Week In Review

Attorneys for accused killer Alex Murdaugh want the murder indictments secured against him four years ago thrown out - arguing state investigators lied, fabricated evidence and leaked those lies and fabrications to the media ahead of time to drive public opinion.

In their most aggressive filing yet ahead of Murdaugh’s April 2027 retrial, attorneys for the disbarred Lowcountry lawyer say state investigators fabricated blood spatter evidence and lied to multiple grand juries about it (and also lied to them the firearms allegedly used in the murders).

Our founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood break down the defense’s latest motion - which will be heard on Friday, November 13, 2026 before S.C. circuit court judge Debra McCaslin.

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#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina #murdaughretrial #AlexMurdaugh

No formal Week in Review (WIR) this Saturday as we’re preparing for the Halloween office party, but FITSNews founding editor Will Folks still wanted to catch viewers up on what happened and what’s ahead.

First up is the 2026 midterms. Decision day is Tuesday (Nov. 3), and FITSNews will have team coverage on election night from the watch parties of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Annie Andrews to those of Republican gubernatorial nominee Alan Wilson and U.S. Sen. Darline Graham (Nordone).

Then, updates on two major reports that went online this past week. 

The first involves seismic allegations of reprehensible conduct against former 4th Circuit Solicitor Jay Hodge, who lost his most recent government position shortly after the latest flurry of headlines. The second is a separate case out of Pickens County involving even more horrific allegations and a controversial scheduling order that resulted in a dropped charge.

Finally, a quick look at a new filing in the Alex Murdaugh case.

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

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South Carolina is hurtling toward another pivotal general election - one featuring a surprisingly competitive race for the United States Senate.

Democrat candidate Annie Andrews visited the FITSNews studio this week for an in-depth conversation with our founding editor as she challenges Darline Graham Nordone - sister of the late U.S. senator Lindsey Graham.

Polls show Nordone - the GOP nominee for the seat vacated by her late brother’s death - locked in an extremely close race with Andrews. The competitiveness of this election has shocked political pundits as the Palmetto State hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1998.

In her conversation with FITSNews, Andrews discussed her potential path to victory, the affordability issues that have dominated this election and U.S. president Donald Trump’s recent insults directed toward her. She also slammed her rival’s special interest subservience - and briefly addressed several shocking media reports that have cast Lindsey Graham’s legacy in a new and disturbing light.

In our second segment, reporter Erin Parrott joined us to discuss her story on an Upstate charity that’s had a profound impact on her life - and her career as a journalist.

‘Let There Be Mom’ preserves the legacies of mothers (and fathers) facing terminal illnesses - giving their loved ones lasting memories to cherish and cling to as they face life’s many milestones.

No one knows how much that matters more than Erin, whose father died when she was just a little girl - but whose spirit lives on thanks to ‘Let There Be Mom.’

Finally, chief photog and lead investigative reporter Andy Fancher is back by popular demand - bringing our audience the latest installment in the ‘Chuck Wright Tapes.’ 

Andy’s unrelenting, unflinching investigation into widespread law enforcement malfeasance in the Palmetto Upstate is shining a long-overdue light on systemic, institutional corruption. Accountability is coming: and not just to the criminals - but to the cops, prosecutors, courts and mainstream media outlets that have turned a blind eye to the problem for far too long. 

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Chapters:
0:00 - Political Craziness
21:53 - Let There Be Mom Story
29:55 - Chuck Wright Continues

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support: 
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
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#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina

Will Folks and Jenn Wood break down Friday’s pretrial hearing in Lexington for Alex Murdaugh’s double murder retrial.

Judge Debra McCaslin ran out of patience with both sides. Frustrated by the constant bickering between prosecutors and the defense, she told the attorneys to stop rehashing grievances from the first trial and barred both sides from filing any more motions to compel.

Despite the judge’s warnings, the defense still dropped a bombshell. Dick Harpootlian revealed a 2021 interview in which a federal inmate allegedly told investigators about prescription pill deals involving Curtis “Eddie” Smith.

On the evidence front, the defense won new DNA testing on Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails and cellphone but lost its bid to compare ballistics from other shootings.

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support: 
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
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A sitting South Carolina lawmaker was arrested by state police on a gun charge - while a former state legislator pleaded guilty in federal court on fraud charges. After briefing our audience on key developments in those two cases, our founding editor Will Folks welcomed research director Jenn Wood to the studio to discuss the controversy surrounding a horrific child fatality case out of Charleston County, South Carolina.

The tragic deaths of 2-year-old Emory Rose Deacon and fifteen-month-old Harlow Paige Deacon have shaken the Palmetto State to its core - with the girls’ mother, Justine Marie May, facing homicide by child abuse charges after the children were found dead in her care on September 29, 2026.

Could authorities have done more to protect these two little girls? That’s a question we explore in detail in this week’s episode.

Jenn and I also discussed an absolute avalanche of filings in the retrial of accused killer Alex Murdaugh, set to commence on April 5, 2027 in Sumter, S.C. Ever since we reported last month on the existence of a secretive grand jury investigation into a possible cover-up of the 2021 murder scene - this case has gone completely off the rails.

With big battles looming over cell phones, DNA evidence and alleged ballistics inconsistencies, the existence of this newly uncovered grand jury probe - and a related state law enforcement division investigation - will likely take center stage next week as S.C. circuit court judge Debra McCaslin hosts an emergency hearing on the case.

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Chapters:
0:00 - Rivers Recap
2:24 - The Deacon Case
16:07 - Murdaugh Madness
42:25 - Chuck Chronicles

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support: 
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
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#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina #MurdaughMurder #TheDeaconCase #ChuckWright

It’s been a little more than a week since FITSNews exclusively exposed some shocking new developments in the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga - revelations which could completely reshape the retrial of accused killer Alex Murdaugh this coming spring.

In the aftermath of our reporting on the alleged conspiracy to cover-up the Palmetto State’s ‘Crime of the Century’ - including the rumored stashing of the yet-to-be-found murder weapons - Murdaugh’s attorneys are pushing S.C. circuit court judge Debra McCaslin to hold investigators and prosecutors accountable for their handling of the case.

Specifically, they want to know what a secret grand jury has uncovered about the crime - and the alleged coverup - that’s been hidden from defense lawyers and from the court.  

Judge McCaslin has scheduled a hearing in this case on October 16, 2026 in response to these developments - and allegations that prosecutors are refusing to respond to requests from Murdaugh’s lawyers. 

In this week’s episode, our founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood assess the fallout from the big reveal - and start putting together some of the new puzzle pieces that have been placed on the table.

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support: 
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
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#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina

State investigators and prosecutors are probing reports that at least one Lowcountry law enforcement official assisted accused killer Alex Murdaugh in disposing of the weapons used in the double homicide of his wife and younger son.

News of the investigation was exclusively reported this week by http://FITSNews.com.

Our founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood explore this bombshell development - and its implications for Murdaugh’s upcoming retrial. Will and Jenn also discuss reports that Murdaugh’s attorneys have made significant progress linking the June 2021 murders of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh to a Lowcountry gang.

In our second segment, chief photog and lead investigative reporter Andrew Fancher details the arrest of two Upstate law enforcement officers - and the selective transparency accompanying the incident. 

Andy also previews his upcoming reporting on files released from the substantially less-than-aggressive state and federal investigations of former Spartanburg County sheriff Chuck Wright.

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Chapters:
0:00 - Murdaugh Madness
27:57 - Pickens Problems
36:05 - Chuck Continues

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support: 
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
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#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina

Gas and diesel prices are surging across the country in the aftermath of president Donald Trump’s ill-conceived war with Iran. Not only is South Carolina ground zero for these pernicious price hikes - but the Palmetto State is home to the late U.S. senator whose warmongering landed our nation in this crisis.

Our founding editor Will Folks discusses the worsening pain at the pump - and what elected officials are (and aren’t) doing about it.

Jenn Wood joins the show next to break down oral arguments in the Southern Charm case that was heard this week by the S.C. Supreme Court. After assessing the merits of points made on behalf of Thomas Ravenel and Kathryn Dennis, Jenn looks at what the court’s ruling could mean for open records in the Palmetto State.

Finally, Jenn shared excerpts from her widely watched interview with Sam Rickman, one of the former worship leaders at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Rickman had a front-row seat for the fallout from John-Paul Miller’s abusive relationship with his late wife, Mica Francis Miller - and shared his unique perspective with our audience.

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Chapters:
0:00 - Gas fiasco
8:03 - All the Southern Charm Drama
16:55 - Mica Miller Continued 

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support: 
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
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#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina #SouthernCharm #HenryMcMaster #SamRickman #MicaMiller

FITSNews' founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood cover a lot of ground in this episode, including a pair of Supreme Court cases that are heading to the campus of Clemson University next week. Jenn and Will also discussed the change of venue in Alex Murdaugh's murder retrial and the latest developments in the investigation into the death of 5-year-old Saylor Hayes in Georgetown, S.C. late last month.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

2:20 - The Southern Charmers

4:45 - Clemson Dilemma

10:20 - Murdaugh Location Unlocked

14:10 - Saylor Hayes Update

18:50 - Mica Miller Revisited

26:10 - Political Updates

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program - hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty.

Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

-

For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support:

On YouTube:    / @fitstube 
On X/Twitter: https://x.com/fitsnews/
On Facebook:   / fitsnews 
On TikTok:   / fitsnews 

#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina

South Carolina made national headlines on multiple fronts this week - including its special election for the U.S. Senate and the tragic passing of actress Hayden Panetierre in Greenville on Sunday. Our Will Folks and Jenn Wood discussed the ongoing investigation into Panetierre’s death, while Andy Fancher joined Will to discuss the latest on an ongoing criminal investigation into two former state election officials.

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Chapters:
0:00 - Election Insanity
4:15 - Murdaugh Updates
7:24 - Hayden Panettiere Explained
16:55 - The Disgraced Knapp
25:53 - Sheriff Saga

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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.

New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

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For the latest this story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com

More ways to support: 
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
On X/Twitter: https://x.com/fitsnews/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitsnews/
On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fitsnews

#WillFolks #JennWood #AndrewFancher #FITSNews #SouthCarolina