When a court determines that a defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial has been violated through jury tampering, the defense can file a civil lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to seek damages and hold the responsible party accountable, as demonstrated by the lawsuit filed against Becky Hill for her alleged jury tampering conduct during the Alex Murdaugh trial.
Deep Dive
Prerequisite Knowledge
- No data available.
Where to go next
- No data available.
Deep Dive
Alex Murdaugh Retrial and Lawsuit Press Conference:The Poot Gets PettyAdded:
[music] [music] [music] I'm feeling low. Want you to know I ain't got much to show. Baby, I'm slow.
I'll breathe into [music] my eyes show until the spring liberates me from my winter hell. [music] I've got candles and cand let me creep into your prison [music] cell. Hey baby, can you tell I'm not a criminal? Your choice. [music] I want you to stay true. what's right [music] for you.
No matter who you are and know what will others say, [music] just find your way and try to stay true.
[music] [music] Yeah, [music] just speak alone. Stand in your [music] own. Try not to show this last a show.
Try not to glow way down below. [music] It's a lot of wo and that's not a place where you would like to go. I've got cigarettes [music] and brand new which could come in handy if you just help me loosen up my hang.
Baby, don't refuse my [music] truth. But it's up to you to choose. I want you to stay [music] true. What's right for you?
No matter. Oh, I know what we'll ever say. [music] Just find your way and try to stay.
[music] [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> I want you to stay true.
what's right for [music] you. No matter who I know or what will other say, [music] just find your way and try to stay true. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Hello. How is everyone? We got to stop meeting like this. We got to I got to be better. Look, I'm just going to say this. I thought about streaming that trial um of Josie Dykeman, but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do another kid. those kids tri kid murder trial so soon. I just couldn't do it.
And um we we got other stuff we to cover anyway. So it's fine.
Um also it's not I it's not like I've just been sitting around doing nothing.
The intro she is almost ready. She's much short much much shorter um like half the time. So hopefully I don't get a whole bunch of complaints about on the replay how they how for some reason the skip function eludes people. I don't know but whatever. Anywh who hi everyone. I'm so glad to see everybody.
We're here to talk about Alex Murdo, the retrial, Becky Hill, [laughter] and um all of the things about having to do with that. Uh Dick Harput got super duper pate, which you guys know, listen, I don't like Alex Murdo. Alec, I'm sorry, let me say his name right. Alec Murdoch at all. I think he's guilty, guilty, guilty. Um, but I do think that our um justice system is based around a fair trial.
And if there was jury tampering, then he's got to have another trial.
Okay. So apparently 2023 like the island isn't done with us because not only are they retrying Alec Murdo Taan is getting a retrial too. So we're just going to redo 2023. Apparently 2023 needs a mulligan. So here we are.
All right. So let me uh get this for you guys also.
>> [clears throat] >> Austin Drummond, remember him?
Killed his kids, tried to kill his wife.
Um, had a preliminary hearing last week.
I found it in full.
So, I was thinking, uh, how do you guys feel about tomorrow?
to go through that. It's about a 2hour preliminary hearing. Now, I know we said kids another kid trial, but this is a hearing, so it's not like all the things. Um, I think we can do it. I I there is part of me that wants to um cover that Josie Dykeman trial because um she took the stand.
you know, there's a lot of a lot of things happened during that trial. So, um I kind of want to I kind of want to talk about it. I just think we needed a break. So, I was thinking um I was thinking maybe we'll start that trial on Monday because on the 22nd is um the preliminary hearing for um Kimberly Park.
Ally is going to do a whole catch up on that. So, tonight after this live is over, you'll be automatically redirected over there. So, there you go. Hey, Jennifer. Hi, Neyo. Let me say hi to you guys. Let me say hello real quick. Hey, Karen. Hey, Cement Shoes. Uh, you guys should pay attention to cement shoes.
literally every uh um sticker or whatever they're called that there is available to members.
Cement shoe has on cement shoes has on display for you guys. Appreciate that.
Cement, it's good to see you. Hey justified, good to see you. Hi Flower Girl. Hello. Hi coffee and skeletons.
Jenny, good to see you guys. Hey Jonah's mom and Jonah, good to see you guys.
Um, let's see. I don't want to miss anybody.
I got um, [clears throat] hey, Jennifer. I got her. I got Jennifer Honeyhole. Oh, thank you for becoming a member. I appreciate that.
Thank you. Hold on. I got I'm still c this cough, y'all. It's not letting go.
It does not. It wants to like move in and become a permanent fixture. Hang on.
I'm still not past it. Hey, Lulu Lola.
Hey, Angel Eyes. Good to see you.
Welcome in. All right, you guys ready for this? Here we go. Let's get started because I've talked a lot, done too much talking. Let's move this up and over. I guess it won't let me do it. All right.
Shout out to Nate Eaton over at East Idaho News for this stream.
Thank you, Nate. There's no commentary or anything. Hey, Dana. Uh, no, we do not get the same judge back. Uh, he has retired.
Um, and to answer you, Karen, I don't think that they're allowed to do that.
Um, to to to entertain the capital death penalty.
Um, oh, wait. I mean, it I don't know if they're they're I don't know the laws on that. They're talking about it. It's being considered. I'll more on that when we um when I go through the attorney general's um response. Um so, [clears throat] but let's hear from the poot and Mr. Griffin. Are y'all ready? All right, here we go.
Here he comes. Here comes the poop.
>> Sunglasses or no sunglasses?
John, welcome back from >> Hey, John.
>> Good to see you. You made it back a while. I did.
>> I thought I said, "Well, folks, >> well, >> well, I don't know where to put this.
This is way too close."
>> Okay, couple things. Um, we have filed a lawsuit today. We're going to discuss that with you in just a minute. I'd hoped that would have been the main topic of this press conference, but over the weekend we learned that the attorney general has announced he's considering the death penalty in this.
>> Also, I want to say thank you so much uh Jonah and Jonah's mom for gifting a membership. I appreciate that, babe.
Thank you for supporting me and the channel. You are the best.
Um, all right. Here we go. Let me rewind it just a little. I don't want y'all to miss a moment of of Poot's pettiness.
You know, he is my favorite.
All right, here we go, buddy. Any of the old faces here?
Okay, couple things. Um, we have filed a lawsuit today. We're going to discuss that with you in just a minute. I'd hope that would have been the main topic of this press conference. But over the weekend, we learned that the attorney general has announced he's considering the death penalty in this case.
>> That's the first moment of Penny. He wanted he came for a purpose. He wanted to discuss the uh lawsuit that they had just filed. But now he's being forced to talk about something else. And the poot is mad and he does not like it.
And thank you. Um, neat for for the gift. I appreciate that, babe. Hey, Shimina. Hey, Jenzon owners. Oh, worse. How can I read today?
Cut me some slack, you guys. Um, yeah. Hi, everyone coming in. All right, here we go.
>> Clearly, he is not talking to the lawyers in his office.
>> He's probably talking to his political consultants who thought that was a good sound bite for his governor's campaign.
The [clears throat] law is clear that he cannot seek the death penalty if it is if it is due to vindictive prosecution. That is, and here's the question, what does he know today he didn't know 5 years ago? Why is he saying he's going to seek the death penalty? Is there some new piece of evidence?
So, we're a little sick and tired and we've seen this process uh since the beginning of this case where Allan Wilson plays politics as opposed to playing prosecutor. He's got great lawyers, great lawyers on his staff. He should listen to them, defer to their judgment.
Um, >> now that's what we call a petty compliment sandwich, right?
He said something nice at the beginning.
Then he did took a dig in the middle and then he complimented all the lawyers that he that that Mr. Wilson has surrounding him and he should listen to them. [laughter] Oh, Poot, your petty knows no bounce and I am here for it, sir.
Coincidentally, he has not looked into the attempted jury tampering of Becky Hill. We're going to talk about a civil suit in a minute, but clearly the statute says he whoever tampers with a jury or attempts to tamper with a jury is guilty of a crime. Judge Tol's fact findings were clear. Becky Hill attempted the Supreme Court this week.
Last week, Becky Hill attempted. So, please Allan, focus on your job and not the politics. Now, having gotten that out of my system, um >> Oh, but it's not out of your system.
Poot, here's the thing.
[sighs and gasps] Okay.
Mr. Mr. Wilson has a um I feel weird calling him that, but that's his name.
Alan Wilson does have a statement. He does address seeking the death penalty, the potential of seeking the death penalty. Okay.
And he's going to get there. All right.
No, we just started, Kelly. We just started. You miss me just chitchatting and you know me. Um, so he's going to address it. He's going to talk about it. Um, but if you're asking him to do his job, then it would appear that in his answer he addresses that and the consideration of seeking the death penalty is actually part of his job.
So now don't be that don't be that of me. Now, I don't know what they want.
It's an attempt. I don't know what potential uh sentence or um what Becky Hill could face criminally, but um you know, that's not for that. We're not there yet. We're not there yet. All right, here we go. Now, he's gotten 1% of the petty out of his system. Let's continue. me turn this over to Jim Griffin who's going to talk about the lawsuit that was filed this morning and then Phil Barber and he and I will answer questions. Jim.
>> Yeah, good morning. Um, today in United States District Court, federal court, the Charleston division, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of Richard Alexander Murdoch Senior versus Rebecca Hill. In this lawsuit, we we file it under the federal civil rights statute 42 United States Code 1983 um to red address constitutional deprivation of rights. Those rights were Alex right to a fair trial, a right um that him be tried before an untampered, untainted jury. With the South Carolina Supreme Court's ruling, it has been a judge as a matter of state law that she deprived Alec of his constitutional rights, deprived him of a right to a fair trial, and as a result, we've got to do it all over again, which nobody wants to do. The damages that we've alleged include the over [clears throat] $600,000 that was spent to try the first case and other compensatory damages.
Now, let me be clear. Alec Murdoch owes a lot of people a lot of money. None of this money that is recovered will go to him personally. And the purpose of this lawsuit is to hold Becky Hill accountable for what she did. She has not been held account at all for her conduct. And to two is to investigate exactly what she did, which we'll be able to do through the course of civil litigation. We have subpoena power. We >> Okay, I should have made a little graphic. Subpoena power. All right. So, I thought about this in relation to another lawsuit that has just recently been filed. It's in the very early stages, though, and I don't even know if it's been accepted, but this is in the reverse. So, um we all know that Bullhorn Betty is suing everybody. She is suing the um police department. She's suing um the Proudfoots. And I believe the I that's all I know. I can't remember if she's suing the Bower Socks or not. Now, at first I said to myself, first I said, "Oh my god, is she serious?" All right.
But then I was like, "Huh?
Could she be doing this in the same way that when um Terry Hobbs sued the Dixie Chicks, right, and their attorneys took that as an opportunity to depose Terry Hobbs on things because the whole thing surrounded the whole reason he was suing was for defamation because he claimed that Natalie Mann's and the Dixie Chicks accused him of not only murdering Stevie Branch but also Christopher Buyers and Michael Moore and they and and the Dixie Chick well not only Maine's attorneys used that opportunity because it all surrounded that right the first part of uh proving defamation is that he has to be it was a known lie right so they depose him or whatever and at first I thought is this is Bullhorn Betty being clever is she going to do this in an attempt to depose Katie and Chris? And then I was like, nah, she just being petty.
But he But what Jim Griffin is talking about is, you know, they're going they can do some investigating through subpoenas. When you're when you're subpoenaed, you're testifying. you're it is under oath. You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So, if they want to get any, you know, if they want to investigate all of that, then yeah, this is the way to do it. I'm I I just want you guys to know that I only entertained that thought about BHB for about 5 seconds. Okay? At most. Might even been 2.5.
She ain't that slick.
All right, here we go.
>> You can take depositions. And so we're we're going to be able to under understand the entire scope of her her conduct. She's yet to be thoroughly investigated by the state and she's not been held accountable by the state and that's what we hope to do. That's what we intend to do and that's what we will do with this lawsuit. Thank you, Phil.
What you got? I'll just uh amplify that and say that you know >> can you hold it till the plane goes >> move this way a little bit to center >> good you know the the jury process uh the integrity of the jury process was violated by somebody sworn to uphold it and that's why we're here today and that cannot go unanswered as Jim said and that's what we're going to do with this lawsuit.
Um, beyond that, we've alleged there's $600,000 uh in damages. That's a public number, by the way. There was a receiverhip.
That money was allocated from receiverhip uh for the defense. That was a waste because of what Becky Hill did, plus other damages alleged. Um, and beyond that, we are going to find out exactly what happened. Uh, there will be depositions, there will be subpoenas, and you know, she will be held to account for her actions.
Um, any questions?
>> None. Okay.
>> Do you guys have any new evidence to present your case going forward?
>> Well, we have Where'd you go, Phil?
>> I'm right here.
>> Okay. Um, we have received a number of pieces of information post-trial. Some of them came just to us. Some of that came just to us. Some of that went to Sled, too.
And we don't know what they did with it.
you know, once the trial was over, we don't have the power to subpoena. We don't have the power to really investigate it all. Uh, all we did was after the trial was look into the jury misconduct and >> Well, I mean, that's not really true.
You Yeah, you don't have the power to subpoena, but you could employ um private investigators. I mean, you you can't force people to talk. So, that's true. Um, so you have like significantly less power, but um, [sighs] okay. Okay. P, look how serious his face is. P ain't playing, y'all.
He's serious, y'all. This is This is serious. All right, here we go.
>> Went around rode around Cton County for a couple months uh, through the swamp on the dirt roads to find these jurors and ask them questions. But um once a judge is appointed and I think we got an order on Friday that the chief justice has said once once the remitor is issued which means it go right now the Supreme Court has the case they got to remit it to a trial court and he'll do that we think in the next couple weeks. So at that point then we will have subpoena power then we will have the ability to investigate.
Um, you know, with the new murder trial, how hard do you think it is going to be to find impartial jur?
>> Well, let me say this to you.
>> Hold on. I what I I think this is really interesting.
Okay. They came there to talk about this lawsuit that they filed against Becky.
Becky.
Becky who muddled around and now here we are and now we have to have a whole retrial putting this whole case on again. You know, the victim's family members, you know, all the things, okay?
Have to go through it all over again, which by the way is expensive. It ain't cheap. All right. So, and they're talking about they're asking for a [clears throat] change of venue, which is also expensive for the for the state. Okay, this isn't this is not going to be, you know, this is going to c this is going to cost some money now.
And here comes Becky messing stuff up.
Now, they're suing Becky, and nobody hardly wants to. None of the reporters want to talk about that. They're like, "Becky who?
Y'all y'all sue her. Do what you got to do. We're here to talk about this retrial. We don't care about what Becky did or didn't do. We want to talk about what y'all going to do. What What can we What kind of trial can we expect from the poot? That's all they really care about." I thought that was interesting.
>> This has gotten extraordinary notoriety, unlike most other cases I've ever tried.
But in its time, a case I prosecuted 40 years ago, Pee-Wee Gaskins Monk was there. Um, Pee-Wee Gaskins, uh, we had to go through 400 jurors to get 14. It's important that we have what we want is individual void there. That means we individually question the jurors, which is not usually allowed in anything but a death penalty case. So, we think we can get them. Now, can we get it in Colton County?
That's debatable. But um we need to we are just we and I think the state has the same interest should have the same interest we have in finding a 12 or 14 with alternates impartial fair jurors.
The state should want an unsullied uninfluenced jury as much as we do.
>> And have you talked to Alec recently?
How does he feel about the overturn?
>> Oh, hold on y'all.
>> Jim, >> wait till y'all hear this. Wait till y'all hear this. All right, here we go.
>> Jim talked to him this morning.
>> Yeah. Yeah. We We've talked to Alec a lot lately about many topics, including retrial and what that might look like.
But to your specific question, um, frankly, when we reported, >> hold on. Cement, I think cement asked if he prosecuted Gaskins. No, I think he I don't think uh Harput has ever been a prosecutor. I think he's always been a defense attorney. But let's let me rewind it back and see if he talks. Let me see if I can see what he says before he gets back up here.
Hold on. Let me see what he said.
Oh, he said prosecuted. He prosecuted him. Wow, I didn't know that. Look at you, Poot. All right, here we go.
Let's go back a little bit.
All right, hold on a minute. Went too far forward.
All right, here we go. Now, we're going to hear from Alec, Sir Jim, >> about many topics, including retrial and what that might look like. But to your specific question, um, frankly, when we reported back to him after our argument in the South Carolina Supreme Court, we we told him it went as well as we could have hoped and that we were very optimistic that we would get a favorable result. and he appreciated our assessment, but he he he was incredulous. He's his um experience has been since he has been on the back end of civil lawsuits and criminal indictments that that he's lost every significant legal ruling along the way and and that occurred almost daily during the trial. And when he got the order, >> hold on.
>> And he when I >> No, sir. I I I was so focused on Dick Harput and his level of petty that here comes Jim slipping in some petty that just went unnoticed by Mwah.
That was petty.
You there were I mean look here Mr. Griffin, I know you don't want to talk about it, but the fact of the matter is some of those rulings that you lost during the trial were your own fault.
They were you opened the door to things more such as additional financial crimes that you know Alec later plead guilty to, but you're the one that opened the door to that. Now, I know you don't want to talk about it and I know you don't want to hear it, but that is not the judge's fault. And he has retired. Sir, don't do this. Don't be petty like this.
Not against um um don't do that. Don't do that. Kelly says, [clears throat] "Bendy, it seems a lot of us are struggling this week month. I vote that we take a moment and embrace in a group hug for our mental health virtually so we don't have to touch or make eye contact. I agree.
I agree. Let's all take a moment. It's been a r It's been a rough month, you know, [clears throat] even though I was just telling Ally the other day, hi Ally by the way. Um, I was just telling Ally the other day, she sent me some Tik Toks of Athena and I can't even open them. MK, what up, buddy?
Um, I can't open them because all I can hear is and see is Rebecca Lopez's face and the tone in her voice when she reported what was said in the back of that truck.
And I can I cannot also unhear the um last prosecution witness and his testimony at the very end there. And I just like I it I'm not going to lie, that trial kind of kind of messed me up. I'm not going to lie. Um [clears throat] so it has been rough. It has been very rough. So, I'm sending everybody a virtual hug. I really And I Nobody look me in the eye when you do it. All right.
All right, you guys. Let's It's been a lot.
It's in It's It's been a lot.
All right, here we go.
I hope it gets better for all of us.
Really? I do anybody and everybody that's struggling. I hope that May may have come in like a [ __ ] but I hope May goes out like a scholar and a gentleman. All right, here we go.
>> Spoke with him. He had already read the opinion of the Supreme Court and he says, "I'm reading it. I see it. It says reverse, but I still have a hard time believing it. It's really just sinking in.
>> Shut up, Alec. It's really just sinking in, I'm sure. Also, I meant to say hello to ATS News. I didn't see you, babe.
Hey, good to see you.
Good to see you. Thanks everybody for being here. I appreciate it so much.
You're having a hard time believing it.
It's just now sinking in. Well, la deah.
>> And but he was very grateful, very thankful, and he he thanked all of us.
uh here that are on this side of the podium. Um and and and I mean he got somewhat emotional. He was so and and and I don't think he'll mind for me tell >> Oh, shut up, Jim. Now you know damn right well that man ugly cried snot and everything. We've seen him cry before.
He'll that's just who Alec is. He is an ugly crier. That's how it goes. Snot rockets and then he sniffs his snot.
It's disgusting. It's terrible. It makes everybody completely uncomfortable. But please please go and share this >> telling you this. I I mean he has always said and he told me [snorts] very early that he deserves to be in jail prison for the financial crimes that he committed. But he says being in jail for something you didn't do is a hard thing to swallow even though I'm here doing time for what I did do. But then he said, "What I was convicted of is so reprehensible and something that is so um um heinous and to be wrongfully convicted of that um is almost unbearable," he says. And so he is very thankful that he is no longer a convicted murderer of his wife and son. and and he he and he he's he's appreciative to the court for applying the rule of law. Um regardless of of outcome, they did their job and we're all very appreciative of that. The rule of law won out last week.
>> Look, this is what I have to say to that.
Okay, this is another one of those technicalities.
Okay, cuz none of the other parts of the appeal had any merit or were successful. Okay, the the reason that Alec Murdoch and Leticia Stal and yes, I mean there no it's the same. The reason that they are getting a retrial is based on an issue with the jury in Laticia's. It was one jury. It was one juror in Alec Bald. Alec Baldwin. Why do I keep want to say that? Alec Murdo.
There was, you know, Becky got up to some shenanigans. Something in the milk weren't clean. And but that that's that is a very very far cry from let's say um new that there was DNA available for testing at the time and um [clears throat] for whatever reason it it's um the the the the the DNA testing process is better now. So, it's easy. So, you know, you might get a a new result or whatever. Let's say there was new DNA evidence um exculpatory DNA evidence, right? And the judge said the the you know, look, [clears throat] let's just let's just do this again, all right? because we this this this this uh defendant might have an actual innocence claim. This is not that okay at all. Not even close.
This is like when a piece of evidence is thrown out not or not admiss not admissible because um somebody filled out the search warrant or didn't include it in the search warrant. Do you know what I mean? That they weren't like they they found it in the bedroom and the bedroom wasn't included in the search warrant and so therefore now it's not admissible. This is a This is not an act. This is not that a panel of judges [clears throat] reviewed your appel appeals and said, "Oh my, this might actually be an actually innocent man." But there is some evidence that is inculpatory, meaning proves guilt, right? So, let's just do this whole thing over again. This is not that. This is not a Thank you, ATS. I'm tired, you guys. This is my long week.
This is my four on, one off, four on.
So, I the today's the one off, and then now I have four more.
Um, it's not a vindication. That's exactly right, ATS News. This is not a This isn't a vindication. So, like I mean, I know that um this feels like a victory, but it's a very small victory. Okay, you are not even anywhere near winning the war. If this was the World Series, we're on game four.
You've won one and the States won and the other teams won three. Okay, you you you're this is it's not time to order the the celebratory caps. Okay, calm down. Have you spoken to Buster and how does he feel about what happened last week?
>> So yeah, I think thanks for asking that question and and I want to say this.
Buster Murdoch is hopefully we can all agree is entitled to his privacy.
That kid has been through so much and that's all he wants is his privacy. And so we're not going to ask answer questions about Buster other than to say and I say it with 100% confidence that Buster supports his dad, Alec.
>> Okay. But that's what he asked you. So you're saying you're not going to answer. So basically what he's saying is we're going to tell you what we want you to hear, which is that Buster supports his dad and then that's it. Don't ask us nothing else about Buster, which look, Buster is entitled to his um privacy. He hasn't been charged with the crime. So, um he's entitled to his privacy. Um and he should get it. It's not his fault.
His dad did what he did.
>> With the civil suit, are you hoping to get your hands on the SL investigation into the jury tampering allegations by Becky Hill?
>> Sure. Now, we were given some information through the discovery during the motion for new trial stage. Um, have they is that all they've done? I We don't know. Um, but if that is all they've done, that really wasn't much of an investigation. And we really don't think they've done much of an investigation, but um but we certainly plan to.
>> And and let me let me say this.
>> Come on, Dick. Come and tell us what's up. So >> this also was a freedom of information act served on SWAD to get additional information. We've seen that too. Does it make sense to have the agency who has an inherent conflict? They want the conviction sustained investigating whether it was valid or not. I mean it just seems ridiculous.
