Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Murdaugh Murders, Part 9
40 Plays10 days ago
On today's episode, we talk about Alex Murdaugh's murder trial, and start to explore the depths of his financial crimes.
Check out our YouTube Channel! Fixate Today: Grey Matters
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Hosts and Topic
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to Fixate Today Gone Tomorrow. I'm Nikki and I'm here with my aunt Joy. We are two neurodivergent ladies who obsess about various topics. Joy is autistic and I have ADHD and we are letting our hyper fixations fly.
00:00:14
Speaker
Today we are fixating on the Murdaugh murders. Music
00:00:27
Speaker
Welcome back, everybody. Hey, guys. i know we took a couple weeks off of Murdaugh. I'm going to be honest, I'm really excited to be back to it. Yeah, this is we're getting to your favorite part of it. I think the trial. Oh, my God. Yes. murda I'm obsessed with I mean, well, obviously, that's the whole point of our show. But so, yeah, as I said, we are talking about the 2023 trial.
Overview of the Murdaugh Trial
00:00:52
Speaker
We're like three years out almost exactly from the trial because it started January 2023. It's crazy.
00:00:58
Speaker
it's crazy And we were just talking, actually, before we started recording, Nikki never watched The Trial. Yeah. but I watched every... Go ahead. My reason for not watching The Trial was I would get too obsessed and be useless and not do anything. So it was like ah ah i some self-control I was exhibiting.
00:01:19
Speaker
That was good. I... I think I watched every minute. Like, it was the ultimate, like, you know, for me, because I like to figure things out and piece things together. And I'm not like, oh, there was so much to this trial that yeah that there was, a you know, as we'll get into it. I think a lot of how they they presented the case ah I think a lot of this stuff happened. I just think it happened differently than they prosecute the case. But in same outcome. Right. Let's get into it. All right. The sources we used are Murda Murders, A Southern Scandal on Netflix, the Murda Murders podcast, AP News, ABC News, WJCL News, Greenville Online, Wikipedia, and the books Swamp Kings and The Devil at His Elbow. All right.
00:02:06
Speaker
The state of South Carolina versus Richard Alexander Murdaugh. Opening statements began on January 25th, 2023.
00:02:18
Speaker
And we have to know, Murdaugh had some pretty high-powered, high-dollar attorneys representing him. That's what I was going to say. Like... Not necessarily like, don't know, those famous trial attorneys that become talking heads on program. These are like like even in that they politically yeah politically elevated folk.
00:02:41
Speaker
I think they're South Carolina's version of them. But yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I see what you're saying. So yeah, so he had some pretty high power attorneys, at least for like the South Carolina system. So a guy named Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin.
00:02:57
Speaker
And I think Harpootlian recently released a book. He didn't make enough money just on the actual case. I know. Yeah. like I mean, one of them was, i don't know, in the district attorney. One of them had political connections. I don't remember which one, but. But yeah, rumored to have been very high dollar attorneys, but yet in court did not come across as being overly impressive. so Didn't deliver what was maybe promised. I don't think so. No.
Testimonies and Emotional Display
00:03:28
Speaker
So on January 26, 2023, prosecutors called Sergeant Daniel Green. He was on the scene of the double homicide. He stated he saw no blood on Alec at the scene.
00:03:44
Speaker
and I loved this. He said that Alec had cried more during the proceedings today on that day than he had seen him at the crime scene. I find so when they talk about him having no blood on him at the scene, personally, I find that more. more compelling or oh yeah than if he had blood on him to me that's weirder because think I think we've talked about this before you come on a scene of your family your closest family members shot you don't go yeah approach them and touch them and see if they're breathing and somehow in that process get some blood on you I don't and we know like how gruesome
00:04:28
Speaker
hall's death was oh yes and it's just like and he even said that he went into his back pocket and touched the phone and things like that like he would have something just in that on him yeah because otherwise he got there he arrived and for what 15 minutes just stood or more it took a while for authorities to get there yeah stood there and like didn't so i find that like ah i think he made that look extra yeah um extra fishy, quite honestly. Yes.
00:04:58
Speaker
Agreed. And as far as crying goes, I know that's like, that's always hard. People, you know, grieve. And I, I always think i never had something tragic happen, but I can't even put myself in the headspace of how I would react react in that moment. But part of me just seems like I would just cave in and You know what I mean? Like, yep not show any emotion. but i don't i don't know. can yeah tell I guess you're you're in it. That's exactly what I do. I also make very inappropriate jokes when I'm feeling any feelings. But I think the implication also is is perhaps there was some attempts at faking emotion. Yeah.
00:05:39
Speaker
And again, cause I, yes, I mean, I totally, totally see that. But whenever these things come up, like you'd still have emotion though. Right. Like even though you know. Right.
00:05:51
Speaker
What happened. And like, I, I mean, I think we've talked about, I don't think this was like a long premeditated planned out thing. I think he did it or Right. Right. did it with the help of others. But you still would have emotion,
Motives and Media Influence
00:06:04
Speaker
right? Like, I mean, that's what I think too. And so that's what I've always found curious about these, these things is that, like yeah, still, you're still sad. I don't know, but it's, I guess maybe a different kind of adrenaline overtakes your thought process or emotional processing. I don't know.
00:06:25
Speaker
so Perhaps. And coupled with most likely substances. Yes. In this case, I think for sure. so All right. Well, we've taken 10 minutes to go through the first two points of the case.
00:06:40
Speaker
Yeah. um Throughout the ah the trial, Buster and John Marvin were in the courtroom comforting each other during it.
00:06:50
Speaker
and i yeah i don't know it it's that's another difficult one also because it's like yeah they're gonna comfort each other like they weren't involved in these murders but also are they do they want everybody to see that they're comforting each other you know what mean yeah i mean buster being the surviving son of alec and john marvin being his brother who seemed like they were always close yes i can't i don't know i i'm a I'm soft on Buster. I mean, if he did has really done something bad and he gets truly accused of it, then, yeah, not cool on him.
00:07:25
Speaker
But I don't know. like I mean, if he hasn't but if he he hasn't done these bad things, and I don't know. He's done a lot. So, I mean, I give a little –
00:07:37
Speaker
room see and for me it's like these were the uh types of boys that bullied me yeah so i'm just like f i mean you could bully him back about his red hair oh then probably hit me with a car or something appropriate okay That's still shaming in a bad way. Take that back.
00:07:57
Speaker
So prosecutors allege that the motive for the murders was financial. a way first for Alex to gain some sympathy as his finances were unraveling, which I do think we kind of saw. I just got to this part in The Devil at His Elbow.
00:08:13
Speaker
He got accused of the theft from his law firm. And then the murders happened and they immediately kind of walked that. They were like, well, we can't talk about this right now. So I think that's kind of what they meant of like.
00:08:25
Speaker
I think so. i think that that's what's happened. I don't think that was necessarily his thought process. Maybe in that weird way it worked out for Right. um Right. I think the. finances everything coming down on him I think that did like or that unraveling that played a role but I think it played a lot role in him losing control of himself I don't think he was quite at the I don't think he put the thought into this will get me sympathy or get me out of it I don't know that'd be pretty i agree
00:08:58
Speaker
I think that was a result and also very short sighted. Like it's a very short sighted result. Like that inevitably he would have been yeah investigated for stealing that much money, even just from the law firm. And we've always thought like he's a reactionary guy.
00:09:15
Speaker
Like, yes, something was going short. i did Yeah. Yeah. So hi. And this is I do get a like this. is i But I find kind of a little bit concerning. And I was a big fan of many of the um content creators at the time. i mean, i they I think they did a ton to uncover this case.
00:09:32
Speaker
But I think that the prosecution got a little bit too dependent on using the narrative that maybe be some of the.
