Jan. 9, 2025

"Murdaugh" Episode Sixteen | The 192k Mistake

"Murdaugh" Episode Sixteen | The 192k Mistake

In this episode of Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite, Jim Chapman delves into day six of the Murdaugh trial focusing on a key Snapchat video from Paul Murdaugh less then 2 hours from his death as well as the testimony of Chris Wilson, a long-time...

In this episode of Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite, Jim Chapman delves into day six of the Murdaugh trial focusing on a key Snapchat video from Paul Murdaugh less then 2 hours from his death as well as the testimony of Chris Wilson, a long-time friend of Alex, whose insights reveal financial struggles and unearth the emotional consequences of betrayal.



Chapters
04:45 Testimony of Chris Wilson
13:35 The Mack Trucks Case
30:04 Conversations with Lee Cope
34:16 Alec's Confession
51:00 Aftermath and Consequences

The “Murdaugh case details” may be disturbing for some listeners. Exposed: Scandalous Files of the Elite provides the“latest update on the Alex Murdaugh case” throughout its ”Murdaugh” series podcast.

Discover “the impact of the Murdaugh trial ” Exposed: Scandalous Files of the Elite can be followed by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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WEBVTT

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Hey, everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of

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the Elite. I am your host, Jim Chapman, and we

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are back with this sixteenth installment in our myrtall series.

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And it's been a little while. A couple of volumes

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of the myrtaal jeilhouse phone calls have been headed your

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way the past couple of weeks. Everybody's enjoyed that. But

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we are back into the trial, and this is the

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sixth day of that trial, and we're going to pick

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up with that day and I'll kind of just summarize

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the testimony that is not critical. All of it's critical

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to the case, but some of it a lot more

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dramatic than others. So I'll summarize some of the people

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from that day. A representative from Snapchat by the name

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of Heidi Galore. She is the law enforcement operations lead

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for Snapchat, and she was able to get into the

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account of Paul Murdall and find a Snapchat video that

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he had posted. Now, that video was posted at seven

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point thirty six PM on the night that Paul and

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Maggie were murdered. If you'll remember, police theorized they were

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murdered between eight forty five and nineh three, I think

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is what they came up with. And the issue with

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that time and the fact that Alex Murdall was actually

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in that video pulling on a tree by the kennels.

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He was clearing some shrubs or something and Paul was

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laughing in the background. That's a big problem because Alex

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said he wasn't there at that time. Timing is important

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in this case. Obviously that's just like an hour and

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a half before they were killed. So the prosecution in

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an effort to form a timeline that would make it

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kind of hard for Alex Murdall to have not committed

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the crime. They stressed the importance of this snapchat video.

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Next up was an investigator from the Solicitor's office and

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his name was Dylan high Tower, and he was the

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one who actually discovered Maggie's foam by the roadside at Mozelle.

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He just kind of testified as to how he found

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the phone, etc. It wasn't anything very dramatic. Then Jennie Secklinger,

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who is the CFO of the law firm that Alex

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was a partner in. She testified about finding a ton

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of thefts that Alex committed during his time at the

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law firm. After a forensic audit was performed that was

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performed by an outside company. All of this came out

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with Alex mrdall. And of course the reason this was

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allowed in the trial is the financial crimes are important

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because that would prove a motive as to why Alex

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lost his fucking mind. If he's having to steal millions

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and millions of dollars and he's in all this financial trouble,

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what does that do? It makes you very desperate. So

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staying on that topic, and who you are going to

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hear from today is the testimony of Chris Wilson of

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the Wilson Law Group. Now, in addition to being a

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fellow attorney, Chris was also one of Alex's best friends.

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They have known each other since high school and they

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went to law school together. They even were roommates during

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law school. So I'm gonna set this up and then

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I'm gonna play the club. But essentially what you're gonna

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hear is Chris Wilson discussed a little about how him

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and Alex came to know each other, and then he's

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going to talk about a specific case that they worked

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on together where they sued the Mac Truck Company. It's

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insane and this is really a good look at the

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emotional told that this took on Alex's friends, people that

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trusted him, his best friend in this case. So here's

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that clip. Chris Wilson's testimony.

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Rachel right left?

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Any known about it? Do you think from the testimony.

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That get the play that I shall be the truth

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to help you.

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I want to see one of the esten it's your

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name again for the records for your last name.

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Please, My name is James Christopher Wilson. Be A I

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L S O N. I go by Chris.

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Mister Wilson. You understand that we're here for an end

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camera hearing to determine the admissibility or testimony I do.

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All right, you're a lawyers, you get that, yes, sir.

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So I'm not going to go into a lot of

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everything that I might cover with you in a trial,

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but I do want to focus on particularly the Ferri's case.

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You know, it's what I'm referred to.

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Sure.

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First of all, though, just very quickly, you're a lawyer?

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Is that corrupt?

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I am since nineteen ninety eighteen ninety eight.

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And describe very quickly your practice for the record.

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Actually since nineteen ninety five. I haven't own practice since

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nineteen ninety eight. In the last fifteen years, I've done

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primarily personal injury work, automobile liccense people that are injured

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at work.

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I'll practice type cases those things.

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And where do you normally practice? Where's your home days?

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My only offices in Bamberg.

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You do a lot of clans for work. That's all

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I do anymore for the last fifteen years, That's really

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all I do.

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And do you know the defendant?

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I do?

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And when did you get to know the defendant?

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I've known Elick since we were in high school Bamberg

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and Hampton. I grew up in Bamberg and they're only

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about thirty miles apart, and so I knew of Elkin,

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had been around him some growing up.

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We had some mutual friends.

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I was a lot closer to some other guys in

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Hampton that I grew up playing golf and things like

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that with, but I would cross paths with Elick played

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on the same baseball.

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Team one summer.

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I think like our senior years in high school or

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somewhere around high school age. Didn't really keep in touch

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with him. Or cross paths with him until we ended

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up going to law school and we started law school

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together at Carolina three years there together at law school

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and lived together part of the time.

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Did y'all become friends? We did become close friends, very

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close best friends.

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He was one of my best friends, yes, and I thought,

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you know he was, and I thought he felt the

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same way about me.

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You feel that way now.

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I don't know how I feel now much waters fair enough.

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Over the years, as you developed that close friendship with Ali,

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did y'all also have a professional relationship as well?

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We did.

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When I finished law school, I went to work in

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Greenville for a judge for a year. Elick went to

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Beaufort to work with a law from there, So we

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didn't we see each other, but it was more socially.

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Then when I moved back to Bamberg to start practicing

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where I had grown up and he moved back to

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Hampton a couple of years later, we started doing a

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little bit more work together, and we've done cases together

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really since nineteen ninety eight. I opened up my own

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firm in ninety eight. I think that's about the same

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time he had moved back to his Firman it was

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a bigger firm with resources that I didn't have starting

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out on my own, and so we started working cases

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together and worked a lot together.

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Tell me for the record how that works when you're

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in a different firm than the firm he was in correct, Yes.

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And so when two lawyers from different firms or three,

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however many it is, share a case, how do you

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hand all the payment of the fees if there's a

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successful recovery.

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Well, it really all depends on the agreement that's reached

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up front between the lawyers and with the client's consent.

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But generally.

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All the cases that I work with his firm, and

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with most firms I do business with, it it's a

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fifty to fifty split on the fee recovery, or at

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least an equal split. Maybe if there are more than

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two lawyers, it'll be an equal split across the board,

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But generally it was just my firm and his firm

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with a fifty to fifty split on attorney's fees recovered,

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and each firm recovers whatever costs they've advanced in the case.

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And sometimes his firm would advance more of the cost

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because you know, they had a larger number of lawyers

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bringing them more money than I was and could afford

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to handle some of the bigger costs. But it's kind

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of whoever got the bill, paid the bill.

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And then.

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We reimbursed at the end. Whoever had advanced the cost

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client signs off on all of that.

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Who ultimately in those situations where splitting a fee is

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out a good way to call it, Yes, sir, who

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handles the ultimate dispersement? How does that work?

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Whichever lawyer receives the settlement checks or the checks to

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pay whatever verdict or judgment that was received. I can't

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say in every single case with Alex Firn, but and

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having gone back through my files and all that did

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my paperwork, it looks like in almost every single case

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that we worked together, the disbursement, the money would come

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through to me and I would handle the disbursement. They

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were generally clients where I would associate his firm. They

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were my clients. They were people that had come to

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me and I wanted them to, uh, you know, frankly

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know that I was the person that took care of.