And again, >> well hold on a minute now, Mr. Dick Harput. Um, Sled is not invested in the guilt or the innocence of Alec Murdoch for the murders. Stop playing. Okay.
[sighs] Um, they are in charge of investigating crimes. Okay.
So, you know, you've been adversarial with sled this entire time and you've taken an adversarial position and you've been confront confrontational and accusatory.
Now, I can imagine that it has escaped your attention, good sir, that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Okay?
like, you know, calm down.
De Carpullian, you know what I'd like to see you do? I'd like to see you um Never mind. I'm not even going to say it. Just going to let it go.
>> Uh I think the attorney general's fault is not asking for some independent He could have gotten a sheriff's department to Leon Lock folks or the the sheriff up in Spartan, not Spartanber, Greenville have a very sophisticated uh sheriff's department in Charleston also. Use them.
But S Swed is invested in affirming the conviction. They don't want to find any fault. I mean, that's just human nature.
So, we think there's going to be plenty of things that weren't looked into, and we want to look into those. And the question is, and Jim and and Phil and I have been talking about this. Did she do it alone?
Did she have somebody help her with this?
>> Oh, come on, Poo. You were >> Are you kidding me?
>> Sitting in the judge's chambers like we were.
>> All right. Tell us.
information on um the juror you would call the egg lady we call Myra Crosby. Um >> yeah, wait for the airplane boot. Uh real talk with Alex says, "I just can't believe this is happening again. Sorry I'm in and out." Well, while you're in, don't leave. I'm setting a redirect, okay, for whenever um I'm done so you can go live. Okay.
and listen to what she had to say.
>> You're going to get mad at the airplane poop. Do you think the airplane was sent just to fly overhead just to interrupt your important press conference? Sir, so angry [clears throat] angry.
>> One time it was totally made up about some Facebook page. The second time inexplic inexplicably a a a anonymous uh email came to the judge. Um we weren't told about it. It was investigated by the attorney general's office and sled without us being involved. No guardrails on that. But I mean and call us naive because we were we didn't press that and I I I look back on it. We should have uh with 2020 hind eyesight, we maybe should have taken a little more aggressive, but we still couldn't have peeled that onion back then, but we will now.
>> Hey, Dick, question about the retrial.
Um, some have suggested that it may have been a mistake to put Alec on the stand.
Any thought to whether you're going to put [laughter] on retrial?
>> Two things. One, the client makes that decision. Two, that'll be a game day call, so you'll know when we know, >> just like last time.
Just like last time, remember he got up.
He Dear Poulian was very upset with Alec. He almost blocked him and removed him from the group chat for this. He did not want that man on that stand.
>> Trial take place.
>> I I would suspect within a year of now, but not by the end of the year. No. Hell no.
>> And why is that? Why can't you go right to >> Well, I'll give you a couple simple examples. one, we assume the same witnesses will testify in the retrial as the trial. We have a I don't know 8,000page transcript. We've got to break out each witness. We've got to read it. Whoever's going to handle that person, outline it, and they can be used to impeach them.
So, we unlike this is like a civil case where you've taken a deposition. Um, unlike any other criminal case you'll ever defend or prosecute. So, that's that takes time. We've got to go back and see if they've given us all the discovery. There's some inference that we didn't get everything from from the prosecution. We got to go back and scrub that real hard. We've got to hire experts. They've got to look at all the information. New experts. Um and then um give us an opinion. Do >> you have enough money to hire new experts?
>> Jim, why don't you explain financially how this works? He's got a much better explanation for this than than I do. Go ahead.
>> Okay. I look here now Mr. Harput doesn't want to explain this.
Okay. But I was listening to the lawyer, you know, earlier and he was covering this as well and um I had not considered this, but he he did. Um just just wait listen to Jim and then we'll then we'll talk and I'll tell you what the lawyer, you know, said. I mean, there is no new money, no found money.
And and I've said previously, you know, we got paid to do a job and you do criminal defense work. One way you do, you you charge by the job. Sometimes you come out ahead, sometimes you come out behind. But >> y'all understand what he's saying there?
>> Yeah. Ally, for real.
Uh he's going on a cruise with his wife.
Um Yeah. [laughter] Okay, they this is they they did a job.
They gave an they quoted a price to do to defend Alec Murdoch and it was right here. Sometimes you come out ahead, sometimes you come out behind.
Something tells me they in the red.
>> You know, right now we're in the hole, but we They weren't play paid by the hour. They were It's a flat rate. They were paid a flat rate. They were paid a sum of money to defend Alec Murdo. It wasn't like um an evolving or revolving um expense, right, where there's billable hours and all of that stuff. No, no, no.
That's not what happened. It was a flat rate.
>> We got paid to do a job and we're going to see it all the way through. You're saying the job isn't finished yet.
>> Job is not finished yet and we we're not we're not walking away from it. So, we're going to see it through. Um the um I mean that's where we are.
>> Is there any chance a retrial could happen in Richland County instead of >> you know one one of the things that we're looking at is a motion to transfer venue to a different county. Um, it would have to be if if that takes place and it's transferred, it have to be in a county that has a very similar demographics as Colton County. So, that would probably exclude Richland County, Charleston County, which I know all of y'all want to go to Charleston.
It is Charleston is contiguous >> to Colton and one of the factors to be considered.
I'm just saying.
>> All right. Now, this I found pretty interesting because I used to watch this show called uh Southern Charm and it took place in Charleston and that's old money. So, I'm not I don't understand how I mean I they would obviously ideally want it to be there, right?
Not I'm I'm very confused by I need to look at what he what the demographics are and why it's so different >> and so but you know it's not our pick but that'll be looked at very closely for sure.
>> Jen, can we talk about new evidence? I know last week you you mentioned DNA evidence under Maggie's fingernails essentially right >> connected to a male. Can we go into that a little bit more and how that will play a factor in this retrial? Well, we pointed out during the last trial that that they did find a male, unknown male DNA who was not related to any Murdoch or or any of Maggie's family under her fingernail. That was, you know, not really followed up on. We asked that they follow up on that um before the last trial. We don't have possession of that DNA, so we can't do anything with it. We can perhaps hold on a minute case >> back to square one. Go >> that's well I mean he's going to talk about this but he had this option back then too.
>> They had the option back then to to go in front of the judge and ask if they could have it tested at their own lab of their choosing. But they have I mean it's a lab that they that both sides have to agree on. But still they had that option.
order from the court to compel them to send it off to Kotus. COTUS is the national DNA database. Um, so I mean if we were in charge uh and we had the facilities, the the forensic lab, they had sled and we had search warrant abilities, we would we would have done things a lot differently um and more timely.
A lot of that opportunity is lost and so that's unfortunate. more optimism of getting that sent to notice you believe this go around.
>> Well, it it'll be Judge Chief Justice Kitridge issued an order last week saying he's going to appoint a new judge once the remitor goes down and that'll be one of the things that that we will present to a new judge asking for that relief. Whether he or she will do it remains to be seen. Jim, you said the lawsuit is about holding Becky Hill accountable and also investigating what you say the state didn't do a good enough job of investigating her. What do you hope that investigation could yield?
>> The truth.
>> Yeah. How about that?
>> Yeah. Just, you know, we we don't have a result in mind, but we have a lot of questions that we would like answered.
Um, >> yes, everybody in the chat that is it's MK. We're all talking about MK. That's all the girls are all all flustered over MK and the lawyer, you know. All right, here we go.
>> You know, was she a lone wolf? Was she doing it just for the, you know, siren of celebrity, which she definitely was? And and then and then I I'll tell you this removal of the egg lady juror is very suspicious.
>> Oh, it's so suspicious. Don't be suspicious. Don't be suspicious. ATS news says, "The DN DNA under fingernails is one of my most viewed Tik Tok videos." Refresh my recollection. ATS news.
I thought that it wasn't sufficient enough quality or quantity to actually compare it to some to somebody.
I thought that's I'm gonna have to go back and revisit that DNA. It's been a long time >> and that really wasn't a part of the case. Uh we do make it a part of our complaint. We point out all of the inconsistencies of what she said reporting to Judge Newman that the egg lady, Miss Crosby's ex-husband, had posted something on Facebook, which we now know was a baldfaced lie or someone lied to her. I mean it it makes no sense. And if you have questions and I would encourage all of you to follow up with Joe McCulla who represents Myra Crosby who can who who is investigating this as as um strenuously as we intend to do so and he's been working on it for quite some time. I mean the way she was targeted um it just is very curious and we hope to get to the bottom of that.
Is there any possibility of taking a deal for a lesser charge?
>> Say again.
>> There any possibility of taking a plea deal for a lesser charge?
>> No. No deal. No. Never will plead guilty off the table. We want a trial. They can dismiss it.
>> Yeah, they can dismiss these charges.
You know, he's um but he'll never enter into a plea which required some admission that he did something he didn't do. And That's murdering his wife and son. I mean, that's not going to happen.
>> Who do you think did kill Maggie and Paul?
>> We wish we knew. We think we we could have found out if we were had the tools available. I mean, that opportunity was lost when they failed to follow the tire tracks in the grass, leading away from the murders of Maggie and Paul. Um that opportunity was lost when they failed to um maintain the integrity of the GPS data on Maggie's phone. Instead, it was at SLED downloading uh GPS coordinates at SLED that that ultimately overwrote her act where her phone was and when it was on the night of the murders. And when they finally get in the Maggie's phone and able to access the GPS data, you know where it said that phone had been last? Broad River Road sled loud. I mean that is outrageous that that was allowed.
>> You know what else is outrageous? That moments moments before Maggie and Paul were murdered.
Alec, you can hear Alex's voice in that recording in that video that um Paul made.
Alex said, who said he wasn't down there, but you can clearly hear him.
Not only does he say, he also says, so explain that one, Mr. Griffin.
>> How that happened? So, you know, John, we've gotten a lot of information. People are out there working on behalf of Alec for free, kind of like we are, and and they've unearthed some really interesting stuff and they've turned a significant amount over that to sled.
>> Hold on a minute. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Back the milk truck up. You are not working for free. You were paid to do a job.
you underbid the job, but you got paid.
Now, these other people, if they have not and if they haven't been and are not going to receive a single dime, that is what's called working for free. Y'all make no mistake, sir. You did not work for free. You need to stop. Stop playing with these people out here.
>> Curious to see if SLED has done anything with it or will do anything with it. if any of that investigation now goes back to the house or to the property or is that a done deal?
>> Um there's nothing that I'm aware of um that's of evidentary value on the property.
>> Let me just jump in and say that the actual scene >> the actual scene has been you know destroyed, right? It's been torn down.
The property's been sold. The kennels all of that are gone. So that's no longer in existence.
But but our experts for in preparing for the first trial did all kinds of forensic tests on the the crime scene. Um you know a number and we put in evidence that if somebody could be in the house and shots fired down at the dog hand never hear them. I mean we prove that without any contradiction whatsoever. So the story that he was up at the house and oh he had to have heard the shotgun and AR not. We had an expert run test can't do that anymore. So the uncontradicted evidence is going to be if he was in the house he wouldn't have heard the shots. So, I mean, it's those kinds of things and we've got measurements, I mean, very, very, very specific measurements on where everything was, which, by the way, SLED did not do, you know, the night of the the murders as they processed, it may not be SW, maybe local law enforcement.
They didn't dust for fingerprints in the feed, not dust. They don't do that anymore, but they did not process the feed room for fingerprints. They didn't look for DNA. Was is that a hair? Let's pick it up and get it tested. the There was a bloody footprint right next to Paul's body. It was a Carlton County Sheriff's deputy's foot.
I mean, I'm not a big CIS CSI fan, but this looks to me like they violated every basic rule. And we had a witness testify to that. So, um, they got a lot of explaining to do.
>> What do you think the odds are of Alex getting >> I'm just going to tell you, Mr. Harput?
Let me tell you what cinched it for the jury. Okay.
that video from Paul's phone. That's what did it. That's what did it. Those jury members, I don't think they gave a rat's fat kneecap. I'm sure they didn't appreciate all the financial crimes that Alec Baldwin, Alec Baldwin, Jesus, Jen, Alec Murdoch hauled his cookies up to the stand and admitted to and then later plead guilty. Right. I'm sure they didn't appreciate that. All right. And I watched the entire trial. I covered a good portion of it, but I watched every single day. All right. And I found the um [clears throat] financial crime testimony interesting in that it was scandalous, but it didn't move me.
It didn't make me feel one way or another about whether Alec was capable or did actually commit these murders. That's not what did it for me. What did it for me and what did it for those jurors and what did it for the people in my chat was that video.
Hearing Alex's voice on Paul's video when he said he was never down there.
And that is the last activity that was on Paul's phone. That is what did it for the jury. You bud need to overcome that. And I'm sorry. I don't care how much pasta you throw at the wall and see what will stick. I don't care if the whole dad gum pot sticks.
It's never going to be big enough or enough to cover that video. That video is, in my opinion, the nail in the proverbial coffin.
So, that's what y'all need to be focusing on. Stop getting people out there to take measurements and do reenactments and talk to us about trigonometry and trajectory while you, you know, are shuffling around papers and getting mad.
Yana, you are angry fogghorn leg horn.
Jana and then, you know, taking that firearm and pointing it at the prosecution table. That was, you know, highly entertaining. But you crazy as hell for that. That is terrible gun safety.
All right, here we go.
>> And a quiddle in the retrial.
>> Zero. They are absolutely zero. The the video speaks for itself. The Snapchat, whatever.
>> You, John Monk, are playing those internet betting sites too much. I have no idea what his chances are. I'm >> not playing them at all.
>> Well, you ought to try.
>> What do you think the odds are?
>> We We have no idea. I mean, we don't predict football, basketball, or trials.
>> What just following up on what Dick said about the failures um during the trial, you'll remember Sled explain how they do murder investigations and they do, you know, they draw an imaginary circle and imaginary circle that they drew here, Alec was in the middle of it. and he was in the middle of it from the night of the murders. And they knew that Alec left Moselle and went to his mother's house at Almeida and then came back to the to Moselle and found his wife and son murdered brutally.
And do you think for one minute that they should have gone to Moselle I'm excuse me Almeida to see if there's anything of evidence evidentary value?
Did he were there murder weapons at Almeida which they want to intimate you know during the trial? Oh he parked over here so he must have gotten rid of the guns over there. I mean, they had the opportunity to exclude Alec from that circle, but they didn't do it because they just failed so miserably in what they were what their jobs were.
>> Let me say one other thing that brings to mind. As most of you all know, I was a prosecutor for 12 years, and this is 40 years ago.
If a body was found and they wanted to determine time of death, the coroner or medical examiner would take I'm not going to play this part. This part's gross and I don't want to hear it. And it's it just goes on from here. I mean, there's not much more to this.
>> Um, you know, he doesn't appreciate the way that the medical examiner took the temperature, blah blah blah blah blah. I mean, that's basically it. There's really not much more. All right. So, let me stop sharing and let me tell y'all what the South Carolina Attorney General um Allan [clears throat] Wilson said. Quote, "This case is being treated exactly as it should be, as a brand new trial.
Every legal option is on the table and those discussions are happening as they should happen with the dedicated prosecutors and staff within the attorney general's office, not as part of some campaign apparatus.
In 2022, the legal and practical realities surrounding the death penalty were very different. South Carolina had not carried out an execution in more than a decade. That has changed and it is one of several factors that must now be considered as we move forward.
Mr. Harputan acknowledged, excuse me, Mr. Harputian himself acknowledged that the Becky Hill matter was previously referred to and reviewed by an independent prosecutor.
Those issues were already evaluated outside of our office. What is disappointing is watching Dick Harputan and Jim Griffin spend their time trashing SLED and attacking South Carolina law enforcement instead of treating this matter with the seriousness it deserves. At the end of the day, excuse [clears throat] me, our responsibility is simple. follow the law, protect the integrity of the process, and ensure justice is pursued fairly and professionally.
Um, I want to say he said something else to um [clears throat] Yeah. No, that's it. Okay. Okay. I just want to make sure I got it. So, there you have it. Oh, before I forget, I I I thought about maybe not doing this, but now I've changed my mind and I did make a compilation of [clears throat] Oh, wait. No, that's not what I want to do. My bad. Hold on. Let me make this smaller. I um I did make a compilation of the best moments from the trial.
And let me see if I can find that for you guys before we go. [clears throat] Let's see.
There's like so much.
Um, let's see.
Here we go.
Oh my god, I made it an hour.
All right, so here it is.
Please uh Oh, wow.
Thank you, Grandma Cece. I appreciate that. Um, hang on a second.
I don't know how good the editing is.
I'm telling you right now.
Um, it's probably not I mean, I would probably cringe at it. You know how I am, though. Um, so just remember that this was at a time when I wasn't as good at editing, okay? So, be not be kind.
But there you have it. Um, let's let's see what it is. Hold on. Let me just let's just look at it really quick. Hold on.
Hold on.
All right. Here is Here's the kennel video. Okay, hold on. This is what we're talking about.
Let's see. Let me make this right. Give me a second. What am I doing?
All right. Here you go.
The three voices on that video are the voices of Paul Murdoch, Maggie Murdoch, and Alec Murdock.
>> And how sure are you?
>> How sure are you?
>> I'm 100% sure that's whose voices.
>> Do you recognize voices on there?
>> Yes, sir.
>> Who do you recognize?
>> It's Paul, Maggie, Alec.
That video you watched back in November 2022.
>> It is.
