Podcasts about creighton waters

Part Two of Two There's a new Creighton Waters in town… In Part 2 of Episode 161, Investigative journalists⁠ Mandy Matney⁠ and⁠ ⁠Liz Farrell⁠ break down the stunning filing in which the lead prosecutor formally corrected Dick Harpootlian's false claim that Alex Murdaugh passed a polygraph "with flying colors" — complete with a savage citation noting defense co-counsel's incredulous reactions in real time.  Then, Joe McCullough pushes himself into the spotlight while pushing to unseal the Egg Lady records — conveniently trying to pull the in-camera transcripts from view that tell the real story.  Dots Connected: Judge McCaslin's change-of-venue ruling leans on the Beach v. Parker venue order that bashes Liz and Mandy's opinions, the one built on months of purchased lawfare, harassment, and  a landline survey of 333 people, and designed to blame journalists for publicity the villains created themselves.  Shenanigans?  Shenanigans AF… ⁠Vote for Laura Richards and Mandy Matney's SXSW Panel⁠! Let's Dive In…

Part Two of Two There's a new Creighton Waters in town… In Part 2 of Episode 161, Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and ⁠Liz Farrell break down the stunning filing in which the lead prosecutor formally corrected Dick Harpootlian's false claim that Alex Murdaugh passed a polygraph "with flying colors" — complete with a savage citation noting defense co-counsel's incredulous reactions in real time.  Then, Joe McCullough pushes himself into the spotlight while pushing to unseal the Egg Lady records — conveniently trying to pull the in-camera transcripts from view that tell the real story.  Dots Connected: Judge McCaslin's change-of-venue ruling leans on the Beach v. Parker venue order that bashes Liz and Mandy's opinions, the one built on months of purchased lawfare, harassment, and  a landline survey of 333 people, and designed to blame journalists for publicity the villains created themselves.  Shenanigans?  Shenanigans AF… Vote for Laura Richards and Mandy Matney's SXSW Panel! Let's Dive In…

There's DNA under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails that's never been identified — and an outside lab is about to get a shot at it. Judge Debra McCaslin ordered independent testing on the unknown male genetic material at an August 14 pretrial hearing, siding with defense arguments that SLED's own retesting method risked destroying the sample for good. Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer break down what happened in that Lexington County courtroom. McCaslin also pulled Alex Murdaugh's retrial entirely outside the 14th Judicial Circuit, pointing to the impossibility of seating an unbiased jury in a county Murdaugh's family effectively ran for three generations. She ruled the state can replay Murdaugh's own 2023 sworn testimony for the new jury, including his admission that he lied about being at the kennels the night his wife and son were killed. In a separate development, the defense told the court that weapons recovered in a recent Allendale County homicide may be ballistically linked to the Moselle murder weapons — a claim prosecutor Creighton Waters said blindsided him despite his daily contact with SLED. McCaslin is now personally overseeing jury selection after questions surfaced about when Becky Hill's interference in the original trial actually started. Murdaugh's team is also asking the judge to void the murder charges over allegations a SLED agent fabricated grand jury evidence. Next hearing: November 14. Retrial: April 5, 2027. 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=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeToday #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters #PaulMurdaugh 

A South Carolina county of 37,000 people, where the Murdaugh family ran the local prosecutor's office for three generations, will not be hosting Alex Murdaugh's retrial. Judge Debra McCaslin pulled the case entirely outside the 14th Judicial Circuit at an August 14 pretrial hearing, and Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer break down everything else that happened in that courtroom. Murdaugh's defense told the court that weapons from a recent Allendale County homicide may be ballistically linked to the Moselle murder weapons — information prosecutor Creighton Waters said he'd never heard, despite daily contact with SLED. McCaslin ordered independent lab testing on unidentified male DNA recovered from under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails, siding with the defense's argument that SLED's own retesting process risked destroying the sample. She ruled Murdaugh's 2023 sworn testimony — including his admission that he lied about being at the kennels the night his wife and son died — can be replayed for the new jury. She's also now personally managing jury summons after questions arose about whether court official Becky Hill's interference in the original trial began earlier than previously understood. Murdaugh's team separately wants the murder charges voided outright, alleging a SLED agent fabricated evidence presented to the grand jury; that motion has not been ruled on. The next hearing lands November 14, with the retrial set for April 5, 2027. 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=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #JenniferCoffindaffer #HiddenKillers #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters #PaulMurdaugh 

Alex Murdaugh's lawyers have accused a SLED agent of fabricating evidence used to charge him with murder in the first place. That motion is now sitting in front of Judge Debra McCaslin, one of several bombshells to come out of an August 14 pretrial hearing. Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer cover the full hearing, start to finish. McCaslin pulled the retrial entirely outside the 14th Judicial Circuit, ruling that a county where Murdaugh's family ran the prosecutor's office for three generations can't seat an unbiased jury. She ordered independent lab testing on unidentified male DNA recovered from under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails, agreeing with the defense that SLED's own retesting process could destroy the sample. She ruled the state can replay Murdaugh's 2023 sworn testimony for the new jury, including his admission that he lied about being at the kennels the night his wife and son were killed. And in the hearing's final stretch, the defense told the court that weapons tied to a recent Allendale County homicide may be ballistically linked to the Moselle murder weapons — a claim prosecutor Creighton Waters says caught him completely off guard despite talking to SLED every day. McCaslin is now personally overseeing jury selection after questions surfaced about Becky Hill's interference in the original trial. Next court date: November 14. Retrial: April 5, 2027. 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=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #JenniferCoffindaffer #MurdaughTrial #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters #CriminalJustice 

Alex Murdaugh's retrial jury may hear him lie to them before they even meet him. Judge Debra McCaslin ruled at an August 14 pretrial hearing that the state can replay Murdaugh's own 2023 sworn testimony for the new jury — including his admission that he wasn't telling the truth about being at the kennels the night his wife and son were killed. Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Tony Brueski to cover the full hearing. McCaslin also pulled the retrial entirely outside the 14th Judicial Circuit, citing the near impossibility of an unbiased jury in a county where the Murdaugh family ran the prosecutor's office for three generations. Where the case actually lands is still undecided, with the defense pushing for Charleston. The defense also dropped a bombshell claim: weapons from a recent Allendale County homicide may be ballistically connected to the Moselle murder weapons — news that prosecutor Creighton Waters said caught him completely off guard despite his daily contact with SLED. McCaslin cleared independent DNA testing on unidentified male genetic material found under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails, and she's now personally overseeing jury selection after questions emerged about when Becky Hill's interference in the first trial actually began. A separate defense motion asks the judge to void the murder charges outright over allegations that a SLED agent fabricated grand jury evidence. Next court date: November 14. Retrial: April 5, 2027. 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=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #JenniferCoffindaffer #HiddenKillersLive #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters #CriminalJustice 

Part One of Two Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and ⁠Liz Farrell break down everything that happened at Alex Murdaugh's most recent hearing.Team Murdaugh came to Friday's retrial hearing armed with a "bombshell" that turned out to be a dud… a rumor from fitsnews claiming Murdaugh murder weapons were tied to a recent Allendale County killing. However, no article existed, prosecutor Creighton Waters had never heard of it, and SLED debunked the claim within minutes.Mandy and Liz break down how the fumble unraveled in real time — and why so much of the media ran with it anyway. Then there's the venue circus: Dick Harpootlian putting his own associate on the stand to testify about budget hotels and Cracker Barrel commutes, insisting on Charleston-only... before pivoting to Richland County in a Monday letter to Judge McCaslin. Plus, the ruling that matters most: Alex's sworn testimony from the first trial — the lies, the kennel video admission, all of it — is allowed into the record in Murdaugh 2.0. Testifying has consequences. So does lying about where you were when your family was murdered.Vote for Laura Richards and Mandy Matney's SXSW Panel!Let's Dive In…

Luigi Mangione confessed to murder and was convicted of stalking. Lindsay Clancy had four providers who never spoke to each other. Alex Murdaugh's prosecutor found out about his own evidence from the defense table.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Tony Brueski on True Crime Today to cover all three cases.Mangione told a federal judge on August 14 that he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He posed as a financial manager overseeing billions to get the conference location. The federal murder charge had already been dismissed. His lawyers filed a double jeopardy motion to kill the state murder case within hours. He is twenty-eight and faces sentencing in December with prosecutors seeking life.The Clancy trial at Plymouth Superior Court is three weeks into testimony. Clancy's nurse practitioner had no idea she had seen her psychiatrist fourteen times. She searched "hallucinations" on her phone five days before the killings. Peer-reviewed literature documents a four percent infanticide rate for postpartum psychosis. She broke her spine in a suicide attempt and is permanently paralyzed.At Murdaugh's Lexington County hearing, Judge Debra McCaslin ordered independent DNA testing on Maggie Murdaugh's fingernail evidence and moved the retrial out of the Colleton County circuit. The defense raised a potential connection between Allendale County murder weapons and the Murdaugh case. Creighton Waters, who speaks with SLED daily, said he had never heard of it.Coffindaffer covers what an investigator sees in all three cases and where each one goes from here.Lindsay Clancy and Alex Murdaugh have pleaded not guilty. All individuals are presumed innocent.Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJgJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis 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.#LindsayClancy #LuigiMangione #AlexMurdaugh #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeToday #TrueCrime #PostpartumPsychosis #DoubleJeopardy #SLED #CriminalJustice

Three courtrooms. Three critical moments. One retired FBI agent covering all of them.Lindsay Clancy's trial at Plymouth Superior Court is in week three. The jury has heard that four mental health providers prescribed her thirteen medications and never communicated with each other. Clancy searched "hallucinations" on her phone before the killings. She jumped from a window after and is permanently paralyzed. The published infanticide rate for postpartum psychosis is four percent.Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges on August 14 and confessed to killing Brian Thompson. The federal murder charge had already been dismissed. His lawyers filed a double jeopardy motion to block the state murder trial before he left the courthouse. He has avoided terrorism charges, the death penalty, and a federal murder conviction. He is twenty-eight.Alex Murdaugh's pretrial hearing produced an unexpected development when the defense told the judge about a potential Allendale County weapons connection. Creighton Waters, the lead prosecutor, told the court he had never heard about it. The judge ordered independent DNA testing on evidence from Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails and relocated the retrial out of the Colleton County circuit.Jennifer Coffindaffer, a retired FBI Special Agent, joins Tony Brueski on Hidden Killers Live for the full conversation — what the provider failures mean in Clancy, whether the Mangione defense has outplayed the system, and what the Allendale weapons revelation says about SLED's handling of the Murdaugh evidence.Lindsay Clancy and Alex Murdaugh have pleaded not guilty. All individuals are presumed innocent.Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJgJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis 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.#LindsayClancy #LuigiMangione #AlexMurdaugh #JenniferCoffindaffer #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrime #PostpartumPsychosis #DoubleJeopardy #SLED #CriminalJustice

The lead prosecutor in the Alex Murdaugh murder case found out about potential evidence linked to the murder weapons from the defense — in open court. Creighton Waters told the judge on August 14 that he had never heard of the development. He said he communicates with SLED daily.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Tony Brueski on True Crime Today to go through the Lexington County pretrial hearing and what it means for the retrial scheduled for April 2027.Judge Debra McCaslin granted the defense access to fingernail DNA collected from Maggie Murdaugh. SLED's standard method had confirmed unknown male DNA but failed to identify it. The defense had fought to prevent SLED from retesting the sample internally, arguing the process would consume the only material available for independent analysis. McCaslin ruled an outside lab would get access.The retrial has been relocated out of the Colleton County circuit. The first trial was held where the Murdaugh family name carried decades of institutional power. McCaslin is personally overseeing jury selection after the first conviction was thrown out due to jury tampering.The prosecution can play Murdaugh's sworn testimony from 2023, including his admission he lied about being at the kennels. It lost roughly twelve and a half hours of financial crimes evidence the Supreme Court excluded. The defense has separately raised allegations that SLED's case agent provided false testimony about a bloody T-shirt and that the lab halted testing when results did not match.Coffindaffer covers what the hearing reveals about SLED's case management and whether the prosecution is stronger or weaker heading into the second trial.Alex Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty. He is presumed innocent.Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJgJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #TrueCrimeToday #JenniferCoffindaffer #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters #CriminalJustice

Alex Murdaugh's pretrial hearing on August 14 produced a moment prosecutors did not expect. The defense told Judge Debra McCaslin that weapons from a recent Allendale County murder may be connected to the Murdaugh murder weapons. Creighton Waters, the lead prosecutor, said in open court he had never heard of it — despite speaking with SLED on a daily basis.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Tony Brueski to analyze what happened in the Lexington County courtroom and what it says about the integrity of the case SLED built.McCaslin ordered that fingernail DNA from Maggie Murdaugh be released to the defense for independent testing. The existing SLED analysis identified an unknown male profile under her fingernails but could not establish whose it was. The defense had fought for months against SLED conducting its own retesting, arguing the process would consume the remaining sample.The venue has been moved out of the entire judicial circuit that includes Colleton County, where the Murdaugh family held the local prosecutor's seat for three generations. McCaslin will oversee jury selection directly — a decision the defense pushed for after the first trial was overturned due to jury tampering by the clerk of court.Murdaugh's sworn testimony from 2023 will be played for the new jury. That includes his admission that he lied about being at the kennels. The prosecution lost twelve and a half hours of financial crimes evidence the Supreme Court said should not have been allowed.Coffindaffer examines what the Allendale weapons revelation tells an investigator and how much of the prosecution's current position traces back to how SLED built this case.Alex Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty. He is presumed innocent.Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJgJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters #CriminalJustice

Alex Murdaugh's defense raised something in the Lexington County courtroom on August 14 that Creighton Waters did not see coming. The defense told Judge Debra McCaslin that weapons from a recent Allendale County murder may connect to the Murdaugh murder weapons. Waters told the court he had never heard a word about it, despite daily communication with SLED.Jennifer Coffindaffer, a retired FBI Special Agent, joins Tony Brueski to cover the August 14 hearing and what it tells an investigator about how SLED managed the evidence in this case.McCaslin ordered SLED to release fingernail DNA from Maggie Murdaugh to the defense for outside testing. The standard SLED analysis detected unknown male DNA under her fingernails but could not identify whose it was. The defense argued SLED's retesting protocol would destroy the remaining sample.The venue was moved entirely out of the Colleton County circuit. McCaslin said she will personally oversee how jurors are selected. The first trial conviction was reversed after the clerk of court was found to have improperly influenced the jury.The court ruled Murdaugh's 2023 testimony will be played in the retrial. That includes his admission he lied about being at the kennels. The Supreme Court previously excluded roughly twelve and a half hours of financial crimes evidence it said went too far, and the prosecution will not have that material in the second trial.The defense has separately alleged that SLED's lead case agent testified about blood on a T-shirt that the agent himself acknowledged was not there, and that SLED's forensic division stopped testing the shirt after the first result came back negative for human blood.Alex Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty. He is presumed innocent.Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJgJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #CreightonWaters #JenniferCoffindaffer #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CriminalJustice #MaggieMurdaugh

