After months of legal jockeying, Alex Murdaugh’s legal team summed up their pre-hearing brief with this: “Mr. Murdaugh alleges that an elected state official deliberately violated his constitutional right to a fair trial before an impartial jury. If that...
After a FOIA request for videos and materials about the June 7, 2021, homicide of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, we zeroed in on John Marvin Murdaugh, one of Alex's brothers, and his account of what route he took to get to Moselle on the night of the murder. The following...
Hello and Happy New Year! I’m Beth Braden, journalist and researcher for Luna Shark Media and the True Sunlight Podcast. Welcome to the December 2023 month in review. We’ve had some wild twists and turns surrounding Becky Hill, the Colleton County Clerk of Court, and...
Hello and Happy Holidays! I’m Beth Braden, researcher and journalist for Luna Shark Media and the True Sunlight Podcast. Welcome to the monthly recap for November 2023. From Mandy’s book release to Bowen Turner’s release from prison to Alex Murdaugh’s plea in the...
When you need information from the government, FOIA and your state’s open records laws are your most important tool. FOIA is short for Freedom of Information Act, a federal law that ensures citizens have access to government records. Each state also has its own laws...
Sandy Smith found herself mostly on her own as she tried to understand what happened to her son, Stephen Smith, in July 2015. With conflicting reports between the investigative agencies, apparent disagreement between officers and the medical examiner, and the...