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Them and.

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If they needed anything, that's they could come back. And

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so I wanted to be the person hand on that

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part of it also, all right.

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So if the money comes through you, then just mechanically,

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how do you go about paying alec And in case

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where y'all are splitting a figure paying the firm?

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Money comes in, client has to come sign the check

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or whatever it is is along with my firm. If

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it's made, it's generally made payable to Wilson Law Group,

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a Wilson Law firm, and the client client comes in

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and signs the check. I endorse a check. We deposit

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that into my trust account. If it has to sit

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under Supreme Court rules, sometimes it has to sit for

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ten days or more. Some smaller checks don't. Once it's

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been in the account long enough to be able to

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be dispersed pursuit for our rules, then then my bookkeeper

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does the checks that I instruct her to do, and

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I signed the checks to make dispersements. If they're checks

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to another law firm, then the money is dispersed to

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that firm.

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All right.

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In the course of litigation, are there typically costing expenses

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that accreu during the course of that litigation almost always,

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and those we get paid out of whatever settlement is reaching,

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assuming a successful result.

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They do all of my fee agreements in every lawyer

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I've ever worked with have a provision in there that

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the clan understands that the fees are advanced by the lawyer,

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but upon recovery they're reimbursed or recovered by by the lawyer.

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In a particular case where you're splitting a fee, and

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there were in fact fees and costs associated with a

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successful recovery, excuse me. Costing expenses associated with successful recovery

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are those issued in a separate check, typically or a

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check together.

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When I first started, I think my firm was doing

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cost and fees, not just for other firms, but costing

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fees that were payable to if firm in the same check.

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But I mean ten plus years ago, if not longer,

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we started doing separate checks just to make the accounting

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and keeping up with it easier. So generally it's a

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feed check and a separate cost check.

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And in twenty twenty one, were you issuing those separate checks, yes,

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very quickly, without getting into the details. Did you have

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a case in Allendale where you split it with Alec

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in the early part.

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Of twenty twenty one, Yes, sir, all right.

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And ultimately was there a recovery in that case, there was,

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and it was actually three cases, but they were similar factually,

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and so we treated them as one case.

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But it was three separate three separate plaintiffs, three separate cases.

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And ultimately, did you your office disperse the fees and

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the expense check to PMPD on all three cases, Yes, sir,

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And those checks were made out to what.

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All three of the feed checks were made payable to.

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I don't know if we used the acronym pm p

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e D if we actually spelled out Peter's Murdoch, Parker,

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Dietrich and Elsroeth, but pmp.

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D generally except for the Farris case, which we'll talk about.

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00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:13.600
In a minute.

236
00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:17.759
Sure, when you had those feast splits with alect worthy

237
00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:20.759
checks made out the pm p D, they readys signed by.

238
00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.600
You, Yes, sir. And I'm the only person can signed

239
00:13:23.639 --> 00:13:26.919
checks in my office so well, and now I had

240
00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:28.600
a partner at one time, but now I'm the only

241
00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:30.399
person that can sign checks.

242
00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.639
Did you have a case involving mac trucks that involved

243
00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:42.679
elim Yes, sir, And can you describe to the court

244
00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:45.200
how you ended up getting that case and how you

245
00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:47.840
ultimately associated ALEC in that case?

246
00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:48.399
Sure?

247
00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:49.120
And you know.

248
00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:51.399
I've heard it referred to as the Farris case of

249
00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:53.480
Mac Trucks and Ferris I'd rather refer to as the

250
00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:58.600
Mack Truck's case. Another lawyer had contacted me about a

251
00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:02.440
case that he was working on. Felt like he had

252
00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:06.159
a wreck involving a tractor trailer on an automobile.

253
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:07.600
In which a gentleman was injured.

254
00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:12.360
I believe he had already filed suit against the tractor

255
00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:19.159
trailer company and its driver, and maybe another party started

256
00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:21.519
looking at the case for and with him. It involved

257
00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:24.919
a drive shaft that had fallen out of a Mac

258
00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:29.200
truck into the interstate, and this gentleman had and a

259
00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:32.840
number of other cars had hit that drive shaft, and

260
00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:34.840
and looking at it and doing a little bit of research,

261
00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:39.360
I and he together realized that there very likely could

262
00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:42.200
be a product's liability case involving a defect with the

263
00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:43.639
drive shaft of the truck.

264
00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:44.120
Or something like that.

265
00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:48.600
So so I reached out to Elic and asked him

266
00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:50.200
if he could get involved in the case or would

267
00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:52.480
get involved in the case. And that's what his firm

268
00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:56.320
specialized in a lot with products liability cases. And we

269
00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:58.519
were pushing some deadlines to bring in all the parties

270
00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:00.279
that we needed to And so I re sed out

271
00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:02.440
pretty quickly because I knew we needed some help.

272
00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.240
And did he agree to be part of that case?

273
00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:06.080
He did?

274
00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:10.720
As that litigation proceeded, Did y'all have as his typical

275
00:15:10.759 --> 00:15:13.320
some discovery hearings, discovery motions and.

276
00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:15.399
That sort of thing, Well, we had a number of them.

277
00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:17.600
I don't remember how many. I don't remember how many,

278
00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:19.919
but we had a number of different motions and discovery

279
00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:22.559
that went back and forth, documents me and exchange things

280
00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:23.720
like that, all right, And.

281
00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:26.720
Did that ultimately set up the prospect of a trial.

282
00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:29.600
In that case? It did, but it was unusual.

283
00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:32.080
It wasn't a jury trial like is normally done in

284
00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:37.159
personal injury cases. It was a non jury trial tried

285
00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:41.360
before a circuit court judge with an emission of liability.

286
00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:47.440
We waived punitive damages, and there was an agreement between

287
00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:49.480
the parties that neither party would appeal the result.

288
00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:54.480
And in a case Planeff's case, civil planets case like this,

289
00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:57.159
if there's a large recovery let's say, for the plaintiff

290
00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:01.240
and the defendant size to appeal, does that typically delay

291
00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:04.440
payment of the recovery and until that appeal is heard

292
00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:06.519
and resultd I mean it can.

293
00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:08.799
Appeals.

294
00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.000
You never know how long an appeal is going to take.

295
00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:14.919
And so if the losing party, the defendant, the company

296
00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.399
that you're suing, whoever it might be, decides to appeal,

297
00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:21.240
they can tie the verdict up for a while. If

298
00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.159
you win the appeal, you're going to recover cost and interest,

299
00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:27.720
so you know that's the remedy, but it can tie

300
00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:31.240
up money for people that are injured that need that money.

301
00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:35.480
Did y'all ultimately try that case in a bench trial?

302
00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:40.399
We did? We? Excuse me? What county it was in

303
00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:41.879
Richland County, Columbia?

304
00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:43.360
And when did y'all try that case?

305
00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:46.559
The first part of January of twenty twenty one?

306
00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:52.639
And who did the closing argument in that case?

307
00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:53.120
Al?

308
00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.519
Did y'all ultimately there's been a concession of liability? So

309
00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:00.559
the amount was really well in question?

310
00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:02.120
Is that correct? Yes, sir?

311
00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:03.600
And how many plans did you have?

312
00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:08.359
There were actually two cases and when we call it

313
00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:10.480
ferris or the mack truck's case throughout all of this,

314
00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:15.039
but there were actually two cases. The gentleman that was

315
00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:19.200
injured and then his wife. We brought a loss of

316
00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:24.880
consort claim for her for the loss of companion services

317
00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.559
that she had lost from him, and just not to

318
00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:31.000
get too detailed swards that her case had gone into default.

319
00:17:31.160 --> 00:17:33.640
In other words, mack Trucks hadn't answered the papers like

320
00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:35.559
they should have, and so they were in a really

321
00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:38.759
bad position on that case. And then the gentleman's case

322
00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:43.200
they had answered, but we were discovering some things. When

323
00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:44.960
we were doing some discovery, it was clear they didn't

324
00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:48.240
want us looking much much further. And so that's why

325
00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:53.079
this deal everybody agreed to a non jury trial without

326
00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:55.559
appeal with a waiver of punity damages under the Mission

327
00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:57.920
of Liability was done and we were in COVID and

328
00:17:57.960 --> 00:17:59.599
it was gonna take us a while to get the trial.

