"Murdaugh" Episode Twenty Three | "The Verdict"

0:19 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. I'm your host, Jim Chapman, and we have come a long way to get to this aspect of the Murdoll series, and that is the verdict in the state of South Carolina versus Alec Murdoch for the murder of his wife, Margaret Maggie Murdall and his son Paul Murdoch. Now, when I last left you, prosecutors and defense, they had completed their closing arguments and something shocking happened just prior to those closing arguments that will weigh on the case, and that was the removal of a juror, which, hey, it's a huge deal. The entire case is nearly complete, You're down to closing arguments and a juror has to be removed. Not good. And Judge Clifford Newman, he did a masterful job of explaining why. And here's that club.

1:28 First off, this morning, we have to deal with the issue involving the removal of a jew or. A few days ago, I received a complaint from a member of the public indicating that a juror had engaged in in proper conversations with parties not associated with the case. I communicated and provided a copy of the communications to the Defense Council after court. We then met with the juror on the record, and the juror denied any denied discussing the case with anyone not on the jury or with anyone on the jury. She provided information that led us to the court to contact the persons that she was suspected of having conversations with concerning the case. Those individuals were interviewed and provided an affid David regarding the contact

3:03 that the jury had juror had with them. We then also brought those two individuals in and had a hearing in chambers on the record in the presence of Council yesterday, in which both of those individuals waffled on the nature and the extent of the contact. They also provided recorded interview or the State provided a recorded interview with the jurors, and I reviewed that interview last night. So the juror has had contact or discussions concerning the case with at least three individuals. Though it does not appear that the conversations were that extensive, it did involve the juror offering her opinion regarding evidence received up to that point in the trial that the conversation took place, and in order to preserve the integrity of the process and the interests of both the State and the defense and a fair trial, that juror will be removed and replaced by another jew Or.

4:42 I will make a part of the record undersealed. Because of maintaining the confidentiality of the identity of the jew Ors, I will place underseal the recorded interview Affy Davis received and we and both discussions with Council has taken place on the record, and all of that will be made a part of the record in the case. And we'll bring the juror out to inform her that she will no longer her services will no longer be needed. We will then replace her with an alternate Jewel. Any additional comments by the State or the defense must your honor.

5:32 We do not accept from your ruling. I sat through everything you sat through, and it's muddled, but we would defer to your judgment. However, I think it's important for me to note for the record that the interviews of these two people were done by Sweat agents, one of whom was named as a witness in this case and the other who was listed in the notes as being one of the investigating officers. Just to note that again Swed has made some bad another bad judgment in this case. I'm not accepting from your ruling. I'm just pointing out. That this is just a continuum of a calamity of errors. Thank you. And the court has not had any discussion with any sled agents concerning this issue, and all the inquiry by the court has been directly with the suspected parties involved and with the jew Or. And this is a matter that this long trial, with the intense publicity is certainly it would be certainly difficult for any individual to not have some exposure outside of the courtroom to information concerning the case, and to also be at tempted to engage your discussions with others. But it is improper.

7:06 It is contrary to my instructions to the jury daily multiple times per day, and this dr unfortunately violated that order. So if you will bring out your number seven eighty five, let's make sure she brings everything with her. Good morning, Yes, ma'am up here in your normals, your normal spots. Fine, if you just remained standing for me, good morning is it okay today, all right? I have, as you know, we've had some discussions with you over the past couple of days concerning indications of conversations with a few folks not on the jury concerning the case and expressing some opinion about the case. I have reviewed everything, including statements given by individuals and recorded interviews, and concluded that despite my order to not discuss the case with anyone that

8:37 intentionally or unintentionally, you've had some discussions with some folks not on the jury, and which is going to require me to remove you from the jury. You have been, by all accounts, great juror, and smiled consistently and seemingly been attentive to the case and perform well. And I'm sure that with all the time you've invested in it, you probably hate not to continue, or maybe you're ready to go. I don't know, but I certainly want to thank you for your service. I'm not suggesting that you intentionally did anything wrong, but that to in order to preserve the integrity of the process and in fairness to all the parties involved, we're going to replace you with one of the other jewels. Have you brought everything that you have outside of you left some stuff in there?

9:48 What do you have in there? A dozen eggs? Going in? Ag alright, well you gonna leave the eggs. You wanna leave the eggs or take the eggs? You will take the eggs. So mster bail, can you retrieve from the jury room her dozen eggs? Uh, her purse and what else in a bottle of water? You can get those things from the jury room. And as you know, the uh Ad, identity of the Jews are confidential, not known to the public. And the reason you are still where you are is that cameras are not allowed to video take the jewers and and we have operated by jury numbers throughout the process and we'll continue to do so, and your identity will be kept confidential as far as the court is concerned. And we trust that in the event you decide you want to speak publicly about this case, that you wait until after the case is over. You're not encouraged at all to do so, but you have a right to speak to anyone you want to if you decide to do so. No, I have not spoken

11:22 with her today, but no, this is not related to I know we also had some conversation was brought up concerning your ex husband. But that's not a part of this consideration at all. This is totally independent of any other conversation that that he might have here it had concerning you. That's not part of the order of the court. Uh. So they're gonna get your things and then and once you're removed from the jury, you can't go back in the jury room.

12:04 You just. We'll have to tell them goodbye for you. Okay, all right, well, thank you very much, you can go. Thank you. We get a lot of interesting things, but now a dozen eggs, that's certain. It's so interesting. We'll give them, give her a chance to leave or to take her. She's gone. Okay, very good. Anything else before the jury comes Oh right, absolutely. When they come out, we'll need to select an alternate, and the clerk has you have the remaining alternates in a box. Any objection to the a blind selection of that alternate out of the box.

12:54 So not good, especially as it relates to the appeals process. And it's it's worth mentioning that the jar removed had told sources they would not have found murdoal guilty, which remember, the guilty verdict would have to be unanimous in order to avoid a hung jury and a retrial, so that juror is replaced with an alternate, and quickly. An alternate is just like a regular jury member. They're there the whole time as well, and they sit through everything the regular jury sits through, so there's no catching up that they have to do or anything like that. So at this point the jury, they receive instruction for deliberations, and everyone defense prosecution. They're settling in for maybe several days of deliberations. Well, to the shock of every one, and I mean everyone in that courtroom and around the world, just three hours into deliberations, the jury sends a note to the judge saying they have come to an agreement and a verdict in here.

14:08 Is that matter foliated, if you'll stand for me. Have you reached a verdict? Yes, yes, sir, we have. It's it's unanimous, Yes, sir, it is right. If you will pass it up to the clerk who will pass it to me, the defendant will rise. Madame Clerk, you may publish the verdict. Docket number twenty twenty two GS. Fifteen zero zero five nine two the State of South Carolina, County of Colleton, in the Court of General Sessions in the term of twenty twenty two July the State versus Richard Alexander Murdoch, defendant, Indictment for murder sc Code sixteen DASH three dash zero zero one zero, CDR code zero one one six okay guilty verdict signed by the four Lady three two twenty three, Docket number twenty twenty two dash GS dash fifteen dash zero zero five nine three. The State of South Carolina, County of coll Itton, in the Court of General Sessions, the July term of twenty twenty two. The State versus Richard Alexander Murdoch, defendant, Indictment for murder sc Code sixteen

15:40 DASH three da'sh zero zero one zero, CDR code zero one one six Verdict guilty signed by the four Lady, Date three two of twenty three, Docket number twenty twenty two dash GS fifteen dashes zero zero five nine five. The State of South Carolina, County of Calton, Court of General Sessions, July Term twenty twenty two. The State versus Richard Alexander Murdoch, defendant, Indictment for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime sc code DASH sixteen dash twenty three dash zero four nine zero CDR code zero five four nine. Verdict guilty, signed by the four person of the jury. Date three two twenty three, Docket number twenty twenty two GS dash fifteen DASH zero zero five nine four. The State of South Carolina, County of Calton, Court of General Sessions, July Term, twenty twenty two.

16:48 The State versus Richard Alexander Murdoch, defendant Indictment for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime sc code sixteen DASH twenty three DASH zero four nine. Zero c d R code zero five four nine. Verdict guilty, signed by the fourth person of the jury three two twenty three. Thank you, madam, four lady and members of the jury. If that is a verdict of each and every jew or, please let it be down by raising your right hands. All right, thank you. Any individual polling requested, Madam Clerk, you'll lead to individually poll the Jew jury according to their jewurry Jew R numbers.

17:42 No. One three. Was this your verdict? Yes? Is it still your verdict? Yes? Juror too two. I'm sorry you're two five to four? Is this your verdict yes? Is it still your verdict? Yes? Jurre three two six. Was this your verdict yes? Is it still your verdict? Yes? Juror six Jurre five three zero. Was this your verdict yes? Is this your verdict yes? Jurre five four four yes. Was this your verdict yes? Is it still your verdict yes? Jurre five seven to two. Was this your verdict yes?

18:23 Is it still your verdict yes? Juror five seven eight. Was this your verdict yes? Is it still your verdict yes? Jurre five eight nine. Was this your verdict? Is it still your verdict yes? Jurre six three zero. Was this your verdict yes? Is it still your verdict yes? D're seven to nine. Was this your verdict yes? Is it still your verdict? Yes? Jewel eight two six. Was this your verdict yes? Is it still your verdict yes? Durre eight six four? Was is this your verdict? Is is it still your verdict? Yes?

19:03 Your honor the jury. Pas faible, thank you. The jury jury has been pulled and the verdict is a unanimous verdict. If you will bring the oftenate, Je're out and have for have a seat in the audience. Please. You can stand there or you can sit back there. Whatever you prefer okay, are there any post trial motions. From the state, Your honor, We would just renew I previously argued motions for a directed verdict and at this on the grounds. On those grounds, we would make motion for a mistrial to show side of.

19:47 The purpose by the state response. Your honor, based on our pre dis arguments, we would submit that the. Case properly went to the jury and the verdict is proper and would rely on those arguments. We've been here now twenty eight days, first few days of jury selection and the remainder receiving testimony, an overwhelming amount of testimony and evidence that was presented to the jury for the jury's consideration. As I indicated to the jury doing the jury charge or the charge on the law that this was a matter solely for the jury to determine. The court found at the end of the state's case that their sufficient evidence to find the defendant guilty if the evidence was believed by the jury. Likewise, at the end of the defense's case, when the motion was renewed, the court found that the evidence was sufficient for the jury to find the defendant guilty. The jury is now considered the evidence for a significant period of time, and the evidence of guilt is overwhelming, and I deny the motion. Mister murder, you now having been found guilty

21:25 of two counts of murder involving your wife and your son, two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The burden now comes upon the court to impose a sentence, given the lateness of the hour, and the victims' rights that must be taken into consideration and complied with under the Victims Bill of Rights. And consider what I anticipate to be a number of people who might have something to say regarding sentencing. We will the first sentencing to a later date. Of course, the minimum sentence for murder is thirty years. The maximum sentence is life. Imprisonment has to each count, and on the weapons charge, the sentences up to five years or five years, which has to be concurrent if a life sentence is imposed.

22:52 When would you I like to reconvene for sentencing. I would like to give everyone an adequate opportunity to care for it. So I'll be ready, and I'm thirty in the morning, drown. We could do it at nine thirtymorrow morning. Alsho, all right? The defendant is remanded to the custody of the Collegeton County Sheriff's Apartment. Man of Folian members of the jury, I want to thank you on behalf of the citizens of the state of South Carolina, and you're fellow citizens of Colleton County. You did not volunteer for this service. You were called upon by the being summoned to a peer and providence have brought you to this moment in time and these weeks in time. I know that all of you have been here at a great sacrifice, particularly the juror whose job was on the line until a miracle happened. I guess that allowed him to be able to leave rather than to stay at rather than leave after two or three weeks. But I want to thank each one of you, all individually and collectively.

24:22 It's not often that you're called upon to sit in judgment of the actions of your fellow man. That you all responded and it gave due consideration to the evidence. I will make no comment now as to the extent or the overwhelming nature of the evidence, but certainly the verdict that you've reached is supported by the evidence, circumstantial evidence, direct evidence, all of the evidence pointed to only one conclusion.

25:10 That's the conclusion that you all reach. So I applaud you all for as a group and as a unit and individually evaluating the evidence and coming to a proper conclusion as you saw the law, as you saw the facts. Now that you've served for the next year, you're not eligible to serve again. Now, of course, many people never get called upon. You're not eligible for the next year, and for two additional years. You can be exempted from service because no person is required to serve on jury duty in discourt more often than once every three years.

26:01 Tomorrow morning, at nine point thirty, we will reconvene for sentencing. You all have no role in that because that's solely up to the judge. To me, you're welcome to come back if you want to and be a part of the audience if you like. I also want to thank the ultimate jewor who was locked away in a room by herself for these hours. Who. Who's hung in there during that period of time, and to thank you as well, Madam Clerk. What do you have to tell your jew ors?

26:45 Thank you for your service and what the judge said as well, And I think we can release them tonight and bring them back. In the morning. No, they're off jury duty. They can come back, and you don't have to if you don't want to. Typically, i've seen jewrs wanting to see the end result of a case once they've invested a lot into it. It's really an amazing thing. With juries. Quite often at the start of the case, yours are really like, WHOA why am I here? I wish I wasn't selected. But as time passes and the Jewrs jewors become invested and really commit it to the case and committed to seeing it through and are very disappointed when they are not able to see it to a conclusion. And then along the way of serving you end up finding out quite a bit about our judicial system, uh and learning quite a bit well about human beings, for sure, but also about the presentation of evidence and hearing from expert witnesses, and really learning a lot of things that you'll be able to take with you when you leave jury duty. And

28:18 Madame four lady, I don't know if you're hesitant initially or not, but you have stepped up to the plate and done a great job of leading the jury as well. And think all of you so the jury is dismissed. If now one thing before you go. Of course, we have invested a lot in maintaining the privacy of the jury of each one of you, and you are freed at this point to discuss the case with anyone. And given the high profile nature of the case, I'm certain that the many people in the media would like will probably want to communicate with you, but they have no means of contacting you because under order that I issued, the identity of the jurors must be kept private. And if you decide that you want to speak with anyone a local, state, nationally or internationally, that's your prerogative. However, should anyone harass you, please let me know and I will addrust those issues. If anyone through the somehow or

29:53 another discover your identity and harass you and arrest, assured, I will intercede on your behalf. That having been said, you are free to communicate with whomever you might want to concerning the case from now on. And so with that, thank you, and you are free to go. Now. I'm going to reference two articles here from fit News. They really did an amazing job of covering the verdict and its implications, and here is how those two arratcles read. The first is titled Disboard. South Carolina attorney Alex Murdahl found guilty on all counts in the brutal double homicide of his wife and son in Collington County on Thursday evening, and it goes on to say, after less than three hours of deliberations, twelve jurors returned the unanimous murder verdicts, along with two guilty verdicts on associated weapons charges. I'm sorry, Murderall mal to his surviving son, Buster Murdall, as he was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom. I love you, I love you. Buster Murdall, who testified on his father's behalf, offered no visible response to his father. Murder All will be sentenced tomorrow by South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman, who's expected to impose back to back life sentences on two murder charges and additional years behind bars on the

31:25 two weapons charges. Upon being sentenced, Murdall will be transferred at some point to the custody of the South Carolina in the Department of Corrections. Murdall will be handcuffed, shackled, and dressed in prison guard upon his arrival at the Collington County Courthouse on Friday, representing a stark visual departure from his appearance over the past six weeks in jackets, dress shirts and slacks. Why the change because Murdall is now a convicted murderer, not an accused killer. The dramatic conclusion to the Palametto states the trial of the century almost didn't happen, though, prior to the removal of a juror earlier in the day, sources familiar with the deliberations indicated Mardoll's trial, which drew international attention, would likely have ended in a hung jury. Newmen removed the juror in question for having improper conversations with three individuals about the case.

32:23 The juror allegedly lied to Newman about these communications, which violated his order the jurors are not to discuss the case with anyone or each other. Newmen removed her in order to protect the integrity of the process. Quote, you have been, by all accounts a great juror, Newman said, telling her she had been attentive to the case. Newman added he was not suggesting she intentionally did anything wrong, and thanked her for her service. Her removal paved the way for a guilty verdict. Just hours later, she was dug in. A source familiar with the deliberations confirmed she said he was not guilty and there was nothing anyone could do to change her mind. She would have hung the jury. Another source confirmed, yallin, that's huge.

33:12 Now. At approximately six pm, the jurors indicated the court officials they would not need to have dinner delivered to them. This was the first indication that the loan hold out on the panel had been swayed. The next indication came as one of the bailiffs in the courtroom instructive members of the gallery at around six point fifty pm to refrain from making any sounds whether you agree with the verdict or not. After that, things moved fast. Judge Newman into the courtroom announced the verdict had been reached, and three minutes later he addressed the fore woman and of course we played that verdict for you. And I'm just going to read this other article they put out there at FIT News that references Alex Mardaf's decision to actually testify in his own defense, and it says a South Carolina jury convicted former lawyer Alex Murdoch of murdering his wife and son after less than three hours. Jurors did not ask to have any testimony re read or see any evidence again. Quote, it was one thing for them to come to a rather quick decision, meaning a day or two if they were going to find Alec Murdoch guilty.

