Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Alex Murdaugh is heading back to court for a new murder trial in 2027, and one overlooked piece of evidence could become a major problem for prosecutors: unknown male DNA found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernail. 

In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the latest pretrial hearing in the Murdaugh murders case with Peter Tragos, host of The Lawyer You Know, including the defense’s argument that Alex Murdaugh’s orange jumpsuit and shackles could poison the jury pool before the retrial even begins, why mystery male DNA under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernail may get new attention with modern testing, how much of Murdaugh’s financial crimes history jurors may hear, the Becky Hill jury tampering fallout, and whether Alex Murdaugh has a real shot at beating the murder charges this time around.

Follow Peter Tragos:
Lawyer You Know: https://www.youtube.com/@LawyerYouKnow

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A critical new detail in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping mystery may help explain why investigators have been taking the first ransom note so seriously. According to new reporting from CBS, the first ransom note received on February 2, 2026, included a highly specific detail about Nancy Guthrie’s Apple Watch: that it had a white band and was on the floor of Nancy's bedroom. 

In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield is joined by Crime Junkie Breaking News Reporter, Brianna Whitney, who has seen the wording of the ransom notes and shares what stood out to her, including the strange language, the apology, and what it was like reporting on the Nancy Guthrie case in real time as the first clues were coming in.

Mackenzie Shirilla’s mother, Natalie Shirilla, is speaking out after Netflix’s The Crash reignited outrage over the deadly 2022 Ohio crash that killed Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan. Mackenzie was 17 years old when prosecutors said she deliberately drove into a brick wall at 100 miles per hour, killing her boyfriend and friend. She was convicted in a bench trial and sentenced to 15 years to life, but Natalie insists the public still does not know the full story.

In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield is joined by Chris Cuomo, who sat down for an exclusive interview with Natalie Shirilla and pressed her on the questions still surrounding her daughter’s case, from the crash evidence and trial strategy to Mackenzie’s prison interview, misconduct reports, and allegations about prison girlfriends.

Cuomo Crime Time:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6KWjsqGTmSn_Bcobk4sfIQ

EXCLUSIVE: Mackenzie Shirilla's Mom Speaks Out for the First Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07TLSVuNg8

The Nancy Guthrie case just took another disturbing turn after new reporting revealed the chilling words allegedly sent after the 84-year-old Tucson grandmother vanished: “Hello Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy.” In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the latest Nancy Guthrie ransom note details, including the alleged apology, the claim that Nancy “perished shortly after she was taken,” and the bizarre phrase that she was “buried with nature.” Ashleigh is joined by retired homicide detective and Cold Case Foundation director Chris McDonough, who weighs in on why the ransom notes may not fit a typical kidnapping-for-ransom case, what the “porch guy” video may reveal about the abductor, and whether a new theory about how Nancy was targeted could open an entirely different path in the investigation.

Subscribe to The Interview Room:
https://www.youtube.com/@UCaYSPdXtA5wIBkHk-OKsOMg 

Chilling New Details: A body has been found in the search for missing Lexington, South Carolina woman Elena Moore, but the coroner says there was “nothing obvious” at first glance. We've also learned that Elena Moore’s husband spent 14 years as a local deputy before becoming a private investigator. Police said early in the investigation that he was not a person of interest. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield is joined by Sergeant Vicki Rains, who was featured in Netflix’s hit true crime docuseries, Missing: Dead or Alive? Rains served for more than 20 years in law enforcement, including with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s Victims Services Unit. She weighs in on the unusual timeline, the strange Ring camera video showing Moore disoriented days before she disappeared, the husband’s law enforcement background, and the questions investigators still need to answer. 

Previous Video: https://youtu.be/aZ6UHHD29FU
Elena Katherine Moore, 39, was last seen on June 11 after signing in at Planet Fitness in Lexington. Surveillance later showed her walking near Publix on Old Cherokee Road wearing the same olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants she had on earlier that night. Days later, police said they found a body wearing similar clothing, but official identification and cause of death were still pending.

Breaking: A body matching Elena Moore’s clothing was found in a wooded area after newly obtained surveillance video showed the missing 39-year-old walking near Old Cherokee Road the night she vanished. Elena Katherine Moore disappeared in Lexington, South Carolina after she was last seen leaving Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way on June 11, wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants. Police later obtained surveillance video showing Moore walking through the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road around 9:17 p.m., still wearing the same clothes. Days later, investigators say a tip helped lead them to a search area near Old Cherokee Road, where a body was found wearing clothing that matched Moore’s last known outfit. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the strange and troubling timeline surrounding Elena Moore’s disappearance and the unanswered questions now surrounding the death investigation being handled by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Ashleigh also speaks with NewsNation National Correspondent Mills Hayes, who obtained bombshell Ring camera footage from about a week before Moore disappeared. The video appears to show Elena Moore confused and disoriented at a Lexington apartment complex, picking up someone else’s DoorDash order, trying to follow a homeowner inside, and later telling the homeowner, “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Mills Hayes:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MillsHayess
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@millshayesss
X: https://x.com/@MillsHayesTV

Ready to give Toups a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to http://toupsandco.com/banfield, and use code BANFIELD for 25% off your first order.