Ranked #1 and #2 globally in 2021 and 2023 respectively as the Murdaugh Murders Podcast, True Sunlight™ provides unmatched insight into the crimes and criminals exposed on MMP and dives deep into new instances of corruption across the US. We empower listeners to understand their legal and judicial systems through investigative journalism while providing tools to hold agencies and public figures accountable in order to change those systems for the better.
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CURRENT CASE COVERAGE
True Sunlight™ Podcast is a LUNASHARK™ Media deep dive true crime series advocating for victims while exposing crime & corruption in South Carolina and beyond.
So what happened to Stephen Smith? The 2015 investigation and dismissed death was chaotic from the beginning, derailed by jurisdictional perplexity and suspicions of investigative interference. Smith was found dead just before 4am on July 8, 2015 in the middle of Sandy Run Road in Hampton County, South Carolina. Stephen had a seven inch gash on the right side of his forehead, and his skull was warped from a blunt force impact. Stephen’s death was ruled a hit and run, despite the fact that investigating agencies reported at the time that there was no evidence to support this claim. The ruling sent the entire investigation wildly off course, as the South Carolina Highway Patrol, an agency not equipped to investigate murders of this kind, was then in charge of the investigation.
When the investigation stalled, Stephen’s mother, Sandy Smith, refused to accept that it was over. In September 2016, the grieving mother made one final plea in a heartbreaking letter to the FBI: “My family is in desperate need of your help,” she wrote. “It has been apparent from the first week of the investigation that authorities are covering up critical evidence and we no longer know who to trust.” His death still remains unsolved.
We are committed to continuing the work started during the Murdaugh Murders Podcast until we get justice for Stephen, Sandy, and the rest of the family.. In 2023, Sandy Smith raised over $130,000 to conduct an independent investigation including exhuming Stephen’s body to perform a second autopsy, and offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Stephen’s case. You can donate to that mission here.
Sandy also created a scholarship in Stephen’s memory, the Stephen N. Smith Scholarship Fund. The mission of the scholarship fund is to provide annual scholarship support for qualified students with financial need who are in pursuit of a post-secondary education at technical school in South Carolina.
38-year-old Sara Lynn Moore Colucci was found dead outside of the Summerville, South Carolina jewelry business she owned with her husband, Michael Colucci, in May 2015.
A full year later, Michael Colucci was charged with her murder. In November 2018, Michael’s first trial ended with a hung jury and the state vowing to retry the case. Since then, Coluccil has had the privilege of preferential bond conditions for the last 9 years, although the details surrounding his conditions have been murky and unclear – even to those in the South Carolina Attorney General’s office.
The state believes that Michael killed his wife Sara Lynn, while Michael’s defense team argues it was suicide or an accident involving an industrial hose found at the scene.
Joel Kozak is the South Carolina Assistant Attorney General assigned to the case. While he supported Megan Burchstead in the first trial, he is now taking the lead alongside prosecutor Kinlee Abee.
Shortly after his arrest in early May 2016, Michael Colucci hired Charleston attorney Andy Savage.
In order to defend his client during the first trial, Andy Savage got creative with illustrating his points, such as using a hose in evidence on himself to mimic what they claim is Sara’s manner of death. While he’s filed motions to mitigate the fact that he broke Sara’s gold chain which was in evidence during the first trial, Andy’s antics are certainly well known.
Michael Colucci’s retrial was originally scheduled to start on May 13, 2024, but a mere 4 days before the start of the trial the SC Attorney General’s Office announced it would be postponed. Sara’s daughter and family continue to hold out hope that they will one day see justice in her case. Andy Savage will continue to represent Michael Colucci in the retrial schedule for June 2025.
Here’s what you need to know about the Colucci Case in 281 Seconds.
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell untangle the very strange — and very heartbreaking — death of Mica Miller, a 30-year-old pastor’s wife from South Carolina whose body was found in a North Carolina state park in April of 2024.
On April 27th, Mica Francis (also known as Mica Miller), a 30-year-old woman from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was found dead with a gunshot wound in a state park near Lumberton, North Carolina. Not long before her death, Mica moved out of her marital home and was in the process of divorcing her husband, John Paul Miller, the pastor at Solid Rock at Market Common church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Mica’s death gained national attention due to a bizarre sermon her estranged husband gave to his congregation the day after she died, in which he said her death was “self-induced” and reminded his congregation that Mica had mental health issues — a diagnosis that is in question as her family has said that Mica had no mental health history prior to marrying JP. When the sermon and announcement were uploaded to the internet, listeners demanded further investigation and sunlight on Mica’s case prompting a deeper look into the details surrounding her death and revealing multiple red flags.
Since Mica’s death, Miller has had multiple run-ins with local and federal authorities. On November 1, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant on the pastor’s home in which they carried out various pieces of evidence including electronics, boxes and more. According to sources, the alleged crime being investigated is “interstate domestic violence.” Five days after the raid, Miller was once again in the spotlight when he was arrested by the Myrtle Beach Police Department for 3rd degree assault and battery. In January 2025, Miller began filing a series of civil suits alleging defamation on the part of the protestors who gather outside the church each Sunday to demand Justice for Mica.
We are continuing to dig further into the details surrounding Mica’s death while we follow the actions of John Paul Miller in real time.
Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell begin their look into the Oct. 7 death of 38-year-old Christa Bauer Gilley in Houston, Texas, and the arrest of her husband, Lee Gilley, who initially told investigators that Christa died by suicide after an argument at their Houston Heights home. Christa, who was nine weeks pregnant at the time of her death, was strangled to death according to investigators. Christa, a native of Summerville, South Carolina, was a cardiac and pulmonary physical therapist at Memorial Hermann Hospital and mother to two small children.
Court documents in the case reveal shocking details of Lee Gilley’s actions after his wife’s death, as well as the entrance of a star criminal defense lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, who defended the likes of David Koresh and Robert Durst. Affidavits filed in Christa’s children’s custody case show the horrible way her family found out about her death … and about how she died.
Lee Gilley is out on bond and is awaiting trial.
Gloria Satterfield, the longtime housekeeper for Alex Murdaugh’s family, died in 2018 following an alleged “trip-and-fall” incident while working at Moselle, the family’s hunting lodge in Colleton County, South Carolina. Only one person alive knows what really happened to Gloria Satterfield the day Maggie Murdaugh called 911 to say her housekeeper was bleeding from the head, and he’s in prison for killing Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.
At Gloria’s funeral, Alex Murdaugh told her sons, Tony and Brian, that he would help them sue him over the accident to take care of their financial needs. Unbeknownst to the Satterfield family, Murdaugh and his lawyer buddy, Cory Fleming, collected more than $4 million in settlement funds from the incident. None of the money made it into the hands of Gloria’s sons.
In May 2022, Murdaugh signed a Confession of Judgment admitting wrongdoing and declaring that he owes the Satterfield family $4.3 million. Cory Fleming is serving a 46-month sentence in federal prison for his role in the scheme. When that sentence is complete, he will be transferred to state prison, where he was sentenced to almost 14 years. Russell Laffitte, the banker who signed off on Murdaugh and Fleming’s shady dealings was convicted and sentenced to seven years in federal prison, but the conviction was overturned on appeal due to a jury issue and he was released in November 2024. The US Attorney’s office has indicated they will retry the case at some point in 2025. Alex Murdaugh pled guilty to state and federal charges for his role in stealing the Satterfield’s settlement and accepted a default judgement from the insurance company of over $14 million.
Hakeem Pinckney was 19 when he was in a horrific crash with three other family members that left him a quadriplegic dependent on a ventilator to breathe for him. In 2010, Alex Murdaugh, Corey Fleming and Palmetto State Bank’s CEO Russell Lafitte began representing passengers of the vehicle accident, including Hakeem who was unable to speak but was aware of his surroundings.
His mother, Pamela, told us that he was improving before he died suddenly in 2011.
10 years later, Pamela learned that Murdaugh allegedly stole insurance money from the Pinckney family after the accident, and again from Hakeem’s wrongful death settlement against his care facility after his ventilator was mysteriously “unplugged.”
Cory Fleming and Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty to their role in stealing the Pinckney settlement funds.
In February 2019, Mallory Beach was killed in Beaufort County, South Carolina, as a result of a horrific boat crash on Archers Creek near Parris Island in which Paul Murdaugh was alleged to be driving the boat. Prior to his murder, Paul was indicted for Boating Under The Influence Resulting In Death among other charges. In 2024, Mark Tinsley settled a wrongful death suit against Buster Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh, Parkers Kitchen and the estate of Maggie Murdaugh. A suit against Greg Parker for Civil Conspiracy is still pending.
Richard Alexander Murdaugh was sentenced in March 2023 to two life sentences for the murders of his wife and son in June 2021. Yet he still faces dozens of state and federal charges for financial crimes, drugs and conspiracies. LUNASHARK™ Media’s Murdaugh Murders Podcast traces Murdaugh’s crimes and atrocities over 93 episodes and we’ll continue to shine sunlight on every aspect until each stone is unturned. True Sunlight™ follows all the twists and victims created in the wake of Alex’s alleged and proven crimes.
After a tense deliberation, a jury found former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte guilty of all charges for his role in conspiring to steal money from clients of Alex Murdaugh and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison.
On November 14, 2024, the Fourth Circuit United States Court of Appeals issued an order overturning Russell’s federal conviction. The US Attorney’s Office has indicated it will retry Russell Laffitte’s federal financial charges. His state trials are set to begin in November of 2025 and his federal retrial will begin as soon as May 2025.
The now-disbarred attorney and Alex Murdaugh co-conspirator Cory Fleming was indicted on 18 federal charges related to the Gloria Satterfield case. On August 15, 2023, he was sentenced to 46 months in jail and ordered to pay $102,221 in restitution for his federal crimes. Eight days later, on August 23, the world saw Cory in jailhouse stripes as he appeared in state court in front of Judge Clifton Newman and pleaded guilty to 23 state charges for his alleged financial crimes. He was sentenced to 14 years in state prison, a sentence that he is appealing.
19-year-old Bowen Turner is accused of raping three women between 2018-2019. One of those victims, Dallas Stoller, died in November of 2021. Like Paul Murdaugh, Bowen Turner had the privilege of being represented by a state senator. State Senator Brad Hutto negotiated this shocking deal for his client to go free – even after he violated his bond conditions more than 60 times.
Since his 2022 sweetheart deal, Turner has allegedly violated his probation at least three times. After a 2022 violation, he was placed in state prison under the Youthful Offender Act, and was released in November 2023. He was arrested again for DUI in March 2024, and was sent back to state prison before being released again on October 31, 2024. On February 11, 2025, Bowen was arrested for violating the terms of his probation by testing positive for THC and drinking at an Orangeburg County golf course.
Bowen is also a registered sex offender, despite an attempt to appeal that classification.
Jeroid John Price was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Carl Smalls, Jr. at a Columbia, SC, nightclub in December 2002. His life sentence was reduced and he was released from prison in March 2023 without a hearing after a sealed order from a retiring Fifth Circuit Court Judge Casey Manning. The SC Supreme court reversed his release in April 2023, however Jeroid did not voluntarily return to custody. After a nationwide manhunt, he was apprehended in New York City on July 12, 2023, and returned to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to serve out the remainder of his prison sentence.
