Murdaugh Adjacent? | The Death of Stephen Smith

The body of Melody Hoffman is discovered on a cold February morning. The person who finds her body calls 911 and describes her beautiful skin, she has all kinds of marks on her back, "like slashes" and her hands are curled in a way they shouldn't have been. She has been left in the freezing cold with nothing on but her underwear. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain how it is possible that the 20-year-p; has slashes across her back and has lost a lot of blood, but that isn't what killed her. Dave Mack digs into the different relationships that led to the murder of a 20-year-old woman who just wanted a boyfriend to care about her. Transcript Highlights 00:01.16 Introduction 04:29.89 Melody Hoffman is missing 09:45.20 Melody might have been pregnant 14:30.41 Buy killing supplies 19:19.24 Picture on phone of Melody beaten, crying, tape over mouth 25:49.51 Murder happened February 18th, very cold 30:46.08 Does weather impact dead body 35:26.44 How much abuse had boyfriend put her through 39:39.14 Melody was strangled to death 47:58.86 Why was body left where it would be found ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Dec 202449min

17-year-old Esther Gonzalez is walking from her parents house to her sister's house, and she never arrives. The next day her body is found in a snowpack on the side of the road. She has been raped and bludgeoned to death. The man who finds the body, Randy Williamson, talks to police and is described as argumentative. He ends up taking a polygraph and passes. With the only person of interest eliminated, the case goes cold. Joseph Scott Morgan explains what happens to a body over time and how the evidence gathered by detectives in 1979, made it possible to solve a cold case 44-years later. To learn about the incredible work being done by Othram labs take a look at www.othram.com. Othram: A revolution in Cold Case Resolution. Transcript Highlight 00:01.65 Introduction02:58.10 Geography of California05:00.02 Snow and Surf on the same day09:56.34 No surveillance cameras, easy dumping ground15:01.25 Body of Esther found in snowbank20:00.88 Why was "the finder" arguing with police?25:18.98 Esther Gonzalez was raped and bludgeoned to death30:00.11 The "finder" passes a polygraph test35:44.63 Hairs that co-mingle40:09.99 Detectives never gave up, kept investigating44:59.73 Othram got a match to Randy Williamson. He was the killer. He died in 2014.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Dec 202449min

Dead bodies and romance.....in Horry County South Carolina, Meagan Jackson is a contractor for the county delivering dead bodies to the morgue of the funeral home. She and her longtime boyfriend Gregory Rice have broken up and they are negotiating custody and support for their four children. Deputy Coroner Christopher Dontell is married to a school teacher and they have two children. The deputy Coroner and the woman bringing dead bodies to the morgue strike up a romance. When Gregory Rice goes missing and turns up dead, suspicion falls on his ex, Meagan and her new boyfriend, the very married Deputy Coroner, Christopher Dontell. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain what happens in the world of death investigation and how people can grow close to their coworkers under extreme circumstances. Joseph Scott Morgan will also take a close look at Meagan Jackson and Chris Dontell - did she think Dontell, because of his occupation, would know better how to get rid of a dead body? Dave Mack will help untangle the web of lies as Joseph Scott Morgan explains why Dontell has changed his plea and what will happen when he testifies against the woman who was carrying his child when her ex-boyfriend is found dead.          Transcribe Highlights 00:00.50 Introduction 03:29.84 South Carolina has rich Coroner history  05:12.67 Elected Coroner in Horry County 10:03.41 Explaining "Livery" service 14:52.41 Deputy Coroner having affair with woman who delivers bodies 20:11.42 An affair the includes death and getting rid of body 24:25.02 Special training, would a deputy coroner have a better idea how to get rid of a body 29:57.62 Questions of a death investigator  35:05.65 Digital evidence puts suspect at the scene of where body is found 41:08.05 Conclusion - Deputy Coroner cuts a deal and will testify for the stateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Dec 202440min

We revisit the Murdaugh trial in which South Carolina lawyer, Alex Murdaugh, is currently facing trial for the murder of his wife Maggie, and his son Paul. As the trial continues, we are learning more information about the nature of the crimes and how exactly they played out.In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and special guest co-host  Dave Mack discuss the specifics of both Paul and Maggie’s injuries, why the prosecution uses diagrams vs. photographs when showing evidence in court, whether Paul had any defensive wounds, and much more.          Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro1:18 - Background and overview of the case 2:35 - Using diagrams in court vs. photographs 6:05 - Paul Murdaugh’s injuries 11:15 - The second shot to Paul Murdaugh’s head 14:50 - Paul’s face left intact 19:25 - Were there any type of defensive wounds on Paul? 20:30 - Maggie Murdaugh’s injuries 23:30 - Stippling around Maggie’s wounds 26:00 - Shot to the abdomen 29:00 - Was this overkill? 31:00 - Wrap up and outroSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Dec 202430min

