The Trials of Alex Murdaugh

The Trials of Alex Murdaugh

In this episode, we examine the rise and fall of Alex Murdaugh, the once-prominent South Carolina attorney whose wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and 22-year-old son, Paul Murdaugh, were shot and killed on June 7, 2021. Their bodies were found near the dog kennels at the Murdaugh family’s rural Colleton County property, known as Moselle. What followed became one of the most closely watched true crime cases in America: two missing murder weapons, no eyewitness, no confession, a video recorded on Paul’s phone that placed Alex near Maggie and Paul shortly before their deaths, and years of financial crimes that were beginning to close in around him. This episode traces the Murdaugh family’s generations of legal influence in South Carolina, Alex’s theft of millions of dollars from clients and settlement funds, the death of longtime housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, and the fatal boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach. It also follows the staged roadside shooting that Alex allegedly arranged, the financial prosecutions that destroyed his legal career, and the six-week murder trial that ended with his conviction in March 2023. Then the case took another extraordinary turn. In May 2026, the South Carolina Supreme Court ordered a new murder trial after finding that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill improperly interfered with the jury and denied Alex a fair trial. The decision did not declare him innocent or erase the evidence presented against him. It returned the murder charges to the trial court for a new jury to decide. South Carolina prosecutors announced that they would try him again, and jury selection is currently scheduled to begin on April 5, 2027. Alex remains incarcerated for his separate state and federal financial-crime convictions. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate The News: True Crime is for informational and discussion purposes only. The hosts are not attorneys, law enforcement officials, medical professionals, forensic experts, or mental health professionals. This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, murder, violence against minors, and other disturbing subject matter. Listener discretion is advised. Any factual errors are unintentional. Any individual, business, or organization not convicted of a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Guest and audience opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Debate The News: True Crime. Guest Contributors: → Angiesworld → Debbie Dowling-Wahba → Mariana Thomas → Danielle Paci → Leslie Credits: Debate The News: True Crime "The Trials of Alex Murdaugh" Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma [https://ncs.io/karma] Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube [https://ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube] 🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chatter-social/id6470361217] / for Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.chattersocial.app&hl=en-US]). This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

The New Jersey Serial Killer: Robert Zarinsky

In this episode of Debate The News: True Crime, we examine the chilling case of Robert Zarinsky, a convicted New Jersey murderer whose name became tied to some of the Garden State’s most disturbing cold cases. From the disappearance of 17-year-old Rosemary Calandriello, to the murders of Mary Agnes Klinsky and Jane Durrua, to the long-unsolved killing of Rahway police officer Charles Bernoskie, this case raises haunting questions about missed warnings, family secrecy, forensic limitations, and how many victims may never have received full justice. What you’ll hear: → How 18-year-old Mary Agnes Klinsky was found murdered near the Garden State Parkway in 1965 — and how DNA testing decades later linked her case to Robert Zarinsky. → The 1968 murder of 13-year-old Jane Durrua, a Monmouth County cold case that would later lead to a new indictment before Zarinsky died in prison. → The 1969 disappearance of Rosemary Calandriello from Atlantic Highlands after she left home to buy milk and ice pops and never returned. → The disturbing evidence investigators found inside the Zarinsky family car, including hair clips, women’s underwear, tools, blood evidence, and removed passenger-side handles. → How Zarinsky was convicted of Rosemary Calandriello’s murder even though her body was never found, making the case a landmark no-body homicide prosecution in New Jersey. → Why Zarinsky’s name later resurfaced in the 1958 murder of Rahway police officer Charles Bernoskie — and how that case ended in an acquittal. → The live discussion about whether Zarinsky should be called a serial killer, even though he was only convicted of one murder during his lifetime. → The debate over family secrecy, Zarinsky’s mother Veronica, and whether the people around him helped shield him from consequences. → Why older cold cases were so difficult to prosecute before modern DNA testing, digital fingerprint databases, and better communication between jurisdictions. → Why this case still haunts New Jersey true crime history decades after Zarinsky’s death. In the discussion portion of the episode, the hosts and the live audience debate how someone like Zarinsky could remain connected to so many disturbing cases without ever being fully held accountable for all of them. The conversation explores his alleged pattern of targeting vulnerable young girls, the role of his family, the limits of law enforcement in the 1960s and 1970s, and the difficult question of how to discuss crimes linked to a suspect who died before a jury could hear every case. This episode also looks at the cruelty of time. For Mary Agnes Klinsky’s family, answers came more than 50 years too late. For Jane Durrua’s family, the prosecution ended before trial. And for Rosemary Calandriello’s loved ones, Zarinsky died without ever revealing where her body was. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate The News: True Crime is for informational and discussion purposes only. The hosts are not attorneys, law enforcement officials, medical professionals, forensic experts, or mental health professionals. This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, murder, violence against minors, and other disturbing subject matter. Listener discretion is advised. Any factual errors are unintentional. Any individual, business, or organization not convicted of a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Guest and audience opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Debate The News: True Crime. Guest Contributors: → Anne → Debbie Dowling-Wahba → Jessica → Momo Credits: Debate The News: True Crime "The New Jersey Serial Killer: Robert Zarinsky" Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma [https://ncs.io/karma] Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube [https://ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube] 🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chatter-social/id6470361217] / for Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.chattersocial.app&hl=en-US]). This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

