know, the Egg Lady juror, who was dismissed from Alex's jury WITHOUT objection from Dick. It's not clear what Team Murdaugh wants the public to see, but we're sure it's more distraction and nonsense. Filings in Buster Murdaugh's defamation case accuse Buster and his attorney of misrepresenting the words of a Hampton County reporter in a Netflix documentary that aired last year. As the big name production companies fight to move Buster's case to federal court, Buster's team has promised to push back. Also on the show, the P Diddy case spotlights a hard truth: People knew bad things were happening, making bystanders nothing more than accomplices. Premium Members get an extra discussion on capital punishment and a deeper dive into the P-Diddy situation... But also!! Premium Members will get a LIVE Virtual Broadcast of our 100th Episode of COJ - open to all Premium Members! Join us Friday, September 27th at 7pm ET on an unlisted YouTube link to be released on your premium feed this week - join today at lunashark.supercast.com. Premium Members also get access to episode videos, case files, live trial coverage and exclusive live experiences with our hosts. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. Check out Luna Shark Merch With a Mission shop at lunasharkmerch.com/ What We're Buying... Lumen - https://www.lumen.me/coj for 15% off your purchase. Your metabolic health, in your hands. Understand your unique metabolism, promote fat burn, lose weight, and boost energy naturally. CBDistillery - https://cbdistillery.com with code “COJ” for 20% off. No fluff. No fillers. Just pure, effective cannabinoid products. Over 43,000 Verified Reviews. 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee. Free Shipping Over $75. Subscribe & Save Up To 30% Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn Find us on social media: Twitter.com/mandymatney - Twitter.com/elizfarrell - Twitter.com/theericbland https://www.facebook.com/cupofjustice/ | https://www.instagram.com/cojpod/ YouTube TIKTOK SUNscribe to our free email list to get alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBM *** Alert: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** *The views expressed on the Cup of Justice bonus episodes do not constitute legal advice. Listeners desiring legal advice for any particular legal matter are urged to consult an attorney of their choosing who can provide legal advice based upon a full understanding of the facts and circumstances of their claim. The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes also do not express the views or opinions of Bland Richter, LLP, or its attorneys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell — formerly of Murdaugh Murders Podcast — give an update on the latest drama involving Alex Murdaugh. His remaining son, Buster Murdaugh, filed a defamation lawsuit this week against major networks over documentaries they ran, which he said falsely insinuated he had something to do with Stephen Smith's death. He is also suing a Hampton County reporter and his newspaper company for that same thing. Also, a federal judge issues an order in the Nautilus case, in which the insurance company who issued a multi-million dollar payout to Cory Fleming in Gloria Satterfield's death is suing to get their money back. In his ruling, Judge Richard Gergel notes that the insurance company KNEW that something fishy was going on with the Satterfield case and yet STILL gave Cory that money. Why? The insurance company feared the payout would be worse if it went to a Hampton County jury. Also on the show, Mandy and Liz continue to connect dots in the Mica Francis case as Mica's estranged husband, John-Paul Miller, continues to make TikTok videos in the hopes of putting out his own narrative about what their marriage was like. Plus, the disturbing patterns in JP's parents' divorce in 2002 and what it tells us about JP's upbringing. Episode Resources: Mica's List & Mica's Law, Documents Mica's Attorney, Regina Ward's, Press Conference Luna Shark Premium Member Resources - Click Here for Access: Buster Murdaugh's Defamation Lawsuit Nautilus vs Murdaugh et al, Judge Gergel's Order Reginald Wayne Miller x Susan Miller Divorce Documents 2001-2009 Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Learn more about how you can help us fund FOIA's, dive deeper into cases and experience the investigation first-hand on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. In June we're offering your first month of Soak Up The Sun membership with a $6.00 discount. Join Luna Shark Premium today at Lunashark.Supercast.com. Premium Members also get access to searchable case files, written articles with documents, case photos, episode videos and exclusive live experiences with our hosts on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. And for those just wanting ad-free listening without all the other great content, we now offer ad-free listening on Apple Podcast through a subscription to Luna Shark Plus on the Apple Podcasts App. Or become a Premiere Member on YouTube for exclusive videos and ad-free episodes. SUNscribe to our free email list to get that special offer for first time members, receive alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBMJcP Visit our new events page Lunasharkmedia.com/events where you can learn about the upcoming in-person and virtual appearances from hosts! And a special thank you to our sponsors: Microdose.com, PELOTON, and VUORI. Use promo code "MANDY" for a special offer! *** ALERT: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** For current & accurate updates: TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices