"Murdaugh" Episode Eleven | The Reckoning

0:11 Hey, everyone, welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. I am your host, Jim Chapman, and we are going to pick up with this eleventh episode in the Murdall series. And the last time that I left you, Alex Murdall had been arrested and along with cousin Eddie Smith, for insurance fraud and a slew of other charges related to Alex Murdall's supposed suicide attempt via cousin Eddie of course shooting him in the head on that roadside highway. So Murdall actually gets granted bail and he's released from jail on these charges, penning his trial with the stipulation that he surrender his passport, which he did, and that was on September sixteenth of twenty twenty one. Myrdal then immediately reports to a detox slash rehab facility in Orlando, Florida to get control of his addiction to painkillers, and in the meantime, that Saderfield case is heating up. Now I covered that entire Satterfield case for you in a prior episode of mrdall, but in the interest of remaining on the timeline, I need to address exactly what was going on during the time Merdall was in Florida at that rehab center. So the lawyers for the estate of Gloria Satterfield,

1:45 they're investigating everywhere in an effort to prove the settlement funds did to their client were stolen by Myrdall and his co conspirators. And think about that, at this point in time, September of twenty twenty one, Murdall is not only the prime suspect in his wife and son's murder, but he's also facing major insurance charges frauds specifically related to the roadside shooting, and is being investigated for stealing millions of dollars from the Sadderfield family. All of this happening at the exact same time. So while he's in that Florida rehab the lawyers for the Sadderfield family, they start getting their shit together and they file a motion in court regarding not only Alex Murdau and his co conspirators, but also Murdall's law firm and it's partners known as PMPED now that stands for Peters Murdall, Parker, Ellswroth and Dietrich, and those were the partners in Murdall's law firm. In an article by FIT News which was put out on Acober fifth of twenty twenty one, it really covered it well and here's how that read. Less than two weeks after denying they had any role in the glorious Saderfield settlement, partners at the Murdall family law firm, Peters, Merdall, Parker,

3:16 Elsroth and Dietrich now have a lot of explaining to do after a new court document alleged the Hampton, South Carolina firm participated in the fraudulent scheme to steal millions from the Saderfield Suns. Saderfield, who was Murdall's family housekeeper for more than two decades, died after an alleged trip and fall accident at the Murdall home in February of twenty eighteen. On September fifteenth of twenty twenty one, SLED opened an investigation into Satterfield's death in a wrongful death settlement after a Hampton County corner found inconsistencies in her death. Days after SLED opened that investigation, an article was published that revealed how Alex Murdall allegedly worked with his two friends Corey Fleming, an attorney, and Chad Westendorf, a banker, in a scheme to take millions of dollars from the Satterfield sons after her four point three million secret settlement was approved by Judge Carmen Mullen in twenty nineteen. The motion, filed Tuesday by Eric Bland, who was representing Satterfield's two sons in a lawsuit against Murdall and his two co conspirators, asked to bring Fleming, Westendorff, and Murdall into court to testify under oath about what happened to the settlement funds.

4:34 Bland is also asking a judge to hold Murdall and his co conspirators in contempt of court for blatant and willful violations of court orders. The motion is accompanied by damning documents that showed PMPED employees, aside from Murdall, weren't aware of the settlement. The documents display a clear paper trail that indicated Alex Murdall committed financial crimes and flnme at the very least violated rules of professional conduct as an attorney. According to court documents, two point eight million of Saderfield's settlement was supposed to go to her sons, who are the only beneficiaries of her estate. However, Satterfield's two sons hadn't received a single dime from their mother's wrongful death settlement. That is until Friday, when Fleming and his law firm, Moss Coon and Fleming, agreed to a settlement in a malpractice case. On Tuesday, Bland received a check from Western Door for the thirty thousand dollars he accepted in the case, which means Alex Murdall is the only party remaining who has not agreed to pay back money from the settlement. Fleming, the attorney who originally represented Satterfield's sons in Murdaal's lifelong Friend, decided to come clean and pay back the money they took in legal fees only after multiple media reports and a lawsuit pressured them to do so. In fact, one of Fleming's law firm partners told them the Island Packet newspaper on September twenty fourth that he was planning on filing a countersuit against

6:05 Satterfield's estate, claiming the accusations made in the lawsuit were false. Just one week after making that claim, Fleming's law firm agreed to settle the lawsuit. On September tenth, Bland sent Fleming a notice asking him to produce all of the materials related to the Saderfield settlement. Finally, after the Saderfield story made headlines in nearly every major news outlet in the United States, Fleming turned over the documents to Bland. Those documents, which appeared to provide evidence against several powerful players, are included in the most recent motion. Documents filed Tuesday show emails and letters from Alex Murdall and his pair of legals acting as representatives of the estate of Gloria Sadterfield in the wrongful death settlement. That would be Alex Murdall, the only defendant in the settlement, claiming to represent Saderfield's sons, who are the plaintiff. Hiulse Law Firm sent letters of representation of the estate to third parties, prepared probate documents for the estate and personal representative of the estate, notarized probate documents, etc. Recently, Blam filed emotion asking that Mullen detained Alex Murdall for the role in the Saderfilt settlement based on South Carolina law that states a person can be arrested in a civil case without criminal charges in some circumstances. And then it gets into how that scheme works, y'all.

7:31 And it's really the most interesting part of this. It says at Gloria's funeral, Alex allegedly started railroading her sons and convinced them to hire his friend Corey Fleming to get money for their mother's death. However, Saderfield's sons did not know that Fleming was Murdall's former college roommate best friend In Buster, Murdall's godfather. Alex Murdall also convinced glorious sons they needed to have a banker, and that was Westendorf work as the representative of Gloria's estate. Bland later learned that Alex Mrdall's insurance company actually settled more than four point three million, with two point eight million that was supposed to go to his clients. Mardall and Fleming apparently claimed they were doing a structured settlement for the Soutafield sons, although this was never disclosed in court. Essentially, this would work like a trust instead of getting a lump sum. The plan if will receive more money over time with tax breaks. Mardall claimed that he set up an annuity account for Souafield son through a company called Forge Consulting LLC. The only problem is Cory never got any documents from Forge, and he's taking the direction from the defendant Merdall, who tells him, after you take the fees, write a check to Forge and send it to a PO box in Hampton, South Carolina. Alex Murdall allegedly told Fleming to make the checks out to Forge, not Forge Consulting LLC. After he set up in Aunt with that name.

9:02 Alex mrdall opened the bank account at Bank of America under the name Forge, got the check cash and walked away with the money. Bland said. Fleming is claiming that the only money he received from the settlement was from legal fees. He told Bland he was victimized and fooled by Alex Murdall. It appears that after the Mardall family was thrust into the limelight following the boat crash, Alex mrdau was able to convince the court to drop his name from the caption of the document, where it would typically state Glorias Sladderfield versus alexmrdall. According to Bland, this order is concerning for a number of reasons. Alex's name is not listed as the defendant at the top, as it should be. Alex did not ask the court for permission to remove his name. There's no docket number listed on the document, the document was not entered into the court, and he lest other reasons for that. So of course, at this point the law firm has to respond, right, they have now been accused of knowing full well that Alex Murdall was ripping off the Saderfield family of millions of dollars, and respond they do. So, I have that lawsuit and it really details the law firm's side of this whole mess. So let's get into that. And this response was dated October sixth of twenty twenty one, and it's very interesting. It says in early September of twenty

10:34 twenty one, PMPED discovered that, during the course of his employment at the law firm, Alex Murdall was converting client and law firm money for his own personal use. His actions were unknown to the law firm until this discovery, and these actions were unauthorized by the law firm. In violation of the law firm policy. In early September of twenty twenty one, the law firm disco governed Alex Murdall had a bank account with Bank of America in the name of Alex Murdall, DBA Forge, a fictitious entity that provides no services and makes no products for sale. It was further learned that Alex Murdau used this account to convert money owed to the law firm and its clients to his own personal use. The law firm has determined that Alex Murdau was able to convertly steal these funds by disguising disbursements from settlements as payments to an annuity company, trust account or structured settlement for clients, or as structured attorneys fees that he had earned, when in fact they were deposited into a fictitious Bank of America account. At the present time, the law firm has identified certain files in which Alex Murdau utilizes scheme. Alex Murdau knew that his actions would evade detection based on his experience with the law firm and its long standing business relations with Forge conc. For many years, Forge Consulting has provided valuable services to some law firm clients. Those services include burkery,

12:08 structured settlements and annuities, as well as the creation of specialized trust to protect client assets. Forge is an outstanding company that has earned respected reputation throughout the country. In addition, Alex Murdau was aware that FCL has provided law firm attorneys with financial advice and includes structuring attorney fees. Alex Murdau was able to use this business relationship in conjunction with fictitious and misleading business aim to draft checks from the law firm client trust account made payable to Forge or Forge Consulting, LLC, and deposit those checks into his personal Bank of America account. The law firm was unaware of this scheme until September two of twenty twenty one.

12:55 Prior to that date, the law firm have inquired on the status of a fee too ue the law firm from a file that Alex murdaull worked along with another law firm and they're referencing the Saterfille case. The law firm received a check for his expenses incurred during the course of that litigation, but not a check of fees owed to the law firm questions were guarding the check for the fees owed to the law firm failed to produce a satisfactory explanation. And here's where it gets really interesting. On October tewo of twenty twenty one, a check was found in his desk from the other law firm. According to the note on the check, it was a partial payment of the fees at issue. However, the check was made payable to Alex Murdall and not the law firm.

13:42 It had been deposited into a personal account for Alex Murdall and not the law firm. The discovery prompted a review of prior settlements of cases Alex Murdall resolved. This review showed numerous checks made payable to Forge or Forge Consulting LLC, that the files did not contain the normal documentation that is required to perform the services offered by FCL. The law firm consulted with FCL on September second of twenty twenty one concerning the checks discovered during its review of Alex Murdaf's files. On September second of twenty twenty one, FCL confirmed that it had not provided any services for the clients identified by the law firm. Moreover, FCL stated that it had never assisted the defendant was structuring any attorney fees. FCL was not assisting the defendant in his scheme and had no knowledge of the improper use of its name or as conduct. So before I go any further in to avoid any confusion, FCL is actually a legit company and it's actually called Forge Consulting, but it's not Forge Consulting LLC. So when Alex set up Forge, it was intentional. He wanted the people at his law firm to zoom that was going to Forge Consulting LLC.

15:04 So just to avoid any confusion there so it gets better. On the morning of September third, twenty twenty one, Alex Murdall was confronted with this information that the law firm discovered through its review and discussions with FCL. Alex Murdall admitted to converting money's owed to the law firm and its clients to his own personal use. The law firm requested the immediate resignation of Alex Murdall on September third of twenty twenty one, which was received that afternoon. And that was just remember a day before the roadside shooting on September fourth of twenty twenty one, the law firm notified the Hampton County Sheriff's Office and sled of the suspected criminal activity of the defendant, upon information and belief that investigation is ongoing. On September sixth of twenty twenty one, the law firm notified the South Carolina Supreme Court Office of Disciplinary Council of the suspected ethical violations of Murdall upon information and belief that investigation is ongoing. The law firm immediately retained a forensic accounting firm to begin a third review of all financial activities of Alex Murdall while employed at the law firm, and that review is ongoing.

16:20 The law firm has reimbursed all client trust accounts who have suffered a known loss as a result of Alex Murdoch's action while he was an employee of the law firm and working on behalf of clients of the law firm. It's anticipated the additional information may become known that could lead to more losses to the law firm as it protects its client's interest. Upon information and belief, Alex Murdau used firm assets in an unauthorized manner and without the consent and knowledge of his or other shareholders to further scheme in defraud. So there you have it. That was their answer to it. And it's very important. The reason I took so much time to read that is because this piece of litigation right here is going to be a big feature in his trial upcoming, and primarily because it proves who the fuck this guy really is. That's low.

17:21 When we get to the part where you discover who he was stealing from, the type of people he was stealing from, you're not gonna believe it. I mean, this was not just the sadderfields. Let's just say that. So all this comes out in obviously the paper, local news, national news, and the media was all over it, and one question that was being asked more than any other was how in the hell has Alex Myrnaal not been arrested for this? Well, a viral article that really asked that very question came out. It was from fit News and it read like this, it said. In the last three weeks, South Carolina attorneys Eric Bland and Ronald Richter have uncovered a shocking paper trail that shows how Alex Merdall stole three point six million from his housekeeper's grieving family.

18:17 On Tuesday, Blad published a bombshell motion that appears to show evidence stacked up against Alex Merdall and his two friends, Corey Fleming and Chad Western Dwarf. Even his family's law firm was mentioned for their ledge roles in the four point three million secret settlement for Gloria Saderfield. The paper trail of evidence showed Alex Mardall led the pack in a scheme to steal millions of dollars in Saderfield's twenty nineteen wrongful death settlement. Saderfield died after a trip and fall accident at Alex Mardall's home. Bland has the checks Fleming sent to an account Mardall set up called Forge, and he has proof that that money was deposited into Mardall's bank account. We're talking three point six million in three checks that were sent over the mail to a po box and deposited into a bank, Bland said, emphasizing how serious a crime this is. Ordinary people who write a bad check for one hundred dollars are sometimes arrested quickly.

19:18 He said, while Fleming his law firm and Westerndorf have agreed to pay back all of the money they took in the four point three million settlement from the Saderfield suns. Murdall hasn't offered to pay a dime, Bland said. Fleming is the only co conspirator who has apologized to Saderfield's two sons. In a statement issue Wednesday, Fleming claimed he was fooled by his friend Murdall, but acknowledged that material mistakes were made at crucial times. He claims until early September of twenty twenty one, he sincerely believed the settlement funds have been properly dispersed. The only thing Corey Fleming did wright is that he recovered four point three million, Bland said, But every single thing besides that he did was wrong. He violated the rules of professional conduct, violated the standards of care, and violated common sense. Bland, who is representing Centerfield's two sons in a civil lawsuit against Murdall and his co conspirators, said that he turned over all this information to SLED and he believed the documents provided enough probable costs to arrest Murdoff for multiple financial crimes related to the settlement. Including conspiracy, commit fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud. SLED officials confirmed they met with Bland, who provided them with documentation. Bland said he is concerned about the status of the SLED investigation. SLED is the same agency investigating the June seventh double homicide of Alex Murdall's wife, Maggie Murdall and son Paul Murdall. Since the double homicide, SLED has opened four criminal investigations related to

20:51 the Murdall family. How is Alex Murdall still walking the streets and not arrested in charge with theft of approximately three point cerio me and Bland said, my partner and I saw this apparent and significant crime two weeks ago and provided the documents to the court and to the public and are filing to be clear. Alex Murdau is allegedly in rehab right now following his September seventeenth bond hearing for his alleged role in a bizarre assisted suicide for higher insurance fraud scheme. His attorneys, who have lied to the public before, claimed he is in rehab for opioid addiction. At his bond hearing, a Hampton County judge ruled that Alex was not a danger to society and not a flight rest. The longer Alex Murdall gets to sit in a treatment facility and try to get himself better, he could possibly still commit more crimes by getting rid of some of the money or figuring out a way that it can't be traced and found, Bland said. Bland said his clients, Saderfield's two sons, the only beneficiaries of the estate, have not yet been interviewed by SLEB, which is concerning to him for a number of reasons. SLED did not comment on whether or not they have interviewed Saderfield's two sons. Alex needs e from the same trough of justice that every other citizen in our state eats from.

22:11 Bland said, it's obvious exactly what happened, through the documents that are now in public domain, that he stole three point six million dollars from my clients. More importantly, his own law firm, in a public pleading, has said he did it to other clients using the exact same method. Just today, after Blam filed his bombshelled deposition that revealed the law firm's involvement in the Sadderfield scheme. The law firm pulled a fast one and filed a lawsuit that appeared to be damage control, distancing its partners from Alex Murdall. If Alex Murdall was arrested for this, it would send a strong message to all those he may be working with, Bland said, it would show that our state is serious and maybe we're going to be holding these people accountable and to look like a joke. SLUD has only arrested two people in the five criminal cases that are currently being investigated in relation to the murder All family. Alex Murnall and drug dealer Curtis Smith were arrested in September in the alleged suicide for higher scheme. However, Sled's investigation is far from over. Bland, who has been a malpracticed lawyer for more than thirty five years, said he has never come across a case as rotten as this one.

23:28 I've sued over one hundred and seventy five lawyers and law firms. You can add them all up, and it doesn't equal what's going on here because this is top to bottom. This is judges, lawyers, money, everything, And that was the question of the day, y'all, as this whole thing was unfolding, was howl in the hell? Has he not been arrested for these other crimes? Really, at this point, the only thing he's been sitting in jail for is the assisted suicide insurance scheme. Now, maybe it was a break in the case, or maybe it was the media pressure, but guess what. On October fourteenth of twenty twenty one, Alex Murdall indeed gets arrested yet again, this time for stealing millions from the Sadderfields. And here is how that article read. Alex Murdall was arrested in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday on charges related to the Glorious Saderfield case. According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division SLED, Murdall was charged with two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, and he faces up to ten years in prison on each charge. These charges stem from a SLED investigation into misappropriated settlement funds used in the d of Glorious Sanderfield.

25:02 SLED officials in a statement that agents arrested Murdall after he was released from a Florida rehab facility for his alleged drug addiction. According to sources, Myrdall detoxed at the facility and then was transferred to another facility in Orlando, Florida, where he was scheduled to be released today. Mardall was taken to the Orange County Corrections Thursday morning. He will be held in Florida until he is extradited to South Carolina, where he will have his bond hearing. Merdall's extradition hearing is tentatively scheduled for one pm Friday in Orange County, Florida. If extradition is granted, which it was, he'll be transferred to South Carolina, likely on Saturday. According to sources, Murdoll's bond hearing could be held in either Buford County or Richland County. Considering the fact that Judge Clifton Newman has been appointed in that case, the bond hearing will likely be held next week. That means Murdall will likely have to spend the weekend in jail. All poor murder, and then it goes into what I've already told you about how they came up with all this evidence. So I'm gonna speed up just a bit, because all of these episodes that we had put out so far were to prepare you for the crescendo of this whole thing. So on October fourteenth of twenty twenty one, what I just read you, Murdall was arrested at that Florida Detox Center

26:35 and he was charged with swindling millions of dollars from the son of Gloria Saderfield, and he was eventually jailed in Richland County, South Carolina. He goes for bond and he was twice denied bond. Then on December thirteenth of twenty twenty one, during a hearing at which a judge set his bond at seven million dollars, mister Murdall's lawyer said that client had agreed to pay four point three million to Miss Sadderfield's family. He remained in jail. Then on June twenty eighth of twenty twenty two, Mardall and Smith are indicted by the state's Grand jury. And I have that indictment. And this indictment is a two person indictment, So it's Curtis Ebwards Smith and Richard Alexander Merdall. And it says over the course of many years mrdall provided to Smith hundreds of checks with the common understanding that Smith would convert the checks into cash in Hollerport and use the proceeds for Mrdall's benefit, with the intent of carrying on and concealing myrid unlawful acts. Between October seventh, twenty thirteen, and February twenty eighth of twenty twenty one, Mardall wrote, at least get this, y'all, four hundred and thirty seven checks intended for Smith with a some value of two million, one hundred and thirteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty four dollars and seventy nine cents, nearly all

28:05 of which were structured in amounts less than ten thousand dollars in order to prevent banks from reporting the large currency transactions as required by law. So any check over ten thousand dollars has to be logged and reported to the federal government in any way, case or form. And of course, being a lawyer, myrdaal knew that. So he'd write a check, say for nine thousand, five hundred dollars, and the federal government would not be alerted to that check being cashed. And it goes on. Murdall drew the checks on accounts under his control at multiple banks, and made the checks payable to various versions of Smith's name, as well as to close associates of Smith. In some instances, Smith forged the endorsement of his close associates without their knowledge or consent, then endorsed to Check himself. In any case, Smith converted the checks into cash or deposits. Mrdall and Smith structured many of these transactions and used them to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of illegally obtained narcotics, all in violation of South Carolina law. So that was count one.

29:18 Let's go to count two, which is money laundering that Curtis Edwards Smith and Collington County from honor about May twenty fifth, twenty eighteen through May twenty fourth of twenty nineteen did conduct financial transactions with property that he knew was the proceeds of or derived directly or indirectly of unlawful activity. During that period, Richard Alex Murdall provided to Smith numerous checks with the common understanding Smith with cash the checks and used the proceeds for Murdall's benefit with the intent of carrying on and concealing myrad unlawful acts Murdall wrote each check and in amount less than ten thousand dollars. We covered that these transactions exceeded one hundred thousand dollars in a twelve month period, and they're talking about specific checks that they tracked in that time frame.

30:07 Then another count of money laundering at one hundred thousand dollars. More so, they actually found some checks, y'all that were written for one hundred thousand plus dollars, and there were several counts of that as well, And most of these lawsuits were for the money laundering aspect, but they had something interesting, and that was the forgery aspect to what they were doing. That was a six count and it said Richard Alexander Merdall provided to Smith numerous checks made to Smith's daughter without her knowledge as part of a scheme to launder money. Smith forged his daughter's endorsement signature to the checks and thereafter submitted them to Enterprise Bank of South Carolina, thereby defrauding the bank and other financial institutions party to the negotiation of the instruments. The value of the checks exceeded ten thousand dollars collectively, So what a piece of shit he's even involving his daughter in his illegal shit, right, but he didn't stop at his daughter.

31:13 In count seven, it says Richard Alexander Murdall provided to Smith numerous checks made out to Smith's girlfriend as a part of a scheme to launder money. Smith's girlfriend ultimately resisted the scheme, so Smith forged his girlfriend's signature on the checks and then endorsed those checks himself. There were several counts after that that were numerous drug charges. They even had a simple possession of marijuana count as one of these charges. Apparently when they originally arrested Curtis Edward Smith, they found him with some weed on him, so they threw that on there too. So you got like twelve counts here that you spend the rest of your life in prison, right, and that twelfth count is simple possession of marijuana. So they were and everything on that they could in that situation. So if you think it's bad so far, the worst finally happens when on July fourteenth of twenty twenty two, alex Murdall is indicted on two counts a murder for the murder of Maggie Murdall in the murder of Paul murdall what I've been working you towards this whole series. So what happens at this point, Well, now that the grand jury has indicted him, which incidentally,

32:44 for those of you that aren't familiar with how a grand jury works, they work in secret. It's essentially a trial, but the defense at that time they don't have an opportunity to defend whoever it is on trial. Jury they meet in secret and basically the prosecution presents their evidence, and that jury determines is enough evidence present to warrant a trial? Is there enough evidence to find someone guilty if they think there is? That is what's known as a true bill indictment. That was what was issued here, which means, hey, we're going to go forward with the trial. Now, at that point, you get arrested, which Alex Murdau did as soon as he left that facility in Florida, and he got charged for those murders. At that point, you have an arrangement. And I'm going to play you the clip of the full arrangement. It's about nineteen twenty minutes in length. Very important. As you know, we don't skip things, and I don't play just little short clips and the reason I don't do that is it's so important that you grasp every aspect. I'm not going to cut that up.

33:59 There's so much pertinent information that a lot of podcasts leave out. We don't leave that out here. So I'm gonna play the full clip. This is the arrangment again, not too long, about nineteen minutes in length, and you're gonna hear some voices. One of them is the judge, very well respected judge by the name of Clifton Newman, and I'm gonna cover a little bit about him on next week's episode. You'll also hear the voice of the prosecutor. Amazing prosecutor you're gonna find out as we get into this. His name is Creighton Waters. Finally, the voice for the defense that you're gonna hear is Richard dick Harpoutlian Senator Richard Dick Harpoutlium, which I told you a little bit about in the past episodes. So those of the voices you're gonna hear. Alex Murdall is present for this arrangement.

34:54 And incidentally, if you are on the Patreon, I'll upload that full club up of the arrangement. But here it is the arrangement of Alex Murdall for the murder of Margaret Murdall and Paul Murdall. Thank you to said it. Good morning mon Connay. Sir mister Waters, now you're on a We are here today on the case of the State versus Richard Alec Murdoch. He has been indicted by the Coleton County Grand Jury on July fourteenth, twenty twenty two, for four charges. Those charges are twenty twenty two GS. Fifteen five nine to two.

35:46 That charges for the murder of Maggie Murdoch twenty twenty two Gs. Fifteen five nine three. That is for the murder of Paul Murdoch twenty twenty two Gs. Fifteen five nine four. That is possession of a firearm during commission of a violent crime for the murder of Maggie Murdoch with a rifle in. Twenty two Gs. Fifteen five ninety five. That is possession of a firearm during commission of a violent crime for the murder of Paul Murdoch with a shotgun. Your honor, I am right now serving a copy of the entirety on Femis Council. Obviously, mister Murdock is present in court and represented by his council Dick Carpoutlin and Jim Griffin, Your honor, it's my understanding at this time that the defense would request a formal arraignment, so we need to conduct that procedure at this time, Your honor.

36:42 All right, mister Harputin. Thing is that right? Yes, your honor? Please, yes, your honor. It's my understanding that they do want the formal arrangement, but are waiting reading of the indictments. That's correct, night, Richard Ellick m if that is your name, please reach your right hand. Do you wade reading of the indictments? Guess happening? What say you? Richard? Elect and Bernard? Are you guilty or not guisy? Of the felonies? Wherein you stand in dictor not guilty? How shall you be tried? By God? And my cousin? Thank you. You've been so Thank you Ron very quickly as we as we move forward.

37:27 The first thing I need to point out is that Attorney General. Alex Wilson, of course, has been a very default involved from the beginning. Of this case, providing leadership on this case. He's currently traveling today and understands though the need to get this done and so it has prevented me and misters Lincoln to proceed with this matter. I also very quickly wanted to thank my SLED agents. We have a special agent, Dave Ohen present. It has been one of the. Lead case agents on this and I want to commend them on the long and arduous investigation over thirteen in which every possibility was considered before the evidence. As we explored every possibility, all came back to one person and that is an ilic murder. I'm happy to detail some our defenses advise me that they are willing to consent to a no bond, So I will leave that to your honor's discretion whether you wish me to go into some of the facts.

38:23 Or if that take care of that matter once we get through bond. I do know that the defense and the state wish to discuss a few motions at this time as well. Your earned h Sir mister Hartpool. Then you're right or we're consenting to no binding, as you know, already has a seven million dollars binding cap mate, and the further discussion of the alleged faction in this case in an open court room, we think continues to run the risk of polluting the jury pool, which in a moment, I think we can talk about a speedy trial in this matter which occur in this court room. So we don't believe it any reason to go any factual background. He's agreed to nobond.

39:04 And so we can move into the more. Procedural motions that we have, and I think we actually worked out an agreement on all the emotions. So if we could do that, your honor, sir, your honor, beg you fortune daughter. In your honor very quickly. I'm gonna just add that we have, of course consulted with the victims in this matter, are victim advocate is present and some of the victims of my understanding are joining through the remote procedure. I just wanted to make sure that was on the record. Up well, your honor, you know there's a few motions. I know that that mister Harpootley and I have discussed. One of the first emotions that has been discussed is a gag order. The state has no objection to a gag order or mister Harpootlin disgusted with me, and we do agree that would be appropriate on this matter. Given the amount of media attention this case, as I've been saying all along at various on hearings along the way.

40:01 It needs to be tried in the court room, and so the state has no objection to that. You're in an addition to that of a week, we have an agreement that all the starby material furnished to us will be even though it's not a state white grand theury case, we subject to a confidentiality order, the same confidentiality order that they use. In state white grand airy casion. It might right another that, well, yes, your honor, In another aspect, well, that would be appropriate. Is much of the. Information that's been gathered in the state gran why grand jury case, all of the eighty one allegations of white collar fraud and other crimes, drugs and the like, it's been gathered against mister Murdock over the course of that long investigation. A lot of that provides the background and the motive for what happened on June seventh, twenty twenty one.