The Long Island Serial Killer & The Gilgo Beach Murders

In this episode, we revisit the Gilgo Beach murders after one of the biggest developments in the Long Island Serial Killer case. Rex Heuermann, the Massapequa Park architect accused in multiple killings, recently pleaded guilty to seven charged murders and admitted responsibility for an eighth killing. This episode traces the case from the 1993 murder of Sandra Costilla through the discovery of the Gilgo Four along Ocean Parkway, the long years of stalled investigation, and the renewed Suffolk County task force that eventually focused on Heuermann. The hosts, guest contributors, and the live audience also debate whether the motive behind Heuermann's guilty plea was rooted in true accountability, legal strategy, or his own form of twisted control. At the center of this episode are the women whose lives were stolen: Sandra Costilla, Karen Vergata, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello. The conversation also recognizes the broader Gilgo Beach investigation, including Shannan Gilbert, Tanya Denise Jackson, Tatiana Marie Dykes, and other victims whose cases remain part of the wider Long Island mystery. Trigger Warning & Disclaimer: This episode involves discussions about murder, sexual violence, dismemberment, and violence against women, including woman involved in sex work. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs support, help may be available in the United States by dialing or texting 988. The hosts are not attorneys, law enforcement officials, forensic experts, or mental health professionals. The show researches each case carefully, but episodes are recorded live with minimal editing, and any factual errors are unintentional. The opinions of guests, audience members, and live commenters are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or Debate The News. Guest Contributors: → Sha → Anne → Angiesworld → AR → Markeith Credits: Debate The News: True Crime "The Long Island Serial Killer & The Gilgo Beach Murders" Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma [https://ncs.io/karma] Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube [https://ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube] 🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chatter-social/id6470361217] / for Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.chattersocial.app&hl=en-US]). This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

D4vd & The Death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez: Part 2

In this episode of Debate The News: True Crime, we return to the disturbing case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez and singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. In Part 1, we covered Celeste’s disappearance, her alleged connection to Burke, the discovery of her remains inside a Tesla registered to him, and the search of his Los Angeles rental home. In Part 2, the case has moved from a suspicious death investigation into an arrest and criminal charges. Burke has been charged with murder, sexual abuse, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. The criminal complaint also includes special circumstance allegations of lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and murder of a witness. Burke has pleaded not guilty, and his defense denies that he killed Celeste or caused her death. This episode walks through the new timeline, the prosecution’s theory, the alleged Tesla evidence, the DNA and digital evidence claims, and the questions that still do not make sense to the panel — especially why Celeste’s remains would allegedly be left for months in a car tied directly to D4vd. Trigger Warning & Disclaimer: This episode involves discussions about the death of a minor, alleged child sexual abuse, homicide, mutilation of human remains, decomposition, dismemberment, and graphic criminal allegations. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs support, help may be available in the United States by dialing or texting 988. The hosts are not attorneys, law enforcement officials, forensic experts, or mental health professionals. The show researches each case carefully, but episodes are recorded live with minimal editing, and any factual errors are unintentional. The opinions of guests, audience members, and live commenters are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or Debate The News. David Anthony Burke is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Guest Contributors: → Angiesworld → Lauren LaPointe → Debbie Dowling-Wahba → Anne → Jessica → Billie Credits: Debate The News: True Crime "D4vd & The Death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez: Part 2" Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma [https://ncs.io/karma] Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube [https://ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube] 🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chatter-social/id6470361217] / for Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.chattersocial.app&hl=en-US]). This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Kaitlin Armstrong & The Murder of Moriah Wilson (with Angiesworld)