329
00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:02.359
So it worked out well for both parties and the

330
00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.640
result worked out well for us.

331
00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:05.359
And that's all now goes on litigation.

332
00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:08.880
Both sides kind of decide what's best and sometimes they

333
00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:09.720
can have a meeting.

334
00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:09.960
Of a minds.

335
00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:13.960
Yes, sir, all right, was there ultimately perverting by the

336
00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:14.559
judge in that.

337
00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:19.799
Gay Well two verdict since two cases, Yes, sir, I

338
00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:23.599
believe it was four million for the injured man and

339
00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:25.680
one point five for the wife. I remember it was

340
00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.440
five point five combined, but I think it was four

341
00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:28.240
in one point five.

342
00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:30.759
And so how did the fees break down, to the

343
00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:32.920
best of your recollection, that were going to be split

344
00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:35.759
among the three lawyers involved?

345
00:18:38.759 --> 00:18:39.400
There were.

346
00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.240
Let me ask you this, Do you remember how much

347
00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:46.960
Alex share.

348
00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:49.359
Of the seven hundred ninety two thousand? Okay, and you're

349
00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:52.440
there was a larger split to the attorney that initiated

350
00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:55.559
the case, But I believe Alick was seven ninety two.

351
00:18:55.720 --> 00:18:57.119
The math didn't work out perfectly.

352
00:18:57.160 --> 00:18:59.960
I was seven ninety one, and the other attorney will

353
00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:02.680
higher than that, but I don't remember the exact numbers.

354
00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:08.039
In recognition of his origination, Yes, sir, in March of

355
00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:11.079
twenty twenty one, did you ultimately receive the moneys and

356
00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:12.200
prepare for dispersing?

357
00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:14.880
Yes, sir, I believe they came.

358
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:20.960
In late February, because we dispersed in March and I

359
00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:23.279
had to wait at least ten days. Part of the

360
00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:25.559
money came by a wire, which would have been kind

361
00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:28.039
of immediately available and accessible, but it was a smaller

362
00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:30.880
portion of the money. The larger portion came in a check,

363
00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:34.000
and because it was such a sizeable amount, I waited,

364
00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:37.680
how maybe twelve or fifteen, fifteen days or so. I

365
00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:40.119
didn't disperse on the tenth day.

366
00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:43.960
And did you have a conversation with a defendant about

367
00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:45.119
dispersing those fees.

368
00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.359
I had a conversation with Elick and with the other

369
00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:50.240
attorney I worked on the case with when the fees

370
00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:51.799
and were ready to be dispersed.

371
00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:55.440
What about your specific conversation with Elec did he make

372
00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:57.519
any requests of you or having a discussion in view

373
00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:00.359
about how to handle his seven hundred and twenty two

374
00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:03.039
thousand dollars share of the fees? He did, and tell

375
00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:04.359
me about that conversation, please.

376
00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:06.640
When I contacted him and told him we were getting

377
00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:09.559
ready to disperse and we would have checks ready, he

378
00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:13.880
indicated to me that he was looking to place his

379
00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:16.680
fees in an annuity. He called it like a structure.

380
00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:18.720
I'm never done one of those before, so I didn't

381
00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:21.000
really know how worked. I've never done structure for my

382
00:20:21.079 --> 00:20:23.839
fees myself. I've structured client money, but not my fees.

383
00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:26.240
He indicated he was looking to do a structure by

384
00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:29.720
putting the moneies into annuities, and that the checks needed

385
00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:33.920
to be made payable directly to him that he had

386
00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:36.480
already cleared it with his firm, that the moneys were

387
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.720
going to be put on the books and accounted for,

388
00:20:39.640 --> 00:20:43.200
and he would be credited as having received those moneies.

389
00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:45.920
Based on his representations to you, that he had cleared

390
00:20:45.960 --> 00:20:48.319
it with his firm. Did you agree to do something

391
00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.519
different and make the checks directly out to him? I

392
00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:54.000
did here quickly westpend marches zib at three forty five

393
00:20:54.519 --> 00:20:58.480
safe three forty five for purposes in camera hearing, and

394
00:20:58.519 --> 00:20:59.920
see if you recognize that particular guy.

395
00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:03.200
I do, all right, And what is that?

396
00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:07.079
So this is the initial check that was written per

397
00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:10.960
alex instructions directly to him on the gentleman's case for

398
00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:14.640
fees made pay able to Richard Alexander Murdock Esquire for

399
00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:17.720
six hundred thousand dollars mis avoided.

400
00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:20.240
Why was it avoided?

401
00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:23.039
Because he instructed me.

402
00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:26.559
Afterwards, And I don't remember if it was in the

403
00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:29.440
same conversation, in the same conversation or shortly thereafter.

404
00:21:29.480 --> 00:21:31.319
It must have been shortly thereafter.

405
00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:35.079
That the checks on that case needed to be made

406
00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:37.519
in two separate check payments, so he was doing two

407
00:21:37.559 --> 00:21:38.440
separate annuities.

408
00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:41.839
I'm sure it was from margins three for persus the

409
00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:46.640
sin camera hearing. And see if you recognize these documents, yes, sir.

410
00:21:46.680 --> 00:21:51.200
The first page is the check payable directly to Richard

411
00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:55.279
Alexander Murdock Esquire for one hundred and ninety two thousand

412
00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:58.319
dollars and that is on the loss of consortium case

413
00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:00.079
for the wife. And on the bottom, just like that

414
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.960
six hundred thousand dollars check that was voided, it indicates

415
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:08.759
it was for fees. I guess the other writing on

416
00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:13.400
here is maybe from my I'm just like the check

417
00:22:13.720 --> 00:22:15.960
check has something to do with the way we recovered

418
00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:22.160
the checks. The back page looks like an endorsement Bank

419
00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:28.559
of America deposit only looks like a signature Bank of America.

420
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.319
Okay, And again I'm just asking you to Jennifer.

421
00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:34.440
See if you recognize that check. Yes, I did, I recognize?

422
00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:34.759
All right?

423
00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:37.640
Tell me the second check, city amount and what that's for.

424
00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:40.720
The second check is for two hundred and twenty five

425
00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:45.599
thousand dollars payable directly to Richard Alexander Murdock Esquire. It

426
00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:48.119
indicates on the bottom of that is for fees. This

427
00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:50.519
would be part of the rewrite of that six hundred

428
00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:53.319
thousand dollars check that had been voided. And then the

429
00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:55.759
third check is three hundred and seventy five thousand dollars

430
00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:59.480
check payable directly to Richard Alexander Murdick Esquire and it

431
00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:02.200
indicates fees, and that would be the remainder, the remainder

432
00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:04.400
of the rewrite of that six hundred thousand dollars check

433
00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:05.799
initially written that was avoided.

434
00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:08.599
And there's a second two where ringading why.

435
00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:12.920
At Elex's request he had indicated that he was putting

436
00:23:12.920 --> 00:23:17.880
the money into two different vehicles or annuities and needed

437
00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:21.160
the checks written that way.

438
00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:24.839
What did you do with those checks after you the

439
00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:27.279
three checks, after you had finally cut them.

440
00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:31.119
Obviously I signed them, and at some point in time,

441
00:23:31.160 --> 00:23:33.359
I think Alex sent somebody up to.

442
00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:35.119
My office to pick them up. I don't think I

443
00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:36.279
delivered them.

444
00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:39.519
Oftentimes I put checks in the mail sometimes when they're larger,

445
00:23:39.559 --> 00:23:41.559
I either offer to have them picked up or delivered,

446
00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:43.599
And I think he had somebody come pick those up

447
00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:44.680
from my office.

448
00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:46.200
Like a law firm runner or somebody like that or.

449
00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:47.920
Something like that. Yes, sir, I don't even think I

450
00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:49.279
was in the office when they picked it up.

451
00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:53.920
You known Alec for a long time, right.

452
00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:58.000
Since they're a yeah, since the mid eighties, earlier than

453
00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:58.720
the mid eighties.

454
00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:01.279
Yes, worked with him for a long time many times.

