Murdaugh Murders Podcast - TSP #130 - The ‘Early Release’ of Cory Fleming + A New Dawn Rises in 2026: Looking Back at Victories and Ongoing Battles from 2025

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello, and Happy New Year from all of us at Luna Shark. My personal New Year's resolution is to be peskier and pettier in 2024, so I'm going to waste no time getting to that goal with the first episode of the year. First off, I am happy to announce that Weldon Boyd is the first winner of True Sunlight's allegedly worst men of 2025 pageant. Congratulations, Weldon, much deserved. In that vein, I also forgot to mention the only candidate that I could think of for True Sunlight's allegedly worst women of 2025.

Starting point is 00:00:42 And that would be Deborah Barbier, Barbier, Berbier, whatever, doesn't matter. Congratulations, Debbie. In our opinion, Deborah Barbier was one of those women who carried buckets of water for the patriarchy in 2025, most notably while representing gas station billionaire Greg Parker in his ruthless defense from the Beach Family's civil conspiracy lawsuit against him. The thing about Deborah Barbier is that she was one of the few lawyers on the side of Team Burdock and his associates, who didn't seem to lose her dignity while representing her client, Corey Fleming. She appeared to actually have moral boundaries while practicing law, and we found

Starting point is 00:01:30 that refreshing. When she spoke for Corey, she did it in a way that did not attack the victims and did not make Corey look like a worse human being than what he was already accused of doing. Unfortunately, after watching her in action in the Parker case, I personally think that she is no better than Dick Harputland. She might be worse because she's good at disguising. ourselves as decent, in my opinion. I don't forgive and I don't forget. And once you are on our radar, we keep close tabs and make sure those folks don't escape the sunlight.

Starting point is 00:02:09 While keeping close tabs on Deborah Barbier's most infamous client, Corey Howardton Fleming, we recently made an interesting discovery. The Federal Bureau of Prisons sent a letter to one of Ehrlich Murdoch's clients, one who had nothing to do with Corey Fleming, saying that Corey would be released on February 5, 26, and get this, to, quote, reside in the Beaufort area. This is concerning for many reasons and another reason why our prison systems have got to get it together when notifying victims because mistakes like this should not occur. For his convictions in state court, Corey was sentenced to 10 years consecutive to his federal sentence and 10 years concurrent,

Starting point is 00:02:58 starting after his 46-month prison sentence that was supposed to begin in August 2026. No matter how the math maths, he still has many years to serve in state prison and should not. By any circumstances, be allowed to be released to go live in Beaufort this February. In April 2024, the BOPP website said that Corey was set to be released in September 2026. Now it says that he is set to be released January 21st, 26, which is weird because Corey was originally sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, which is three years and 10 months. Now he is set to only serve 890 days of that sentence, two years and five months. From my math, it appears like he got maximum time off for good behavior and maximum time off for the quote residential drug abuse program, the Bureau of

Starting point is 00:03:59 Prisons Most Intensive Treatment Program that he was oddly enrolled in, along with Russell Lafitte, neither of whom ever had reported drug problems. Huh. We looked back on the transcript for Corey Fleming's federal sentencing hearing, and I thought it was weird that Judge Gerkel himself actually said. suggested the program, this program that reduced Corey's sentence by almost 25%. I'll have David read this part of the hearing and it just shows how gentle good old boys are with each other in the federal system, while of course, Debbie Benefits.

Starting point is 00:04:41 Judge Gergel, is there a request regarding location for incarceration? Ms. Barbier. Your Honor, we would request F.C.I. Jessup, which is close to family. Judge Gergel. Very good. I will recommend FCI Jessup. Are there, is there any interest in the RDAP program? Ms. Barbier.

Starting point is 00:05:05 There is, Your Honor. We would ask for recommendation to that. Judge Gergel, I will recommend RDAP as well. Now, the residential drug abuse program, aka RDAP, is supposed to be for prisoners with well-documented drug abuse that they prove to the court. It is not supposed to be for good old boy judges to politely suggest their friendly lawyer friends as an easy way to reduce their client's sentences by a year. We don't know for certain if he did the drug program, but the math certainly works out that he's. He did. Also, I thought it was funny the other day.

Starting point is 00:05:49 I saw a picture online of Judge Gergel, gleefully attending Dick Harputlian's book signing, with a big old smile on his face like he was fanboying his bestie. Now looking back, I don't think it was a coincidence at all that Gurgle was assigned to so many Murdoch cases. I think it was by design, in my opinion. Now the next part is what worries me. reached out to spokesperson Robert Kittle of Alan Wilson's office about Corey's upcoming release, and he assured us that Corey, quote, should be going directly to state prison. Now, I wish that

Starting point is 00:06:29 we could believe that, but Alan Wilson is this boss, and all of this is very strange. Because why would Corey be working so hard to get into state prison earlier? Well, here is the scary thing. The first step act of 2018, quote, expanded opportunities for some inmates to earn credit towards early transfer to home confinement. I would assume that inmates with attorneys like Deborah Barbier and good old boy judges, like Gergel, are more likely to swing something like that, which is why I took time off of my vacation to tell you about this. These vampires absolutely hate transparency and they hate sunlight. The public deserves to know what is going on with Corey Fleming. In the AG's office should be on top of this to make sure that he doesn't get some kind of deal

Starting point is 00:07:23 where he can carry out his sentence at home like Russell's defeat is doing right now. And by the way, Russell also got that residential drug abuse lifestyle upgrade slash sentence reduction supersized meal. Huh. On paper, state and federal officials made it look like they threw the book at Corey. But if what this letter says is true, we are in for quite the adventurous opening act of 26. And don't worry, we will continue to drag all of these vampires into the sunlight. But on this special New Year's Day episode, we want to take a look back at 2025, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want to take a moment to celebrate someone who makes this work possible. Kate Thomas, our digital librarian, who put together this incredible

Starting point is 00:08:18 in-year recap, our 130th episode of True Sunlight. Kate has this enviable grasp of digital sciences that honestly amazes me. She can find a needle in a haystack of data, organize mountains of documents, and make connections that so many others miss. But what really sets Kate apart is her genuine passion for our mission at Luna Shark. She believes in active journalism as fiercely as anyone on this team. Kate, thank you for this journey through 2025. And everyone, here is Kate. Welcome to a special year-end episode of True Sunlight Podcast. I'm Kate Thomas, Luna Shark's digital librarian. I'm grateful for the opportunity to look back and reflect

Starting point is 00:09:09 on everything we've accomplished in 2025. Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell have spent the year shining sunlight into the darkest corners of South Carolina's justice system and beyond. Today, we're journeying together through the year with audio clips from each month, revisiting the cases that defined Luna Shark's work and reminding ourselves why this fight

Starting point is 00:09:32 for accountability matters so deeply. From J.P. Miller's escalating legal warfare against his critics, to the shocking corruption exposed in the Scotts-Bivey shooting investigation, to the systemic failures that continue to protect powerful men while silencing victims, 2025 has been a year of both devastating revelations and hard-won progress. As we reflect on these stories, one thing becomes crystal clear. Sunlight is working, but the work is far from over. patterns of corruption, the protection of bad actors, and the two-tier justice system we've documented

Starting point is 00:10:11 throughout this year demand our continued vigilance and our continued outrage. So let's look back at where we've been, because understanding how we got here is essential to changing where we're going. In January, Pastor J.P. Miller's legal campaign against his critics reached New Heights, with the pastor filing lawsuit after lawsuit in Myrtle Beach Magistrate Corps. against protesters and online commentators. When Mandy and Liz obtained one of the actual summons documents, they discovered troubling details that suggested Miller might be playing games with the court system itself,

Starting point is 00:10:47 including fake addresses that directed legal papers to bizarre locations. In this clip from True Sunlight episode 84, Mandy walks through the shocking numbers behind Miller's lawsuit spree and exposes the eye-raising irregularities in how he's pursuing these cases. In last week's episode, we told you how J.P. had listed fake addresses for at least three of his legal targets, and he appeared to be playing some sort of sick joke on two of them by directing their summons to a gay bar in a Weight Watchers Clinic. And we told you how none of the 10 people J.P. has filed complaints against had been served yet, so none of them knew exactly what J.P. was suing for. They just knew what the public indexed.

Starting point is 00:11:34 said, which was they were being sued civilly in Myrtle Beach Magistrate Court by J.P., which is basically the equivalent of finding out that you have been called to the principal's office because you're the kid, who's always in detention for his hallway outburst and is repeated lying, reported you for telling a teacher that you saw him cheating. Anyway, those 10 complaints meant that J.P. now had at least 11 lawsuits filed related to his effort to silence people, and he's at least trying to live out his dream of becoming a millionaire. Turns out J.P. wasn't done. On Tuesday, J.P. filed three more lawsuits against three women, Tanya Hall, Melissa DeMarco, and Joanna Siemintelli. Fun fact, J.P. might hold the record

Starting point is 00:12:25 for the number of Melissa sued by a single man in South Carolina. Again, there is also Melissa Mancari, the Orie County paralegal, who J.P. says made full. false and defamatory claims about him on multiple social media sites back in September. It also should be noted that he and his good old boy attorney Russell be wrong have made no movement on that case for four months, including serving Melissa with their papers, at least according to the public index. There's also Melissa Pfeiffer, one of the original 10, and now there's Melissa DiMarco. If your name is Melissa and you live in Ori County and you think JP is a trash human being, and you've said that out loud, watch your back girl, or not,

Starting point is 00:13:09 because this is all very silly. In total, JP has filed a whopping 14 lawsuits against various social media creators and protesters who have spoken out against him in some way. What's interesting is that one of at least three people being sued under a fake address also received a silly cease and desist letter back in May from old Russell be wrong in JP. Meaning, J.P. knows this man's actual address, and he knows. He doesn't live at that fake address that he wrote down in the filing, which that address has no connection to the defendant. So what was J.P.'s moved there? More games, likely. Anyway, the defendant doesn't live in Ori County and hasn't been served yet. Thankfully, a good Samaritan, who I won't name,