34:20 It's another thing to come to the decision within three hours, a legal analyst said. And then it goes on to say the most likely explanation was Murdall's decision to take the stand. While testifying, the embattled lawyer admitted that he lied about his whereabouts the night of the murders. The prosecution also had a video for Murdoch's son's phone that proved that Mardall was at the side of the murders with his wife and son just minutes before they were killed. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who was one of the prosecutors in the case, also said that Murdoch's decision to take the stand hurt him. I think it hurt him one hundred percent. I think ultimately he had heard him in the end. This is a person who has spent his entire career was very successful making millions of dollars making closing arguments to a jury. And I guess in the back of his mind he probably believed this is his opportunity to make this final closing argument. He's been manipulating people for decades, lying and manipulating to get his way, and I feel like he thought he could do this to a jury. That's probably what he was thinking.

35:27 But it blew up in his face, and so I could not agree with that anymore. I think that was a major mistake on Murdoch's part. Now, honestly, no one was happier with this verdict than the State of South Carolina, the Attorney General of South Carolina, and of course Creighton Waters, who took on a titan and destroyed him. Quite frankly, here is what he in that Attorney General said immediately following that verdict. Wow, what a great day for the people of South Carolina.

36:10 I want to thank every one of you for being here tonight. Is there's a lot of emotion here tonight at this courthouse, a lot of a year and a half, nearly two years of blood, sweat and tears. It feels like a lot of hard work from so many people. So if you will just bear with me. There's a couple of not a couple. There's a lot of people I have to think. But first, those of you don't know, I'm Alan Wilson. I'm South Carolina's Attorney General, and I got the best staff of any attorney general in the United States of America. I want to start by thanking our prosecution team. I want to tell you I've been here for six nearly six weeks with this team, living in a hotel, and it felt almost like being in a dorm environment in college. Late nights, cramming, studying, little sleep, away from our families, getting up early, getting here to the courthouse, working long hours, getting on each other's nerves at times. But it was all worth it. It was all worth it because we got to bring justice and be a voice for Maggie and Paul Murdoch and bring justice for the people of South Carolina. I let to start real briefly by thanking our team. First, excuse me and put my glasses on our chief prosecutor. I tell you I appointed Creighton Waters to be the chief prosecutor of this case nearly a year and a half ago, and I want to say I'm pretty brilliant because I picked the right guy.

37:26 And I want to say thank you to Craven Watts Creighton. You did a fantastic job. I don't think there's another attorney in to say as South Carolina could have led this herculean effort. But Creighton will be the first to tell you he didn't do it alone because you had a team of people. I want to first thank Don Zalinka, who is actually Creighton's boss. He is the Deputy Attorney General, been in the Attorney General's office for over forty years. Sitting here to my immediate left, Don Zealinka, thank you so much. John Metters. Many of you got to see him do the closing argument today. John, thank you. You've been a phenomenal ad to our team. I'm gonna go quickly through the names, but as I read the names, please raise your hand. You know Creighton, you saw Don and you see John, David Fernandez, John Conrad, Johnny James Savannah, gal Ozzie Toledo, Shane Acito, Carly Jewel Carson, Bernie Danielle Cologne, and.

38:27 Our victims Advocate Tricia Allen. I also want to say thank you to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Mark Keel assigned some amazing men and women. And when I said it was an agency wide effort on behalf of SLED, I can't underscore that part enough. Every time I called Chief Keel, every time I reached out to the lead agents, every time Creighton was asking me, hey, General, we need something from SLED, we would reach out to SLID and they were there. They busted their butts. I can't begin to list free agent and some can't be listened for obvious reasons. Some are standing up here tonight. I told them I wasn't gonna mention their names, but we would not be here if it wasn't for SLID.

39:10 And I want to thank Mark Keeling, his team, and all of the men and women across the entire State Law Enforcement Division for what they did to make tonight a possibility. I also want to thank the FBI and the Secret Service, our federal partners. We had to utilize many of their assets and resources. We couldn't do all the things that we did without our federal partners. We had a lot of local partners. We had the Carlton County Sheriff's Department, Buddy Hill, Sheriff Hill and his team providing the security. They did a phenomenal job and they were there. They were the first responders the night on June seventh, twenty twenty one, when Maggie and Paul were butchered brutally. They were the first responders and they were the first ones to be there. The Charleston County Sheriff's Office, the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office were instrumental in supporting our investigative efforts.

40:00 All know Kenny Kenzie, our chief crime scene expert, was was the Arrangebrook Sheriff's Office. I also want to thank the City of Walterborough. I think the mayor is here somewhere, and the police department they provided security. Thank you. This is the This whole community has embraced our entire team and I cannot thank you enough. We've all been away. From our families, two hours away from our families for the past two months, and it's this community that made us. We would walk into restaurants and people would come up and fake us. You know, you don't have any idea how good that makes people feel when dur under an incredible amount of stress, an incredible amount of scrutiny, and this community really embraced us. I want to thank the Carleton County Clerk of Court, Becky Hill, and her entire team and their staff. I I call her Becky Booth, that's her nickname. But Matt and Clark, wherever you are tonight, I'm sorry that's my pet name for But I want to thank you, Madam Clerk, for you, the entire team, the bailiffs, the court security, the staff here.