>> Where is that video taken?
>> At the kennels.
>> Do you recognize your dog?
>> I do.
>> Do you recognize Paul's voice?
>> Yes, sir.
>> You recognize Maggie's voice?
>> Yes, sir.
>> Do you recognize Alex's voice?
>> Yes, sir.
>> 100%.
>> Yes, sir.
All right. Hold on.
>> Can I call your bus?
>> Yes, sir.
>> I'm John.
>> Where's that part?
>> Did I miss the kennel video? Hold on. I feel like I >> can't hear.
>> I'm sorry about his mother.
step back.
>> And I'm sorry about your brother.
>> Thank you.
>> And I'm sorry about your grandfather.
>> All right. Now, this is the kind of shenanigans that went on during the whole trial.
>> Hold on. There's one part that I dedicated to the poot.
You know, he's my favorite. Let's see what I put here. Hold on.
Ladies and gentlemen, Jerry, my name is Dick Harugian.
I think I introduced myself to y'all and our attorneys, the three other attorneys, Jim Griffin.
>> Uh, what's happening here? Hold on.
>> Fox, it is our [clears throat] honor to represent Alec Merkel.
Doc, how you pronounce it?
>> Oh, it's really buffering. Hold on.
>> I say it's our honor because I submit to you what you have heard from the attorney general as facts are not are not.
>> Hold on.
>> The three voices on that video.
>> So yeah, there you guys go. These are all the important moments. I might have did a different one >> where it was Oh, >> and >> here we go. Here's what with the firearm >> that the shooter would have do that. But the [music] shot to the head as he's coming out, right?
Or boom. It'd have to be twisted this [music] way for it to work out with the arm. I think it's the uh I think it's a you know like an exemplar 300 blackout rifle.
Um and this is the weapon a weapon like this that the shooter would have had.
>> Yes. Okay. So [cough] I'm trying to sort of get a visual of I come down here so I don't point at you.
Or maybe let me come up there and come this way. Okay. Why don't you get this?
So I am not 5'2 or 5'4. I think you should probably do 54 but position me.
Tempting, but um I don't know how I can do this so I'm not pointing at somebody. I guess I think I'll take the red one.
>> Yeah. Yeah, that's fine. That's right.
>> Thanks.
>> Ready to roll for the defense.
>> Rock and roll, your honor.
>> Rock and roll.
>> All right. Well, let's 30 second stretch and bring the jury out. Press on.
>> And also, I've looked at the the death certificates of um Paul and Maggie Murdo, and you have a time of death of 9:00. Is that correct?
>> Yes, sir.
>> Okay. So, let's go through um when you begin to examine the body to determine the time of [clears throat] death. Tell me how you do that.
Well, init initially that evening when I initially got there, I was I saw >> I know Richard Simmons. I It's sad the This was such a Hold on. What did I do here?
What? Oh, the armpits. Yeah.
All right, that's it, you guys. All right, so that's really all I have for you guys tonight. Um, I will uh I'll be back. I know I have um Austin Drummond.
I have his um hearing. Um and then um [sighs] let's go over to Alley's because they the um hold on a second. Let me let me just I I I am buffering bad today for some reason. So, thank you for all being super uh patient with me. Um, so Kimberly Park, Courtney and Brad Bradley um uh Bartholomew, they have a preliminary hearing. Let me head up the Googles really quick um and see when that is. I feel like it's the 22nd, but I might be wrong.
Hold on.
Um, let's see.
Um, there was a competency hearing.
All right. Well, I'll just tell you guys when it is. Ally will know and then I will um I I might have to um Amber. But anyway, so this is going to go over to um Alex Ericson's and she's not going to do she I think her live is at 8:00. Um so just you know set the not turn your notifications on and then um that way if you want to learn about that case you can. And um I'll see you guys here tomorrow. Now, I will tell you this after I get off of here and going to finish. I I just have to put the finishing touches, which don't get excited. I'm I'm because you know how I am, right? So, I've done all the editing part of it. All of the video is together. All right. Now, it's time to add the soundtrack, which is, you know, is my favorite part to do. Um, but I think that it's very likely that this intro that I used today is going to be retired for a little while. I'll bring it back, I'm sure, but it's going to be retired. So, it's very possible the next time you see me, I will have a new intro. Okay? All right.
That's all I have for you guys. Thanks for being here. I appreciate it. If you haven't done so, give me a thumbs up, thumbs down, whichever one you feel I deserve. I did buffer quite a bit. I said um probably at least 11 billion times, which I know was annoying. I annoyed myself, so I won't blame you and I won't judge. Uh and we will uh I'll see you guys uh tomorrow. All right.
All right. You guys have a great rest of your night. Thanks everybody for being here and I will see you over at Ali's.
Bye.
Related Videos
BREAKING: Judge Kathleen Issues Emergency Arrest Warrant After Trump Defies Order
Frontora
2K views•2026-05-29
8 Hidden Things About Mackenzie Shirilla Netflix's 'The Crash' Didn't Show You
MarvelousVideos
2K views•2026-05-28
MP Garnett Genuis warns Canada’s MAiD system has ‘gone too far’
WesternStandard
187 views•2026-05-28
THE STREISAND EFFECT AT BARBARA STREISAND’S HOUSE! - First Amendment Audit
KULTNEWS
1K views•2026-05-30
Trump Impeachment STORM IGNITES as 29 Judges Vote for Conviction!!
DanielBriefDaily
2K views•2026-06-02
EBK Jaaybo Won’t Be Going To Trial?! | Criminal Lawyer Reacts
floridadefenseteam
404 views•2026-05-29
OFFICE HOURS: The Theft of Black Brilliance... AI and Intellectual Property (w/ Lisa E. Davis)
marclamonthillnetwork
2K views•2026-05-29
सुप्रीम कोर्ट में 5 जजों का शपथग्रहण समारोह #supremecourt #judges #oathceremony #shorts #ytshorts
Bharat24Liv
4K views•2026-06-02