Starting point is 00:13:58 sent us the summons and complaint that one of the protesters was served with. I am not going to name the protester, but we need to go over this document and talk about what this says, because, Lord, have mercy, y'all. This man is losing it. And it's another example of his entitlement and expectation that the legal system is his to have and hold because he is actually asking for a restraining order, claiming the protester has been harassing and stalking him. and he is suing the person for $7,500, claiming the protester is invading his privacy. Hoof, I can't. In February, the True Sunlight podcast broke major news. Pastor J.P. Miller had been accused in a lawsuit of raping a 15-year-old girl at his father's church in 1998 and sexually assaulting her again in 2023. The lawsuit filed by Jane Doe No. 1, named not only J.P.

Starting point is 00:15:00 Miller, but also his father and their churches, marking a significant escalation in the legal troubles facing the controversial pastor. In this clip from episode 89, Mandy and Liz sit down with Rockhill attorney Randy Hood, who represents Jane in the case to discuss why he decided to take on this fight, and his answer reveals a deeply personal connection to the work of representing survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. Then we asked Randy perhaps the most important question of all. We asked him his why, why he decided to take on this case.

Starting point is 00:15:41 His answer left us speechless, and we applaud him for his courage. Mark contacted me and asked if I would be involved. I do sex abuse cases, and I do that in medical malpractice. which is a bizarre, it's a bizarre mix, but it's what I do because I've all, I came from a medical malpractice background. I've done it since the beginning. And, and then about 10 years, I started doing sex abuse cases and started doing them heavily and had been very successful at it. And, but at the end of the day, I'm a survivor. And there was a point where I accepted certain things. And I've never publicly acknowledged that.

Starting point is 00:16:34 My people around me know, everybody knows the people that love me and care about me. And my law firm knows. But I'm a survivor. And I think that when you're a survivor, honestly, I made enough money to where about 10 years ago, I was like, I got a chip on my shoulder. So let's go start taking some people out. And so. There's that part. And to be frank with you, the people that I represent, the people that I take care of or try to take care of are the most gracious, incredible people.

Starting point is 00:17:14 Because what they've been through is the most horrific things that anybody could ever imagine. If you think about your child going through that, it would just destroy you. But every one of them have been through it. They've come out the other side and they're strong enough to fight about it. And when we're through every single time, I've changed people's lives as a lot of lawyers, not me, a bunch of lawyers, changed people's lives because we were covered X amount of dollars and we were able to give them financial independence. And they're gracious and they're very nice and kind and sweet and respectful. But the people that I represent in the sex abuse realm are the most kind-hearted, the most kind-hearted folks. And they're willing to help.

Starting point is 00:18:00 They're empathetic. It changes something inside of you. There's a bad things happen to everybody. Everybody's got stuff. Every one of us have stuff. There's nobody that's not touched by stuff. But these people are incredible. And they need folks that are willing to stand up and fight and have the money to fight,

Starting point is 00:18:25 have the, the, the emotional, intelligence to be able to fight, have the wherewithal to fight, have no fear, and understand process and the process of what you have to have and have a team behind you that is willing to go to the mat, absolutely willing to go to the mat. There is nobody or anybody, there's nobody that we're afraid of. I mean, we might lose. Nobody says you're going to win every time, but there's just no fear, you know? And not this case. This is not happening in this case. I'm telling you this is not about this case. But one of the things that isn't, isn't one of the side effects of doing this is you get threats. I'll get threats from somebody in this, not from JP. JP won't

Starting point is 00:19:18 threaten me because I don't think he would do that. Because if you do that, you're going to get in trouble. But there will be people that will threaten me because I'm doing this. I know I'm going to get threats from somebody. I get threats in every case, and most of the cases I'm involved in, there's a threat coming from them. And it's just part of what you do because you got somebody that's close to them. And those people aren't even, I don't even want to say they're terrible people or bad people. They're people that still believe the person didn't do anything wrong and you're trying to ruin their life. And once again, it's the apologist. That but apologist's behavior is what allows someone to continue to offend.

Starting point is 00:19:59 No more apologies. You all know how I feel about enablers of evil. They, too, have blood on their hands. We'll be back after a short break. In March, Mandy and Liz examined a troubling development in the case of Bowen, Turner, the South Carolina man convicted of assaulting multiple young women, including Dallas Stoller, who later died by suicide. Carl Stoller, Dallas's father, and an Orangeburg County deputy sheriff had been silenced at a parole violation hearing, denied the opportunity to speak about his

Starting point is 00:20:43 daughter or his concerns about public safety as Turner faced yet another violation. In this clip from True Sunlight Podcast, episode 92, Carl describes what he wants to. wanted to say at that hearing and reveals the confusing and contradictory way the South Carolina Department of Corrections has treated his family's victim status throughout the legal process. I then asked Carl what he would have said at the hearing if they allowed him to speak. As the Dallas father, obviously I would have spoken about my child and what she was like and then what she was like after this situation took place. what ultimately led up to what, you know, obviously I think had a tremendous ban on her death.

