Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Court Victory for Convicted Killer Alex Murdaugh| Crime Alert Recap Sunday 08.18.24

Episode Date: August 18, 2024

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here are some of our top stories this week. Convicted Killer Alex Murdaugh could get a new murder trial.  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. You're listening to the Crime Alert hourly update. Here now, some of the biggest stories of the week. The South Carolina Supreme Court drops a bombshell in the case of convicted killer Alec Murdoch. The South Carolina Supreme Court has overruled a previous ruling that the jury in the Murdoch case was tampered with. This means he could get a new murder trial. Lawyers have argued that the Colleton County Clerk, Rebecca Hill,

tampered with the jury during the original six-week trial. Murdoch was found guilty in the murders of his wife and son. Here's the police body cam audio from the crime scene. Sir, I want to let you know, because of the scene, I did go get a gun and bring it down here. It's in your vehicle? Do you have any guns on you at all? No, sir. It's leaning up against the side of my car. This is your wife and son? It's bad. It's bad. I checked the pulses.

Yes, sir. Somebody going to check them? Yes, sir. They've already checked them. They did check them? Yes, sir. It's official that they're dead? Yes, sir. That going to check them? Yes, sir. They've already checked them. They did check them? Yes, sir. It's official that they're dead? Yes, sir. That's what it looks like. According to WCSC, the county clerk, Rebecca Hill, is accused of telling jurors, quote,

not to be fooled when speaking as to Murdoch's emotional testimony. For more, here's Crime Online's Sydney Sumner. Former South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Gene Tolles says defense attorneys must not only prove that Coleton County Clerk of Court Bucky Hill told jurors not to believe Alex Murdoch's testimony, but that her comments were made with prejudice against the former attorney. Hill maintains that she did not discuss Murdoch's guilt with jurors and never suggested that he was the murderer. Hill is facing her own jury tampering and misuse of office investigations. So far, she has not been charged. One thing has been proven against Hill.

Her attorneys acknowledged that Hill had submitted a BBC reporter's writing to her co-author as if it were her own words. The 56-year-old man is convicted of fatally shooting his wife Maggie and their 22-year-old son Paul. He was given two consecutive life sentences. In January, Chief Justice Jean Toll was informed of the alleged jury tampering, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to grant a new trial. This latest decision means that the South Carolina Supreme Court will hear arguments, both for and against, a new murder trial for Alec Murdoch and then make a decision. A Texas man is facing serious charges after allegedly attempting to kill his four-month-old daughter by forcing her to drink gas.

24-year-old Edgar James Bridgman was arrested for the heinous act. Paramedics got there and called for law enforcement assistance, and when officers arrived at the home, they found a disturbing scene. They also found Bridgman attempting to flee the area. He had been briefly watching his infant daughter while the baby's mother was away from the house. He was apprehended about a block away and taken into custody. Captain Terry Bull of the Parents Police Department told KFDW, when they got there, the baby's mother was holding the girl. Presented the child to the officers and said that the child's father had actually given it gasoline to drink. The child was breathing awake and crying.

The mother told the TV station she returned home with the strong smell of gasoline in the house. When she figured out what had happened, she called 911. The baby was immediately transported to a local hospital, then taken to a specialized facility in Dallas for further care. The child is recovering, but her condition remains closely monitored. Bridgman has a history of legal troubles. He's currently being held in the Lamar County Jail on a $255,000 bond. The mother is in deep distress, calling the situation terrifying. Quote, I don't think I can ever trust someone with my kids again. She's asked to remain anonymous, saying, quote, I just want my baby to come home.

I want to hold her again. The Paris Police Department has stated that Bridgman is cooperating with the investigation and has been participating in several interviews, but the motive behind his actions remains unclear. Police are continuing to investigate. According to police, Bridgman confessed to giving the baby gasoline with the intention of killing her. This is what led to Bridgman being charged with attempted capital murder along with evading arrest. Los Angeles Police Department officials are questioning multiple suspects in connection with the tragic murder of General Hospital actor Johnny Wachter. The arrests come weeks after the 37-year-old actor was fatally shot while confronting thieves trying to steal his car's catalytic converter in downtown Los Angeles on May 25th.

Law enforcement sources have identified the suspects as members of the Florencia 13 Gang, a notorious criminal organization involved in a surge of catalytic converter thefts across the region. The investigation, which has been closely followed by Wachter's grieving family and friends, gained momentum after the release of surveillance footage and a plea for information earlier this month. Fingerprints lifted from a floor jack used in the crime proved to be a crucial piece of evidence, leading detectives to identify Robert Barceló, Sergio Estrada, and Leonel Gutierrez as primary suspects, according to the Los Angeles Times. A neighbor who did not want to be identified talked to KTLA 5 News about the trio who made themselves known in their South L.A. neighborhood.

The occupants of the house have been troublemakers on the street for a long time, stealing, kind of like perverts up and down the street, terrorA. neighborhood. The night of the murder, Wachter had just finished his shift at the nearby Level 8 bar when he and a co-worker discovered the thieves who he originally thought were towing his car. A confrontation ensued during which the actor was tragically shot and killed. Witnesses described the suspects fleeing the scene in a stolen black Infiniti Q50. While this marks a significant step forward in the case, the investigation is still ongoing. For more crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. This is an iHeart podcast.