455
00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:04.039
Did his explanation to you about what he was going

456
00:24:04.119 --> 00:24:06.319
to do? Did that raise any suspicions with you to

457
00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:08.119
your friend that you've done for such a long.

458
00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:10.480
Time, No, sir, it was. It was different, but it

459
00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:12.920
didn't raise any red flags or suspicions to me than.

460
00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:15.480
Anything wrong was going on because you trusted your friend

461
00:24:15.559 --> 00:24:16.400
right very much?

462
00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:28.079
Was your What was your perception of Alex's general wealth

463
00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:29.359
and success?

464
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:34.640
He made a lot more money than I did, always

465
00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:36.799
seemed to do well in his practice. All I ever

466
00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:39.000
heard is that he was one of the biggest producers

467
00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:41.640
in the firm. He you know, it's his family's name

468
00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:43.279
on the firm, but they acted like it was it

469
00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:46.160
was his name on the firm too. He and I

470
00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:48.640
handled big cases together. When I talked to the partners

471
00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:51.319
and other members of that firm, they were talking to big,

472
00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:58.039
big cases that they were handling with him. Felt like

473
00:24:58.039 --> 00:25:01.000
he did really well, and there were we never got

474
00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:03.279
into direct discussions about the amount of money he made

475
00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:05.640
or the amount of money I made. We talked about,

476
00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:10.559
you know, sometimes business and sometimes money and sometimes things,

477
00:25:10.599 --> 00:25:12.960
but I never I always thought he made a lot

478
00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:13.920
of money.

479
00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:19.119
Is that part of the reason why your suspicions weren't

480
00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:22.240
didn't get didn't arise when you were asked to do

481
00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:24.079
this request by Elec?

482
00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:29.799
I guess so, not so much as just I'd never

483
00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:33.799
had any dealers with him that I had any reason

484
00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:38.160
to distrust what he was telling me. I mean, he

485
00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:41.279
was a partner in that firm. He had the authority

486
00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:44.839
as far as I knew, to make decisions. If he'd

487
00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:47.920
have wanted to reduce the fee and take less and

488
00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:49.759
it was payable to deffirm, I wouldn't have questioned that.

489
00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:51.880
I didn't feel like he had to have his authority,

490
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:55.079
his partner's approval was to make those type decisions.

491
00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:57.160
All right, I'm gonna show you Wes with Marches three

492
00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:59.440
forty seven and see if you recognize that document.

493
00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:03.279
Yes, sir.

494
00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:09.200
The first check is a check that was made in

495
00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:14.759
May of twenty twenty one, May thirteenth to Peters Parker, Murdoch,

496
00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:19.519
Elsroth and Dietrich for fourteen thy six six hundred nineteen

497
00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:23.519
dollars and thirteen cents. I don't think on the bottom

498
00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:25.880
it says anything. But this was a cost reimbursement check

499
00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:28.160
on one of those two cases. And then the second

500
00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:31.480
check is a check may beayable on the same day,

501
00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:34.039
May thirteenth for the same amount of money plus one cent,

502
00:26:34.119 --> 00:26:37.839
so for fourteen cents. And it was a cost reimbursement

503
00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:41.400
in the other case. And that's made payable to the

504
00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:41.920
law firm.

505
00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:48.519
Also, it was your assistant or paralegal at this point

506
00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:49.119
in time.

507
00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:52.519
Vicky means she's one of several, but VICKI is my

508
00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:53.559
primary baralegal.

509
00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:01.000
At some point in May of twenty twenty one, did

510
00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:04.960
Vicky advise you of any inquiry coming from PMPD about

511
00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:06.200
where these fees were.

512
00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:13.559
No, she didn't advise me in May about any inquiry

513
00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:17.279
about where the fees were. She had received an email

514
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:23.839
in May from Alex paralegal and at that said, Hey,

515
00:27:23.880 --> 00:27:26.720
we got the cost checked, but we don't have the fees.

516
00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:28.079
Where the fees.

517
00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:32.960
And she replied to that email to Annet and said,

518
00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:36.200
your boss has already been paid the fees, just like

519
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:40.119
mine and the other lawyer. Vicky replied to that email,

520
00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:42.160
I didn't know about that email until all of this

521
00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:44.799
came out in September.

522
00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:47.039
Of what was going on.

523
00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:50.920
I didn't know about that reply email to ann At.

524
00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:56.680
Vicky did receive an email another email from an AT,

525
00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:59.599
and as I recall, it was a email that an

526
00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:03.880
Ed received from Genie Seconder that Vicky did forward to

527
00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:08.160
me sometime towards the end of May. I think she

528
00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:09.920
had gotten it, but she was out on vacation for

529
00:28:09.960 --> 00:28:11.559
a couple of days and when she got back she

530
00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:14.319
forwarded it to me and it was an email from

531
00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:19.279
Genie Seconder that said something to the effect of ELEC

532
00:28:19.319 --> 00:28:22.119
thought he was owed more cost in the case, had

533
00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:25.880
some questions about costs and they were trying to get

534
00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:28.000
some information so they could determine if they were owed

535
00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:28.480
more cost.

536
00:28:29.640 --> 00:28:31.160
She did forward me that email.

537
00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:39.880
Yes, sir, this looks like the email string where Genie Seconder,

538
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:45.079
the chief financial officer at pmp ED emailed ann Att. Griswold,

539
00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:51.559
which was Elec's primary paralegal, basically says that Nicole and

540
00:28:51.559 --> 00:28:53.880
I don't know who that is brought them the expense

541
00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:56.240
check and that didn't match their records. Eleck thinks he

542
00:28:56.279 --> 00:29:00.160
has more outstanding cost, but Kate say what and they

543
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:02.640
they want to see if they can get some information

544
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:06.559
concerning expenses and dispersements. Looks like Annett forward to that

545
00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:13.720
to my paralegal, Vicky on May the twenty seventh. Vicky

546
00:29:13.880 --> 00:29:22.240
was out. Looks like Annett ask her again on June

547
00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:25.039
the second if she could get her some information, and

548
00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:28.799
Vicky replied to Annett that she didn't deal with some

549
00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:31.079
of the documentation they were questing, and so she would.

550
00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:31.519
Forward it to me.

551
00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:33.759
What that's June the second?

552
00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:38.960
When twenty twenty one, June second, June second, Yes, sir.

553
00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:46.440
At this point in time, are Alex Fi still in

554
00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:47.240
your trust account?

555
00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:53.720
No, sir, they were dispersed. The check is March.

556
00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:57.319
I don't know exactly, but they were dispersing three separate

557
00:29:57.359 --> 00:29:58.119
checks in March.

558
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:09.200
Kay, at some point in time around this June second thereabouts,

559
00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:11.720
did you receive any call from Lee Cooke?

560
00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:16.640
I believe I had a conversation with Lee Coke. I

561
00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:22.480
was trying to case in Hampton the week before that,

562
00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:27.160
and I was in and out of their office, and I.

563
00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:28.640
Believe I had a conversation with Lee.

564
00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:30.640
That would have been like the week of May the

565
00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:33.319
twenty fourth or some of those days in there, and

566
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:33.720
I believe.

567
00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:35.759
I had a conversation with Lee. He asked me.

568
00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:39.839
If all the money had been dispersed in the Ferris case,

569
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:42.160
and I told him that it had not been that

570
00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:45.599
we had some lians outstanding medical bills and lians outstanding,

571
00:30:45.880 --> 00:30:48.319
and we were holding money for some additional costing case

572
00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:52.359
things came in and he didn't ask me any further questions.

573
00:30:52.519 --> 00:30:54.400
He did not mention that there were any issues or

574
00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:55.839
concerns about fees.

575
00:30:56.440 --> 00:31:00.079
After he had received that call from Lee Cooke. What

576
00:31:00.200 --> 00:31:01.759
did you tell me, Cod, I.

577
00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:03.279
Told I might have to check into it.

578
00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:08.319
After that. Did you reach out to the defendant? I did,

579
00:31:08.680 --> 00:31:10.160
and what was your conversation with him?

580
00:31:10.680 --> 00:31:13.720
I reached out to Elik and I said, Elick, you know, hey,

581
00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:16.759
I don't know what all we talked about in that call,

582
00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:18.519
but at some point in time we talked about it.

