New book details dramatic murder trial of Alex Murdaugh

Published: Aug 18, 2024 Duration: 00:05:36 Category: News & Politics

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>>> WE ARE BACK WITH AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT A CASE THAT CAPTIVATED THE NATION. IN JUNE OF 2021, TWO MEMBERS OF A POWERFUL SOUTH CAROLINA FAMILY WERE SHOT AND KILLED ON THEIR FAMILY ESTATE. PROMINENT ATTORNEY ALEX MURDAUGH WAS CHARGED WITH THE DEATHS OF HIS WIFE AND SON. >> A JURY FOUND HIM GUILTY LAST YEAR FOLLOWING A DRAMATIC TRIAL. HE'S SERVING TWO LIFE SENTENCES WHILE MAINTENANCING HIS INNOCENCE. LAST WEEK, THE SUPREME COURT AGREED TO HEAR HIS APPEAL. >> FEW PEOPLE KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF THIS CASE MORE THAN VALERIE. SHE HAS WRITTEN A NEW BOOK. IT COMES OUT TOMORROW. IT IS CALLED "THE DEVIL AT HIS ELBOW." ALEX MURDAUGH AND THE FALL OF A SOUTHERN DYNASTY. GOOD TO HAVE YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. >> I READ THE BOOK. IT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, ESPECIALLY FOR FOLKS THAT THOUGHT THEY KNEW THE TRIAL, THOUGHT THEY KNEW THE MURDOCHS. I WAS TELLING YOU, AFTER I FINISHED, IT READS LIKE THIS RED NECK YELLOW STONE. YOU GO BACK -- IT IS EXHAUSTIVELY RESEARCHED. YOU GO BACK THREE OR FOUR GENERATIONS AT LEAST. NOT JUST ALEX MURDAUGH, BUT THIS FAMILY, THE GREAT GRANDFATHER, THE GRANDFATHER. WHAT DID YOU FIND? >> I THINK I HAD THE SAME QUESTION EVERYBODY HAD. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? HOW COULD A MAN KILL HIS WIFE AND SON? YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING, BACK TO THE START OF THIS FAMILY TO UNDERSTAND THAT HE THOUGHT HE COULD GET AWAY WITH EVERYTHING BECAUSE HIS FAMILY HAD GOTTEN AWAY WITH ALL MANNER OF THINGS FOR 100 YEARS. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE PLACE WHERE HE'S FROM. THE MURDOCHS RAN THE COUNTY SINCE THE 1900s. >> YOU WERE IN COURT EVERY DAY. WHY DO YOU THINK THE COUNTRY WAS SO CAPTIVATED BY THIS CASE? >> I THINK THIS CASE HAS EVERYTHING, RIGHT? IT HAS ALL SEVEN OF THE DEADLY SINS. IT TAKES PLACE IN A FASCINATING PLACE, THE SOUTH. IT IS ONE OF THE OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY THAT JUST EVOKES AN IMAGE IN YOUR MIND. BUT I THINK ALSO, THERE IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF EMOTIONAL AND KIND OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE THAT HE COMMITTED. IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE HE ROBBED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, IT'S A CAPTIVATING STORY. AND I THINK PEOPLE REALLY WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT COULD HAPPEN. >> THAT LEADS TO THE QUESTION YOU SAID, HOW COULD SOMEBODY KILL THEIR OWN WIFE AND SON. AND ALEX HAS DENIED ANY FINANCIAL PRESSURE, BUT IS THIS THE STORY? >> YOU HAVE TO REALIZE ALL THE THINGS BEARING DOWN ON HIM ON JUNE 7th OF 2021. HE KNEW HE HAD BEEN STEALING FROM THE MOST VULNERABLE POOR PEOPLE IN HIS AREA FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. AND THAT, HE WAS ON THE VERGE OF BEING FOUND OUT. HIS LAW FIRM HAD $792,000 THAT WAS MISSING. HIS FATHER THAT WAS HIS PROTECTOR WAS BEING RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR THE LAST TIME. AND HE ALSO KNEW THAT HE HAD THE DEATH OF MALLORY BEACH, THE TRAGIC BOAT ACCIDENT IN 2019. THERE WAS A HEARING COMING UP ON JUNE 10th, A FEW DAYS AWAY WHERE HIS FINANCIALS WERE AT RISK OF BEING EXPOSED. ALL THAT WAS BEARING DOWN ON HIM THAT AFTERNOON. HE LURED HIS WIFE AND SON WITH THAT PRESSURE ON HIM. >> THE WAY YOUR BOOK STARTS, I WON'T GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH. I WANT FOLKS TO BUY THE BOOK. MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO, YOU HAD MURDAUGHS THAT WERE ALREADY PLAYING LOOSE WITH THE LAW. WE JUST SHOWED A VIDEO OF ALEX MURDAUGH TESTIFYING. THAT WAS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL PART OF THE CASE ITSELF FROM A STRATEGIC STANDPOINT. WHY DO YOU THINK HE TOOK THE STAND? AND DO YOU THINK THAT HIM TAKING THE STAND ULTIMATELY COST HIM HIS FREEDOM? >> YOU KNOW, I THINK HE TOOK THE STAND BECAUSE IT WAS HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO TAKE THE STAND. THAT COURTROOM WHERE WE WERE IS TINY. IT'S -- YOU KNOW, HE HAD TRIED A CASE THERE JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE. HIS FATHER TRIED CASES THERE. HIS GRANDFATHER WAS ACCUSED OF ACCEPTING A CASH BRIBE OUTSIDE IN THE HALLWAY. YOU KNOW, IT WAS HIS BIRTHRIGHT. REMEMBER, THEY TOOK THE PORTRAIT DOWN ON THE BACK WALL OF HIS GRANDFATHER BECAUSE IT WAS HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO TAKE THE STAND. I THINK HE THOUGHT HE COULD CONVINCE EVERYBODY BECAUSE HE HAD CONVINCED EVERYBODY FOR A LONG TIME. >> WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO TALK TO HIM? >> I TALKED TO 200 PEOPLE. I TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T TALK TO ANYBODY YET. I DID TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. OF COURSE I'D WANT TO TALK TO HIM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T THINK, A, YOU WON'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY. HE'S IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. THEY HAVE A STRICT POLICY, NO ONE WILL INTERVIEW HIM. BUT HE GAVE US TWO DAYS ON THE STAND OF WHO HE IS. AND AT HIS SENTENCING HE TALKED UNINTERRUPTED FOR 45 MINUTES. I REMEMBER PUTTING MY NOTEBOOK DOWN LIKE, HE DOESN'T KNOW HIMSELF. IT WOULD BE A FOOL'S ERRAND TO INTERVIEW SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT CAPABLE OF TELLING THE TRUTH. >> AGAIN, THE BOOK IS A GREAT READ. IT IS CALLED "THE DEVIL AT HIS ELBOW." IT IS OUT TOMORROW. IT WILL MAKE A FANTASTIC

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