Creighton Waters told Judge Debra McCaslin on August 14 that he talks to SLED every day. Minutes earlier, the defense told the same judge about a potential link between weapons from an Allendale County murder and the Murdaugh case. Waters said he was hearing it for the first time.Jennifer Coffindaffer, a retired FBI Special Agent, joins Tony Brueski on Hidden Killers Live to cover the pretrial hearing and what it means for the April 2027 retrial.The judge ordered independent DNA testing on material collected from Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails. SLED had confirmed the presence of unknown male DNA but could not identify its source. The defense wanted an outside lab to run the analysis and argued SLED's internal retesting would destroy the sample.McCaslin moved the retrial out of Colleton County and the entire circuit. She will personally oversee jury selection. The first trial conviction was overturned after the clerk of court was found to have tampered with the jury.Murdaugh's 2023 testimony is coming in — his admission about lying and his presence at the kennels. The prosecution lost a significant block of financial crimes evidence the Supreme Court excluded. The defense alleges SLED's lead agent testified falsely about blood on a T-shirt and that the forensic lab stopped testing after results came back negative.Coffindaffer covers whether a prosecutor who learns about evidence from the defense can still credibly lead this case, and how the retrial is shaping up compared to what the first jury saw.Alex Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty. He is presumed innocent.Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJgJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #HiddenKillersLive #JenniferCoffindaffer #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters #CriminalJustice

Creighton Waters communicates with SLED daily. On August 14, he stood in a Lexington courtroom and admitted he had never heard of a possible connection between weapons from an Allendale County homicide and the firearms tied to the Murdaugh murders. The claim came from Murdaugh's defense team, not from the state's own investigators. McCaslin told the defense the claim raised her eyebrows.That admission followed a hearing stacked with prosecution setbacks. Judge McCaslin pulled the retrial out of Colleton County and the surrounding judicial circuit, where three generations of Murdaughs ran the local prosecutor's office. She gave the defense access to fingernail DNA from Maggie Murdaugh for its own lab analysis, overruling the state's argument that the evidence contained nothing new. She allowed conditional use of Murdaugh's prior testimony but restricted it to his statements about the night Maggie and Paul were killed.McCaslin assumed personal responsibility for building the jury pool after defense attorney Dick Harpootlian asked when Becky Hill's tampering influence on the first jury actually began. Hill, the former Colleton County clerk, pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction.Murdaugh, who has pleaded not guilty, appeared unshackled and in a suit for the first time since his November 2023 financial crimes sentencing. His defense has a pending motion asking McCaslin to dismiss the murder indictments based on alleged fabrication of blood evidence by SLED's lead case agent. The prosecution has not yet responded. The next hearing is November 14 and the retrial is set for April 5, 2027.Links:Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodDisclaimer:This 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 #CreightonWaters #MurdaughRetrial #TrueCrimeToday #SLED #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #MaggieMurdaugh #PaulMurdaugh #MurdaughTrial

Alex Murdaugh walked into a Lexington courtroom on August 14 wearing a dark blue suit and striped tie. It was the first time he appeared in civilian clothes since being sentenced for stealing twelve million dollars in November 2023. Judge McCaslin had ordered the change days earlier, ruling that showing a defendant in prison clothes and shackles for convictions not before her court risks prejudicing potential jurors. Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to the murders of his wife Maggie and their son Paul.His defense team then won on nearly every front. McCaslin granted a venue change out of the 14th Judicial Circuit, where the Murdaugh family's ancestors served as chief prosecutors for most of the last century. She allowed independent testing of unknown male DNA found under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails and placed conditions on how prosecutors can use Murdaugh's sworn testimony from 2023, limiting it to testimony about the killings.McCaslin personally assumed control of jury selection after Dick Harpootlian raised concerns about when former clerk Becky Hill's interference with the original jury started. Hill pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction after the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh's conviction.Near the end of the hearing, the defense claimed weapons from a recent Allendale County homicide may be connected to the Murdaugh murder case. Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said he had never heard of it. A motion to throw out the murder indictments over alleged evidence fabrication by SLED's lead case agent is still pending. Next hearing: November 14. Retrial: April 5, 2027.Links:Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodDisclaimer:This 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 #SLED #MurdaughRetrial #CreightonWaters #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #BeckyHill #MaggieMurdaugh #PaulMurdaugh

A motion filed on August 10 asks Judge Debra McCaslin to dismiss Alex Murdaugh's murder indictments entirely. The defense alleges SLED's lead case agent gave false testimony and presented fabricated blood evidence on a T-shirt to the Colleton County grand jury that charged Murdaugh in 2022. No prosecution response has been filed and McCaslin has not ruled.That pending motion was the backdrop for an August 14 hearing where the defense gained ground on every other contested issue. McCaslin granted a change of venue out of the 14th Judicial Circuit, citing the high rate of jurors disqualified in the original trial and the Murdaugh family's generations-long role in the local legal establishment.She ordered the release of unknown male DNA recovered from Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails for independent defense testing. She ruled Murdaugh's 2023 testimony conditionally admissible, limited to statements about the deaths of Maggie and Paul, rejecting the defense argument that his decision to testify was compelled by improperly admitted financial crimes evidence.McCaslin took personal control of jury selection, responding to Dick Harpootlian's concerns about when former clerk Becky Hill began shaping the original pool. The hearing ended with the defense raising a potential ballistics link between the murder weapons and a recent Allendale County homicide. Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters told the court he had never heard of the connection despite daily contact with SLED. Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty. The retrial remains set for April 5, 2027.Links:Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodDisclaimer:This 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 #SLED #CreightonWaters #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughTrial #MaggieMurdaugh #PaulMurdaugh #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #DickHarpootlian

Alex Murdaugh is getting a second trial because of a court clerk. That is the whole reason any of these new filings exist, and it is worth keeping in front of you. Tony Brueski takes listener questions with retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke.The South Carolina Supreme Court vacated Murdaugh's 2023 murder convictions after jurors said Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill told them to watch his body language and not be fooled by his testimony. The justices ruled that amounted to a suggestion he was guilty. Hill later pleaded guilty to perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office, and was sentenced to probation.Now prosecutors have moved to put the very testimony Hill commented on in front of a new jury. Their filing asks Judge Debra McCaslin to admit Murdaugh's 2023 trial testimony at the retrial, including his admission that he lied to investigators for roughly eighteen months about being at the kennels the night Maggie and Paul were killed.The same filings renew the state's motions to exclude polygraph evidence and third-party guilt, seek a fresh review of digital evidence, and oppose the defense's request for independent DNA testing.The listener question landing hardest is the circular one. The verdict fell because of what a clerk said about him testifying. The state's answer is to make sure the next jury hears him testify anyway.McCaslin has tentatively set the retrial for April 5, 2027. Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters told the court the state could have been ready before the end of 2026. Dick Harpootlian said the defense has eight new expert witnesses and that DNA work alone could take six months.Murdaugh's convictions were overturned, he awaits retrial, and he is presumed innocent. He has denied the killings since 2021 and remains in prison on financial crime convictions.END LINKSJoin 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=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodDISCLAIMERThis 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 #MurdaughRetrial #HiddenKillers #MaggieMurdaugh #PaulMurdaugh #DebraMcCaslin #SouthCarolina #TrueCrime #MurdaughMurders #CreightonWaters

Creighton Waters told the judge the state is ready to try Alex Murdaugh again. But the case the prosecution brings to court in April will look nothing like the one that produced a conviction in 2023. The Supreme Court ruled that the financial crimes testimony — the narrative backbone of the first trial — went too far and must be limited. Attorney General Wilson has introduced the death penalty as a possibility, a move the defense calls vindictive prosecution.Bob Motta evaluates what the prosecution still has: the kennel video, Murdaugh's own lies under oath, and the circumstantial evidence that produced a three-hour guilty verdict. And what it doesn't have: the ability to spend two weeks making the defendant a villain before the jury sees the murder evidence. The David Camm precedent — where untested DNA ultimately freed a man convicted twice — hangs over the entire proceeding. Tony Brueski and Bob Motta.End Links: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=1Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitterhttps://x.com/TrueCrimePodDisclaimer:This 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #MurdaughRetrial #CreightonWaters #Motive #SouthCarolina #TrueCrime

For case followers tracking every strategic detail: the prosecution's position heading into the April retrial is fundamentally different from 2023. The 12.5 hours of financial crimes testimony that defined how the first jury understood Alex Murdaugh — before they heard any murder evidence — has been restricted by the Supreme Court. The motive theory faces a jury that knows Murdaugh already pleaded guilty to the financial crimes and is serving concurrent state and federal sentences.Bob Motta examines whether the death penalty threat is genuine or leverage, whether Creighton Waters can present a streamlined motive case that still lands, and what the Becky Hill federal lawsuit's parallel timeline means for both sides. The defense has the prosecution's entire playbook. The prosecution has to win with less. The question is whether “less” is still enough. Tony Brueski and Bob Motta.End Links: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=1Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitterhttps://x.com/TrueCrimePodDisclaimer:This 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 #MaggieMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #CreightonWaters #DeathPenalty #Motive #BeckyHill #TrueCrime

The kennel video destroyed Alex Murdaugh's alibi at the first trial. Audio placed him at the dog kennels minutes before Maggie and Paul were shot. Multiple witnesses identified his voice. He admitted he lied. The jury convicted in three hours. Now Dick Harpootlian says his team has a strategy to counter it — and he won't say what it is.On the prosecution side, the Supreme Court has ordered the financial crimes evidence sharply curtailed. Twelve and a half hours of stolen-money testimony carried the motive narrative the first time. That presentation was ruled excessive. Creighton Waters now has to prove a double murder without the story that told the jury why. The defense is pointing to untested DNA under Maggie's fingernails and has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Becky Hill that opens sworn deposition channels the criminal case never provided.The retrial will look nothing like the first trial. Both sides are rebuilding. The question is which side lost more in the reset.A look back at the most compelling stories of the week.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 #DickHarpootlian #KennelVideo #CreightonWaters #HiddenKillers #BeckyHill #MaggieMurdaugh #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina

The kennel video convicted Alex Murdaugh the first time. His voice at the dog kennels minutes before Maggie and Paul were shot. Multiple people identified that voice under oath. He admitted he lied about being there. The jury came back in three hours. Now Dick Harpootlian says his team has a counter. He won't say what it is. But he said it on national television, which means he wants the potential jury pool to know it's coming.On the other side, Creighton Waters just lost the narrative that told the first jury why. The Supreme Court said twelve and a half hours of financial crimes testimony was too much. The stolen money, the defrauded clients, the insurance fraud — the story of a man whose professional life was a lie — has to be compressed into whatever the new judge allows. The defense also claims untested DNA under Maggie's fingernails and has filed a lawsuit against Becky Hill that opens sworn deposition channels the murder case never had.Both sides are rebuilding. This episode maps exactly what each side kept and what each side lost.A look back at the most compelling stories of the week.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 #MurdaughCase #DickHarpootlian #KennelVideo #CreightonWaters #BeckyHill #MaggieMurdaugh #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

Everyone is covering the Alex Murdaugh retrial. Almost nobody is reading both sides the way a defense attorney does. Bob Motta has spent his career at the defense table and he sees patterns in what Harpootlian, Griffin, and Creighton Waters are doing that most commentators are missing.The defense is not just preparing for trial — they're running a parallel investigation through a federal lawsuit. They're publicly announcing strategies that defense attorneys almost never reveal in advance. They're hiring new experts and pushing DNA evidence that was collected from the murder victim and never checked against the national database.The prosecution is recalibrating a case that just lost the twelve-and-a-half-hour financial crimes narrative that made the first conviction feel inevitable. What's left is circumstantial — the kennel video, the lie, and no physical evidence tying Alex to the murders. The AG is floating the death penalty. Waters says the genie is out of the bottle. And somewhere in the middle is the question of whether Becky Hill was really the only person who got to that jury. Bob Motta covers all three lanes. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Bob Motta.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 #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #BeckyHill #KennelVideo #MaggieMurdaugh #SouthCarolina #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

The retrial of Alex Murdaugh for the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh is being shaped right now — in press conferences, in federal court filings, and in strategy signals neither side would normally make public. Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta reads all of it through a lens most commentators don't have.On the defense side: a stated plan for the kennel video, unknown male DNA under Maggie's fingernails that was never submitted to CODIS, new forensic cell phone experts, eight thousand pages of locked testimony from the first trial, and a federal lawsuit against Becky Hill that opens up sworn interviews the criminal case never allowed. The defense is asking whether Hill acted alone — and building the tools to find out.On the prosecution side: the Supreme Court gutted the financial crimes presentation that made the first conviction feel like a formality. Creighton Waters has to prove motive efficiently and win a circumstantial case without the emotional narrative doing the heavy lifting. No weapon. No confession. No DNA. The death penalty is on the table for the first time. And if Alex takes the stand again, prosecutors can use everything he said the first time against him. Bob Motta on the full picture. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Bob Motta.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.

Creighton Waters stood in front of reporters after the Supreme Court ruling and said the “genie is out of the bottle.” He meant every potential juror already knows what Alex Murdaugh did with his clients' money. But the court just told Waters he can't lay it out from the witness stand the way he did the first time. Twelve and a half hours of financial crimes testimony is done. The retrial has to be leaner, tighter, and stripped of the emotional devastation that made the first jury's decision feel like a formality.Without that narrative doing the heavy lifting, the murder case has to carry its own weight. The kennel video is still powerful. The lie Alex told about his whereabouts is still damning. But there's no recovered murder weapon, no confession, and no DNA evidence tying him to the killings. The first jury had context that made those gaps feel insignificant. The second jury might not.The AG's office is also considering the death penalty for the first time. The defense says this retrial favors the defendant. And both sides are already fighting about whether Alex takes the stand again — because if he does, prosecutors can use everything he said the first time against him. Bob Motta breaks it down. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Bob Motta.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 #CreightonWaters #MurdaughRetrial #SouthCarolina #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #MaggieMurdaugh #AttorneyGeneral #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

The South Carolina Supreme Court gave prosecutors a warning they can't ignore. Twelve and a half hours of financial crimes testimony at the first trial was excessive. The justices said the state went too deep into details that had nothing to do with proving murder and everything to do with making Alex Murdaugh look like a terrible person. Testimony from Tony Satterfield about his brother's disability had “zero probative value.” That kind of evidence is off the table now.What's left is a circumstantial murder case that has to stand on its own for the first time. The kennel video places Alex at the scene. His lie about being there is damning. But there's no murder weapon, no confession, no eyewitness, and no DNA connecting him to the killings. The first jury heard that evidence wrapped inside a devastating portrait of a man who stole millions from people who trusted him. The second jury won't get that portrait — at least not in the same detail.Creighton Waters says the genie is out of the bottle — every juror already knows Alex's financial crimes from media coverage. The question is whether that helps or hurts the prosecution when they can't control the narrative from the witness stand. Bob Motta on the prosecution's problem. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Bob Motta.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 #CreightonWaters #MurdaughRetrial #SouthCarolina #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #MaggieMurdaugh #AttorneyGeneral #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

The first time Creighton Waters stood in front of a jury and talked about Alex Murdaugh, he had twelve and a half hours of financial destruction to work with. Stolen money from vulnerable clients. Insurance fraud. A man who lied to everyone who ever trusted him. By the time the jury considered the murder evidence, they already knew exactly what kind of person was sitting at the defense table.The Supreme Court just shut that down. The justices said the financial crimes presentation was excessive and the retrial must be efficient. They specifically singled out testimony that had “zero probative value” and “obviously high potential for unfair prejudice.” The prosecution can still argue financial motive, but the storytelling that made Alex Murdaugh a villain before the murder evidence even started is gone.What's left is a case built on circumstantial evidence. The kennel video. The lie. No weapon, no confession, no DNA. Waters says nothing should have been a surprise to the defense the first time because prosecutors hand over everything in discovery. But the defense now has the advantage of having seen the entire playbook. And the AG is considering the death penalty. Bob Motta on whether the state can still win. Tony Brueski, Robin Dreeke, and Bob Motta.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 #CreightonWaters #MurdaughRetrial #SouthCarolina #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #MaggieMurdaugh #AttorneyGeneral #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers

Every legal analyst in the country has an opinion on the Murdaugh retrial. Very few of them built the case the prosecution used. Eric Bland did. He exposed the financial crimes that became the state's motive theory, represented the victims who testified, and watched the Supreme Court tell prosecutors they overdid it. He also represents Sandy Smith in the Stephen Smith investigation — the cold case that SLED reopened because of the Murdaugh murders and that has produced zero arrests in eleven years.On True Crime Today, Bland answers the questions that haven't been asked on the cable panels. What would he tell Creighton Waters to keep and cut in a narrower financial crimes presentation? Is there anything in the financial discovery the defense could reframe? Has he seen the sealed Stephen Smith autopsy results? Is SLED waiting on the retrial to move? And the question underneath all of it — whether the Murdaugh retrial produces anything for the families who've been waiting the longest, or whether it just retraumatizes them again while Alex Murdaugh rolls the dice on a second jury.This is the full Eric Bland interview — the ruling, the retrial, and Stephen Smith. The attorney who connects all three.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 #EricBland #TrueCrimeToday #StephenSmith #MurdaughRetrial #SandySmith #Satterfield #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #HiddenKillers

Strip away the twelve and a half hours of financial crimes testimony that dominated the first trial. Take out the emotional victim impact that the Supreme Court just called prejudicial. What's left is a circumstantial murder case built on a cell phone video and a lie about being at the kennels. Eric Bland says that might be enough. He also says it might not.Bland built the financial crimes case the prosecution leaned on. He knows which pieces were essential to motive and which were emotional padding. In this interview, he does something nobody's asked him to do on any other show — he walks through what he'd tell Creighton Waters to keep and what to cut if the prosecutor called him for advice.He also tackles the defense's escalating strategy. Harpootlian says they have new evidence. Griffin is pointing to unknown DNA under Maggie's fingernails. The AG has put the death penalty on the table and handed Harpootlian a vindictive prosecution argument on a platter. And Alex Murdaugh may or may not take the stand again.Bland has spent years in discovery on the financial side of this case. He knows what's in those records. The question nobody's asking is whether the defense can reframe anything Bland has seen. He answers it here.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 #EricBland #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #HiddenKillers #NewEvidence #DNA #CircumstantialEvidence #MurdaughCase

Jim Griffin went on national television after the Supreme Court ruling and said the defense has evidence nobody's seen — including an unknown male DNA profile found under Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails. He said it wasn't properly investigated. He said it changes the case. And now the defense walks into retrial with subpoena power and the ability to build a full third-party culprit strategy around it.Eric Bland has seen more of this case's financial discovery than almost anyone outside the AG's office. He's been watching the defense signal its strategy for weeks — the DNA claim, Harpootlian's argument that SLED had tunnel vision from night one, the push for a venue change and attorney-led jury selection. He knows what the prosecution has to work with now that the Supreme Court has limited the financial crimes presentation. And he's making a prediction that splits the difference: reconviction is likely, but a hung jury is possible.In this interview, Bland explains what makes the hung jury scenario real, whether the unknown DNA has the forensic weight to support an alternative suspect theory, and why Creighton Waters may be walking into a fundamentally harder case than the one he won. He also answers a question nobody else has put to him — whether anything in the financial records he's reviewed could be reframed by the defense in their favor.The lawyer who built the state's motive case gives his blueprint for trial 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 #MurdaughRetrial #EricBland #DNA #MaggieMurdaugh #Harpootlian #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #HiddenKillers #ThirdPartyCulprit

As the second trial of accused killer Alex Murdaugh takes shape, FITSNews.com founder Will Folks sat down with S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson and lead prosecutor Creighton Waters -- the two men who secured his first convictions and who must now convince another jury he killed his wife and younger son after the S.C. Supreme Court reversed the original verdicts.Filmed inside the S.C. Attorney General's Office in Columbia, S.C., Wilson and Waters discuss the challenges awaiting them as they prepare for what many are calling the Retrial of the Century.

The death penalty was never part of trial one. Creighton Waters didn't ask for it. The state didn't seek it. The jury was never given that option. Now Alan Wilson says everything is on the table for round two—and he's saying it while campaigning for governor.Tony Brueski and Robin Dreeke answer listener questions about the practical impact of the AG's statement. A death-penalty-eligible case changes jury selection completely. It changes pretrial motions. It changes the defense's strategy. And it changes the pressure on every person in the prosecution's office who knows their boss is watching poll numbers while making case decisions.Robin applies behavioral analysis to the politicians circling this retrial. Wilson leading in the polls. Nancy Mace calling the first trial “bungled.” AG candidates one-upping each other. Every public statement about Murdaugh is also a campaign ad—and Robin explains what that dual purpose does to the reliability of the statements themselves.The listeners wanted to know whether Alex Murdaugh can get a fair trial in this environment. Tony and Robin lay out why the answer depends on who you think the audience really is—the jury or the voters.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 #SouthCarolina #AlanWilson #DeathPenalty #TrueCrime #MurdaughTrial #SCGovernor #HiddenKillers #CriminalJustice

The first jury heard twelve hours of financial crimes testimony before they ever weighed the physical evidence. Three-hour conviction. The Supreme Court just said that can't happen again. Round two is a fundamentally different trial.Creighton Waters has to convict on what SLED actually found — and what they didn't find. No weapon. No DNA on Alex Murdaugh. A crime scene degraded by weather and contaminated by family access. And a housekeeper who says she reported an unidentified vehicle near the property, close to Paul's firearm storage, and SLED let it slide.Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke don't mince words about what that means. They spent decades running investigations at the highest levels, and they walk through exactly how the defense will use SLED's own gaps against the prosecution at retrial.Harpootlian already tipped his hand. He told reporters the reversal will bring reluctant witnesses out, and he'll subpoena the ones who don't come voluntarily. Coffindaffer and Dreeke assess whether that's strategy or theater, examine Blanca Simpson's evolving accounts across multiple settings, and tackle the two-shooter theory that SLED admitted it couldn't eliminate. The prosecution's case just got a lot harder. 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 #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #MurdaughTrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters

The financial crimes carried the first conviction. Twelve hours of stolen money, defrauded clients, and a pattern of lies so deep the jury only needed three hours to decide. The South Carolina Supreme Court just said none of that comes in this time. So what's left?Creighton Waters now walks into a courtroom with the physical case — and only the physical case. A crime scene compromised by rain and foot traffic. No recovered weapon. No DNA on Alex Murdaugh. And a witness who says she told SLED about an unidentified vehicle near the property on the day of the killings, parked close to where Paul stored firearms, and they let it go.Jennifer Coffindaffer and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke don't give SLED a pass. When a housekeeper hands you a vehicle description near a weapon storage location hours before a double homicide, running that lead down isn't optional. They walk through what that failure means for the prosecution's credibility at retrial and how Harpootlian will weaponize it.The defense signaled its strategy immediately. Harpootlian told reporters reluctant witnesses will come forward now, and those who don't will face subpoenas. Blanca Simpson, meanwhile, has a book out, a media tour behind her, and accounts that have shifted between what she told SLED, what she said on the stand, and what she's shared privately since. Coffindaffer and Dreeke examine whether Simpson helps or hurts the state the second time around.They also tackle the two-shooter scenario SLED couldn't eliminate, and the central question: does the kennel video lie hold the same power when a jury hasn't spent days watching a parade of people Alex stole from? 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 #MurdaughRetrial #SLED #MurdaughTrial #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #SouthCarolina #CreightonWaters

The SLED investigation into Becky Hill has finally pulled back the curtain — and the name appearing over 90 times in that file belongs to fitsnews founder Will Folks… Liz and Mandy's former employer.  Investigative journalists ⁠⁠Mandy Matney⁠⁠ and ⁠Liz Farrell⁠⁠ and attorney Eric Bland break down exactly how sealed crime scene photos of Paul Murdaugh's body ended up in the hands of Jen Wood, a disgraceful researcher, who texted the graphic images to an internet acquaintance while apparently giddy about what she was seeing.  Then there's the mystery of Corey Fleming. Eric Bland reveals he received a call from Creighton Waters — who confirmed Fleming is incarcerated but federal nor state prison databases show where Fleming is being held, raising alarming parallels to Jeroid Price's early release in 2023.   ☕ Cups Up! ⚖️ Episode References LUNASHARK's Newest Show: Wherever It Leads …

In a blast from the past, Alex Murdaugh was back in court arguing that courtroom deputy Ms. Becky's malfeasance requires a new trial for his murder of Mags and Paw Paw. Creighton Waters and Dick Harpootiepootlian made the arguments, but who won? Will Ellick get a new trial? Or is Murduck doomed to spend the rest of his days in state prison?Check out our new True Crime Substack the True Crime Times Get Prosecutors Podcast Merch Join the Gallery on Facebook Follow us on TwitterFollow us on Instagram Check out our website for case resources: Hang out with us on TikTokSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The South Carolina Supreme Court heard Alex Murdaugh's double murder appeal today, and the state walked into a courtroom that wasn't friendly. The justices pressed prosecutor Creighton Waters on both tracks of the appeal — Becky Hill's jury tampering and the evidentiary errors at trial — and the exchanges revealed a bench that has serious doubts about what happened below. Justice James opened by asking about the egg juror affidavit that Justice Toal excluded from the evidentiary hearing. Chief Justice Kittredge went further, pointing out that Toal's order never addressed the allegation that Hill told jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh's testimony. He described the corroboration between multiple juror accounts and independent witnesses as "striking." Becky Hill is now a convicted perjurer, and that conviction didn't exist when Toal issued her ruling. Justice Few asked Waters directly: how do you call someone "not completely credible" when her guilty plea proves she lied under oath? Dick Harpootlian framed the defense argument around the Sixth Amendment — not whether Hill changed the verdict, but whether she compromised the constitutional right to an impartial jury. That distinction in legal standard may be the most consequential issue the court decides. On evidence, Kittredge told Waters that Rule 404(b) is a rule of exclusion and that he couldn't find a single piece of financial evidence the trial court kept out. He questioned why emotionally charged testimony from victims of Murdaugh's financial crimes was presented in a murder trial. Waters attempted a Fargo analogy. Justice Few cut him off. Jim Griffin argued the core weakness: no eyewitnesses, no murder weapons, no biological transfer evidence from a close-range shotgun blast. If the financial testimony is ruled improperly admitted, what's left narrows considerably. Eric Faddis, criminal defense attorney and former felony prosecutor, analyzes every critical moment from the bench — what the questions reveal about each justice's thinking, where the state's arguments failed to land, and which of the three possible outcomes today's hearing most strongly favored. He also addresses whether a federal Sixth Amendment challenge remains an option regardless of the state court's ruling. Decision expected within sixty days.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughAppeal #BeckyHill #SupremeCourtSC #EricFaddis #CreightonWaters #JuryTampering #Rule404b #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

The South Carolina Supreme Court heard Alex Murdaugh's double murder appeal today — and the justices came prepared to challenge the state. Across ninety minutes of oral arguments covering jury tampering and evidentiary errors, the bench directed its hardest questions at prosecutor Creighton Waters and gave the defense room to build its case. The jury tampering track opened with Justice James asking whether the court could consider the egg juror's affidavit — testimony Justice Toal excluded during the 2024 hearing. Chief Justice Kittredge escalated, noting that Toal's order failed to address the specific allegation that Becky Hill told jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh's testimony. He described the corroboration between juror accounts and independent witnesses as "striking." Hill is now a convicted perjurer — guilty of perjury, obstruction, and misconduct in charges that weren't part of the record when Toal ruled. Justice Few went straight at Waters: how do you call someone "not completely credible" when her guilty plea is proof she lied under oath? Dick Harpootlian framed the central argument: Justice Toal asked the wrong question. She evaluated whether Hill changed the verdict. The constitutional standard is whether she compromised the right to an impartial jury. Harpootlian argued those are fundamentally different inquiries — and the wrong one was applied. That legal standard dispute may be the fulcrum of the entire appeal. On evidence, Chief Justice Kittredge told Waters that Rule 404(b) is a rule of exclusion, not inclusion, and that the trial court left the gate wide open. He said he couldn't identify a single piece of financial evidence the trial judge excluded. He pressed on why emotionally charged testimony from victims of Murdaugh's financial crimes — people who lost life savings — was placed before a murder jury. Waters attempted to compare the case to the movie Fargo. Justice Few shut the analogy down. Jim Griffin argued what the state's case looks like without the financial testimony: no eyewitnesses, no murder weapons, and no biological transfer evidence despite a close-range shotgun blast. If the court rules the 404(b) evidence was improperly admitted, the trial record fundamentally changes. Criminal defense attorney and former felony prosecutor Eric Faddis provides a full breakdown of the hearing — the specific exchanges that revealed the justices' thinking, the moments Waters struggled to hold ground, and the body language from the bench that tells its own story. He analyzes the three possible outcomes: conviction affirmed, new trial on jury tampering, or new trial on evidentiary grounds. He explains which outcome today's hearing most clearly pointed toward, what the timeline looks like, and whether Murdaugh retains a viable federal Sixth Amendment claim regardless of the state court's ruling. The court took the case under advisement. A decision is expected within sixty days. What happened in that courtroom today suggests this conviction is no longer the certainty it once appeared to be.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughAppeal #BeckyHill #SouthCarolinaSupremeCourt #CreightonWaters #DickHarpootlian #EricFaddis #JimGriffin #JuryTampering #HiddenKillersJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

Today the South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Alex Murdaugh's appeal of his double murder conviction — and the questions from the bench landed almost entirely on the state. The hearing covered jury tampering and evidentiary errors, and on both fronts, prosecutor Creighton Waters faced sustained pressure he struggled to answer. On jury tampering, Justice James immediately asked about the egg juror affidavit that Justice Toal blocked from the evidentiary hearing. Chief Justice Kittredge noted Toal's order never addressed the claim that Becky Hill told jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh's testimony and called the corroboration across multiple juror accounts "striking." Hill is now convicted of perjury, obstruction, and misconduct — a conviction that didn't exist when Toal ruled. Justice Few pressed Waters on how you describe someone as "not completely credible" when she's pled guilty to lying under oath. Harpootlian argued the legal standard itself was wrong — that Toal asked whether Hill changed the outcome instead of whether she violated Murdaugh's Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury. That's the constitutional question the justices will have to resolve. On the evidence, Kittredge told Waters that 404(b) is a rule of exclusion and said he couldn't identify a single piece of financial evidence the trial court excluded. He pressed on why emotional testimony from financial crime victims was put before a murder jury. Waters referenced the movie Fargo. Justice Few shut it down. Griffin reminded the court the state has no eyewitnesses, no murder weapons, and no biological transfer evidence from a close-range shotgun blast. Strip the financial testimony, and the evidentiary foundation shrinks fast. Criminal defense attorney Eric Faddis breaks down the hearing exchange by exchange — the tone from the bench, the moments the state lost ground, and what the justices' questions telegraph about the three possible outcomes. He assesses which result today's arguments most clearly favored and whether a federal Sixth Amendment appeal remains viable no matter what the state court decides. The court took the case under advisement. Sixty days.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughAppeal #BeckyHill #SouthCarolinaSupremeCourt #CreightonWaters #DickHarpootlian #JuryTampering #EricFaddis #MurdaughTrial #HiddenKillersJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

Alex Murdaugh's fight for a new trial just reached South Carolina's highest court—and the justices came with hard questions.On February 11, 2026, the South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Murdaugh's appeal of his double-murder conviction. The hearing split into two phases: first, the alleged jury tampering by former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill; second, whether the trial itself was fair given the evidence admitted against him.Chief Justice John Kittredge set the tone early, calling Hill a "rogue clerk" and pressing prosecutor Creighton Waters on the scope of financial crimes evidence. "The granular detail and the expansiveness of which everything under the sun was allowed is arguably problematic," Kittredge said. Justice George James questioned the "logical connection" between Murdaugh's financial crimes and the murders of Maggie and Paul.Waters attempted to frame Murdaugh's financial desperation as the boiling point—at one point invoking the movie "Fargo" to illustrate his argument. Justice John Few wasn't having it: "I haven't seen 'Fargo'—get to the point."Defense attorneys Harpootlian, Griffin, and Barber argued that Hill's comments to jurors—including "watch his body language" and warnings not to be "fooled"—constituted jury tampering that denied Murdaugh a fair trial. They also challenged cell phone evidence, a blue raincoat with gunshot residue, and the overwhelming emphasis on financial crimes as prejudicial.The state maintained the conviction was based on "overwhelming evidence" and that Hill's remarks were "fleeting" and "largely neutral." But the justices pushed back repeatedly.No decision was issued from the bench. The court will deliberate privately with no deadline for a ruling. This episode covers the full hearing—what was argued, how the justices reacted, and what comes 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.#MurdaughAppeal #AlexMurdaugh #TrueCrimeToday #SouthCarolinaSupremeCourt #BeckyHill #JuryTampering #CreightonWaters #MurdaughCase #TrueCrimePodcast #LegalAnalysis

The South Carolina Supreme Court just held oral arguments in Alex Murdaugh's appeal—and it did not go well for the prosecution.On February 11, 2026, all five justices heard arguments on whether Murdaugh deserves a new trial for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. What unfolded was a masterclass in appellate pressure. Chief Justice John Kittredge didn't mince words, calling former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill a "rogue clerk" and questioning how a court official could attempt to influence a verdict for personal gain. He pressed prosecutor Creighton Waters on why the state allowed "everything under the sun" when it came to financial crimes evidence, calling the scope "arguably problematic."Justice George James admitted he was "struggling with the logical connection" between Murdaugh's financial misdeeds and the murders. Justice Letitia Verdin pushed on the limits of motive evidence. And in one memorable moment, Waters tried to invoke the movie "Fargo" to explain Murdaugh's desperation—only for Justice John Few to cut him off: "I haven't seen 'Fargo'—get to the point."Defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian, Jim Griffin, and Phillip Barber argued that Hill's comments to jurors—telling them to "watch his body language" and not be "fooled"—violated Murdaugh's constitutional right to a fair trial. They also challenged the admissibility of cell phone data, a blue raincoat with gunshot residue never tied to Murdaugh, and the sheer volume of financial crimes testimony.The prosecution maintained the evidence was "overwhelming" and Hill's remarks were "fleeting." But the justices weren't buying it—at least not easily.There's no timeline for a decision. But after this hearing, the path forward for either side is anything but certain. This episode breaks down everything that happened in that courtroom—and what it means for Murdaugh's future.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 #MurdaughTrial #SouthCarolinaSupremeCourt #BeckyHill #DickHarpootlian #CreightonWaters #MurdaughAppeal #TrueCrime #JuryTampering #HiddenKillers

The South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Alex Murdaugh's appeal today, and Creighton Waters had a rough morning. From the opening moments, the five justices made clear they had serious questions about both the jury tampering ruling and the evidentiary decisions at trial. Justice George James immediately asked whether the court could consider the egg juror's affidavit — the juror Justice Toal refused to let testify in 2024. Harpootlian told the court he couldn't explain why she was excluded. On the Becky Hill issue, Chief Justice Kittredge pointed out that Toal's order didn't even mention the allegation that Hill told jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh's testimony, and that corroboration between juror accounts and an independent witness was striking. Justice Few asked Waters how you call someone not completely credible when she's now a convicted perjurer. The second phase turned to evidentiary errors, where Jim Griffin argued five categories of trial court mistakes. Kittredge told Waters that South Carolina's Rule 404(b) is a rule of exclusion, not inclusion, and that the gate was left wide open for financial crimes evidence — he couldn't find a single piece that was kept out. Waters tried to use a Fargo movie reference to illustrate financial motive and Justice Few shut him down. Defense attorney Phillip Barber argued in rebuttal that the financial evidence was used to paint Murdaugh as a person capable of anything rather than to prove motive. The court took the case under advisement. A decision could come within 60 days. The three possible outcomes: affirm the conviction, order a new trial, or remand for further proceedings. Today's hearing laid bare the fault lines in this case.#MurdaughTrial #AlexMurdaugh #OralArguments #BeckyHill #CreightonWaters #SouthCarolinaSupremeCourt #JuryTampering #TrueCrimeToday #NewTrial #TrueCrimeJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

When Justice Toal denied Alex Murdaugh a new trial in January 2024, Becky Hill hadn't been convicted of perjury yet. Now she has — and the South Carolina Supreme Court justices made it clear today that fact matters. Criminal defense attorney and former felony prosecutor Eric Faddis breaks down today's oral arguments and what the bench's aggressive questioning of the state signals about the likely outcome.Justice Few asked Creighton Waters directly how you can label someone "not completely credible" when her own guilty plea proves she's a liar. Chief Justice Kittredge pointed out that Toal's order never addressed the allegation that Hill told jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh's testimony. He called the corroboration between juror accounts and independent witnesses "striking." The defense argues the wrong legal standard was applied — and from the bench, it appeared multiple justices agreed.Kittredge also pressed hard on the financial evidence, telling Waters that Rule 404(b) is a rule of exclusion and that the trial court couldn't seem to find a reason to keep anything out. Jim Griffin argued this case has no eyewitnesses, no murder weapons, and no biological transfer evidence. If the financial testimony falls, the state's case gets very thin.Faddis reads the room and explains which of the three possible outcomes — affirm, new trial, or remand — today's hearing most strongly pointed toward.#AlexMurdaugh #BeckyHillPerjury #MurdaughSupremeCourt #JuryTampering #EricFaddis #JusticeKittredge #Rule404b #JimGriffin #HiddenKillersPodcast #MurdaughNewTrialJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

Today the South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Alex Murdaugh's appeal of his double murder conviction — and the justices came loaded. The very first question from Justice George James cut straight to a wound the defense has been pressing for two years: why wasn't the egg juror allowed to testify at the 2024 evidentiary hearing? From there, the hearing split into two phases that each delivered major moments. On the jury tampering issue, Dick Harpootlian argued that Becky Hill — the former Colleton County Clerk of Court now convicted of perjury, obstruction, and misconduct — had a financial motive to push for a guilty verdict. Chief Justice Kittredge told the state that Toal's ruling didn't even address the allegation that Hill told jurors not to be fooled. Justice Few challenged Creighton Waters on the absurdity of calling Hill not completely credible while ignoring her perjury conviction. On the evidentiary side, Jim Griffin argued this was never an overwhelming evidence case — no eyewitnesses, no murder weapons, no biological transfer evidence on Murdaugh. Kittredge hammered Waters on Rule 404(b), saying the gate to financial crimes evidence was left wide open and he couldn't find a single example of anything that was excluded. When Waters tried to reference the movie Fargo, Justice Few told him to get to the point. The court took the case under advisement. No decision today. Three possible outcomes remain: affirm, new trial, or remand. But what unfolded in that courtroom didn't look like a court preparing to uphold the status quo. This episode covers every key exchange and what it means going forward.#MurdaughAppeal #AlexMurdaugh #SouthCarolinaSupremeCourt #BeckyHill #JuryTampering #404b #CreightonWaters #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #OralArgumentsJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

The South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in Alex Murdaugh's appeal, and the questions from the bench painted a picture the state should be worried about. Justice George James opened the hearing by asking about the egg juror — the dismissed panelist whose affidavit describes Becky Hill telling jurors not to be fooled by Murdaugh's testimony, and who Justice Toal refused to let testify at the 2024 evidentiary hearing. From there, the justices spent the morning pressing Creighton Waters on a series of uncomfortable questions. Chief Justice Kittredge noted that Toal's order didn't even address the "don't be fooled" allegation. He called the corroboration between juror accounts and Barnwell Clerk Rhonda McElveen's testimony striking. Justice Few challenged the state's position that Hill was merely not completely credible, pointing to her perjury conviction as proof she's a liar. On the evidentiary side, Kittredge told Waters that the 404(b) gate for financial crimes evidence was left wide open — he couldn't find a single piece the trial court excluded. He pressed Waters on why jurors needed to hear emotionally charged testimony about victims of Murdaugh's financial crimes when the case was about murder. Jim Griffin argued this was a circumstantial case with no eyewitnesses, no murder weapons, and no biological evidence on Murdaugh. Phillip Barber argued in rebuttal that the financial evidence was used to brand Murdaugh as a person capable of anything. The court took the case under advisement. A written decision is expected within roughly 60 days. Three outcomes are possible: affirm, new trial, or remand. This episode provides a complete breakdown of today's hearing and analysis of what comes next for Alex Murdaugh.J#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughAppeal #MurdaughTrial #BeckyHill #SouthCarolinaSupremeCourt #OralArguments #JuryTampering #CreightonWaters #NewTrial #MurdaughCaseJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

The South Carolina Supreme Court heard Alex Murdaugh's appeal today and the bench came loaded. Most of the hardest questions went straight at prosecutor Creighton Waters. Criminal defense attorney and former felony prosecutor Eric Faddis joins Hidden Killers Live to break down the key exchanges and what they reveal about the court's thinking.The hearing opened with Justice James asking about the egg juror affidavit that Toal refused to admit. Chief Justice Kittredge went after the jury tampering issue, pointing out that Toal's order skipped the allegation that Becky Hill directly told jurors not to believe Murdaugh. With Hill now a convicted perjurer — something that wasn't true when Toal ruled — Justice Few pressed Waters on how the state can defend her credibility at all.On the evidence front, Kittredge told Waters the trial court let every piece of financial crime evidence in and excluded nothing, calling Rule 404(b) a rule of exclusion that wasn't treated as one. Griffin argued there's no direct evidence connecting Murdaugh to the murders — no eyewitnesses, no weapons, no transfer evidence from a close-range shotgun blast.Faddis reads the justices' questions as a roadmap and explains what outcome they're most likely driving toward — and what happens next regardless of which way they rule.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughOralArguments #SCSupremeCourt #BeckyHill #CreightonWaters #EricFaddis #EggJuror #HiddenKillersLive #MurdaughAppeal #JuryTamperingJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

Will Alex Murdaugh get his murder convictions overturned?  Investigative Journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell recap everything that went down Wednesday when Team Murdaugh and state prosecutor Creighton Waters argued their cases for and against a new murder trial in front of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Despite a performance that can only be described as legally underwhelming, Alex Murdaugh may be closer than ever to getting a new murder trial.  To the surprise of no one, Dick Harpootlian used his time in front of the justices to do some good ole boy flirting, telling stories about himself and… Aaron Burr…? Mandy and Liz dig into the systemic rot underneath the theatrics: the two-tiered justice system that keeps men like Alex Murdaugh in the game, the media's troubling tendency to smooth the jagged edges of truth, and why a new trial would have absolutely nothing to do with innocence and everything to do with power, ego, and money. Lot's to cover… Let's Dive in…

The South Carolina Supreme Court hears oral arguments Wednesday in Alex Murdaugh's appeal of his double murder conviction. The legal community is focused on whether the court will reverse. But the question that should dominate this conversation is far more unsettling — what does a Murdaugh retrial actually look like, and would the state even pursue one? Alex Murdaugh is already serving 27 years state and 40 years federal for financial crimes. Those sentences survive regardless of what happens with the murder convictions. His federal appeal was dismissed. He pleaded guilty. He's not getting out. A reversal doesn't mean freedom — it means the state decides whether to spend millions retrying the most complex murder case in South Carolina history for a man already locked up. A retrial would move to a different county with a new judge. The defense argues the financial crimes evidence was improperly admitted — if the court agrees, the prosecution loses its motive narrative. The state's case was always circumstantial. No DNA. No fingerprints. No murder weapon. The kennel video is strong, but the defense has had three years to prepare. The political calculus is brutal. Retry and risk losing. Don't retry and the murders of Maggie and Paul become functionally unsolved. Eric Bland called the financial sentences "the backstop." Creighton Waters designed them to keep Murdaugh imprisoned for the remainder of his life. Wednesday is about whether South Carolina needs the murder conviction badly enough to do it all over again.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughAppeal #SupremeCourt #MurdaughCase #BeckyHill #MaggieMurdaugh #PaulMurdaugh #SouthCarolina #TrueCrimeJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

The South Carolina Supreme Court hears oral arguments Wednesday in Alex Murdaugh's appeal of his double murder conviction. The legal community is focused on whether the court will reverse. But the question that should dominate this conversation is far more unsettling — what does a Murdaugh retrial actually look like, and would the state even pursue one? Alex Murdaugh is already serving 27 years state and 40 years federal for financial crimes. Those sentences survive regardless of what happens with the murder convictions. His federal appeal was dismissed. He pleaded guilty. He's not getting out. A reversal doesn't mean freedom — it means the state decides whether to spend millions retrying the most complex murder case in South Carolina history for a man already locked up. A retrial would move to a different county with a new judge. The defense argues the financial crimes evidence was improperly admitted — if the court agrees, the prosecution loses its motive narrative. The state's case was always circumstantial. No DNA. No fingerprints. No murder weapon. The kennel video is strong, but the defense has had three years to prepare. The political calculus is brutal. Retry and risk losing. Don't retry and the murders of Maggie and Paul become functionally unsolved. Eric Bland called the financial sentences "the backstop." Creighton Waters designed them to keep Murdaugh imprisoned for the remainder of his life. Wednesday is about whether South Carolina needs the murder conviction badly enough to do it all over again.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughRetrial #MurdaughAppeal #SupremeCourt #MurdaughCase #BeckyHill #MaggieMurdaugh #PaulMurdaugh #SouthCarolina #TrueCrimeJoin 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/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.

Oral arguments on Alex Murdaugh's appeal are set for February 11, 2026. Seton and Matt bring back interviews with key players from the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. A legal saga that has captured national attention. This Impact episode provides listeners with a unique glimpse into the complexities of the legal battle, featuring insights from both the prosecution and defense. You will hear from South Carolina solicitor, Creighton Waters, and Murdaugh's defense attorneys, Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian. You can lsten to the full inetrviews in the following episodes March 20, 2023 epsidoe: Creighton Waters Got Murder Conviction But Says He Still Has More Work To Do  March 23, 2023 episode: Alex's Attorney, Jim Griffin & Legal Analyst, Sara Azari Speak Out May 12, 2025 episode: Dick Harpootlian Talks About Alex Murdaugh's Chances for New Trial & His New Pee Wee Gaskins Book 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 Elevate your closet with Quince. Go to Quince dot com slash impact for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns Murdaugh case, true crime podcast, legal system, fair trial, defense attorney, financial crimes Tags: Murdoch case, legal insights, true crime, courtroom drama, defense attorneys, prosecution, financial crimes, public opinion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this November 2022 episode—remastered with updated context—Mandy Matney dissects one of Dick Harpootlian's most shameful pre-trial stunts: publicly insinuating Curtis "Eddie" Smith of being the "real killer" based on a failed polygraph test. Watch Dick spiral through desperate theories—from Eddie to groundskeepers to anyone but Alex—while Creighton Waters finally fights back against the media manipulation. Learn about the crucial evidence: high-velocity impact spatter, Paul's phone video destroying Alex's alibi, and the timeline that placed Alex at the scene. This episode also tackles Judge Carmen Mullen's alleged abuse of power and captures the moment Dick compared himself to... Abraham Lincoln...?With trial just weeks away, Dick's chaos strategy was in full effect. Spoiler: it didn't work. The jury saw through everything within just a few hours of deliberating. Episode References“Attorney says Alex Murdaugh ‘decided to end his life' after murders of his wife and son” - The Today Show, Sept 15, 2022