Justin Jones is from the Columbia area and has a criminal record dating back to his teen years. He is one of several defendants to have their prison sentences reduced by Fifth Circuit Judge Casey Manning in the weeks leading up to Manning’s December 2022 retirement. Jones pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted murder and burglary on Dec 12, 2022. Just 16 days later, Manning reduced that sentence to 6 years without a hearing.
Grant Solomon had just turned 18 when he died on July 20, 2020, from what his father, the only witness, described as an accident in which he was dragged down a parking lot and into a rocky ditch by his own pickup truck. Despite being dragged at least 40 feet across asphalt, Grant’s body had no road rash. A private forensic laboratory hired by Grant’s mother examined the truck and concluded it had no mechanical issues. We plan to revisit this case as soon as updates are available.
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Rae Andreacchio is a Mississippi mother who has been attacked and defamed as she seeks answers about how her son Christian died in 2014. Andreacchio stood up to the bullying and took her case to federal court, where she ultimately won a $500,000 suit against blogger and podcaster Karen Yax, who creates content under the name The Critical Kay.
According to records, Yax used her platform to accuse Andreacchio of being involved in the death of a young man who was a patient in her mental healthcare practice. According to public records, the judgement against Karen Yax has not been satisfied.
TRUE SUNLIGHT™ RE-BRAND
Our mission is to shine sunlight on corruption in order to change judicial systems for the better.
True Sunlight™ is the intersection of True Crime, journalism and systematic corruption.
We aim to protect communities by exposing public officials and agencies actively hiding or participating in criminal activity for personal or political gain.
We’ve been able to empower listeners to understand their legal and judicial systems through an investigative journalism audio format while providing tools within our rights to hold agencies and public figures accountable.
TRUE SUNLIGHT™ RESEARCH & REPORTING TEAM
Mandy Matney
Mandy Matney, is an independent journalist, best-selling author and celebrated #1 Podcaster originally from Shawnee, Kansas who has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina before launching Luna Shark Productions and three chart topping podcasts. Mandy is also now proud to join Hulu in announcing a dramatic series based on Mandy’s “Murdaugh Murders Podcast” starring Patricia Arquette and Jason Clarke, where Mandy will executive produce.
Matney’s first podcast sparked a global analysis of the “Good Old Boy System” in South Carolina, the different set of rules for the privileged, laid bare. Matney’s approach exposed a system that illuminates the substantially different applications of justice for families without connections to the highest reaches of power.
Mandy is the CEO of LUNASHARK™ Media with millions of listeners, viewers and members across the globe, a published author with her first book Blood on their Hands, speaks regularly around the country to university students about the impact of independent media, and a recognized voice for victims’ rights.
Blood on their Hands is an empathetic work of investigative journalism and an excoriation of the “good ole boy” systems that enabled a network of criminals–shedding light on a twisting story that continues to unfold. Blood on their Hands is also a heroine’s journey centering on a young female journalist overcoming institutional sexism, corruption, and threats to her personal safety to expose a network of horrific crimes perpetrated by Alex Murdaugh and others.
Eric Alan Daume
Eric reports from the Blue Ridge mountains of South Carolina and digs into the deaths of April Jones and Kevin Craig, and the disappearance of Faith Roach.
Eric joined LUNASHARK™ Media in 2022 recording footage and manning the camera during the double murder trial.
We use his footage for our YouTube podcast episodes. He’s covered the Murdaugh trial and covers other cases as well on his YouTube channel.
Eric is an incredibly talented documentarian and we are proud to partner with him by sharing his talents with all of you.
Liz Farrell
Liz is the Chief of Fresh Hell Media, and joined the Murdaugh Murders Podcast as Co-host in November of 2021. She collaborates with LUNASHARK™ Media to write and edit True Sunlight™ and Cup of Justice podcasts.
She was named 2018’s top columnist in the state by South Carolina Press Association and is back after taking a nearly two-year break from corporate journalism to reclaim her soul. Liz has reported on this case from the beginning – since the night of the boat crash in 2019. She believes that exposing truth is a calling.