41:14 There was no role. That was too small that they weren't willing to do for us. The security team here. It was a herculean air effort by everybody. And I can't thank enough people. I don't know if I mentioned the bailiffs, but I want to thank them. And there's another group of people who you don't know who they are, but that's the jurors. And not just the jurors, but the alternance, the ones who didn't even get to serve to the very end, but people who were taken away from their families. And I want to thank the families of our jurors who sat here every single day for what seemed like long amounts of tedious, monotonous information and evidence. Sometimes people didn't know what it meant. They didn't understand it, and they had to sit there and process it and hear it over and over and over again. And I want to thank these nameless jurors whose identities have been protected. They may make their identities available to all of you at some point, but they sat there and they delivered justice tonight, and I want to thank them for their role in this process.

42:17 You know, Winston Churchill said. Democracy is the worst form of government except for every other kind. I kind of want to adopt that and say, we may have the worst criminal justice system in the world, but it's better than every other kind that there is. And our criminal justice system worked tonight. It gave a voice to Maggie and Paul Murdoch, who were brutally mowed down and murdered on the night of June seventh, twenty twenty one, by someone that they loved and someone that they trusted, and they couldn't be here to testify for themselves tonight. Their testimony came through the evidence and the information that was gathered by the men and women of the agencies I've just mentioned. It came from the testimony of the agents and the investigators and the attorneys and the folks and our staff who were able to get it to the court record, and so I want to say tonight their voice was heard tonight and justice was brought for them.

43:15 We can't bring them back, but we can bring him justice. I started off my remarks by saying, it is a good day in South Carolina. Today's verdict proves that no. One, no one, no matter who you are in society, is above the law. A lot of people doubted that this process would work, and hopefully for those who did doubt the process, hopefully we have instilled and put a little bit of faith back into you and your lives as you view this process as it unfolds. I'm proud of this team. I am proud of the men and women standing behind me tonight, and there's been a lot of emotion, and I just want to stay from the bottom of my heart, I saw firsthand for the last five or six weeks, the countless nights where you were up beyond midnight and you were getting up before dawn, not eating. Was watching Nancy Grace the other night and I heard her called Creighton pale and gaw because Creighton wasn't eating and sleeping. He really wasn't, folks. I'm serious, so you know we would have to bring in kind bars and things to eat during breaks. But Creighton herculean effort, my friend, and I am truly honored to have you on our team. Thank you for being a great leader and a great chief prosecutor. And I would like to invite you to come up here and make some remarks for the folks here tonight.

44:43 Thanks everybody, and let's start by thanking this guy who's given me and all these folks behind us opportunities to do justice, which is what we want. To do with our careers. It is very tough and demanding, but it's rewarding for moments like these. The General stole a lot of my lines. But I also want to thank the jurors for their long and arduous service. And we had no doubt that if we had a chance to present our case in a court of law, that they would see through the one last con that Alec Murdau was trying to pull, and they did, and we're so grateful for that. I get to lead the State Grand Jury Section in the Attorney General's Office. This particular case is not a state grand jury case. There are other indictments that our state grand jury but the one thing about that is is that I have an amazing team, and I want to be clear, this was a team effort. Y'all saw all of these folks behind me doing amazing work, and I can't be prouder of a team in my life.

45:54 We called this our super. Bowl, and not because of the media attention, but just because of the effort that he knew that we would have to put into this. And we didn't really get to watch much of the super Bowl that went on because when we arrived, I think it was winter and it feels like spring now. But every single member of this team, every single member of the State Grand Jury staff, what we do well is work together as a team in complex investigations. And who we work with is my partners that's sled and I can't thank them enough as well, because we're used to working on these complex cases and working together. And I'm not leaving out Sheriff Hill in the Coleton County Sheriff's Office, and our federal partners in Orangeburg and Charleston Sheriff's Office and all the other agencies that have worked on this case. I also want to thank Miss Becky, if she's still up there, because she's been amazing. The clerk staff has been amazing, the court staff has been amazing, the bailiffs have been amazing. And again I also want to thank this community who really has embraced us and has been so great to us and made us able to survive this process that has been long and arduous. And I have been sleeping, I haven't done, and I have been eating more than cond bars every now and then. But and I'm sure that's a nice plug for kind But anyway, it really has been a great process.

47:16 We will have senacing tomorrow. Obviously we're not gonna comment on sentencing because that's still pending. But justice was done today. It doesn't matter who your family is. It doesn't matter how much money you have or people think you have. It doesn't matter what you think, how prominent you are. If you do wrong, if you break the law, if you murder, then justice will be done in South Carolina. And I think South Carolina has shown the nation in the world how a process can work and work well. Thank y'all. And also I want to thank Creighton.

47:58 I told Crateon, I said, create them, We'll come and I'm gonna I'm gonna be just a staff attorney. I know, I'm your boss, I'm your boss's boss's boss. But I said, I'm gonna come down and I'm gonna help. And uh, I said, uh, I'm gonna I'm gonna follow instruction. And I hope, I hope I was true to my word this past weekend. I'll say, what can I do to help? I said, Uh, I'm willing to take a witness if it will help. He said, actually it would so. Uh. He he let an old prosecutor dust off his cleats and get back in the game and and to help the team out. And I got to be the boss of the boss for a while. Yeah, don't get used to it. Uh No. But in all seriousness, I'm I'm I'm proud of the decisions that I made and putting the people behind me into the left and right of me in charge of this case. And I was honored to be part of this team, just another member, just another worker be in the trench. Is trying to bring justice to the people of uh of this of this state, and to bring justice to the people who couldn't be here tonight because they were brutally murdered by someone they trusted.

48:55 Now with that being. Said, I know a lot of people want to talk to us, A lot of people want to talk to some of the attorneys and the support staff and the agents investigators here tonight. Some of you want to talk to me and others. We're gonna make ourselves available to you, But like mister Waters just said, tomorrow, there's a sentencing hearing and we don't want to get out in front of our skis, and plus I'm starting to feel the rain come down. But I promise you we're gonna make ourselves available to talk to members of the media, to talk to all of you out there that have questions. We'll answer any questions that we ethically can. So there you have it, and all that is left for Mardall is the sentencing phase. And it is at this point that we really hear how much thought Judge Clifford Newman put into this case when he sentences Mardall.