Starting point is 00:21:30 And I was certainly spoken to that behalf. And then as the deputy sheriff, I would have said, you know, my concerns protecting the citizens of this county from somebody who is a habitual offender and has no regards to the law or the regulations he's having to adhere to, I find that a very concerning for the citizens of the county. And I would be remiss if I didn't speak out to that. You know, I mean, that's a public safety is everything, and that's certainly a risk of public safety, in my opinion. But I wasn't ever allowed to say it, so that's where we are. Then I asked Carl, what would you want SEDC to know about how you feel about all of this? Well, you know, it's interesting that through this whole process, we've been able to speak. As a family or individually, we are considered.

Starting point is 00:22:22 And so as the anonymous child's family and her as victims of the Bowen Terminal, okay. And I would like to know why all the way through all these processes we were allowed to speak and all the way up to the situation that happened in Florence last year going forward to today. And then now we suddenly can't that we're not part of it, so to speak. But I do find it funny. I got a phone call today from SC Vine, which is SCDC's recorded message they send you when it's offender changes status or gets moved or leads to whatever the situation may be. And I got a call and said to my wife today that

Starting point is 00:23:05 Bowen was transferred from Norfolk County Detention Center to an undisclosed location within the Department of Corrections. I'm still getting those and that's what victims get. But on one hand, we're not a victim, but on the other hand, we are. Maybe it's just a mistake that they sent it to us this time, I don't know, but we got it. It's like clockwork. In April, Mandy and Liz celebrated a major victory in the case of Lee Gilly, the Houston, Texas man, accused of strangling his pregnant wife, Krista, to death, in their home while their two children were present. After more than five months of waiting for autopsy results, with the growing concern, that the case might slip through the cracks.

Starting point is 00:23:52 As the 180-day indictment deadline loomed, Krista's family and friends feared Lee might walk free. In this clip from True Sunlight podcast episode 95, Mandy shares the breaking news that Lee Gilley was finally indicted by a Texas grand jury on capital murder charges, a crucial step toward justice for Krista and her unborn child. Last Tuesday, Krista's autopsy report finally, came back after more than five months of waiting. This was a big step. In episode 93 in March,

Starting point is 00:24:27 we urged Harris County, Texas officials to not let this case slip through the cracks, as apparently so many do. Christ's family and friends were worried that the autopsy was delaying the indictment in Texas law states that the DA's office has 180 days to indict a defendant after their arrest. If it extends past 180 days, the defense can make a motion for dismissal and the court would be compelled to drop the charges. So time was ticking, and prosecutors had until this week to either indict Lee dismiss charges or ask for an extension. We also heard from a few sources close to the situation that Lee was feeling extra confident that his capital murder charge for allegedly strangling his pregnant wife to death would be dropped and that he would be a free man.

Starting point is 00:25:19 Then this Tuesday came, another Tuesday, and Krista's light worked its way through darkness. Lee Mongerson Gilly was finally indicted by a Texas grand jury on one count of capital murder, and that is a big deal. The indictment states that Lee, quote, intentionally and knowingly caused the death of Krista Gil. by applying pressure to Krista Gilly's neck and upper back, and intentionally and knowingly, caused the death of an unborn child by applying pressure to Krista Gilly's neck and upper back

Starting point is 00:25:55 while Krista Gilly was pregnant with the unborn. Krista was nine weeks pregnant with their third child. Krista and Lee's two children were in the house at the time that Krista was allegedly strangled. Unfortunately, this indictment did not include a lot of details about evidence against Lee. But as we said in episode 93, the evidence we already know of would be hard for any defense attorney to get passed. How do you explain that your client was the only adult in the home where Krista was strangled to death? And how do you explain that he then lied to police about Krista taking drugs and killing herself? However, we won't be foolish enough to underestimate

Starting point is 00:26:39 Dick DeGaron and his expensive defense team working for Lee. We know how important sunlight is in this case and we will continue to keep it shining on Houston until the Bauer family gets justice. In May, the True Sunlight podcast continued its investigation into the killing of Scott Spivey. The North Carolina man shot to death on a rural South Carolina highway in 23

Starting point is 00:27:05 by shooters who were never charged. Body camera footage obtained by the team revealed a stunning moment discovered by Luna Shark journalist and researcher Beth Braden. Ory County police officer Damon Vescovy writing a note in large letters, act like a victim with camera written underneath, and showing it to shooter Weldon Boyd at the scene. In this clip from episode 98, Liz and Mandy dissect what this note meant, why Vescovy would coach the shooter on how to behave and how it potentially allowed the department to rule the killing justified understand your ground laws.