00:09:43
Speaker
podcast and such who had done a lot of research had as their theory of what happened. So I've always kind of had an issue with that that. And I don't think that that is limited to this. I think it's just in our day and age with media and Social media, i I just think it's something that has to be, we have to be aware of because I think it can happen kind of easily. Yeah, I think I just watched the new Diddy documentary on, it's not new anymore, but the Diddy documentary on Netflix. And I think it's one of those things that like technology moves faster than the law. And
00:10:19
Speaker
They weren't the jurors weren't sequestered so they could go home and like look on social media and see all these theories and like watch whatever they wanted about Diddy about the trial itself about you know things like that and that is like as strong as you think your brain might be like that's going to like sway anything in you. 100% like I don't I don't even know that we our brains are even close to the strong enough. Yeah.
00:10:47
Speaker
these days to like we're fed so much and we're yeah. I don't know. We fall for it. I'll fall for it I don't know if that's. yeah I know what you mean. Especially when I'm sorry, especially when like in this case, because little sunlight for instance, dent which was the murder murder podcast, they did so much of the research and they uncovered so much of it um that, I mean, obviously they played a huge role um in the case being brought to, to life and attention.
00:11:16
Speaker
But then I think that that's where got little mixed up within them creating theories and ideas. And um and I just think that the prosecution may have tapped into those a little more than creating, you know. Yeah. And for me, I think the content creators, especially True Sunlight, making those theories, that's absolutely fine and like shh. expect it sure and yes it's the the onus come falls on the prosecutors to be like i'm not just regurgitating things right and like yeah you know know totally 100 agree because here we go i mean i'm not and we've got our own theories and and that's what we're about like everyone's about like hashing them out and coming up with thoughts And not to say that anyone's right. or We're all somewhere right on some things and wrong on some things. But yes, it does. it The prosecutor needs to be able to separate from.
00:12:11
Speaker
Yeah. If I had a profession that was like in the realm we're in that we speculate about, I would not do this podcast. Yeah. I would not. I would recognize maybe I need to separate myself from that media. But whatever.
00:12:26
Speaker
um So the prosecutors claim that Alex had been asked to account for missing funds from his
Defense Strategy and Inconsistencies
00:12:32
Speaker
law firm. And detail finances in relation to Paul's wrongful death lawsuit. So basically the financial issues were going to be exposed in both of these situations. And that was that same day. That was earlier in the day of of the murders.
00:12:50
Speaker
Yep. the defense claimed that SLED had pinned the murders on Alex to cover an improper investigation. And they claimed his alibi that he was with his mother was accurate and real and true. And he, everything he said about his time at his mother's home was the alibi.
00:13:13
Speaker
And I mean, it's a defense tactic that we always hear when they have no other argument that they blame the investigators. Right. Right. Right. Right. January 31st, 2023, the second police interview um with Alex was played, which included police describing gruesome the crime scene photos. So there is a part of this video that's disputed. And I think to this day is disputed.
00:13:41
Speaker
It is, he they're in the police car and Alex is is sobbing and he says, prosecutors and defense say he said something different. The defense says, he and it talking about Paul, just so overcome with emotion, says, it's just so bad. They did him so bad.
00:14:01
Speaker
Prosecutors allege he said, it's just so bad. i did him so bad. Have you watched that? Yeah, actually, I'm going to, boom, cut in the audio right here. It's just so bad. They did him so bad. Listen to this. They even, like, slow it down.
00:14:18
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:27
Speaker
And honestly, I think it becomes even more difficult to to understand i don't i i can listen to it i would lean toward him saying i did him so bad at first but it could be either i mean i i don't know the answer it's the thing of like i would hear whatever i'm being told i hear yeah yeah i really don't know but i think there's plenty of other evidence i think there's one bit oh yeah that part of like just that little disputed sentence like i'm so fascinated by that part of the case because i want to know
00:14:58
Speaker
I do too. There's a lot I want to know. Yeah. February 1st of the trial, the Snapchat video taken by Paul was shown to the jury. So this was the video Paul took. He was Snapchatting with his friend Rogan and he was taking care of Rogan's dog. And he was trying to show like his the dog's tail was injured or something. I think it showed Paul and Maggie at the kennels, but Alec, you could hear his voice in the background. And Alec had said that he had not been there at the kennels at that time. So this is like the little thing that blew up the Alec's theory or whatever he said, but not theory, but his story.
00:15:37
Speaker
Like, obviously, at this point, he lied because he had said he had not gone down there that night. This was a huge piece. And this is why he is said to have decided he needed to go on the stand and testify. Yes. So this video had been taken at 844 on the night of the murders. And two of Paul's friends, I think, when they were on the stand, confirmed that the third voice was in fact Alex.
00:16:01
Speaker
February 8th, the Colton County Courthouse received a bomb threat, which halted the trial. And Alex was evacuated. The bond threat occurred during the testimony of the paralegal. i think she was the one who kind of she wouldn't she didn't get paid her portion of something of like a settlement or something that she was supposed to get paid. And he kept being like, I'll cut the check. Don't worry. And that kind of led to them discovering the discrepancies in the law firm finances was just her being like, I'm owed like 10 grand or something.
00:16:35
Speaker
So she was testifying. She said that she got an apology text from Alex that said, quote, I have an awful lot to try to make right when I get out of here. The worst part is knowing that I did the most damage to those I loved the most.
00:16:49
Speaker
So the whole bomb threat, I have no. I know. i have no idea. No thoughts on that. i don't Is that I don't know? No, I just think it's weird. Yeah. I think you can get conspiracy theory and be like, it was somebody trying to block this testimony or something. I just think it was like this was very high profile.
00:17:04
Speaker
Yeah. People knew they were there and. was being somebody who's being a jerk. Yeah, it could be. um As far as the quote, ah you know, the whole I had the awful lot to try to make right.
00:17:14
Speaker
I mean, nothing. I mean, he did. Like, I don't know. It could be. And it could be read in so many ways. Yeah. it could yeah I mean, he did. He did. I mean, he there's no doubt that he would. Yeah. I mean he didn't even um the financial crimes he fully admitted to in court and everywhere else. But um and no matter what, like you would still. Yeah. I hurt the people I love the most. Well, usually with any kind of. you know activity, that's you would, obviously, right?
00:17:41
Speaker
February 9th, during a witness's testimony, Buster is accused of putting up his middle finger. The defense denied this. This is where I get busted. I'm like, god'm like i I don't know. But also, doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. For me, it's just like, all right, like you're really showing them. why you Yeah.
00:18:02
Speaker
or like it's yeah Or it's like, okay, really immature. But again, I don't even know that we know for sure that it happened. and if If he did, it just um makes him look like an idiot, but... Right. It was just a dumb thing.
00:18:16
Speaker
Alex's sister Lynn also got in trouble for trying to pass Alex a copy of the judges list by John Grisham. And here's the way I added that. It's also another dumb thing. Like, first of all, I think it speaks to the family's like entitlement thing of like the rules don't apply to us. Like I, I know I'm not supposed to hand, but I can hand this to him. It's fine. But I have a banned book book.
00:18:39
Speaker
instagram that i run and i just like talk about different banned books and a bunch of john grisham's books are banned specifically in prisons because it gives like people who are incarcerated like ideas about how to fight their case like that's literally the reason oh that's funny of do you do you think that that's why this made headlines even i do i was big deal or oh that's so funny i think it's like because it's a john grisham law book even if it's like a fictional novel Well, it is extra funny, right? Because he's an attorney himself. So i don't know. I just thought about it. It's like, I could see myself doing something dumb. Like he must be bored. Okay. Oh, for sure. her hair you know Yeah. I would absolutely do that. And I'd be like, oh I did break a rule. Ooh. Like that's me. ah But literally I only edited in because I pretty sure this is one of the ones that like a lot of John Grisham books, especially in Texas prisons are banned. Yeah.
00:19:36
Speaker
ah Yeah, that's funny. That's interesting. yeah February 14th, video is played from the Night of
Family Dynamics and Trial Context
00:19:43
Speaker
the Murders. It's body cam footage. Alex appears distraught. He's heard speaking to one of his brothers on the phone.
00:19:51
Speaker
And he's starting to get into his story in this video. He was telling an officer that he had been riding around with Paul in the pickup truck earlier that day. i think we know it's the golf cart, wasn't it? Or was it the pickup truck? I can't remember. i don't even know. They had all kinds of vehicles out there. I'm not sure which one was Yeah. He told the police, you know, he had been visiting his mother.
00:20:08
Speaker
so was just kind of running down. it was like, I think, I think they played it to set the stage of like his story. And in retrospect, he did like hit all all the points. When you look back at it. Yeah. It's very premeditated what he said and how he said it. And ah yeah like he's already setting up his defense right there yeah as he's, as he's speaking. Yeah.
00:20:30
Speaker
Maggie's sister that same day Marianne Proctor took the stand she said that Alex had reassured her that Maggie had not suffered when he told her about the murders or about the deaths which again I think can be taken multiple ways but in this case I'm sure to her it felt like well now that he was arrested felt like he was telling her the truth like that he knew she didn't suffer yeah I mean I don't know I think it could be It could also be like, yeah, I don't like she died pretty quickly. and so it's like, well, at least she didn't suffer. i was You know what I mean? Like, me it could be like that. Yeah. She also discussed a past affair that Alex had had. She said that the couple had moved forward, but Maggie continued to bring it up with her. Was there a date on that? Do we know? Hmm.
00:21:15
Speaker
I can't remember. Kind of heard it a little bit and then never really heard a lot of follow up on that. Yeah. I'd like to look into that. Yeah. Because, um and also now that their housekeeper, Blanca has recently written a book. um She does address more of like kind of these things and they'll, with, you know, she's like was in there like yeah as they,
00:21:34
Speaker
their relationship. Like she saw the ins and outs and the ups and downs. and the So, and she does talk about like ah in that book now, she talks about them being like, there's being this other group of people and that whomever this person was that he,
00:21:52
Speaker
had this affair with was part of this group which she makes sound like um is a kind of an unsavory group not within a normal social circle so yeah i haven't read this new book yet but yeah i really want to it's gonna i think it's gonna add a lot yeah i agree i i think she's a voice that we haven't had the chance to hear as much as i think she knew knew a lot yeah that's what i think she's got a lot to say yeah February 16th, there was a courtroom demonstration of how Maggie's execution style death may have occurred.
00:22:27
Speaker
Prosecutors said that she likely saw Paul's murder before her own death. They said his death was quite violent, which of course we knew based on the state of his body. The first shot had not been fatal, but the second caused his brain to be ejected from his head.
00:22:45
Speaker
And his brain arrived at the autopsy in a separate bucket. It's hard to hear. It's horrifying. But I do agree. It makes sense that Maggie would have seen it. Yeah. Hopefully.
00:22:57
Speaker
i mean, again, terrible to say, but hopefully she was taken. She didn't suffer for too long after. hmm. February 21st, Buster Murdaugh testified.
00:23:08
Speaker
He described his father as, quote, heartbroken on the night of the murders. He said his family was very close and they solved their disagreements, quote, civilly. He claimed that his father had said, quote, they did him so bad at the crime scene. And it was a phrase he used frequently.
00:23:27
Speaker
i could see that being a phrase he uses, but I could see how you'd use it either as they or I. I mean, it it seems like. Right. Exactly. either Yeah. um And again, like, I don't disagree. I'm sure his father was heartbroken, but two things can be true. Like, I mean, I'm sure he was heartbroken, that didn't mean that he was not also involved. Right. This is just this didn't happen like at the trial, but I I added it because it's interesting that on February 22nd, Murdaugh Murders, a Southern Scandal premiered on Netflix. I didn't realize was during the trial that it released.
00:23:59
Speaker
Oh, I didn't either. Paul's former girlfriend, Morgan, was very candid about Alex and Maggie's difficult relationship, as well as the Murdoch family's propensity to be drinking and always have alcohol available. She also said that alcohol impacted Paul very negatively. And would wager to say probably Alex as well. Blanca does add more to this in her book. I thought she was a maybe a little bit more positive about the the couple's relationship.
00:24:32
Speaker
Maybe. I don't know. I guess I can't say that. that they They definitely had difficulties that she mentions too. Yeah. I think she was – like I really liked her in the document documentary. Like she was very earnest. She called them Mr. Alex and Miss Maggie. And ah I think she really liked them.
00:24:47
Speaker
Like, I think she felt like part of the family with them. yeah But and I think that almost makes her more credible that she also went like she's honest and saw the difficult part of it. So that was kind of how I saw it.
00:25:00
Speaker
Yeah. But the alcohol part, definitely. i mean, that's been reiterated, I think. yeah that Yeah. Well, I mean, there's been numerous different trials involving. paul anyway So I mean, that that is, I think, well-founded, at least based on what what's been out public.
00:25:16
Speaker
so this is I'm always fascinated when this happens. because I don't know. It makes sense. But it just I'm always so interested when things like this happen in a trial. On March 1st, the jurors were given an an an in-person tour of the Murdaugh hunting lodge.
00:25:33
Speaker
Alex obviously did not accompany them. During the tour, jurors weren't allowed to speak to other jury members and nobody was allowed to speak to the jurors during the tour, which I would hate. I'd be so uncomfortable. to be Like y'all, I got to talk to somebody about this. Yeah.
00:25:52
Speaker
Yeah, I don't understand how sometimes like things like that do occur. And sometimes they don't. I mean, I guess it's just up to the judge, right? Yeah. But I do think two things after seeing like, yeah I think it's very important. I think um it's one of those things where the layout and the area almost is like its own character in the story. Because I think it it is very impactful and to understanding. Yeah. Also, I personally like have like driven by there and seen the property and it did. It made a big difference to actually see it in person just and I wasn't like down obviously at the kennels and all that, but just as a whole, it was interesting and it did give me a different perspective on, okay, what would have happened? So.
00:26:33
Speaker
I think it helped the jurors. I i don't know if it would bias them. I don't know. I don't know how you. I should have looked into it more because I would be curious like what they were told during the tour, like as to what they were looking at. Do you know what i mean? Or if it was just like, okay, we're going to go down this path now and look around at this instead of like, this is the dog kennel. This is where we found the, but you know what I mean? i think a lot from what I saw was also determining or seeing the distance between the house and the kind of area where they were and if gunshots would have been audible, which I want to say, I think they very easily would would have been audible. So, you know, if, I mean, if it depends, you know, I know um Alex story changed, yeah but if he was up in the house, i think after seeing it and being out there, there's no doubt he would have heard the gunshots. Now, again, he, his story was, I think he,
00:27:29
Speaker
left fairly quickly so and i've seen pictures of like the jury walking around the kennels and it's just like very eerie oh it is yes so on march 2nd before closing arguments a juror was dismissed for discussing the case with others they seated an alternate juror just before closing arguments i don't remember i know there was stuff about this juror and i don't remember too much There was also something about someone bringing someone eggs. Yeah. I think this is, I mean, really interesting, again, in retrospect, because now we know that um Alex has asked for a retrial. And i don't know, just after kind of reading some of the books we have and understanding the dynamics of the town and how everyone knew everyone else and and how that impacted juries.
00:28:21
Speaker
There was no unbiased jury basically possible because everyone knew everyone. And at least in the past, I mean, there was jurors kind of like kind of handpicked in a way for juries.
00:28:33
Speaker
But so i now and again, conspiracy, I don't know. Could a jerk, could that have been intentional? Yeah. to set up the narrative for a mistrial. I don't know. Oh, yeah. I don't know, but, I mean, it's something I've thought about since. Yeah.