49:45 It is really an amazing speech that you've got to hear. This is what it sounded like. This has been perhaps one of the most troubling cases, not just for me as a judge, for the state, for the defense team, but for all of the citizens in this community, all the citizens in this state, and as we have seen based on the media coverage there throughout the nation, you have a wife who's been killed murdered, a son savage savages, savagely murdered, a lawyer, a person from a respected family who has controlled justice in this community for over a century, a person who's grandfather's portrait hang at the back of the courthouse that I had to have ordered removed in order to ensure that a

51:16 fair trial was had by both the state and the defense. And I've sat through the trial. Not only have set through the trial, but also as the presiding judge of the state grand jury, sat through and participated in the issuance of search warrants of various sorts, bond hearings, and have had to consider many things. And we have this case, and I'm also assigned to preside over ninety nine others, at least ninety nine other cases. Though testimony has come up regarding many of those other cases. I will not make any comment with regard to any other pending matter, as I have been assigned those cases as well. It's also particularly troubling, mister Murdoch because as a member of the legal community and a well known member of the legal community. You've practiced law before me, and we've seen

52:50 each other at various occasions throughout the years, and it was especially heartbreaking for me to see you gone go in the media from being aggrieving father who lost a wife and a son to being the person indicted and convicted of killing them. And you've engaged in such duplicitous conduct here in the courtroom, here on the witness stand, and as established by the testimony throughout the time leading from the time of the indictment and prior to the indictment, throughout the trial to this moment in time, certainly you have no obligation to say anything other than saying not guilty.

54:10 And obviously, as appeals are probably expected or absolutely expected, I would not expect a confession of any kind. In fact, as I've presided over murder cases over the past twenty two years, I have yet to find a defendant who could go there, who could go back to that moment in time when they decided to pull the trigger or to otherwise murder someone. I have not been able to get anyone, any defendant, even those who have confessed to being guilty, to go back and explain to me what happened at that moment in time when they opted to pull the trigger, when they opted to commit the most hinous crime known to man in this case qualifies under our death penalty statue based on the statutory the statutory aggravating circumstances of two or more people being murdered by

55:44 the defendant by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct. I don't question at all the decision of the state not to pursue the death penalty. But as I sit here in this courtroom and look around the many portraits of judges and other court officials, and reflect on the fact that over the past century, your family, including you, have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct. Remind me of the expression you gave them the witness stand. Was it tangled? We oh? What tangle web we weave? What did you mean by that?

57:08 Meant? When I lied? I continue to lie. And the question is when will it end? When will it end? And it's ended already for the jury because they've concluded that you continue to lie and lie throughout your testimony and perhaps with all the throng of people here, they for the most part, all believe or believe that you continue to lie. Now when you your statement of denial to the court, perhaps you believe that it's it does not matter that there's nothing that can mitigate a sentence given the crime, the crimes that were committed. You know, a notice of alibi was filed in this case by council in November, and we conducted a hearing pre try hearing in which you claimed to have been someplace else at the time the crime was committed. Then after all of the witnesses placed you at the scene of the

58:38 crime at the last minute or last minutes or days, you switch courses and admit it to being there. And then that necessitated more lies and continue to lie. And I said, will it end? It's already ended for many who have heard you and concluded that it will never end. But within your own soul you have to deal with that. And I know you have to see Paul and Maggie during the night time when you're attempting to go to sleep.

59:25 I'm sure they come and visit you. I'm sure, and every night, I'm sure, and they will continue to do so. And reflect on the last time they looked you in the eyes as you look the jury and eyes I don't know person who's always been such a gregarious, friendly person and cause your life to be tangled in such a weave web, such a situation that you yours have spun into, and it's so unfortunate because you have such a lovely family of such friendly people, including you, and to go from that to this. You know, your license to practice law has been stripped away from you. You turned from lawyer to witness and now have an opportunity

1:00:55 to make your final appeals as an ex lawyer. And it's almost it's really surprising that you're waiving this right at this time and if you ought to do so, that it's on you. You're not compelled to say anything, but you have the opportunity to do so. As I tell you again, I respect this court, but I'm innocent. I would never, under any circumstances hurt my wife, Maggie, and I would never, under any circumstances hurt my son put Paul well.

1:01:44 And it might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become when you take fifteen twenty thirty, forty fifty sixty opioid pills. Maybe you become another person. I've seen that before. The person standing before me was not the person who committed the crime, though it's the same individual. We will leave that at that before announcing sentence on these cases. With regard to all of the other pending cases, are any of them here in Collagen or I'm sure some of them are half of them, or I don't.

1:02:42 Have that in Froy, But there are a substantial number of charges here. There're some of Hampton, ardferd Ufort, allen Dale. There may be others that I'm not thinking of right now. We might have worn out our welcome here in Collating right they they have been, and I'll take this opportunity to thank Sheriff Hill and all of the court officials and and really everyone I've met and and dealt with while here in College and County just been great. But without any delay, we're gonna schedule some of the other matters.