November 22, 1963: John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was shot and killed during a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas.The President is taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. By law, Dallas County Coroner Dr. Earl Rose had jurisdiction over the case and should have performed the autopsy. However, against Dr. Earl Rose's protestations, the body of President Kennedy was wrapped in a sheet, placed in a casket with a broken handle, and flown over 1,300 miles away to Washington DC, where 2 naval doctors, who had never conducted a forensic autopsy performed the autopsy on John F. Kennedy.  Join Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack as they take a close look at the autopsy that was so bad, 60years later questions are still being asked.          Time Code Highlights00:00:10 Introduction 00:01:21 The ripple effect of the assassination of JFk00:04:31 The moments following the shooting of JFK in Dealey Plaza00:06:02 Talk about how autopsy "Standard Procedures" were not followed 00:06:51 Texas state law and jurisdiction over investigation and autopsy00:07:58 Board Certified Forensic Pathologist Doctor Earl Rose was chief medical examiner for Dallas, Texas at the time and was at Parkland Memorial Hospital00:09:22 JFK body taken from Dallas to Washington DC for autopsy00:10:59 Secret Service preparing for President trips.00:11:36 JFK physical condition after being shot.00:12:52 Injuries to JFK, at least 2 gunshot wounds. 00:13:31 Tracheotomy that was performed to establish an airway00:15:04  Dr. Earl Rose and how his experience was dismissed00:16:23 Dr. Earl Rose KNEW he was looking at a Murder Investigation.00:17:47 Discussion Dallas County had jurisdiction over the body.00:19:03 Talk about autopsy of JFK should have taken place in Dallas00:20:08 Previous Presidential assassination, Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley and their autopsies.00:22:10 Dr. Earl Rose did the autopsy for Oswald, Officer Tippit, and Jack Ruby.00:23:36  JFK body being taken to Washington DC 00:25:16 Comparing Bethesda Naval Hospital to Walter Reed Hospital 00:26:04 doctors chosen to perform JFK autopsy00:28:42 why doctors turned bullet wound into tracheostomy00:29:55  Presidents body wrapped in sheets. Head wrapped in gauze00:31:09  JFK clothing, tie changed the trajectory of round.00:32:58  Other clothing worn during the assassination00:33:44  "magic bullet" going through JFK and Governor Connally, 00:35:08 Secret Service agents washed interior of Presidential limo. 00:36:03 Talk about crime scenes - bone fragments found and turned in later00:37:02 Description of President's head, skull came apart in doctors hands.00:38:04 Discussion of Assessment00:40:02 Talk about x-rays that were done on body00:41:58  Description of the Bethesda autopsy suite 00:43:51 Ballistics expert Dr. Pierre Fink, forensic pathologist, came to Bethesda 00:44:53  JFK brain was removed before Dr. Fink arrived00:46:05 Description of "Brain Loafing".00:47:22 The autopsy of JFK was not a complete autopsy00:49:21 Discussion of "family wishes" as it applies to the murder of the president.00:50:48 Compare autopsy of John F. Kennedy and Robert F Kennedy00:52:36 Discussion about other pathologists available to do autopsy on JFK00:55:09 No way to know if other injuries suffered by JFK could have been lethal00:56:04 Commentary - no excuse for what happened with autopsy of JFKSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Dec 202456min

In the summer of 1989, a construction crew working in the basement of a building at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta stumbled across thousands of human bones. The acquisition and disposal of the remains has been kept secret.  It happens again in 1994, a crew discovered an old well containing human remains while constructing a new medical sciences building on the campus of the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) at Virginia Commonwealth University. The well is called the Limb Pit.  It happened one more time at Harvard in 1999. During renovations at Harvard’s Holden Chapel in 1999, a worker operating a mini bulldozer stumbled across human remains when his machine broke through a wall into an old well. Joseph Scott Morgan explains how it's possible to find human bones that have been hacked, cut with a saw, chisel, or knife, and then hidden so the law can't find them.....and it isn't a crime.      Transcript Highlight00:00.01 Introduction 04:35.58 Resurrection - Grave Robbing 09:40.88 Studying medicine, finding bones14:08.17 Doctors who have never dissected a body 19:18.35 Bones used by medical schools23:17.45 Medical college paying grave robbers28:16.99 Getting rid of bones without getting caught 32:11.18 Doctors had no opportunity to study the human body38:59.35 The Limb Pit - Chris Baker MCV40:17.79 Harvard had name for club that dug up bodies44:00.58 Mass burial of bones, no names 47:27.15 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Dec 202447min

The Piketon Massacre happened when 8 members of the Rhoden family were wiped out in one night at four different locations. Billy Wagner, the patriarch of the Wagner family, and the accused leader of the murderous rampage, is finally going to trial next month. With 8 murders and four crime scenes, Joseph Scott Morgan has a lot to explain. He will take you inside the trailers and talk about how forensic evidence was damaged by law enforcement.  As in all cases a person is innocent until proven guilty and  Billy Wagner continues to plead not guilty to all 22 charges including eight counts of aggravated murder from the execution-style slayings of his son’s ex-girlfriend and seven of her family members in April 2016.         Transcript Highlights 00:02.98 Introduction 02:12.91 The Piketon Massacre 05:32.43 Who Could have pulled off killing 8 people in one night 10:04.49 Killer lays baby next to dead mothers' breast so he wouldn't go hungry 15:02.77 Billy Wagner trial coming up next year 19:53.21 Wagner's in Alaska,, woman escapes in fear 25:02.16 Baby Sophia was not in trailer, she was with grandmother 30:08.95 Billy Wagner had moved away from family 35:09.77 So many oddities in the Piketon Massacre  40:13.85 How will Billy Wagner be defended 42:33:26.ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Dec 202442min

Joseph Scott Morgan has covered the Missing Kansas Moms story on Body Bags since it began. He continued that coverage with the autopsy report of Jillian Kelley a few weeks ago, and now Joseph Scott Morgan breaks down the 16-page autopsy report of Veronica Butler that begins with the Circumstances of death, then moves into the Assault with a knife, including THIRTY (30) Sharp Force Injuries, defensive wounds, and much more.             Transcript Highlights 00:04.93 Introduction 02:19.20 Life of Veronica Butler ending at age 27 04:27.17 Recovery from addiction issues 09:09.39 Requests to review autopsy reports 14:27.64 Defining "full thickness"  21:53.93 6 defensive injuries on Veronica's right hand 27:58.81 Autopsy report as a life road map 33:31.71 Appears someone was trying to cut her throat 38:09.54 Hemorrhages communicating, happened while alive 41:51.46 Why is Obesity mentioned in report 45:05.53 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Dec 202445min