1 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace we have left off. Finally, 2 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: the double murder case against legal Air Alex and Murdog 3 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 1: is off the ground. Sensational opening statements go down in 4 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: a South Carolina courtroom. I mean, see Grace, this is 5 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at 6 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,319 Speaker 1: Fox Nation and Serious XM one eleven. First of all, 7 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: listen to this. Prosecutors say forensics will prove Murdoch's guilt 8 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,480 Speaker 1: after a perfect storm of circumstances came to a head. 9 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: The state contends Maggie was killed with a weapon owned 10 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: by the family that was never recovered, and that a 11 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: cell phone video captured at the murdency just before the 12 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: time of deaths puts Alec at the scene, contradicting his 13 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: alibi that he only reached when he discovered the bodies, 14 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: and he was there just missed Laggie and Paul just 15 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: minutes before their cell phones go silent forever. The defense 16 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: argues there's no forensic evidence to tie Murdoch to the murders, 17 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: no fingerprints, eyewitnesses, murder weapons, and despite the gruesome scene, 18 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: no blood on Alec. When police arrive, he would be 19 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: covered in blood from d to foot. The defense argues 20 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: a video taken earlier in the evening shows Paul and 21 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: Alec enjoying time together, and that police pinned Alec as 22 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: a suspect before investigating, even suggesting the crime may have 23 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: been the work of two people because two different weapons 24 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: were used. They have pounded that square, pegging the round hole, 25 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: and you're gonna hear about it. They've ignored some witnesses. Wow, 26 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: the defense claiming the state ignored witnesses. Well, little known fact. 27 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: The defense has subpoena power just like this. If they 28 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: want a witness brought in, all they have to do 29 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: is go hand them a piece of paper and it's done. 30 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: I love it when the defense claims the state missed 31 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: some witnesses that could exonerate the defendant. Guys, you were 32 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: just hearing from our friends at NBC and hearing courtroom 33 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: audio in the background. Well, we are off to the races. 34 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: What happened and what's happening right now in court? Joining 35 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: me an all star panel. But first to chief reporter 36 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: for dailymail dot Com, our friend Jen Smith. Jen, tell 37 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: me everything, don't leave anything out. I mean, what a 38 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 1: way to kick off this trial. These opening statements really 39 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: were a sensational we heard from the prosecutor. He calls 40 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: Alec Murdo a storm that was heading towards his family, 41 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: really painting a picture of this inescapable doom that was 42 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: facing the victims, Maggie and Paul. Now we also heard 43 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: some very strong words from the defense, a full throated 44 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: defense by Murdoc's family and his attorney. He had his 45 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 1: brothers in the courtroom supporting him. Another person who was 46 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: in the courtroom, Nancy, was Buster Murdock, his only surviving son. 47 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: We don't know whether or not he's supporting his father 48 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: or if he's going to testify against him. Now, what 49 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: the defense is claiming is not so much about what 50 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: the evidence does show. It's about what evidence is lacking here. 51 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: So we heard at the top of the show from 52 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: those clips that you played, there's no murder weapon. Prosecution 53 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: says that they haven't been able to find it. Defense 54 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: is trying to use this to their advantage. The other 55 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: thing that they're claiming is that there isn't a clear 56 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: motive for Alex Murdo to commit these crimes. They say 57 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: that he loved his wife and that he loved his son, 58 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: and that they can prove it, and then lastly lack 59 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: of forensic evidence. They say that he would have been 60 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: drenched in blood had he been the one to pull 61 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: the trigger at such close range. So it was just 62 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: the beginning. But they're really laying out where this trial's 63 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: going to go, and the best is yet to come. Clearly, 64 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: opening statements are akin to a roadmap telling the jurars 65 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: where the state and the defense are headed. Now, it's 66 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: my understanding that the one Murdi family member remaining of 67 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: that nuclear family, buster Murdike, is in court and we'll 68 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: be a witness. And it's my understanding that he was 69 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: on the state's witness list, which means he will be 70 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: a witness for the state. That is a very very 71 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: tricky maneuver because if he is still siding with his father, 72 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: it could be a disaster to put him on the 73 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: stand for the state. But you know what, sometimes you 74 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: got to go to hell to get the witness to 75 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: put the devil in jail. Guys, take a listen. Now, 76 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: as the chief prosecutor Creighton Waters here he is in 77 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: his own words in opening argument on the evening of Juice, 78 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: the defendants property off Mozelle Road and Colleton County, his 79 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: son Paul Murdoch, just standing in a small feet room 80 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: and some kennels they had on the property about eight 81 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: fifty pm. And the defendant over there, Alec Murdoch, took 82 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: a twelve shade shotgun and shot him and the shoulder 83 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: and the chest and the shoulder with buckshot, and the 84 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: evidence was going to show him amli into one shot. 85 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,679 Speaker 1: He could have survived that, but after that another shot 86 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: went up under his head and did catastrophic damage to 87 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 1: his brain in his head. I could just see that 88 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: prosecutor pointing over at Alex and Murdog telling the jury 89 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: that is who murdered his own wife and son. A 90 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: lot going down in that courtroom. We're going to go 91 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: back in and hear more of the opening statements, but 92 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: almost immediately let me go. Cheryl McCollum is joining me. 93 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: Forensic expert, founder of the Cold Case Research Institute, star 94 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: of a new hit series, Zone seven podcast. You can 95 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: find her at Coldcase crimes dot org. Cheryl, almost at 96 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: the beginning, remember we knew at the very get go 97 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: that one of the murder weapons was a Murdog owned gun. 98 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: And now they didn't say they had the gun, but 99 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: they knew it was a Murdog owned gun, and I thought, wow, 100 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: how do they know that? Now it's all made very clear, 101 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: Cheryl McCollum, it's all made very clear. And Nancy this, 102 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 1: I'm telling you you mentioned a roadmap. This whole thing 103 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: is incredible to me when you look at what they're outlining. 104 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: And she already mentioned the reporter mentioned what's not there. 105 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: Let's talk about what's they're not there. Well, hold on 106 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: just a minute. Don't make me Q and A with myself. 107 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: Cheryl McCollum, I'm leading you right up to the very beginning. 108 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: Good gravy woman, talk about it. I guess I'll have 109 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: to cross examin you, okay, Cheryl McCollum. Isn't it true 110 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: that at the beginning of the investigation we were told 111 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: that one of the murder weapons was a Murdoch family weapon? 112 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: And now isn't it true, Cheryl McCollum. We know cops 113 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: to you as a Murdoch family weapon because cartridges shells 114 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: from one of the murder weapons were found to match 115 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: ballistically to other cartridges found throughout the property as target practice. 116 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: They matched identically. That is how we know. Isn't that true, Cheryl, 117 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: is absolutely true, that gravy. I might as well just 118 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,559 Speaker 1: go back in the courtroom. We tried cases for Pete's sake. 119 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: If I've got a cross examine, you go ahead. But 120 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: I'm desperate to mention the coat. So a week later, 121 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: he's got this raincoat that he takes to his parents' house. 122 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: Investigators find it. There's gunshot residue all over it. So 123 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: it's not at the murder scene, but it's at mom 124 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: and daddy's house that he's had with him the whole time. 125 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, you are so right. Not just a 126 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: raincoat but a tark, you know what. Jim Smith, chief reporter, 127 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: Daily Mail, listen to this and I want to hear 128 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: what you have to say about it. Cheryl, you're right, 129 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: and you know before I play dot to Bethany Marshall, 130 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: percolate on this for a moment. Why does everybody always 131 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: run home to mommy and hide under the bed? Guys, 132 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: take a listen hour cut one five eight again, this 133 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: is the chief prosecutor. Listen. Also going to hear evidence 134 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 1: that about a week after the murders, mister ALC Murdoch's 135 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: father had died. Mister Randolph, and about a week after 136 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: the murders, he shows up early in the morning at 137 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: his parents' home where his mother still is in late 138 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: stage Alzheimer's. On Almida and Hampton, it's uncharacteristic for him 139 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: to show up early on characters, for him to show 140 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,079 Speaker 1: up at all like that. And he comes in, he's 141 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 1: currying something in a blue tarp and he takes it upstairs, 142 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: and eventually law enforcement finds out about that, and they 143 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: go upstairs and they find upstairs, they find they waded 144 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: up a very very large raincoat and a blue color 145 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: could look like a tart. And you're gonna hear evidence 146 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:27,359 Speaker 1: that it was coated with gunshot residue on the inside. 147 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: Right row, Somebody hits the murder weapon inside oh raincoat. Oh, 148 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: and then hides it at mommie's house. Okay, Jan Smith's 149 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: chief of Order, dailymail dot Com, what about that? Yeah, 150 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: I mean that's a hugely problematic detail for the defense here. 151 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: They were kind of resting on this idea that there's 152 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: no physical evidence that could time to the crime theme, 153 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: and then we have this at gunshot residue inside this raincoat. 154 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: Hugely problematic. I also want to point out more about 155 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: his mother. So she's an elderly woman, and we've just 156 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: found out that she is on her deathbed, she has Alzheimer's. 157 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: Not only was her house the place where they found 158 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: this coat, she is also the person that Alex Murdock 159 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: claimed was her alibi. Now this hasn't come out in 160 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: court yet, at least yesterday, it wasn't raised in opening statements. 161 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: But back in November, the defense filed records with the 162 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:27,439 Speaker 1: court which said he was visiting his elderly mother at 163 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: the time of the murders. Now, clearly she is not 164 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: going to be able to be called as a witness. 165 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: She is old, she has failed, she's no longer of 166 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: sound mind. He maybe thinks that his mum might be 167 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:40,719 Speaker 1: his way out of this, or he definitely did at 168 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: one time. But this is a problematic detail for the 169 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: defense clearly. Nancy, Well, you know, Jesse Smith chefie Porter 170 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: dailymail dot com, you just triggered a very very important detail. 171 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: If the mother, Alex Mordog's mother is so old and 172 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: frail and is in light stage Alzheimer's, God bless her, 173 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: who's the witness that places him coming into her home 174 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: with the blue tarp? That turns out to be a 175 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: raincoat covered in gunshot residue on the inside, waded up 176 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: and hit it hidden. Who is the witness? We're gonna 177 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: find out? Time stories with Nancy Grace to you. Doctor 178 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: Bethany Marshall's psycho Alice joining us out of la You 179 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: can find her at death Doctor Bethany Marshall dot com, 180 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: star Bling Empire on Netflix, Doctor Bethany, why does everybody 181 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: run home to mommy? There he's putting murder evidence under 182 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:55,719 Speaker 1: mommy's bed for Pete's sake? Oh, Nanthy, You know, our 183 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: mothers often think we've never done anything wrong. They colluded 184 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: with us, the tect us. They buffer our world against 185 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: danger and insult. And I think these sociopaths have gotten 186 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: their mothers to collude with them for so long that 187 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: they just think the pattern is going to continue. You know, 188 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 1: Alex Murdoch, he came from I keep saying intergenerational wealth, 189 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: intergenerational power. He has to have gotten that entire family 190 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: system to overlook and to collude with him. I mean, 191 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: he has this seventeen hundred acre hunting estate. This is 192 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: not even his private home. Pauld On. Let me just 193 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: add something right there, anybody that knows about it, jump in. 194 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: They've got this so called hunting lodge that doctor Bathley 195 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: just pointed out, seventeen hundred acres. They've got a home somewhere, 196 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: They've got a beach house somewhere. I don't know what 197 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,319 Speaker 1: all they've got. I'm not coming from place of jealousy, 198 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: because you know what, every rich person I've ever known 199 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: is miserable. All they think about is how to hold 200 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: on to their money or get some more. And they 201 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: always say somebody's trying to get their money. It's like 202 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: a dragon sitting on a gold treasure. It's a horrible 203 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: way to live. So doctor Bethany, you're right. It's not 204 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: just the hunting lodge, but the home, the beach hown, 205 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: the cars, the bank accounts, the blood, the blood, the minks, 206 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: the jewels. Whoa. It's actually giving me a little bit 207 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 1: of a headache. You know, this guy's not smart enough 208 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: to have made all that money. He had to steal it. No, 209 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: he got it from granddaddy and daddy and mommy who 210 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: handle it from his law firm. Let's not forget these 211 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 1: embezzlement charges. You're right, You and Bethany are right. Go ahead, 212 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: Jen Smith, and I want to make clear that even 213 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: though he's facing nearly a hundred financial crimes of stealing, siphoning, embezzling, 214 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: outright taking money from his clients and his law firm, 215 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,559 Speaker 1: the jury is not going to hear about that because 216 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: that would prejudice them under the law, unless and until 217 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: the defense opens the door they bring it up somehow 218 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: in the state can bring it in, or unless somehow 219 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: the state is going to think of a way to 220 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: use it as motive evidence without getting a darned reversal. 221 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: That's going to be a very tough line to toe. 222 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: Jan Smith and doctor Bethany, you're right, go ahead, doctor Bethany. Well, 223 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: so what I was saying is that this guy is 224 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: so unintelligent. He shoots his own wife, allegedly shoots his 225 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: own wife and child in his own hunting lodge with 226 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: his own guy. He uses his mother, who has Alzheimer's 227 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: as as like an alibi. You know, Nancy. The research 228 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: shows there's two types of sociopath. There's the organized and 229 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: the disorganized. The organized is like the president of Enron. 230 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: They amass more and more and more, and they're very 231 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: slick at it. They're like the burning maidoffs of this world. 232 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: And then there's the disorganized. They're messy. Everything goes wrong. 233 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: It's like everything you do is like stepping into a 234 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: pile of you know, you know what's c r ap? 235 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: Did you just spell crap? I haven't too. I didn't 236 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: want to. I don't want the children say crap either, Okay, 237 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: and I only say it in secret. Go ahead. So 238 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: he's the disorganized subtype. So everything is messy. So he 239 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: couldn't have amassed all this wealth, He couldn't have gone 240 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: gotten all this far. You know what all of that 241 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: psycho talk means to me? And you say, disorganized killer 242 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: means one thing. What he's leading leaving me loads of 243 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: evidence because he is a textbook definition of disorganized killer. 