Starting point is 00:27:45 Anyway, after that call, Viscovy took photos of Weldins and Bradley's licenses on his phone, then texted someone in his contacts. And this is Werega dirty. Vescovy then took his notebook and rotated it, so it would be horizontal on his driver's seat. He took out a pen, and he began writing something in big letters. When he lifted the notebook, his body camera briefly caught the page he had just written on. Beth froze the screen, and she zoomed in, and she could not believe what she was seeing.

Starting point is 00:28:20 The note Vescovy had written in big text said, Act like a victim with the word camera written under it. Vescovy then walked that note over to Weldon and showed it to him. Weldon's eyes darted to the notebook and then around. Act like a victim. Act like the thing you need to be in order for the stand-your-ground law to apply. Self-defense. You, Weldon, you were the victim.

Starting point is 00:28:47 Now, why would Viscovy do that? Was he passing on a message from his conversation with Weldon's attorney? That wouldn't make sense, right? Weldon's attorney was on the phone with Weldon and could have just told his client that directly. And he did, according to a recorded conversation. conversation Weldon had with Bradley later. So did the person Viscovy called right before writing the note tell him to do this? Did he have a conversation earlier with Brandon Strickland? Or did someone

Starting point is 00:29:15 else with authority and influence in the agency mentioned that Weldon was a friend of the agency? Or did word just spread among the lower ranks? Did Damon Viscovy, knowing that this was a friend of the police department, knowing what the Orie County police culture was like when it came to friends and being eminently aware that he was a middle-aged patrol officer whom sources have told us has had performance problems in the past. A police officer who did not have the latitude to buck the system, but was now presented with an opportunity to do something that would get him maybe a wink and a nod for being a team player with the big guys. Did he do this to get that informal recognition from the number two guy at the agency? Was this an opportunity to be

Starting point is 00:30:02 part of the cool kids at the agency, the Sunday-fund-day crowd of hand-picked friends from the office who would hang out at Brandon Strickland's pool on the weekends. Or, again, was he told to keep an eye on things for Weldon, and this is just him doing that. Whatever Viscobe's reasoning, he just told Weldon how this needed to play out. But if Weldon acted like a victim, which God give him an Oscar for this, because he has taken this role Seriously. Then it allowed O'Re County to rule this a justified killing. In June, the True Sunlight podcast audience witnessed a devastating setback in the decade-long quest for justice for Sarah Lynn Moore Calucci, who was allegedly murdered in 2015.

Starting point is 00:30:51 After the jury had been seated for what was supposed to be a two-week retrial of Sarah Lynn's husband, Michael Calucci, Judge Roger M. Young, quashed the indictment and dismiss the case. The judge's decision came after revelations about a crucial conversation that was never disclosed to the defense, and the original prosecutor, Megan Birchstead's hostile testimony on the stand raised serious questions about how this information was handled. In this clip from episode 104, Liz breaks down why she places the blame squarely on Megan Birchstead's shoulders and challenges South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson's characterization of the judge's ruling.

Starting point is 00:31:34 So that was surreal, and it was very surprising to us, and seemingly to everyone, including the defense, I could tell you what Michael did right after it was announced, but who cares? Now, there are two big things I want to say here. One is that I fully put the blame of this decision on Megan Birchstead's shoulders. if this was just an oversight, the result of a mistake, and if she cared one bit about this case being tried, she would have come to the courtroom correct. She would have been professional and open and not hostile. Even though Scott's point is unavoidable, that it's really hard to imagine a scenario in which Megan did not know about that conversation

Starting point is 00:32:13 and still had that line of questioning in 2018 and still did what she did during Barbara's testimony with the interrupting, it made it even harder to imagine this when considering Megan's attitude Tuesday. The second point is this. Here is what Attorney General Alan Wilson said Wednesday about the Kalucci case. Yesterday in a court hearing regarding the case against Michael Kalucci, Judge Roger Young quashed the indictment without prejudice, which means the state can reevaluate the case and remedy any issues addressed by the court's order before another trial.

Starting point is 00:32:49 We respect the decision of the court. and note that Judge Young did not find intentional misconduct by prosecutors from the Attorney General's office. Uh, excuse me, Alan. Judge Young did not find intentional misconduct. What? All misconduct would have some sort of intention attached to it, I would imagine.

Starting point is 00:33:11 But where did he say that? Oh, right, he didn't. He said that he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't talking about the prosecuting attorneys per se, meaning perhaps the ones at the table who did the right thing both times they were presented with information about this conversation. I believe the per se part was for them, not Megan. Read between the lines. And sure, we understand that the judge's decision is explicitly based on the idea that Michael was deprived of the right to have this information available to everyone from the start. But given the things he said in the

Starting point is 00:33:42 courtroom and his line of questioning before going into chambers to decide, it seems to us that perception weighed into his decision here. And that's the perception that this information was willfully kept from the defense. And because of that willful decision, it means the state willfully trampled on Michael's rights. And if they willfully trampled on Michael's rights, that is an acknowledgement that the prosecution believed the information from that conversation in the garage would hold weight in the decisions being made along the way. In July, Mandy and Liz investigated the troubling timeline surrounding South Carolina State Representative R.J. May, who was arrested and charged with 10 federal counts of distributing child sexual abuse materials. Despite federal agents raiding May's home in August 23, seizing devices containing what prosecutors would later describe as videos of men sexually assaulting children, May was allowed to continue serving in the state.

Starting point is 00:34:42 legislature, living with his young children, and even winning re-election in November 2024. In this clip from True Sunlight Podcast 107, Liz and Mandy break down the eight-month gap between the raid and May's indictment, questioning why there was no urgency to protect children or remove him from office. In late October, just weeks before the 2024 election, the federal government filed a motion, confirming that the Department of Homeland Security was investigating R.J. May. and asked the government for an extension to search through the devices they had seized from May's home. That motion, which was granted, was again briefly and vaguely covered by the majority of press in South Carolina.

Starting point is 00:35:26 Why didn't they just charge him then? For whatever reason, the feds took their sweet time with this investigation, and R.J. May was re-elected as a state representative in November 2024. And get this. Even after his home was raided by federal agents, he still kept making money through his consulting business. According to the Post and Courier, who analyzed RJ May's firm's financial filings, Ivory Tusk, made over $26,000 from political campaigns after his home was raided last August. And worse, RJ May was living with his wife and two children during the course of this investigation. Why was there never any urgency for the sake of protecting those children?

Starting point is 00:36:20 Why was he allowed to work as a state lawmaker for another eight months and complete another legislative session before he was finally freaking indicted on 10 federal counts of child pornography distribution? And yes, unfortunately, the Fed still used that term. Next week, we will talk more about those people who continued to support and enable R.J. May between the time that his home was raided in August until just a few weeks ago. Specifically, I noticed that a lot of South Carolina politicians waited to comment on R.J. May and tell that day that the feds issued a damning 22-page report on June 12th. So many of them refused to believe it until the feds released that document showing the mountain of evidence against RJ May.

Starting point is 00:37:15 Alan Wilson appeared to be one of those who waited several days to issue a comment and what he said about the investigation was strange. We'll talk about that more next week. But the most frustrating part about all of this is what it says about our broken system. It's for lawyers, by lawyers, enriching lawyers. And it is built to protect predators more than the innocent. In the R.J. May case, the South Carolina taxpayers and the victims of this horrific abuse

Starting point is 00:37:52 that is so often dismissed by politicians, they are the ones who suffer the most from the poor leadership that did not stop R.J. May from getting re-elected. Not only did R.J. May manage to cry poverty in federal court when there seems to be a lot of proof to the contrary. But the court believed him and appointed him to public defense attorneys. Again, more to come on that. We are looking more into how exactly that works and how the government

Starting point is 00:38:24 decides who gets two defense attorneys paid by tax dollars. If you know anything about this, please email us or send us a message on social media. To make matters worse for South Carolina taxpayers in this situation, the South Carolina House Ethics Committee actually decided on July 2nd that they needed to hire an outside law firm to further investigate the claims against R.J. May before they vote to remove him next year. Apparently, they can't do it before session next year, and it requires a two-thirds vote of the chamber, which is absurd when you think about it. Representative J. Jordan told the state newspaper last week that after House Speaker

Starting point is 00:39:10 Davy Hyatt filed a complaint to expel May. The ethics committee decided that they needed more investigation into the allegations before they vote on it next year. R.J. May is scheduled for pretrial conference on August 10th and his federal jury trial is slated for September 10th. So it is very likely that this man is going to get convicted faster than he gets removed from the state house. In August, the True Sunlight podcast examined the hours leading up to Scott Spivey's death, revealing a crucial piece of context that investigators seemingly ignored. Shooter Weldon Boyd's state of mind on September 9th, 2023. Text messages, social media posts, and phone records showed Boyd spiraled throughout the day

Starting point is 00:40:02 over his pregnant ex-fiance, who had just returned the vehicle he gifted her and her engagement ring. concrete signs that his months-long effort to win her back had failed. In this clip from Episode 110, Mandy and Liz walked through Boyd's digital footprint that afternoon, documenting his obsessive messaging, his public Facebook post advertising the returned car and ring, and his increasing agitation in the hours before he encountered Scott Spivey on Highway 9. So, yeah, Weldon was talking about Lily's ex-husband, a physician, and how he was thinking about scheduling an appointment with him to talk about Lily. In his affidavit, Weldon simultaneously accused Lily of having a relationship with a married man and still being in love with her ex-husband.

