Criminally Obsessed

Murdaugh Murder Timeline: Could Time of Death Be Completely Wrong?

Criminally Obsessed

Show Notes

Could Maggie and Paul Murdaugh’s time of death create reasonable doubt for Alex Murdaugh? As his defense prepares for a second murder trial, attorney Dick Harpootlian is signaling that the timeline of the June 2021 murders at Moselle could become a major issue.

We had to speak with an expert who could tell us how time of death is actually determined… and is there room for error?

In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with Joseph Scott Morgan, Death Investigator and host of the podcast Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan, who helped create the national standards for determining time of death. He helps us understand the physical process coroners and medical examiners use to narrow down that timeframe, and examines the coroner’s actions in the Murdaugh murders with his expert perspective - what he did, and more importantly, what he didn’t do during that examination.

Alex Murdaugh’s case returns to court on Friday August 14th for a retrial hearing, when Judge Debra McCaslin could rule on where the new South Carolina murder trial will be held, along with other pending motions. Join Anne and former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon to watch and analyze the hearing live tomorrow here on Criminally Obsessed.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss our courtroom livestreams, the latest developments in the Alex Murdaugh retrial, and expert perspective with those closest to the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Criminally Obsessed

Oct 22, 2026

Two days after serving divorce papers to her husband, Mica Miller was found dead at Lumber River State Park on April 27, 2024. Her death was ruled a suicide, but questions about the circumstances surrounding her death remain. According to her best friend, Bruna Pabon, Mica had confided in her that she feared her husband, John-Paul Miller, would kill her and make it look like she had taken her own life. Bruna says Mica made one thing clear: she wanted to live.

Oct 21, 2026

Nick Reiner, charged in the murders of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, is heading to Los Angeles probate court on October 23rd to fight for access to a trust worth more than $1.5 million that he says he needs to pay for his criminal defense.

Oct 20, 2026

What happened at the latest Alex Murdaugh retrial hearing—and is Harpootlian in trouble with the new judge? Former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon joins Anne Emerson to break down what’s next in the Alex Murdaugh case after the evidentiary hearing on October 16, 2026 before Judge Debra McCaslin.

Oct 19, 2026

You asked for the full JP Miller interviews and now you're getting them — this Mica Miller interview special shares both unaired JP Miller interviews in order. Reporter Mike Owen sat down with South Carolina pastor JP Miller twice in 2024 after the death of his wife Mica Miller on April 27th, 2024, and ABC 15 News in Myrtle Beach only aired a few soundbites out of caution before any public allegations or charges.

Oct 15, 2026

Alex Murdaugh returns to court Friday, October 16, for an urgent pretrial evidence hearing, months before the date the judge says she won't move: an April 5, 2027 retrial in Sumter, South Carolina. The defense and prosecution have been trading a "dizzying" flurry of filings over what the jury will and won't see, and the judge is about to start making calls.

See all episodes →