David Moses
David believes in holding government agencies accountable to the people they purport to protect and serve.
Most importantly, David believes that his wife, Mandy, is the best investigative journalist on this case or any beat. With a background in Public Relations, marketing and advertising, David produces each episode, enthusiastically writes ad copy, and keeps the LUNASHARK™ operations afloat partnering with a team of marvelous experts and engineers. David leads production, operations, finance, growth strategy, and business affairs for LUNASHARK™. In addition, his background in Public Relations helps victims find their voice amidst the chaos that often follows when their trauma becomes newsworthy. David’s pro-bono clients include Sandy Smith, Stephen Smith’s mother, as she pursues justice for her son.
David’s voice can be heard reading documents or reenacting scenes on MMP and True Sunlight, orchestrating Premium Bonus Episodes, and interviewing guests on COJ from time to time. David also hosts the Corruption Watchlist Podcast on LUNASHARK Premium. On the Corruption Watchlist, David joins LUNASHARK CEO Mandy Matney as they dive deep into the murky waters where crime meets corruption. This program delves into a series of alarming cases, from the embezzlement of millions in public funds, to tragic deaths at the hands of troubled police officers, to even more unforgivable crimes.
We seek answers beneath the headlines by highlighting the importance of “peskiness” and how citizens can continue to push for answers even when faced with stonewalling agencies or corrupt officials.
Drew Lawrence
Drew spent 13 years at Sports Illustrated covering major championship events and profiling outsize personalities. Football, tennis and motorsports were my beats. Parachuting in and out of those territories, and lesser known parts, was his specialty.
Drew now writes for The Guardian UK and collaborates with Luna Shark to trace the makings of corruption in the new podcast, True Sunlight™.
Beth Braden
Beth Braden is an award-winning investigative journalist who cut her reporting teeth in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee. She joined the LUNASHARK™ Media team in 2023 as a researcher and journalist who handles FOIA requests, wading through and analyzing public records, and connecting with sources. She also provides a monthly update for premium members called Soundbites, which is a monthly review of everything happening at Luna Shark, and she occasionally writes and records for True Sunlight.
Prior to joining the team, Beth’s newspaper work had taken her into deep-dive stories about faith-based serpent handling and Appalachian coal mining, as well as data journalism work to analyze euthanasia drug irregularities at an animal shelter, uncover the most dangerous intersections on her beat, and see whether or not the local judge’s rulings passed muster when cases were appealed to the state appellate court. And of course, she’s been to her fair share of court hearings, city council meetings, and board of education work sessions.
In addition to her newspaper experience, her byline appears on HGTV.com, nytimes.com, and other internationally known websites.
In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, rock climbing, strange museums, and good cups of coffee.
Sam Berlin
Sam is an award winning-journalist originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and currently living in Brooklyn, New York.
She graduated from Syracuse University in 2020 where she studied magazine journalism, photography, and sociology.
She joined LUNASHARK™ Media in 2023 where she assists with research, audio recording and editing of the podcasts.
Through her detailed, ethical reporting and multimedia experience, Sam creates enterprising stories and works to unravel the truth around her.
Kate Thomas
As the Digital Librarian for LUNASHARK Media, Kate wrangles mountains of case documents, audio files, and research materials so you don’t have to. Armed with a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University (Class of 2024) and a passion for information literacy and accessibility, she believes that everyone should be able to find the facts they need—without getting lost in a sea of PDFs.
Learn more about Kate by visiting her website.
FORMERLY MURDAUGH MURDERS PODCAST
Born from the tireless reporting and wildly successful Murdaugh Murders Podcast, creator and journalist Mandy Matney leads a celebrated team of investigators on their mission to give voice to victims and get the story straight.
Featuring journalists Liz Farrell and others you’ll follow along in real time as their exclusive sources guide listeners on a journey to expose the truth wherever it leads.