40:45 So that evidence blends together, and. It would be appropriate for there to be a global protective order protecting everything related to this case. Secondly, we propose that all motions in this matter, even if all about state or be sealed and subject to emotion by eedith party to unseal it. But rather than again, I mean, we're putting a position or finding emotion on discovery to discuss what we've been given and. What we haven't been given. And again, this is going to force us to disclose matters to the general public that we don't really want to discuss in public because we're trying to get. A fair trial for a client. Not try it in the media, but try it in.

41:26 This court room. And I believe mister Waters agrees with that. In your honor, as long as there's obviously the opportunity of mine appropriate showing for emotions to be made public and for hearings to be public, then I think that that is appropriate. I think we're not talking about hearings. We're no to our motions. Correct and hearings to the extent that if there's something that needs we could obviously discuss things of writing and submit them to your honor prior to hearing and not have those matters necessarily put on the record. But that's something down the line. So Your Honor, we have an agreement is to confidence reality. We have agreements just to falling matters under seal, and I think that takes care of that issue that right.

42:09 Obviously it's the judge's decision, but I believe we are in general agreement on those matters. Yeah, can, yes, sir, move on to the next matter. Well, let's address the matters thus far regarding a gag order. What's your understanding as to the parameters of a gag order, which is I typically disfavor. What's your understanding as to the parameters of a gag order? Well, I think, in your honor, it wouldn't need to be somewhat limited. I think that obviously there needs to be the ability to advise the public of upcoming hearings. Obviously we've talked about the ability to advise or to move do unsealed motions.

42:51 But I do think that extra judicial comments to the press would be the limits of what I see. But that obviously any sort of aside. From notice and that sort of thing, but any sort of hearings that take place in court obviously a fair game. And yeah, we would agree we're talking about extra judicial statements. And I'm not here, and I'm gonna make it clear if no indication whatsoever, if mister Waters is in any way made any extra judicial statements. Part of the day. But anyone that reads this constant churning out there, it would appear somebody is It's not. Him as far as I ain't know, none of his agents. But we want if that's violated, we'd like to be able to come before the court and had the court inquire how this material fact got out to see if sanctions part necessary so to be a gag order, if any extra judicial statement.

43:41 I have the parties prepared. They proposed a proposed order that you all have you consented to a proposed order for me to review regarding the gag order. I will say this year honor obviously this case and we all know we can see what's all around us right now. This case is generated a lot of media attention, and again the state wants very much this case to be tried fairly and appropriately in a court of law. But I will say this, just because information does make it into the media does not mean that. It necessarily came from law enforcement or prosbytorial sources. But I think that the state. Is in general agreement that we want to limit that so that again things are handled in from Peter honor.

44:24 In court, we'll prepare a prefoded order and. Try to get to something I'm sure we want to bring in on that and then submit it to your honor and hopefully buy Blake this week Growing Network. Next, regarding ceiling of of motions. Not all motions, but in any emotion which we believe we're discussing evidential materials. I mean, typically in a case like this, there'll be some concern about whether or not discovery obligations to do that, and we'd like to be be able to knock have to detail that in a motion that then is subject to being filed in the Corporate Court's office and used by the media.

45:09 To talk about what the facts may or may not be. I think I think they'rein if I could. The appropriate way to handle that is that if mister Harpooling or the state files the motion and believes that it should be sealed, that they could file an accompanying motion to seal, and then that will just sort of preemptively seal it until the court could address that order at that time. And that's the matter which is typically done emotion and any motion to sealed along with the motion. Glogal order that. We want to advance copy before they file it. Your honor, maybe the easiest way to deal with this is if the state, then we'll do. The same thing.

45:49 If the State would agree to give us an advanced copy of something and getting ready to file, give us. The ability to make that motion, and we'll do the same with you. We won't file anything without letting it giving you forty eight hours, forty eight business hours before we popped. That's fair. I just want to clearly understood that it's a public matter for with a public trial, and UH, certainly the matters that need to be sealed can be sealed to preserve the rights of all parties to affair an impartial trial. Uh, and the court understands that. But at the same time, I want it clear that we will not have any private motion hearings. Public matters will be public.

46:37 Yes, sir, So we'll get your proposed order on that. Can I move on to the next week, and that is we've made We found a motion for speedy craw We note that there are two terms here, one in October and one in November, and we'd like to go ahead and get this matter before Collegeen County Jury as quickly as possible. Mister Murdach goes just for a number of reasons. One is you've heard he believes he's innocent. Avers he's innocent, and two he believes that the killer or killers are still at guard, and it's going to allow sway with this behind him and. Go look to the real building. The status I've already stated is willing and actually completely agreeable to moving this matter forward expeditiously. I'm hesitant to set a specific term already because there is a very extensive discovery and probably a number of matters that will be needed to address that could work out. I just think it's a little premature to say definitely that's the term we's scheduled.