244 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: Yes he is. You know. Co Barger in Idaho tried 245 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: his best to cover his tracks. Murdock did a much 246 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: worse job. Another thing that happens in opening statements is 247 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: we find out exactly how the state believes the double 248 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: murder way down. I mean, I just thinking about not 249 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: only murdering your wife who stood by you all these years, 250 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: with your bs, your drug addiction, your money problems. You're 251 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: showing out in public, your alcohol and your son. I mean, 252 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: I just keep thinking and my husband and my son 253 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: and my daughter, the thought of killing them, I just 254 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: push it out of my mind. It's so awful. But 255 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: the state is saying that's exactly what happened here, and 256 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 1: this is how they say it went down. Take a 257 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: listen hour cut one five one straight from the courtroom. 258 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: Just moments later, he picked up a three hundred blackout, 259 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: which is a type of ammunition, but an AAR style rifle. 260 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: And the evidence is going to show that the family 261 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: had multiple weapons throughout the property. Picked up that three 262 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: hundred blackout rifle an open fire on his wife, Maggie 263 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: just feet away near some shots that used to be 264 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: camer how two shots adamant and the lette and took 265 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:09,400 Speaker 1: her down. And after that there were additional shots, including 266 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: two shots to the head that again did catastrophic damage, 267 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:18,880 Speaker 1: killed her instantly, joining me a special guest. V Brandt, 268 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: formerly US Marshall Service International Branch Chief, investigated with DJ 269 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: author of Solo Shot Curse of the Bluestone that's on 270 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: Amazon starting now, also author of Flying Solo. I could 271 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: go on and on and on EARV Brandt, and they're 272 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: talking about Maggie like she's a deer or some sort 273 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 1: of animal prey. He shot at her, he shot her 274 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: in the leg, he took her down, and then he 275 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: went over to her and finished it off. It's just 276 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 1: so brutal. So it is Nancy, and it's a highly 277 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: highly emotional case. And when you when the prosecutor lays 278 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:18,199 Speaker 1: it out, how dispassionate it was take those shots, to 279 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 1: take the initial shots that will bring somebody down, then 280 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: to move in and take careful aim for kill shots 281 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: to the head. It's hard to accept that it's done 282 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: by by a loved one, but in most cases that's 283 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: exactly how it's done. That's when someone is murdered, and 284 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,679 Speaker 1: you know this is what as well as your listeners. 285 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: The first person they look at is the spouse. And 286 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: there's no doubt, I mean no doubt, guilty, guilty guilty. 287 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: Lawyers and cops make the worst criminals. You would think 288 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: they make the best criminals. They make the worst criminals. 289 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: This guy isn't good at anything. He's not good at fraud, 290 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: he's not good at tax evasion. He's not good at murder. 291 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:18,400 Speaker 1: He can't stage his own murder. He's terrible at it. 292 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: It's he is going to be convicted. There's no doubt. 293 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,159 Speaker 1: And I gotta tell you, guys, something Erv brand knows 294 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: what he's talking about. What every member on our panel, 295 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: they're all so experienced. Is that doctor Bethy jumping in 296 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: hold on, I'm gonna lose my thought. You know, I 297 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: just have the attigious man of a fruit fla hold on. 298 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,639 Speaker 1: Wendy Patrick, California prosecutor, author of Red Flags. Wendy Patrick 299 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: PhD dot com. She's a star of Today with doctor 300 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: Wendy KCBQ San Diego. Wendy. As erv Brandt was talking, 301 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: I was thinking about a spouse. Now I little I know, 302 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: a lot of people get angry and things happened, you 303 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: get a divorce. But I was just thinking about David, 304 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: my husband, who has been with me through thick and thin, 305 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: really ever since my fancy Keith was murdered. He was 306 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: there when I gave birth, when Lucy and I almost died. 307 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: He was saved me from drowning once. He helps me 308 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: take care of my mother. He raises our children. I 309 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: think about our children and how that's the thing I 310 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: look forward to most in life, and just the thought 311 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: of raising a gun to them the way Brandt described it, 312 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: like a kill shot on your spouse has been through 313 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: everything with you and stood with you, shoulder to shoulder, 314 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 1: through thick and thin. It's really hard to take in. Wendy, Yeah, 315 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: you know, and Nancy, you brought up one of the 316 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 1: points I was going to make. It's also going to 317 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: be hard for some of those jurors. You have a 318 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: wonderful husband. Some of those jurors might also have absolutely 319 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: wonderful spouses, and they are so disconnected from the idea 320 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: to begin with that right from the beginning, even though 321 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: they've heard the prosecutors opening. What they're going to have 322 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 1: to do through motives, through other things that they're going 323 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: to bring it through the evidence is when those jurors 324 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: over from the absolute disbelief that something like this could 325 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:22,439 Speaker 1: ever happen, especially when you're looking at a family that 326 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: doesn't necessarily have any outward signs of there being any problems. 