00:28:49
Speaker
And anything like that, even, like, consideration of that is reason, is grounds for a new trial. So even, like... And we know that Alec knew the legal system inside out, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was something he...
00:29:04
Speaker
thought it and he knew how to abuse this system system was yeah that being said it's i would be really hard as a juror just not to mention it at all i can i can see how it could happen easily yeah so the defense for closing arguments the defense basically said that the motive was completely ridiculous they called it quote totally illogical irrational and insane then they showed a photo of alex after the failed suicide attempt saying when you're dealing with financial collapse, you kill yourself, not your family, which we actually like completely know this not true.
Verdict and Sentencing
00:29:40
Speaker
Family annihilators are thing. I will say that I agree a bit with the defense. I do think the argument um in the motive was pretty – The motive. Yeah, the motive, I guess. Pretty illogical, irrational, and sane.
00:29:53
Speaker
Let me repeat, I don't mean that he did not do it, but I think the art the argument was correct. Yeah. and I think that's pretty like I think a lot of people that have said that that this doesn't feel like the motive. Right. Like, I agree he did it, yeah but it doesn't feel like the reason why. yeah After the jury deliberated for less than three hours, Alex was found guilty of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
00:30:23
Speaker
The following day, Alex was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences. South Carolina's chief prosecutor, Creighton Waters, called Murdaugh a, quote, cunning manipulator.
00:30:36
Speaker
Alex maintained his innocence and no victim impact statements were given. And very quickly, Alex's attorneys began telling reporters that they were going to get his sentence overturned on appeal and were planning to file quickly. Which is what I always think the motive was.
00:30:51
Speaker
I always think that they are have, from the very beginning, were pushing for there to be some sort of retrial or problem that they could appeal. I think no matter what, he admitted to all the financial fraud and he is going to go to prison for the rest of his life regardless. But I think the difference is what kind of prison life he leads and where he goes if he just is guilty of all the financial crimes or if he's guilty of the murders too.
00:31:21
Speaker
I also think personally, it may have been like second degree murder because I personally don't think it was quite as pre-planned as the case was presented. i don't think that would really make a difference. No, I don't either because there is a thing of like, I don't know in South Carolina if this is the same, but some states it's like premeditated can be like a minute before that a decision is made and that and you thought about it. It's not like, I don't know, defending yourself or something like that. It's like, this is thinking about what,
00:31:51
Speaker
will come next yes And I think we've talked about like, ah instead, like, you know, the prosecution's whole theory was that like, they he lured Maggie and and Paul to Moselle in order to kill them, which was in order to get sympathy. That's the part. ah i don't I don't know. i I don't think he lured them. But, and I think we've both talked about that very well may have had to do with his drug addiction. Yeah. And like, I think he was withdrawing and Paul had his drugs and he wanted them. And in the moment he intentionally or accidentally, I don't know. Shot the shotgun and then panicked. Yeah, I think i think he aimed the gun at him. Like, made the choice to do that. And then whether accidentally or not, the gun fired. And then I think he realized Maggie was there too. And yeah, just, yeah. yeah
00:32:45
Speaker
just So, regardless, it's killing. Blanca's book did, and again, I don't mean to keep referring back to it. She did imply more that there was others involved, at least in the clean-up. yeah so which absolutely would not be shocking at all not at all not at all so all right that was good yeah a bit of a concise concise overview of the trial but I hit the points I wanted to yeah I mean we could go on forever there's so much yeah but
00:33:18
Speaker
Yeah. I think this will be really cool having the audio cut in. We're getting very fancy. And it's, I wish we could, have the part with podcasts is you can't show things. Right. Because yeah, it'd be interesting to be able to show the ah the tour of the of the kennels and such. But at least we can hear some of the trials soon.
00:33:38
Speaker
Yes, exactly. Next episode, we're to talk about the appeal and some of the fallout from the trial. And yeah, it's still weird and crazy. And ongoing. Yeah.
00:33:49
Speaker
Oh, my goodness. All right. Well, we'll see everybody next week. Thanks for joining us. Goodbye.