583
00:31:18.519 --> 00:31:21.160
I said, hey, I've got this email that's been forwarded

584
00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:24.319
to me by VICKI where you're firm is saying that

585
00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:27.559
you believe you're owed more cost. I put the cost

586
00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:29.720
down on the cost on the disbursement sheet that you

587
00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:33.119
had given me. But if you've got more costs, just

588
00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:34.480
figure out what it is and get it to me,

589
00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:37.119
we're holding some money to deal with some medical bills

590
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:38.960
and leans and with the clients consent, we were holding

591
00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:41.799
some money in case additional costs come in. Sometimes cost

592
00:31:41.880 --> 00:31:45.759
or slow coming in, and that's normal. And if there's

593
00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:48.839
an issue, just let me know, he said, you know,

594
00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:50.680
I'll check on it, or there's not an issue where

595
00:31:50.680 --> 00:31:52.000
I'll check on it. And I said, hey, this is

596
00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:55.119
the case that I dispersed the fees to you, you know,

597
00:31:55.240 --> 00:31:58.519
per your request. Is everything all right? And he said, yeah,

598
00:31:58.519 --> 00:31:59.720
I just got to make sure they know it's on

599
00:31:59.720 --> 00:32:01.359
the book books the right way and that this is

600
00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:04.839
the case that that that we've already worked out the

601
00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:06.079
put in on the books.

602
00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:08.119
Did he tell you he had structured those fees and

603
00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:09.880
annuities as he had told you before.

604
00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:12.599
Yeah, that he had put him in the annuities.

605
00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:16.240
Put him in the annuities. Firms gonna make sure they're

606
00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:16.759
on the books.

607
00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.200
As far as I knew, the firm was aware that

608
00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:21.160
the moneys had been paid to him, that he was

609
00:32:21.160 --> 00:32:25.279
putting them into annuities, that they would credit him as

610
00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:27.359
already having been paid and they would account for that

611
00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:31.839
whenever or however they split up money.

612
00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:32.440
Just to be clear of those funds were not in

613
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:33.160
your trust account.

614
00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:34.160
They were gone about.

615
00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:36.559
Them, yes, sir, they've been gone since March and whenever

616
00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:38.680
those checks were cash after I wrote them.

617
00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:45.039
In March seven, ninety two thousand dollars, yes, sir. For

618
00:32:45.119 --> 00:32:50.000
purposes of this serum, I'm not gonna go into the

619
00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:53.200
night when maggiew Paul were killed, but just very quickly

620
00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:56.480
you did have some texts and calls with that like

621
00:32:56.519 --> 00:33:00.160
that night exact right, yes, sir, and you were at

622
00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:02.880
the residence and responding as friends and family did in

623
00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:03.960
the aftermath of that event.

624
00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:05.079
Is that correct, Yes, sir.

625
00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:21.559
After the few weeks after the murders, did you tisss changed?

626
00:33:21.960 --> 00:33:26.480
I've gotten one and got one good thankest second.

627
00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:40.920
Yeah, yes, uh.

628
00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:44.759
A few weeks after the murders, did you have another

629
00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:47.480
conversation with Alec asking him if everything had been handled

630
00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:48.759
with the firm in those days?

631
00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:49.680
Yes, sir.

632
00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:53.319
I don't remember if it was two weeks or three

633
00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:57.880
weeks or what it was. I mean, everybody was destroyed.

634
00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:00.279
I don't think he might was focusing all man.

635
00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:01.000
I know I wasn't.

636
00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:03.640
But at some point in time after that, I just said, hey,

637
00:34:03.680 --> 00:34:06.200
is everything all right? With the you know, contact I

638
00:34:06.200 --> 00:34:07.599
got him with those fees, and he said it.

639
00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:20.440
Was at some point in mid July twenty twenty one,

640
00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:25.440
a month after the murders, that ALC call you up

641
00:34:25.639 --> 00:34:28.920
and ask you anything about these fees. He did tell

642
00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:32.320
me what the conversation with Alec was about these fees.

643
00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:36.920
He contacted me and said that he was not able

644
00:34:36.920 --> 00:34:38.400
to structure the fees the way that he thought he

645
00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:39.599
was going to be able to do that he had

646
00:34:39.639 --> 00:34:41.880
messed that up, and that the fees needed to be

647
00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:44.159
paid to the firm and they needed to go back

648
00:34:44.159 --> 00:34:45.159
through my trust account.

649
00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:47.920
Yeah, and what did you say at that point?

650
00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:49.599
I didn't.

651
00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:52.960
I didn't see anything that caused me any red flags

652
00:34:53.079 --> 00:34:56.159
or anything, and felt like if that's what had to

653
00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:58.039
be done, that the fees had to be paid to

654
00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:00.599
his firm and needed to go back through trust count,

655
00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:02.760
he could send me the money and I could run

656
00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:04.239
it back through my trust account and then pay it

657
00:35:04.280 --> 00:35:08.599
to his firm.

658
00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:12.000
Did I So he's promising, He's saying I will send

659
00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:13.559
you the money back. Is that correct?

660
00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:14.000
Yes, sir?

661
00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:17.119
Did you ultimately receive any funds.

662
00:35:17.559 --> 00:35:19.599
Six hundred thousand of the seven hundred.

663
00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:22.760
Ninety two you only received six hundred thousand, yes, sir,

664
00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:24.679
And how did you receive that? Do you recall?

665
00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:28.480
I think it came in two different wires wires excuse

666
00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:30.599
me that either came on the same day or on

667
00:35:30.679 --> 00:35:31.519
back to back days.

668
00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:34.599
Did one of those wires come from Palmada State Bank

669
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:36.119
for three hundred fifty thousand.

670
00:35:35.800 --> 00:35:38.800
Dollars I believe so, yes, sir, and.

671
00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:40.920
That was on about July fifteenth.

672
00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:42.960
That sounds right, yes, sir. And the other was.

673
00:35:42.880 --> 00:35:45.280
About two hundred and fifty thousand dollars on July sixteenth,

674
00:35:45.320 --> 00:35:46.079
twenty twenty.

675
00:35:45.880 --> 00:35:47.239
One, I believe from Bank of America.

676
00:35:47.320 --> 00:35:49.960
Yes, sir, that was only six hundred thousand dollars.

677
00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:52.280
Yes, sir, so you're.

678
00:35:52.199 --> 00:35:55.119
Short from what you'd already given to ALC correct, Yes, sir.

679
00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:56.079
How much are you short?

680
00:35:56.239 --> 00:35:58.400
One hundred and ninety two thousand dollars.

681
00:35:58.119 --> 00:35:59.679
One hundred ninety two thousand dollars?

682
00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:00.360
Sir?

683
00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:03.400
Did you have a conversation without like about being sure?

684
00:36:03.639 --> 00:36:04.000
I did?

685
00:36:04.280 --> 00:36:06.119
And what was your conversation without it?

686
00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:07.880
He told me that he wasn't able to access the

687
00:36:07.880 --> 00:36:10.559
one hundred and ninety two thousand immediately, that he had

688
00:36:10.599 --> 00:36:14.000
already put it into the annuity. But he couldn't do

689
00:36:14.039 --> 00:36:15.719
it the way he wanted to, but he couldn't access

690
00:36:15.719 --> 00:36:17.840
it because it would be penalized if it was withdrawn,

691
00:36:18.360 --> 00:36:20.280
and that he would get.

692
00:36:20.119 --> 00:36:20.639
Me the money.

693
00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:23.280
So what did you do in response to what your

694
00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:26.960
friend told you to do or told you about the

695
00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:29.440
reason why he was short one hundred ninety two thousand dollars.

696
00:36:29.519 --> 00:36:32.480
I mean, at that point, I had indication that I

697
00:36:32.559 --> 00:36:34.840
was supposed to have seven hundred ninety two thousand dollars

698
00:36:34.880 --> 00:36:37.320
in my trust account that was supposed to have been

699
00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:40.760
paid to his firm. I'm responsible for that trust account.

700
00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:43.400
I put one hundred ninety two thousand dollars of my

701
00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:45.079
own money in that trust account to cover.

702
00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:46.119
The shortfall.

703
00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:49.679
Based on his representation that he'd get you back.

704
00:36:50.000 --> 00:37:18.039
Yes, sir, I'm gonna show you what's my mark.

705
00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:21.400
Just exhibit three forty nine, States three forty nine with

706
00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:24.360
a say in camera hearing, and do you recognize that I.

707
00:37:24.360 --> 00:37:26.320
Do tell me what that is?

708
00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:26.599
Please.

709
00:37:27.199 --> 00:37:29.559
This is an email that I sent to Elik at

710
00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:31.519
his request. He said he needed to be able to

711
00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:33.320
provide it to his firm so they'd know the money

712
00:37:33.400 --> 00:37:36.239
was being held. And it was dated July nineteenth, of

713
00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:39.920
twenty twenty one. It says Elick is discussed. I'm confirming

714
00:37:39.960 --> 00:37:43.000
that I'm holding in trust six hundred thousand dollars in

715
00:37:43.039 --> 00:37:46.000
the gentleman's case and one hundred and ninety two thousand

716
00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:50.519
dollars in the lady's case, which represent attorney's fees. I'll

717
00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:53.039
continue to hold these moneys in trust until I am

718
00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:56.719
instructed by you, excuse me, by you or your firm

719
00:37:56.760 --> 00:37:57.599
regarding payment.

720
00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:18.360
You sent that email at that point in time. Did

721
00:38:18.400 --> 00:38:20.960
you receive any further inquiry at that point in time,

722
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:23.480
at least from the law firm saying all right, go ahead.

723
00:38:23.239 --> 00:38:25.519
And sent us to seven ninety two, mister Waterers.

724
00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:28.800
I didn't hear anything else from the law firm at

725
00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:33.119
all until September third, twenty twenty one, about three o'clock

726
00:38:33.159 --> 00:38:36.079
in the afternoon, when mister lee Cope called me. The

727
00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:38.920
first question he asked me, was I still holding seven

728
00:38:39.039 --> 00:38:41.400
hundred and ninety two thousand dollars in my firm. That

729
00:38:41.480 --> 00:38:43.320
seemed to be his first concern, and I said yes,

730
00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:45.599
I am, And he said, well, we need to get

731
00:38:45.639 --> 00:38:48.199
that money paid to us. And then he told me

732
00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:52.039
that they had done They had discovered a check that.

733
00:38:52.719 --> 00:38:56.320
I think I remember him telling me that was from

734
00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:58.840
me to Elec in the firm, and that they had

735
00:38:58.840 --> 00:39:01.760
discovered that Elc was stealing money from the firm and

736
00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:05.960
from clients, and that he could not talk very long

737
00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:09.599
and asked me not to say anything to anybody until

738
00:39:09.599 --> 00:39:12.360
the following Tuesday when they could issue a press release.

739
00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:14.679
All right, let me slow down just real quick before

740
00:39:14.679 --> 00:39:18.679
we get in there. At some point in time in August,

741
00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:22.320
did you attend any event or any conference where you

742
00:39:22.360 --> 00:39:22.880
saw Elix?

743
00:39:23.079 --> 00:39:23.480
I did.

744
00:39:23.880 --> 00:39:24.519
And what was that?

745
00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:28.800
It's called South Carolina Association of Justice now I still

746
00:39:28.800 --> 00:39:31.719
call it the Trial Lawyers Association. We have an annual

747
00:39:31.719 --> 00:39:34.280
convention in Hilton had every August the first weekend, and

748
00:39:35.039 --> 00:39:39.440
I usually attend and was there and I did.

749
00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:43.960
And did you have any conversation with him at that

750
00:39:44.119 --> 00:39:46.719
conference about one hundred and ninety two thousand dollars that

751
00:39:47.320 --> 00:39:49.800
you covered for him when he was going to pay

752
00:39:49.840 --> 00:39:50.239
that back?

753
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:51.280
I believe.

754
00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:53.440
I asked him about it, and he indicated he was

755
00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:58.079
working on it something, you know, something some discussion about

756
00:39:58.079 --> 00:40:01.239
his father's state. You know, father had just passed and

757
00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:03.840
there would be money coming from the estate, and then

758
00:40:04.400 --> 00:40:06.760
with Maggie's estate being tied up.

759
00:40:07.840 --> 00:40:12.079
Also, did he say it might sell some property or

760
00:40:12.119 --> 00:40:12.840
something like that, and he.

761
00:40:12.880 --> 00:40:18.480
Did mention that he was working towards selling some property at.

762
00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:20.840
This point in time, still with a couple of months

763
00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:23.519
after the tragic murders of Maggie and Paul, were you

764
00:40:23.639 --> 00:40:27.039
still very sensitive to your friend's emotional health and well being?

765
00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:31.039
Sure? I mean I didn't push him then.

766
00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:55.880
Push it some point after that conference where you asked

767
00:40:55.960 --> 00:40:57.559
him about it, didn't want to push him. Did you

768
00:40:57.559 --> 00:41:00.719
have another conversation with him about when that money might

769
00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:01.199
be paid?

770
00:41:01.679 --> 00:41:02.440
I believe I did.

771
00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:05.719
Yessir, All right, I'm gonna show you Westbon Marcus Stakes

772
00:41:05.719 --> 00:41:08.079
three fifty for this here. I'm seeking recognize.

773
00:41:07.679 --> 00:41:10.280
That I do, and tell me what that is.

774
00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:14.559
It is a very rudimentary handwritt scratched out promissory note

775
00:41:14.599 --> 00:41:16.639
that I asked Elc to sign for me, which he

776
00:41:16.679 --> 00:41:19.559
did August seventeenth of twenty twenty.

777
00:41:19.320 --> 00:41:22.599
One, acknowledging that I had loaned him.

778
00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:24.760
One hundred ninety two thousand dollars that he would repay

779
00:41:25.199 --> 00:41:26.400
within sixty days.

780
00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:27.440
I think is what it says.

781
00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:30.480
And tell me how the circumstances of how you came

782
00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:34.079
to get this essentially on a fold with pieces of paper.

783
00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:36.079
This is a coffee, it is, yes, sir, all right,

784
00:41:36.119 --> 00:41:36.679
tell me about it.

785
00:41:37.159 --> 00:41:40.400
That was more about I mean, I wanted to get

786
00:41:40.440 --> 00:41:42.599
repaid my money as quickly as possible, But that was

787
00:41:42.639 --> 00:41:47.840
more about I was concerned, just like everybody else, everybody

788
00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:50.480
in his firm and everybody in his family, that he

789
00:41:50.559 --> 00:41:52.000
was going to do something to himself.

790
00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:56.480
You know that he was gonna kill himself. And I

791
00:41:56.519 --> 00:41:58.639
mean I knew enough to know to know that if he.

792
00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:02.280
That, I couldn't make a claim against his estate if

793
00:42:02.280 --> 00:42:05.360
there wasn't something in writing. And so that was more

794
00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:07.360
I went to him and said, oh, look, look, I

795
00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:10.039
hate to even ask this, but I need to ask

796
00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:12.559
you to do this in case something happens to you.

797
00:42:12.599 --> 00:42:14.360
And I phrased it like if you get hit by

798
00:42:14.360 --> 00:42:17.599
a car or something, But it was more about worried

799
00:42:17.599 --> 00:42:19.679
about what he might do, and I need to ask

800
00:42:19.719 --> 00:42:21.679
you to do this so that if there's a problem,

801
00:42:21.719 --> 00:42:22.440
I can deal with it.

802
00:42:24.320 --> 00:42:25.960
And he did. He didn't have a problem with it.

803
00:42:32.119 --> 00:42:33.920
You already said this far. But at some point a

804
00:42:33.960 --> 00:42:35.800
few weeks later, you get a call from Lee Coke

805
00:42:35.960 --> 00:42:38.440
asking about those fees and saying that out come and

806
00:42:38.519 --> 00:42:42.119
stealing money right, Yes, sir, that hit you like a thunderball.

807
00:42:43.440 --> 00:42:46.559
It knocked me down. I mean, I was with a

808
00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:48.039
group of guys. I could not talk.

809
00:42:48.119 --> 00:42:49.840
Lee to on me. He could not talk very long.

810
00:42:53.719 --> 00:43:01.159
I mean, and I react try to get into I did.

811
00:43:02.519 --> 00:43:05.280
I mean, I couldn't do it immediately. I think I

812
00:43:05.320 --> 00:43:06.960
spoke to Lee for just a minute. He told me

813
00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:10.159
I needed to call him right back. I called him back.