In this episode, the hosts are joined by guest host Angiesworld to break down Kaitlin Armstrong & The Murder of Moriah Wilson — the shocking 2022 Austin, Texas murder case that ended the life of elite cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson. What begins as a story about jealousy and a complicated love triangle quickly turns into a digital-age true crime case filled with hidden text threads, deleted messages, shared passwords, GPS data, surveillance footage, a black Jeep near the scene, a fake passport, a flight to Costa Rica, cosmetic surgery, and a fugitive manhunt that gripped the country. At the center of the case is Mo Wilson, a gifted young cyclist with enormous promise, and Kaitlin Armstrong, the yoga teacher and former partner of cyclist Colin Strickland, who prosecutors said became consumed by jealousy. This episode follows the timeline from the early cracks in Armstrong and Strickland’s relationship, to Wilson’s final night in Austin, to the investigation, trial, conviction, 90-year sentence, and the legal fallout that continued long after the verdict. Tune in to hear: The relationship timeline — Colin Strickland and Kaitlin Armstrong begin an on-again, off-again relationship in 2019, eventually becoming financially intertwined, while Strickland later forms a brief romantic connection with rising cycling star Mo Wilson. The jealousy builds — Witnesses later describe Armstrong as deeply upset over Wilson, with testimony that she made alarming statements about wanting to kill her if Strickland seriously moved on. May 11, 2022 — Wilson travels to Austin for the Gravel Locos race and reconnects with Strickland. To avoid conflict, he saves her contact under a fake name and deletes their text thread before the two meet up that night. The final evening — After spending time together, Strickland drops Mo Wilson off at her friend Kaitlyn Cash’s residence. Not long after, a nearby camera captures a scream followed by gunshots. Wilson is later found shot to death inside the home. The investigation turns fast — Police interview both Strickland and Armstrong, but within days the case takes a dramatic turn when Armstrong sells her Jeep, flies to New York, uses her sister’s passport, and flees to Costa Rica. The fugitive chapter — Authorities say Armstrong tried to disappear under the name Allison Page, underwent cosmetic procedures, and even worked as a yoga instructor before U.S. Marshals arrested her after a 43-day manhunt. The prosecution’s case — Investigators point to GPS and vehicle data, deleted iCloud evidence, surveillance video, phone records, and DNA on Wilson’s discarded bike as key pieces of the murder case. The trial and verdict — In November 2023, a jury convicts Armstrong of murder. She is sentenced to 90 years in prison and fined $10,000. The aftermath — This episode also covers Armstrong’s pretrial escape attempt, the later dismissal of that related charge, the January 2026 appellate ruling that upheld her conviction and sentence, and the $15 million wrongful death judgment awarded to Wilson’s family. Joseph, Adrienne, and Angie also debate the bigger questions at the center of this case: Was Colin Strickland himself living inside a coercive, emotionally abusive relationship? Did Armstrong intend only to kill Mo Wilson, or could things have ended even worse? Did Armstrong’s jealousy come from fear of losing Colin, resentment of Wilson’s talent and future, or both? And how do cases like this expose the dangerous line between obsession, control, stalking, and deadly violence? ⚠️ Listener discretion: This episode includes discussion of murder, stalking, domestic abuse dynamics, gun violence, and disturbing criminal allegations. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs support, help may be available via the Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate the News: True Crime Edition is for informational and discussion purposes only. We are not attorneys, law enforcement officers, or forensic experts. While we research each case, the show is recorded live with little to no editing; any factual errors are unintentional. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Guest and audience views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts. Speakers: → Adrienne Barker — Host → Joseph Lobosco — Host → Angiesworld — Guest Host → Debbie Dowling-Wahba — Guest Contributor Credits: Debate The News: True Crime "Kaitlin Armstrong & The Murder of Moriah Wilson" Created by: Jonathan Bing, Adrienne Barker and Joseph R. Lobosco Producers: Adrienne Barker, Joseph R. Lobosco, Danielle Paci, and Jonathan Bing Writers: Joseph R. Lobosco and Adrienne Barker Editor: Joseph R. Lobosco Cover Art: Joseph R. Lobosco Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma [https://ncs.io/karma] Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube [https://ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube] 🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chatter-social/id6470361217] / for Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.chattersocial.app&hl=en-US]). This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp