The Murdaugh family is an affluent American family that has lived in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. Alex Murdaugh, 55, is sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. He and his legal team have sought to overturn the verdict and request a new trial, arguing court clerk, Becky Hill tampered with the jury.

Joshua Schiffer is an attorney providing legal services covering Criminal Defense, Personal Injury. Listeners can learn more about Joshua Schiffer at his website: https://chancoschiffer.com/ 

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum talks with Joshua Schiffer to analyze and explain the ethics violations, legal strategies, and potential outcomes of the latest updates of Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial. They also shed light on the challenges faced by the jury, and the potential for systemic reforms in the wake of technological advancements and societal shifts.

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum.  
• [0:10] Background of the Murdaugh double murder case 
• [3:20] Sheryl welcomes guest and attorney, Joshual Schiffer back to the listeners 
• [6:00] Clerk of court accused of tampering with the jurors 
• [12:15] Insight into the cultural dynamics of the rural South
• [13:50] “This is the asterisk on our justice system because we didn't fulfill the promises strictly.  We didn't abide by our oaths completely.  And if you've got that, you've gotta question the integrity of the whole process.”
• [16:30] Examination of potential jury influence and courtroom integrity
• [20:15] Interests in the outcome of the trial… to write a book
• [25:45] Analysis of the Sixth Amendment and trial rights 
• [35:30] The importance of the rules when being a part of the jury  
• [37:30] The implications of technology on the justice system
• [43:45] The role of mass media in shaping public opinion pre-trial
• [49:10] “The reason I talk to myself is because I'm the only one whose answers I accept.” - GC
• Thanks for listening to another episode! If you love the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review! 

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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.  

You can connect and learn more about Sheryl’s work by visiting the CCIRI website https://coldcasecrimes.org

Social Links:

• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

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