814
00:43:10.199 --> 00:43:13.079
We talked for just a minute. He couldn't talk along.

815
00:43:13.119 --> 00:43:14.639
He said he had other things to take care of,

816
00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:16.280
to deal with all of what was going on.

817
00:43:16.760 --> 00:43:19.400
Do you remember what day this said? September third, Friday,

818
00:43:19.519 --> 00:43:22.599
three o'clock in the afternoon, twenty twenty one, twenty twenty one.

819
00:43:23.239 --> 00:43:25.280
Yes, sir, And you remember it like it was yesterday,

820
00:43:25.840 --> 00:43:27.639
and tell exactly where I was and who I was with.

821
00:43:32.760 --> 00:43:34.719
I finished up what I was doing with that group.

822
00:43:35.840 --> 00:43:38.039
I think I tried to call Elic Or. I know

823
00:43:38.119 --> 00:43:41.280
I texted him, and I believe I tried to call

824
00:43:41.400 --> 00:43:43.119
also when I couldn't get him.

825
00:43:43.679 --> 00:43:45.880
Did you continue to try to contact I did?

826
00:43:46.119 --> 00:43:48.480
I think he did respond maybe that afternoon later and

827
00:43:48.480 --> 00:43:50.800
said I'm in the I forget what it was. It

828
00:43:50.880 --> 00:43:53.079
was in a meeting or something. I can't I'll call

829
00:43:53.119 --> 00:43:55.239
you back as soon as I can. But at some

830
00:43:55.320 --> 00:43:57.559
point in time, but I kept trying to get him

831
00:43:57.639 --> 00:43:58.920
and we did talk later.

832
00:43:59.280 --> 00:44:02.039
All right, what did you talk about? What day was

833
00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:03.199
that when you finally were able to.

834
00:44:03.199 --> 00:44:05.559
Talk to him? I think I spoke.

835
00:44:05.599 --> 00:44:09.199
I did speak to him that evening this Friday, September third,

836
00:44:09.239 --> 00:44:14.119
by phone. I don't remember the exactly of the conversation,

837
00:44:14.239 --> 00:44:16.159
but I said, look, Lee's called.

838
00:44:15.960 --> 00:44:18.000
Me and told me what's going on? What is going on?

839
00:44:18.599 --> 00:44:20.800
He said, I really can't talk about that much right now.

840
00:44:22.320 --> 00:44:23.800
I said, I need to talk to you, and I

841
00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:25.679
wanted to be in person. I need to know what's

842
00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:32.000
going on and what happened. Well, he said he would

843
00:44:32.039 --> 00:44:36.639
try to meet with me the next morning and that

844
00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:40.679
he was sorry. And I don't remember all the gist

845
00:44:40.719 --> 00:44:42.800
of that conversation, but the next morning I tried to

846
00:44:42.800 --> 00:44:45.159
call him. I woke up and I started driving towards

847
00:44:45.159 --> 00:44:47.800
Bufort because I thought he was staying at John Marvin's

848
00:44:47.840 --> 00:44:50.440
house down that way, and I started calling him and

849
00:44:50.679 --> 00:44:54.840
driving his direction, and eventually he called me back and

850
00:44:54.840 --> 00:44:57.000
said he would meet me in our Meeta at his

851
00:44:57.039 --> 00:44:57.920
mom and daddy's house.

852
00:44:58.360 --> 00:44:59.239
Did you meet him there?

853
00:44:59.400 --> 00:44:59.760
I did?

854
00:45:00.440 --> 00:45:03.719
Is that in the morning of September fourth, probably a

855
00:45:03.719 --> 00:45:05.960
little bit before lunchtime, kind of late morning, Yes, sir.

856
00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:07.639
Did y'all have a conversation?

857
00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:12.159
We did? Where was the conversation? I I got there

858
00:45:12.199 --> 00:45:14.960
before he did. I don't think.

859
00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:16.519
I pulled in the driveway. I kind of waited out

860
00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:18.880
on the road, pulled in the driveway. We went in

861
00:45:18.920 --> 00:45:23.119
the side door. The caregiver was there. She we went

862
00:45:23.119 --> 00:45:26.239
out onto the front porch and we talked on the

863
00:45:26.239 --> 00:45:26.760
front porch.

864
00:45:27.079 --> 00:45:28.079
And what did he say to you?

865
00:45:29.239 --> 00:45:31.199
I mean, the first thing I asked him was, you know, Elick,

866
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:33.760
what the what the f? Or what the h is

867
00:45:33.800 --> 00:45:37.000
going on here? You know what is going on?

868
00:45:37.280 --> 00:45:38.239
And have you.

869
00:45:38.239 --> 00:45:40.440
Done something else to me or that involves me that

870
00:45:40.440 --> 00:45:43.119
I don't know about? Because I know about this and

871
00:45:43.159 --> 00:45:44.719
I've got to deal with this. But is there something

872
00:45:44.760 --> 00:45:46.639
else you've done that I don't know about that I

873
00:45:46.679 --> 00:45:48.239
need to that I need to be concerned with.

874
00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:50.280
And what did you say?

875
00:45:50.599 --> 00:45:56.360
He broke down crying, said I can't, said I can't

876
00:45:56.400 --> 00:45:59.840
right this second. He went inside, came back out with

877
00:46:00.159 --> 00:46:01.480
some paper towels.

878
00:46:01.079 --> 00:46:01.320
And.

879
00:46:02.800 --> 00:46:07.239
Told me that he had had a drug problem, that

880
00:46:07.320 --> 00:46:11.719
he was addicted to opioids, and that he had been

881
00:46:11.760 --> 00:46:14.800
addicted for I don't remember, he said twenty or twenty

882
00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:17.559
plus years, but I mean, you know, for twenty years

883
00:46:17.639 --> 00:46:17.800
or so.

884
00:46:19.599 --> 00:46:21.679
Did he say anything about the money.

885
00:46:22.000 --> 00:46:24.159
He told me that he had that he had been

886
00:46:24.199 --> 00:46:24.880
stealing the money.

887
00:46:25.599 --> 00:46:27.400
Did you have a particular phrase about what he had

888
00:46:27.440 --> 00:46:27.840
done to you?

889
00:46:28.519 --> 00:46:30.000
Shipped me up? He said, he.

890
00:46:30.039 --> 00:46:32.199
Shipped you up, shipped me up, or shipped me up

891
00:46:32.320 --> 00:46:34.159
or shipped me off, or something like that, but I

892
00:46:34.159 --> 00:46:35.360
think it was he shipped me up.

893
00:46:36.559 --> 00:46:38.519
He said that he admitted to you he had been

894
00:46:38.559 --> 00:46:39.559
stealing a client money.

895
00:46:39.960 --> 00:46:44.119
Yes, sir, said he so he.

896
00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:46.119
Confessed that to you, as actually said he had shipped

897
00:46:46.119 --> 00:46:51.800
a lot of people up. I'm gonna show you what's

898
00:46:51.840 --> 00:46:56.400
been marked in States three thirteen in this end camera

899
00:46:56.440 --> 00:46:57.480
hearing you recognize that.

900
00:47:00.719 --> 00:47:02.239
Yes, sir, what is that?

901
00:47:02.920 --> 00:47:05.079
I think this is the original of that two hundred

902
00:47:05.079 --> 00:47:07.760
and twenty five thousand dollars fee check written in the

903
00:47:08.719 --> 00:47:13.000
Gentleman's case directly to Richard Alexander Murdock esquire.

904
00:47:14.360 --> 00:47:15.159
Is that your signature?

905
00:47:15.519 --> 00:47:21.480
It is? I don't remember exactly how it ended to

906
00:47:21.519 --> 00:47:22.679
mister words. I was so mad.

907
00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:27.719
I'd loved the guy for so long, and I probably

908
00:47:27.800 --> 00:47:29.559
still loved him a little bit, but I was so mad.

909
00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:36.400
I don't remember how it ended.

910
00:47:36.440 --> 00:47:40.280
I left. I mean, I ask you how, you know?

911
00:47:40.519 --> 00:47:44.000
How did I not know these things or see these things?

912
00:47:44.119 --> 00:47:44.360
You know?

913
00:47:44.440 --> 00:47:50.719
And we talked, I don't.

914
00:47:50.920 --> 00:47:53.880
I mean, he was concerned about me getting one hundred

915
00:47:53.920 --> 00:47:57.559
ninety two thousand dollars back. Seemed concerned, so I wasn't

916
00:47:57.559 --> 00:47:59.800
worried about that at that point. I wanted to make

917
00:47:59.800 --> 00:48:00.920
sure it wasn't something else.

918
00:48:03.159 --> 00:48:05.559
This was a little bit before lunch on September fourth.

919
00:48:05.880 --> 00:48:10.280
Yes, sir, we didn't leave. We didn't.

920
00:48:11.119 --> 00:48:13.519
I'm sure we I'm sure I yelled at the beginning,

921
00:48:13.599 --> 00:48:15.239
or at least raised my voice, But I didn't leave

922
00:48:15.320 --> 00:48:19.920
yelling and screaming and holorn. We didn't fight, but I left,

923
00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:21.239
and I wasn't happy.

924
00:48:22.920 --> 00:48:24.840
Where'd you go after you left? Remember?

925
00:48:25.760 --> 00:48:30.159
I rode through Hampton, actually threw hearties and grabbed something

926
00:48:30.159 --> 00:48:32.280
for a bite of lunch on the road, and headed

927
00:48:32.360 --> 00:48:33.760
back to Columbia, where I lived.

928
00:48:35.880 --> 00:48:36.239
That day?

929
00:48:36.239 --> 00:48:39.400
Did you hear anything else about el I did? About

930
00:48:39.400 --> 00:48:41.440
how long after you left Alec good Year or something.

931
00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:44.079
I had stopped in my office in Bamberg or at

932
00:48:44.079 --> 00:48:48.440
the post office to pick something up, and I was

933
00:48:48.480 --> 00:48:50.960
somewhere between Bamberg and Columbia when I got a call.

934
00:48:52.480 --> 00:48:54.840
Uh, it was either from Randy or Lee Cope, but

935
00:48:54.840 --> 00:48:56.119
I believe it was Lee Cope.

936
00:48:56.559 --> 00:48:57.440
What were you informed?

937
00:48:57.719 --> 00:48:59.719
That Elik had been shot in the head and that

938
00:48:59.800 --> 00:49:02.920
he was on a helicopter going to the hospital in Savannah,

939
00:49:03.159 --> 00:49:04.960
and I think it was Savannah Hospital, but they said

940
00:49:04.960 --> 00:49:06.960
to the hospital, but I believed he said Savannah hospital.

941
00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:10.960
What did you do in response to that information?

942
00:49:11.280 --> 00:49:14.079
What the Devil's going on? I thought he'd tried to

943
00:49:14.119 --> 00:49:14.800
kill himself.

944
00:49:15.519 --> 00:49:18.320
I didn't think he was suicidal when I left, but

945
00:49:18.400 --> 00:49:19.679
when I heard that, I thought he had tried to

946
00:49:19.719 --> 00:49:20.320
kill himself.

947
00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:24.400
Did you go to the scene or did you return

948
00:49:24.480 --> 00:49:24.920
back home?

949
00:49:25.119 --> 00:49:25.840
I went back home.

950
00:49:26.920 --> 00:49:28.599
Did you try to reach out to Alick after that?

951
00:49:29.719 --> 00:49:30.159
It did not.

952
00:49:31.519 --> 00:49:35.000
I talked to his brother Randy, I think some that

953
00:49:35.119 --> 00:49:39.320
same day and some on the next day. But by

954
00:49:39.360 --> 00:49:41.480
that time, frankly, all this had, for lack of a

955
00:49:41.480 --> 00:49:45.360
better term, blown up to where I didn't think I'd

956
00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:47.360
be able to talk to Alec and I don't know

957
00:49:47.400 --> 00:49:48.159
that I wanted to.

958
00:49:50.960 --> 00:49:52.440
Have you had a conversation with him.

959
00:49:52.480 --> 00:49:54.599
Since I have not spoken to him since that morning

960
00:49:54.639 --> 00:49:55.679
that I made him, have.

961
00:49:55.719 --> 00:49:58.320
You had any other communication with him?

962
00:49:58.440 --> 00:50:00.280
He's texted me.

963
00:50:01.800 --> 00:50:05.719
Once or twice, to which I responded something very generic

964
00:50:05.840 --> 00:50:08.559
like I'm thinking about your family, and I think he

965
00:50:08.599 --> 00:50:13.159
may have written a letter, some short letter that frankly

966
00:50:13.199 --> 00:50:15.039
I turned over to my lawyers.

967
00:50:15.239 --> 00:50:18.440
And Michelle Westbin Marcus states three fifty one.

968
00:50:18.679 --> 00:50:21.639
See if you recognize that I do? And what is that?

969
00:50:21.960 --> 00:50:23.719
This is one of the texts that I received from

970
00:50:23.719 --> 00:50:25.440
Elec And my.

971
00:50:25.480 --> 00:50:29.039
Response is that a number you previous say had recognized

972
00:50:29.039 --> 00:50:29.559
me and Alex.

973
00:50:32.199 --> 00:50:34.320
I don't know if I'd ever seen that number before,

974
00:50:34.320 --> 00:50:36.639
but it's not the normal cell phone number that I

975
00:50:36.639 --> 00:50:39.480
would have used to contact him or he to contact me.

976
00:50:43.440 --> 00:50:45.239
I mean there was sometimes he'd tell me he was

977
00:50:45.280 --> 00:50:47.440
calling me from the phone in his car. Sometimes it

978
00:50:47.480 --> 00:51:00.800
would be a number I didn't recognize.

979
00:51:01.760 --> 00:51:03.719
Is that a text on screen there? Yes, sir?

980
00:51:05.920 --> 00:51:08.079
Does it say so sorry for all the havoc I

981
00:51:08.159 --> 00:51:11.960
created for you not do anything to make it right? Yes, sir,

982
00:51:24.400 --> 00:51:26.159
thank you, mister Wilson. That's all the questions for this

983
00:51:26.280 --> 00:51:26.880
on camera here.

984
00:51:26.840 --> 00:51:28.239
And there you have it.

985
00:51:29.239 --> 00:51:36.760
This piece of shit stole one hundred and ninety two

986
00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:43.599
thousand dollars from his firm and left his best friend

987
00:51:44.199 --> 00:51:48.440
holding the bag. That guy had to pay this money back,

988
00:51:50.880 --> 00:51:54.440
and you could hear it in his voice he wanted

989
00:51:54.480 --> 00:51:58.760
to beat the living shit out of Alec for this,

990
00:51:59.159 --> 00:52:05.559
and rightfully so unbelievable. We got much more coming your

991
00:52:05.599 --> 00:52:08.840
way on this. And next up will be the testimony

992
00:52:08.920 --> 00:52:13.920
and I mean the eye opening testimony of attorney Mark Tinsley,

993
00:52:14.280 --> 00:52:18.400
who represented the Beach family in that boat crash. He

994
00:52:18.480 --> 00:52:22.559
discusses how Elick used intimidation. And that's right, I said Elick,

995
00:52:22.639 --> 00:52:25.559
because I go alex and Elick back and forth. It's

996
00:52:26.039 --> 00:52:29.559
Aleck Is. His name is freaking Alexander, so y'all know

997
00:52:29.599 --> 00:52:33.760
how it is. But he discusses how Eleck used intimidation

998
00:52:34.719 --> 00:52:41.039
during that lawsuit against Paul in which Mallory Beach was killed.

999
00:52:42.039 --> 00:52:44.719
So stay tuned for that. You're not going to believe it.

1000
00:52:55.440 --> 00:53:00.280
Check out the Patreonpatreon dot com Exposed podcast files. We

1001
00:53:00.400 --> 00:53:01.679
upload all kinds.

1002
00:53:01.440 --> 00:53:02.360
Of shit to that.

1003
00:53:02.440 --> 00:53:06.960
We stay active on that Patreon. It keeps the show going.

1004
00:53:07.039 --> 00:53:09.880
And I could not do it without those people. Thank

1005
00:53:09.920 --> 00:53:17.320
you very much and until next time for exposed scandalous

1006
00:53:17.480 --> 00:53:22.719
files of the elite, I'm your host, Jim Chapman, much love,