1:03:24 I know mister Harpulian's scheduling is complicated and you sacrifice quite a bit to be able to hear be here defending uh mister Murdall, as well as the Attorney General's office with all the other many many things and obligations you have. And to be able to have the Attorney General here, Alan Wilson for the period of time that he's uh devoted to being here along with everyone else. It's it's it's been uh quite a sacrifice. But there are other victims whose cases deserve to be heard, and this case has jumped some of those other cases, perhaps jumped it because of the this case resulting in an assault on the integrity of the judicial system in our state, law enforcement in our state, even during this trial, law enforcement has been aligned for the past five or six weeks by one who had access to to the wiels

1:04:59 of justice to be able to deflect the investigation and as a evidence has pointed out in this case, the looming storm that mister Waters talked about. I can just imagine on that day, Jim Seventh, when a lawyer is confronted and confesses to having stolen over a half a million dollars from a client, and he has a tagger like marked tensely on his tail, pursuing discovery in the case involving the death of Mallory Beach and having a father for the most part on his death dead, I could imagine. I really can't imagine, but I know it had to have been quite a bit going through your mind on that day. But amazingly to have you come and testify that it was just another ordinary day, that my wife and son and I were out just enjoying life.

1:06:34 Not credible, not believable. You can convince yourself about it that. Obviously you have the inability to convince anyone else about that. So if you made any such arguments as a lawyer, you would lose every case. So that, like that cases, you will never have an opportunity to argue anymore, except perhaps your own as you sit in the Department of Corrections. Anything further, all right, mister Murdall, I sentence you to the State Department of Corrections on each of the murder indictments in the murder of your wife, Maggie Murdall. I sentence you for the term or the rest of your natural life. For the murder of Paul Murdaal, whom you probably love so much. I sentence you to prison for murdering him for the rest of your natural life. Those sentences will run consecutive under the statute involving possession of a weapon during a violent crime. There is no sentence

1:08:07 where life. A life sentence is imposed on other indictments. That is the sentence of the court. And you are remanded to the State Department of Corrections and officers may carry forth on the emposition. Now after the sentencing, the defense in this case, they had a few words to say outside of the courtroom themselves. And here's what that sounded like out of Dick Carpilion. This is Jim Griffin as Emmi Dale, that's Maggie Fox, that's Holly Miller, and this is Phil Barber. We are Alec Murdo's defense team. We're able to answer your questions.

1:08:58 We're not going to make a statement. I know y'all don't want one. So anybody got a question? Do you think he was mistake with Alex ort Off on the sand? No? Next, why do you object sport the sins can her page? Why didn't I? Why did well? For two reasons? One, she admit well, she admitted she talked to. Other people about the case, but not specifically. But technically I think the judge had leeway to excuse her. But she clearly and after we interviewed her back in chambers.

1:09:39 In my mind had not made up her mind, and I thought that was important her faith. I don't know. She didn't express an opinion to us. She said she was open, she had made up her mind. Well, but. Years to address that. I think there were significant issues. But I won't be addressing that in the Senate unless it comes up in a bill. I'm not going to mix this role with my role as a senator. I would not do that. And good comment. But wasn't it.

1:10:31 That's a good question. What was the question again? I'm sorry, Well, you know, I'm somebody that's prosecuted and defended a bunch of death ponalty cases, and clearly if you never do it in a circumstantial case all again, because you're not ninety nine times out one hundred of juris not going to sentence somebody to death without I saw him do it, he confessed, or you know, great forensic evidence at the minimum, they had none of that here. Secondly, in a death ponty case, it gives us the ability to individually wader jurors, which would have been very helpful here, and the prosecution obviously didn't want that. So I don't disagree with I mean, if I had been prosecuting this case, I probably wouldn't have brought it, but based on you know, what we heard was presented to the Coleton County grand jury by Detective Owen that Jim crossed bod spatter that didn't exist, testimony.

1:11:27 About guns that was wrong. I mean, I can go through the litany with you. Going back to his question, I think SWED needs to do some self examination on the forensic processing they did not. One of the things we complained about was that Maggie's phone. Would have had all her GPS date on it if they processed it within five days, and they because they didn't, the GPS datea got overridden. I mean it was just one which would have been helpful to alecaus fingerprints, footprints and all kinds of forensics things that weren't done. So what was the question about the judgment? About the judgment comment after the bird that he agreed with. It, thought it was the right of prove.

1:12:08 He's entitled to his opinion. A times ten days will be follow an appeal. What do you believe the strongest grounds for an appr R? What you say, what do you believe the strongest grounds for an IMPRR? Yeah? It was the mission of all the financial crime evidence. Uh and and that was offered up, you know, as having to some motive that because he was confronted about uh one financial transaction involving attorney's fees by the chief accountant of the law firm that hope, and that was being offered as motive for why he would go home and kill his wife and son, which we thought was illogical and ludicrous and and and there really was no evidence linking one to the other, and we did not think it should come in the No did that come in, But every other financial misdeed that they could bring in over the last ten or fifteen years was allowed in.

1:13:06 And we think that we strongly objected. We respect the judge's decision, but we believe that that was erroneous decision. And we believe that the judge was somewhat misled because at the conclusion of the case, when mister Matters is up on his rebuttal argument in front of the jury, he says to the jury, Oh, forgive about all that motive evidence. We don't have to prove motive. We just have to prove malice, which is right. But why did they go to all the effort to prove motive when at the end they say, you don't have to believe us on our motive theory. But by then they had cast Alec as a despicable human being, and that was the reason they offered it in the first place. And we think that Pelic course will take a strong look at that. We feel like that is a very solid ground for an appeal, and we're going to pursue that.

1:14:00 You got the last six years long trial. Would you guys do anything different? No? No, I mean, look once the judge. First of all, we believe if the judge was going to let that stuff in, it should have been limited to the Ferris case, which is what they were asking him about on Monday on the fee number two. Tensely, the person has made the motion that compelled to be heard on Thursday. DAWs Cook Alex's lawyer, both agreed it wasn't going to be any storm or armageddon or anything that was going to happen that Thursday. The judge might have issued order which once down the line, might have posed a problem. So once they got that character in character information is he's a thief, he's a liar, then it dictated this jury had to think he was a sspicable human being and not to be believed. So it was about character, it wasn't about motive. So as a result, our options were limited. Should he take the stand? Well, you know we debated that he always wanted to take the stand, but once that information was in, I mean, if he had to take the stand to explain.

1:15:11 The Cannel video the lie, if you will, he had to, but. He had no credible his credibility have been stripped away by by the uh the financial Uh. Yes, how was. Fuster doing and why she got to see the sis? We could have had uh mother Teresa up there speaking on behalf of Alec at sentencing. I mean he was getting a double life sentence. That that was that was expected. I mean this is Judge Newman, he he has he's a very uh stringent uh kinnis sher when it comes to crimes and sentences.

1:15:53 I mean that that was never in dispute. And so for Buster to get up and and speak on his Das's behalf was not animated difference And why do you want to why do you want to put that kid through more trauma than than anybody that we you know can imagine has ever been through. How does seal the beast at what's. That feelings bat act? You know, I can't speak to Buster's feelings. I can tell you this. There's a lot of effort by the state to convince the family that Alex is the murderer. The family came to trial every day for six weeks expecting to hear proof positive that he killed Maggie and Paul, something that they.

1:16:35 Had not heard before. After six weeks of trial, they came away more convinced that he did not do this, and they steadfastly in his camp and support him. And that's that's that's where they stand. What's that out? Well, Alex will be leaving shortly to go to Columbia to Rne's call, where he will be at the. Southline Department of Corrections. He'll be evaluated. That's about a thirty day process, and then he will be sent to wherever the correctional facility that that they assigned him to. Really got a security measures for him. No, I don't. I don't think you know, Alec was not optimistic that with all of the.

1:17:25 Scrutiny and press and and all of his bad acts being out in the public in the world, you know, media domain that he could get, you know, a jury to put out all the noise and and just focus on the murder. And so coming in he was somewhat pessimistic. He became optimistic as we got through the process. But but I gotta tell you, in all your reporters, you know, you know the whole story, I'm sure, and if you're sitting on that jury, they heard everything that would be in an HBO documentary, a Netflix documentary about the Garadoch family dynasty downfall. Except the suit the Steven smith Man. I mean, so we were hoping to get a jury to.

1:18:08 Put all you know that that could ignore the noise, focus on the murder, and end up trying a case that that they could have watched on Netflix. Trying to feel like he did feel about that, Oh. Absolutely not, I mean not outmatched. I mean, look, they won this case the day the judge bought into letting them put every piece of you know, stealing from kids who lost their mother, from somebody with pancreatic cancer, somebody that's a paraplegic, I mean, all of that two and. A half weeks. By the time they got done with it, it didn't matter about final argument. It didn't matter about what we put up. He was there, would never ever ever acquit him.

1:18:55 After that last last question, we'll file something, not in ten days, but we'll file a notice in attention to appeal. Then we've got thirty days I think to file a brief. Yeah, so you file the notice within ten days. You got to get a transcript. Oh, that'll take a while. That'll take months. Before they type up everything. And then then then we start briefing. Are you all going to handle deep field, Yes, and arguing you know, the Supreme Court and the US and the US Supreme Court is necessary. That's correct. Federal issue. Doyle. Oh, there's a huge federal issues. That's why I got so animated, and Judge told me to sit down. Part of the trial is the state and listening and listening for asking questions on Alec about why he did not come forward until law enforcement where he was at, you know, at the time of the kennel video, and that was after he was arrested. And there's US Supreme Court cases are clear that post arrest.

1:19:55 Silence cannot be used against you, and that I mean. That is a classic black violation on the Fifth Amendment and and we feel strongly that if we lose at the state courts, we will have success with feltmats throw. No, there were no plea negotiations. There weren't any. They never offered him anything. Maybe find the real. Killer or whatever. El not our job to find the real killer. If they had taken fingerprints, if they gotten footprints, if they hadn't destroyed, if they preserve Maggie's phone with their GPS, if they had not, I mean they misrepresented to the grand jury that they had a shirt with his blood on it when they if they if you know, if Owen and opened his email he says he didn't get would have told him a year before that was there was no human blood on that T shirt. I mean, it was a comedy of errors in terms of forensics on this. So do I have faith if they would find the real killer?

1:20:56 No? I don't. We don't know what last question? Last question, say that one more time. There was no choice. Why? Because he had been made out to be a monster who stole from children and crippled people. And he's crippled, not my son plus the correct word. I'm sorry, I'm an old guy, crippled people. He was just done horrible, despicable things, and he had to try to push back on that. And and I mean, if he'd left that way without taking the stand, he was toast taking the stand.

1:21:42 You know, he could he pull it off. Apparently didn't. In hindsight. Do you regret not asking for a change of. Venue in this case? Not really, because we checked. I mean, we did focus groups in this case in a county way far away from here. Eight of the ten people on the two focus groups knew all about this case. I mean, there was nowhere you could go that you could find. We believe you could find a jury that knew, that didn't know, hadn't watched TV, hadn't read the stuff you write or the stuff the. Twitter stuff. And by the way, one of the good, good piece of information. As this trial is over, Griffin can start tweeting again.

1:22:22 Yes, all right, thank you guys. So they you have it. Murdog is jail story over right, of course, not not by loan shot. Becky Hill, the Clerk of Court for South Carolina, is about to play a big part in this case. And it seems that jury tampering is in her future as it relates to this trial. And next week you were going to hear what she did and how it could possibly lead to the release. You heard me right, release of Alec Murdoch. You just won't believe it.

1:23:08 But that's all I got for today. Tomorrow look for those murd All jailhouse phone calls at volume five to be released. Y'all love those, so I'm going to bring you another volume. Check out the Patreon for commercial, free early releases, bonus episodes, files, and even quarterly gifts at patreon dot com. Slash exposed podcast files and until next time for exposed scandalous files of the elite. I'm your host, Jim Chapman.

1:23:53 Much you love