47:36 However, the state is absolutely in favor. The evidence in this case is substantial and it all points back to Elk Murdach. There's forensic evidence as well as other evidence of his guilt of these murders, and so the state is ready and willing to move this matter forward as expeditiously as could be reasonably done. In your honor. We understand that it's just a water to believe if it's a pudential evidence, pro forensic and otherwise. Our response to that is he's wrong, and that's why a jury will sit in that jury box. Is it that dury that journey. Like one of those that's the grand jury les and old timey courthouse. I forget which side we go with. That jurybox, go right there, hopefully within ninety to one hundred and twenty days, and decide whether that is substantial evidence.

48:23 Right now, there's October term with George Mullen and she forfears herself, and November term with Goldsmith Brooks Goldsmith. In Lancashire County. Those are already set. I don't know that we need to get into that today, but we are going to be pressing for a trial as quickly as possible. In that Vein. Last week we serve discovery motion on the state. They have thirty days under the rules of respond But this matter has been under investigation for a year and a half. It may be extensive, but it ought to be easily accessible and we out be able to get back in two and a half weeks and begin the crosses of coming to it our seven. We've already provided them substantial discovery in the other matters and we will certainly comply with our obligations, and your honor, I think that once we start that process, and I know and I agree that we need.

49:10 To move this matter forward expeditiously. What I don't want to have happened is for the defense to be screaming speedy trial on one hand and screaming about discovery on the other hand. This is a very aggressive timeline, which we're in favor of, but I think we need to see how things develop and find the most reasonable expedited term we can, And I think we need to start this process for a few weeks and then make an assessment at. That time of what is a reasonable term that might be January. Obviously, mister Senator Harputliin has his legislative obligations at that time. Which I will weigh, but which I will waigh. It seems like, probably, given the realistic expectations in this matter, that January would be a very aggressive and reasonable timeline. And we may disagree on that, but you're honor, I would point out they spent over a year investigating this, they took it to a grand jury. They should have Provid's ended them with all the evidence that would have convinced that grand jury beyond of evil about and so it's there as accessible and you ought to be. I mean most of it's electronic. I suspect they could hit a button and spit it out. We're not going to argue about discovery because I assume they're going to give it everything that would be the scientific, everything under World five, everything under Brave, and we're not gonna have to fight about it. So we make we made a motion from speedy trial. I don't know that we need to until your Honor decides how to address that.

50:26 There's no recent process graphic order on that. Is that correct? It's for a speedy trial. Yeah, I mean again, we. I think we need to starve the process, your Honor, and then maybe reassess this matter in a few weeks. Well, the defendant has a constitutional right to a speedy trial. That being said, however, I am totally unaware of the status of the docket here in Callington County. I do not know if the Solicitor's Office for this circuit already has day certain trials scheduled there, or what other matters that currently exists that might be scheduled already or anticipated by or whether a special term of court might become necessary to try this case in your.

51:22 Honor what we talk to people, But apparently there's no motion for speedy trial in any case pending in Fulton County right now, so we're the only ones to ask for them. If that makes a difference. And again we understand it's totally within your discretion. Not mine, not it. So we just want you to consider that. And again I bring up into the water. It's not something to rule on together, so fake of course and whatever. That's okay.

52:13 I think you're out of that. Everything that the next up for today. Especially a gentoen Is there anything you would like to uh state pertaining to the matter share, No, is there none at this time m any h victim input anyone wishes to address anything from victim's perspective today, we've met not. Been advised of any specific. Input uh anything further than. Not for the defendant none from the state. Alright, bond will therefore be denied, uh hand matters discussed this morning. It would be addressed in written orders where necessary.

53:06 Man, Thank you all, And next week everything I just told you in some eleven episodes now will start to make sense. You will start to see why it took so much time to explain everything to you before I jumped right into a trial, so. Get ready for that. I want to thank everyone who has shared this show. We grow every single week and it's because of all of you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.

53:50 It means the absolute world to me. Everybody that's taking time to rate the show, thank you so much. I have to have those ratings in order for that show to grow, and all of you are the best fans in the world for taking time out to rate the show. I really mean that. And the awesome things that y'all say keep me going, keep me fired up, keep me wanting to do this every single week. If you haven't had a chance to review the show where you're new to the show and you like what you hear, please do so. We have a Patreon. The Patreon helps support this show. It's y'all. See the amount of time that I spend researching these cases. In many situations, I have to buy these actual lawsuits online and they charge they're like twenty cents a sheet. That's what that type of money goes towards. So you really help with all that.

54:43 I appreciate. If you're interested. Look, you get a ton of benefits on that thing we did Quarterly gifts, you get commercial free early releases, you get bonus episodes, all kinds of stuff, and I keep it as active as humanly possible. So go check out the Patreon. Haven't had a chance. Get ready because next week it is about to be off the chain. Off the chain. You're gonna love it. And until next time for exposed scandalous files of the elite, I'm your host, Jim Chapman. Much love,