327 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: That out of course, will have to be developed during 328 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 1: the course of the trial. But it's that mindset you 329 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: just pointed out that's going to be difficult to overcome. 330 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: Not that they can't be done, but they're going to 331 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: have to do it through the evidence. Now you know 332 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 1: I heard, oh go ahead, doctor Bethany. I know you 333 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: were jumping in with something, and I'm going to circle 334 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 1: back to what Whendy just say, go ahead. What I 335 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 1: think is so heinous is that he killed them as 336 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 1: a distraction from his other crimes, from being caught. Let's 337 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: not forget that in most cases of domestic homicide, you 338 00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: have a very sick, disturbed spouse who's just a goished 339 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 1: with jealousy or envy or they want to control their spouse. 340 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: They want to like crush them under their heel. They 341 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: envy their goodness and everything they're accomplishing in this world. 342 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: So so you kind of take a deep dive, or 343 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: at least I do, into the homicidal spouse's motivation for killing. 344 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 1: And in this case, he kills as a distraction. That's 345 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: what's heinous, not just that the murder, but the motivation 346 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: I think is particularly cruel. There's so many other distractions 347 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 1: on the space of this planet that he could have 348 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: come up with. But that I mean, but you have 349 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: to hold that in the back of our minds. To 350 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:46,200 Speaker 1: follow up on what Wendy, Bethany, Cheryl everyone is mentioned. 351 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: The defense is fighting back, but I want you to 352 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: listen to something they're saying in our cut one seven two. 353 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: This is Aarpotian, former prosecutor, now defense lawyer. You're not 354 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: going to hear a same goal of witness say that 355 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: their relationship, Maggie and Alex's relationship, or anything other than loving. 356 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: You can hear about how they went to a baseball 357 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 1: game the weekend before. You can hear about their relationship. 358 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: If you're going to see texts and emails indicating a 359 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:24,919 Speaker 1: loving relationship, Paul the apple of his eye, You're going 360 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: to see a video somewhere between seven thirty eight o'clock 361 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: the night of the murders, Paul and Alex riding around 362 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: looking as some trees they planted. It's a snapchat faults 363 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: into other people because the trees were not planted very well. 364 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: They canna le ring over, they're laughing, they're having a 365 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: good time. That would be about an hour before the 366 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 1: Attorney General says he sladdered him. When I say he 367 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 1: sladdered them, when they were swaddered, and no question, alt 368 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,719 Speaker 1: and how much that helps. The defense keeps saying they 369 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: were slaughtered, no question, but correct me if I'm wrong. 370 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: Everybody but wasn't Maggie seeing a divorce lawyer? And he's 371 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: talking about that baseball game, and a witness says, at 372 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 1: that baseball game, Harputleian is talking about Matt Murda goes 373 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: and gets some popcorn, a bag of popcorn, and comes 374 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: back into the box or wherever they're sitting and throws it, 375 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: just throws it. Wow at Maggie. I tell you what, 376 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: it'd be a cold day. And h E double l 377 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: that David Lynch came up and threw a bag of 378 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: popcorn at me, especially in front of people to witness 379 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: my humiliation. That is not a loving marriage. Can anybody 380 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 1: in this room with that? Is that? Okay? So I 381 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: don't throw popcorn at you? Ah? And that sound in public? What? 382 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: Who jump in? Thought free? So that's what you've got 383 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: to remember. The locals down there, they know that this 384 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: was not a happy marriage. Remember that Maggie texted her 385 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: rand that something's up. She doesn't trust Alex going to 386 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 1: Monselle that night. Oooh good, good point. Go ahead. Doctor Dupree. 387 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:12,919 Speaker 1: By the way, doctor Dupree, doctor Lee Dupree is doctor 388 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: Michelle Dupree is joining us from South Carolina. She went 389 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: with me side by side through a lot of this 390 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: evidence there in South Carolina, and she's right. Everywhere I went, 391 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:29,440 Speaker 1: doctor Dupree, people will go, oh, yeah, Maggie's getting a divorce. 392 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 1: They even knew it down at the Jimmy John sandwich shop. 393 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 1: Everybody knew it. So I don'tber what Poulian is talking about, 394 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,359 Speaker 1: doctor dupre Hey, by the way, it's a forensic pathologist, 395 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: medical examiner, former detective, and author of Homicide Investigation Field Guide. 396 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: Go ahead, doctor Dupris. And it's not just Maggie. But 397 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: remember that Paul might have been the apple of his eye, 398 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 1: but he was a screw up from the very beginning. 399 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: Sorry Paul, but it's true. Yeah, Paul Murdog was the 400 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: son that got roaring drunk. Didn't he eat and have 401 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: an eliots name? As friends would call him when he 402 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,719 Speaker 1: was so drunk? Another was it Chucky? What Jimmy? It 403 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: was Timmy? Jimmy, Jimmy would take over evil Timmy and 404 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: his whole body language changed. Yes. And he had just 405 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:20,959 Speaker 1: crashed Alex Murdog's speedboat into some pilings. I think it 406 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 1: was into pilings. I don't think he hit the bridge. 407 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: He hit pilings and Mallory Beach, nineteen years old, who 408 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:33,240 Speaker 1: was scared to death during all this, flies off the boat, 409 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: dies on impact, and her body floats in the water 410 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,399 Speaker 1: for days and days and days. I talked to some 411 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: of the rescue guys that were part of finding her body, 412 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: and they say that little girl's body's bloated being out 413 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: in the water. So I don't know how much Paul 414 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: Murderog was the apple of his eye anymore, because Jim 415 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: Smith delimail dot com. Isn't it true that part of 416 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:02,959 Speaker 1: the alleged motive for murder is the lawsuit regarding Malory 417 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 1: Beach's death and Paul Lordog's coordinate was looming. Yeah, that 418 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: is right. The prosecution hasn't nailed down specifically which financial 419 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:19,399 Speaker 1: stress component is what they believe caused Alex Murdot to 420 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: actually do this, But you know there are a few 421 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: There's this laws that, like you mentioned, Malory Beach's family 422 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: was doing the Murdock family for wrongful death. Now if 423 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: you hear that with the fact that Alex Murdock was 424 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: already in financial trouble, he was trying desperately to hide it, 425 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: and he also had a opioid addiction, which we haven't 426 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: even touched on yet. And there's so much that he 427 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: was stealing from his law firm and from his clients. 428 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: Jan Smith, that's correct. Yeah, And all of this paints 429 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: a picture of someone who was frantically trying to protect 430 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: what little he might have had left. So, yes, the 431 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: fact that Paul had put his family into shame or 432 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: favorite at the very least, let's call it that for now, 433 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: that doesn't bode well for this idea that he was 434 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: an apple of his father's eye. But what is really 435 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: crucial here in town and everyone who knew this family locally. Yes, 436 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: sure they may be well acquainted with the rumors about them, 437 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: but that's precisely why those people are not on the jury. 438 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,679 Speaker 1: When it really boils down here, what we have is 439 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: whether or not the defense is going to be able 440 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 1: to convince this jury, who have all gone on record 441 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,159 Speaker 1: and said that they do not know anything about this family, 442 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: at least not enough to prejudice their decisions. It is 443 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 1: the jury going to believe the defense that this was 444 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: a happy family or are they going to be convinced 445 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: by all the outside evidence? Well as the defense keeps 446 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: claiming in court that they had a happy marriage. The 447 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: state is going to have to bring on evidence and 448 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: they had anything but a happy marriage. Effect. She was 449 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,480 Speaker 1: living at the beach house. They were not living together. 450 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: That's right. Here's a tricky part of that, Nancy. This 451 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: is why neither tricky part that is, you can't bring 452 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: in all this bad behavior unless there's sufficient evidence to 453 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: back it up evidentiarily and can they do that? It 454 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: would be great if the jury were privy to all 455 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: of what we're discussing on this call, but they're not 456 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: going to be, so it's going to be a fight, 457 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: to a real battle to get some of this in, 458 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: from the popcorn throwing to the bad behavior of the 459 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: sun means so much outside evidence is relevant, we know 460 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 1: to motives, but how much in that balancing analysis the 461 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: judge does is the jury going to get to hear? 462 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: And the interesting thing about that is that can change 463 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: as doors are opened and closed. In terms of the 464 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: questions lawyers ask as the trop proceeds, Yeah, what she 465 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: means by that windy passion when she says open the door, 466 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: that's actually a legal term. If the defense starts going 467 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,959 Speaker 1: on and on and on. Second verse, sam as at 468 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: first they were so happy in their marriage. That quote 469 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: opens the door for the state to come in and pray, 470 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: what a bad marriage it was. Go ahead us, Cheryl 471 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: McCollum jump in. I just think it is critical that 472 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: we mentioned and as a wife, nobody knew him better 473 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: than Maggie did. Maggie told her friend something's fishing. He's 474 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: up to something direct quote. She went to that family 475 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: farm because she knew Paul was there. She went there 476 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: to try to protect that child crime stories with Nancy Grace. 477 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 1: According to the evidence Jen Smith dailymail dot Com, he 478 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 1: Alex Murdog lured Maggie out to the Hunting Lodge, which 479 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: is a good ways away from where she was staying 480 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: at their beach house. She was not living with him, 481 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: and he lured her out there, according to the evidence, 482 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: claiming that he wanted her to go visit his father 483 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:07,720 Speaker 1: because Murdoch says his father, Daddy Murdock, didn't have much 484 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: longer to live, and she Maggie actually said to one 485 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 1: of her girlfriends before she went out there, I don't 486 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: want to go. He taught me into it. I don't 487 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: know what Alex Murdock is up to, but something is fishy. 488 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: When he lured her to go out there. Isn't it true, 489 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: Jan Smith? That is a whole reason she was even 490 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: at the hunting lodge because Alex Murdock I've lured her there. 491 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 1: That's exactly what has been suggested. Yeah. Absolutely, But again 492 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: the problem is all of the people who can actually 493 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: verify this none of them are alive anymore. So we 494 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: just have Alex Murdock. His father died a few days 495 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: after Maggie and Paul were killed. Obviously Myga and Paul 496 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: aren't there to tell Atruth either, and then we have 497 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: his ailing mother. It is the prosecution's argument that Alex 498 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: Murdock lured his estranged wife, whether or not they were 499 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: in the formalities of becoming it's strange. We don't know yet. 500 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 1: We know that she consulted a lawyer. We don't know 501 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: if she filed any paperwork. It doesn't look like she did. 502 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: But that is what the prosecution is saying, that she 503 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: wouldn't have even been there unless he called her there, 504 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: and that is the last thing he wanted herv Brandt 505 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 1: is for that divorce proceeding to get cranked up and 506 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,760 Speaker 1: her lawyer, her divorce lawyer, have full access to all 507 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,720 Speaker 1: of his bank accounts, because that's number one forensic accounting. 508 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: That was going to happen. All their property, their possessions, 509 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: their money was going to be divided, split down the middle. 510 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: The last thing Murdoch wants is an astute lawyer going 511 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: through his business and finding out he's been embezzling, stealing, 512 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: outright taking money from his clients and his law firm. 513 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 1: I mean millions of dollars. That's exactly right, Nancy, that's 514 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: the motive right there. He didn't want someone competent, yes, 515 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: going through his financial records, and he had to take 516 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: care of the liabilities and took care of Paul Murdog 517 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: at the same time. That ends that, and he was 518 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: a liability also. But the wife filing for divorce and 519 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: demanding the records of their assets is going to bring 520 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: that house of cards down completely. And of course he's 521 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 1: drug addled. And also he was right after the murders 522 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 1: that the murder of Paul Murdog, his son. That lawsuit settled. 523 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: It's settled, and there's nobody left to prosecute. And Paul 524 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: Murdog is never going to take the stand. Nobody's going 525 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 1: to be digging through their finances and there's no divorce, 526 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: no astute lawyer in forensic account. It's going to be 527 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: digging through his bank accounts anymore because they're both dead. Now. 528 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 1: I don't believe if I were the defense attorney, which 529 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: of course would never happened, that I would phrase it 530 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: quite like this. But I want you to listen to 531 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: cut one seven six again. This is straight out of 532 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 1: the courtroom. This is the defense attorney for Alex Murdock. 533 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: Dick are Puteley and listen. Now, Maggie is shot running 534 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: to no defensive wounds because she's shot running and after 535 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: she falls to the ground and had one voy that 536 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 1: has hit her and probably traveled up and hit her brain. 537 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: She's on the ground, and whoever the perpetrator was, walked up, 538 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 1: took that r and put one in the back of 539 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:44,600 Speaker 1: her head, executed, executed. Why Well, if he keeps asking why, 540 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure the state's gonna tell him. I mean 541 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: to you, Cheryl McCollum, can't you just see in that 542 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: courtroom when the defense attorney is saying, and whoever the 543 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: perpetrator was, and they probably all looked right over at 544 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:03,400 Speaker 1: Alex Murdock. He says, walked up took that r and 545 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: put one in the back of her head executed right. 546 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: And we all know long guns for moving targets. I mean, 547 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 1: we know what he did here. It appears very simple. Gus, 548 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: he waits an hour Nancy to call nine one one. 549 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:20,840 Speaker 1: Why would you wait for an hour? Because he's trying 550 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 1: to hide that weapon into those of other evidence. And again, 551 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: I want to go back to the one thing the 552 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 1: prosecution is going to be able to show what's not there. 553 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: There's no additional cell phone pings from an unknown person. 554 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: There's no unknown footprints from an unknown person. There's no 555 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: unknown tire track. You've got the gunshot residue. You waited 556 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,760 Speaker 1: over an hour, you lured her there, you hid the weapon. 557 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 1: You said you were somewhere else at eight forty four, 558 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: and we know now that's a lie. You have moted 559 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: to kill your son, You had moted to kill your wife. 560 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 1: Nobody else did. It's gonna come back to Alex Murdock 561 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 1: every single time. You know. That brings up an interesting point. 562 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: This is wendy negative evidence witnesses. That's where we call 563 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:11,319 Speaker 1: people to say, if someone else had been here, we 564 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:13,360 Speaker 1: would have found it. There would have been DNA or 565 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 1: footprints or tire tracks or something from somebody else. So 566 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 1: show brings up an interesting point. And sometimes these cases, 567 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 1: especially when it's an alibi defense, are not just about 568 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 1: what you found at the scene, but what you didn't 569 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 1: find and what that means for the prosecution. You know what, 570 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 1: I love cell phone pings. I love cell phone pings. 571 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:32,799 Speaker 1: I want you to take a listen and then we'll 572 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: have Jen Smith explained to us what was just said 573 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:37,800 Speaker 1: at opening statements, and we're going to go back to 574 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:42,880 Speaker 1: the courtroom after this, taking us an hour, cut one five, four, 575 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,719 Speaker 1: cell phones and ballistics. Cell phones and ballistics, and the 576 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:49,839 Speaker 1: evidence is going to show that the definitive Alamurdoc over 577 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:54,840 Speaker 1: there told anyone who would listen that he was never 578 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: at those channels. But the evidence is also going to 579 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: show from these things and every one of us, most 580 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,279 Speaker 1: of his tray runner in our pocket, that he was there. 581 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 1: And he was there just miss before with Maggie and Paul, 582 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:16,400 Speaker 1: just minutes before their cell phones go silent forever. And 583 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: despite what he told people, I was never Kinnel's, the 584 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: cell phones are going to show other ones, Okay, Jen Smith. 585 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: A snapchat video taken just before the murders taken by 586 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:37,319 Speaker 1: Paul Murdog has come to light because it's my understanding, 587 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: Alex Murdog is in the video showing that he's there 588 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 1: at the hunting lodge just before the murders, although he 589 00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: said he wasn't. Is that correct, is correct, Nancy? So 590 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 1: what this video shows is a dog. It's a dog 591 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 1: that belongs to one of paul friends and I pulp 592 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:58,279 Speaker 1: this on his snapchat. You don't see Alex Murdog, but 593 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: you do apparently in the back ground here Alex Murdock 594 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 1: with Maddie Murgdoc and their son. Now, what's key about 595 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: the video is the time that it was taken, the 596 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:12,600 Speaker 1: time that it was put out. Prosecutors say that minutes literally, 597 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:16,640 Speaker 1: I think it's three or four minutes after that, every 598 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:20,960 Speaker 1: inch of cell phone activity on Paul phone and on 599 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 1: Maggie phone, it stops. It stops cold. So that's what 600 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: they're trying to point towards as being the time of 601 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 1: the murders. And this is a new piece of evidence 602 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: and it's really really important because, like you say, it 603 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,919 Speaker 1: places Alex Murdock at the scene of the crime. When 604 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:39,120 Speaker 1: prosecutors say that it happened let's Serlon McCollum joining me 605 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 1: for insc expert and everybody jump in on this. So 606 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:47,399 Speaker 1: Paul Murdoch sends the snapchat video to several people, and 607 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: one of those people, within like two or three minutes, 608 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: calls him right back. He never picks up his phone again, 609 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: he never responds, he never sends another text. It's over. 610 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: That's it forever. That is the time of the murder. Absolutely, 611 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 1: and simultaneously, his mother, her cell phones never again has 612 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:16,360 Speaker 1: any activity that she initiates. Both of those podes simultaneously 613 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 1: are inactive or ever. But about it, Wendy Patrick Stall 614 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: phones are the perfect unbiased witnesses. They don't favor one 615 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: side or the other. And that is one of the 616 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:29,080 Speaker 1: reasons we're talking about them, not only in this case, 617 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:33,879 Speaker 1: but they established the timeline dead victims cannot And that's 618 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:36,359 Speaker 1: one of the reasons is that we're all noting here 619 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,319 Speaker 1: that they're going to be such powerful evidence in a 620 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:40,959 Speaker 1: case like that. Yes, and we saw it come out 621 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:45,560 Speaker 1: as very powerful evidence in the Brian Coburger quadruple slaying 622 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:51,319 Speaker 1: in Idaho. So Jen Smith, what's going to happen now? Well, 623 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 1: today we're expecting the prosecution to put their first witnesses 624 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 1: on the stunt. They thought it is obviously going to 625 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:59,800 Speaker 1: be hugely telling. We're expecting some EMTs and some frest 626 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 1: responders who are the first people to interact with Alex 627 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,520 Speaker 1: Murdock after the murderers. And then, and I think this 628 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:08,880 Speaker 1: is going to really tell an interesting story. The jury 629 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:12,600 Speaker 1: is going to see video of Alex Murdock's first police interviews. 630 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:14,719 Speaker 1: Now we don't know yet what he said in these 631 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 1: interviews except from what we've read in previous transcripts or affidavits, 632 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:22,680 Speaker 1: but the prosecution is claiming he made strange statements, and 633 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 1: they're also claiming that his lack of statements was incredibly 634 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:28,800 Speaker 1: strange too, So they're using this interview to point to 635 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: his guilt. The defense claims that he was acting strangely 636 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:35,759 Speaker 1: because who wouldn't after their wife and their son had 637 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 1: just been murdered. And they're also claiming that it's going 638 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:41,720 Speaker 1: to prove that Copp's only ever focused on Alex Murdock 639 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:45,759 Speaker 1: and ignored any other possible suspect because they were so desperate, 640 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:47,920 Speaker 1: as they put it, to fit this square peg in 641 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:53,440 Speaker 1: this round hole. So that's today. I can't wait. Nancy 642 00:40:53,600 --> 00:41:00,800 Speaker 1: Race Crown Stories signing off Good Bass one