Starting point is 00:40:49 When he got off the phone with his mama, he texted the manager at Bowies a screenshot showing that his fans had arrived earlier that week. Then he texted his granny back, responding to the message in which she had advised him that no one was talking about him, where she told him to not put anything on Facebook and told him to let it die. But Weldon had something else on his mind. He texted her, why would Lily show up to watch y'all and with a guy? That's literally the only thing he said back to his grandmother and her wise advice. Again, there was no man in that car. Weldon's granny responded to him that Lily just wanted to see who was picking up the car. Right after that, Weldon sent screenshots of his Aunt Lucy's text about Lily and the car slash

Starting point is 00:41:32 ring drop off and how she sat in the car with possibly a man to Brookie, for some reason. According to photo data, at this same time, Weldon appeared to be on Mulligan Street in Loris, where he encountered the body of 40-year-old motorcyclist Matthew Mendoza of Loras, who had just died at the scene of traumatic injuries after colliding with another vehicle. Weldon took photos, and those photos got sent to a group message chain on Facebook between him, Bradley, and their friend J.R. Weldon clearly wasn't with Bradley at that time because he responded, Oh, fuck.

Starting point is 00:42:05 And JR responded, damn. Weldon wrote back, yeah, he gone. Cops getting the blanket out now. Just before 4 p.m., around two hours before he killed Scott Spivey, Weldon asked his granny, does Aunt Lucy know how bad it is? Ostensibly, he was referring to Lily. His granny said she thought so and then informed Weldon that the car was returned clean and with a full take of gas and just over 2,000 miles on it.

Starting point is 00:42:30 You said you did not want to see the car, she wrote to Weldon. He told her to send him pictures of the car inside and out, and then his granny, warned him not to be hasty. 14 minutes later, Weldon, once again, ignoring every piece of good advice he's been given, about slowing down, not being so reactive, not making his gripes and drama public, went to Facebook and posted a sales ad for the car he had bought for a woman who wanted nothing to do with him. About a half hour after that, he sent a screenshot of the listing to his father and a friend. Aunt Lucy. Then, just over an hour later, his granny sent him pictures of the ring, and Weldon had

Starting point is 00:43:05 them posted on Facebook within 10 minutes, and Scott Spivey would be dead less than 45 minutes after that. The most striking thing about everything that we shared today is that September 9, 2023, wasn't just about a temporary flare-up in a complicated relationship. It was the culmination of a months-long effort on Weldon's part to get Lily back. And the handover of the car and the ring were concrete signs that he had lost his mission. When Weldon Boyd pulled out from the parking lot of tractor supply on Highway 9 and joined the road where Scott Spivey was, he was a man who had just publicized two very big plot points in his victimhood narrative, and he was fielding text messages from friends in response.

Starting point is 00:43:58 More on that after a quick commercial. In September, Mandy and Liz revealed one of the most damning pieces of evidence in the Scott Spivey case, a recorded phone call between shooters Weldon Boyd and Bradley Williams that investigators seemingly ignored. In the call, Boyden Williams can be heard workshopping their narrative, discussing bullet trajectories and wound patterns and coordinating their stories about when and why they continued shooting at Scott. In this clip from True Sunlight podcast episode 117, Mandy and Liz dissect the celebration call, exposing how Boyd appeared to be coaching Williams through their defense strategy and revealing details about Scott's injuries that could have only come from

Starting point is 00:44:48 one source. ORI County Police Department. I would love to know where Weldon was getting information that said that there was a significant number of casings outside Scott's truck and why he would think that was at all true when he literally saw there wasn't and that is possibly why he was so worried. Weldon went to Scott's truck possibly as many as three to five times before police arrived based on recorded phone calls and other records in the case file. Also, did you notice how Weldon recited to Bradley the story of what happened? It was almost like a mantra to remember, a list to check off. He engaged us from outside of the truck, got back in his truck, we quit shooting, he started shooting again. The only reason to do that is to solidify that story with his co-shooter because Weldon could have left it at It Confirms Our Story, which I've said this before. The word story might be telling here because it really should be it confirms what happened.

Starting point is 00:45:47 but that's not what he said. Now, I have a theory. Once, oh shit. Once, all right, so that whole, the whole weekend, it's like, it just keeps playing over and over and over. So once you said there was two graze wounds

Starting point is 00:46:07 and that one headshot. We don't know that. That's a rumor. But that's what I'm going off of. Well then says rumor, but it could have only come from one place. Ory County Police. But it wasn't true, at least not in the way

Starting point is 00:46:24 that Weldon seems to understand it. Scott was not shot in the head. He had a graze mark on his left cheek and a graze mark on the back of his left arm right above his elbow. He was fatally shot in the upper right part of his back. But it is fascinating to listen to Weldon and Bradley work together

Starting point is 00:46:45 to fit this into their name. narrative. Okay, so if there is two gray's wounds and a headshot. I'm thinking, we obviously know the headshot was inside the vehicle. Yep. I remember when he popped his head up

Starting point is 00:47:00 and we heard that little pop, pop, pop, and we shot again. I'm not saying it's exactly how it happened, but that is a small target that I know I focused on. Not saying that I shot him in the head. I'm not saying that at all. But I'm saying

Starting point is 00:47:16 that me and you both had a direct target, I don't know it's like we had that moment to like who saw out and we broke you know, we stopped shooting and once it seemed ahead again it was like there's the target hit it there. The detective told Ken

Starting point is 00:47:32 that is when he was killed is when he lifted him or he said he was killed because Ken told him Weldon told me that at one point he lifted himself up and then that's when they finally knew where he was in the truck and they and they shot in that area

Starting point is 00:47:51 and the detective said that's when they killed him here's the problem they got we both were shooting 124 grain bullets they don't know whose bullets or who's unless they go through and they do the um the barrel twist test which he told ken will take like two more months because they send that off something tells me that they're going to want to test that now in october the true sunlight podcast examine the charges or lack thereof against fired bufurt county deputy billy squires who was caught on viral video holding teenagers at gunpoint in a hilton head neighborhood after sled took a full month to charge squires and his neighbor brian Dahlibur, the affidavit revealed troubling omissions and inconsistencies that raised questions

Starting point is 00:48:52 about whether law enforcement was truly being held accountable. In this clip from episode 121, Mandy and Liz break down the first paragraph of Sled's affidavit, which paradoxically accuses squires of being under the influence of alcohol in his undercover sheriff's vehicle, a crime he wasn't actually charged with while glossing over crucial details about what happened. that night. And hang on, I feel like I should say this to be clear. We are not advocating for police to overcharge people for funzies. We are not advocating that anyone stack charges on Billy or his buffoon neighbor, but we are

Starting point is 00:49:32 saying charge them with what they did wrong. Charge them with what we can see in video. And as it turns out, charge them with what they can see on the buffoon neighbor's Google glasses. Yes, he actually filmed his own alleged crimes. The thing is, there's still time for prosecutors David Pascoe and Duffy Stone to consider adding more charges, ones that seem provable, at least from where we sit, like assault and battery and kidnapping, to name a few. So let's take a closer look at the affidavit and walk y'all through everything that we know about this investigation and why we believe that more charges should be filed. Let's have David

Starting point is 00:50:19 read the first paragraph of the affidavit filed by Sled in Billy Squire's case. On September 28, 2025, in the county of Beaufort, State of South Carolina, the defendant, William Squires committed the offense of pointing and presenting a firearm. A neighbor, Brian Stalberger, told the defendant in a brief roadway conversation that he thought a group of juveniles had a gun. The defendant, under the influence of alcohol, while off-duty, dressed as a civilian and in his undercover sheriff's office white Toyota Dundra,

Starting point is 00:50:59 engaged a group of juveniles and inquired as to what they were doing in the neighborhood. This interaction was captured on a cell phone recording. Wait, so right out of the gate in the first paragraph of this affidavit, Slet accuses Billy's neighbor Brian, the buffoon in the green shirt, of instigating the altercation. Then, Slead accused Billy of a crime that they didn't even charge him with. What? Slet accused Billy of being under the influence of alcohol while, quote, in his undercover sheriff's office white Toyota,

Starting point is 00:51:35 engaging with the teenagers. But the report didn't say what he was doing in his feelings. vehicle. Was he going somewhere? And that's a pretty big deal to gloss over. In November, the True Sunlight podcast uncovered a troubling story of alleged retaliation at ORI County Police Department that began with a sexual harassment complaint and ended with four officers and the county public information officer resigning. When CIT investigator Kelsey Manamite reported Deputy County Administrator Randy Webster's behavior to her superiors, she expected accountability. Instead, she and the others were forced out while Webster quietly retired.

Starting point is 00:52:16 In this clip from episode 123, Mandy and Liz dissect ORI County's vague press release about the resignations and connect the dots to a familiar pattern. The same department that failed Micah Francis and Scott Spivey once again appeared to be protecting powerful men while punishing those who spoke up. Last Wednesday night, we got a tip about Randy Webster's sudden retirement being connected to a complaint made by an Ori County police officer named Kelsey Manimate who reported Randy's behavior to her superiors. We were also given the list of names of the people who had also resigned as a result of being in some sort of sex triangle. Not triangle. It was like a square or a hexagon.

Starting point is 00:53:02 So, as we were trying to verify what our tipster told us, ORI County Police posted a lame press release on their Facebook, doubling down on their annoying vagueness. Here, I'll have David read what it said. The ORI County Police Department recently conducted an internal affairs IA investigation that resulted in the discovery of violations of the Code of Conduct stemming from internal personal matters. In light of the investigation, four officers with the ORI County Police Department submitted their resignations as of November 6, 2025. ORI County expects our officers to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and the public trust. The investigation revolved around internal matters and is not related to any external criminal cases. Ory County Police Department is committed to maintaining the highest professional standards. and appropriate conduct for its officers.

Starting point is 00:54:05 Oh, look, O'Re County saying nothing, while claiming to be competent and transparent. Again, where have I seen this before? Hmm, oh yeah, the odd press conference that police chief Chris Leonhardt held to willfully mislead the public on how it came to be that Officer Damon Viscovy was fired in connection with the Scott Spivey case. How is he fired? Slead questioned Viscovy about why he wrote Act Like a Victim on a notepad to show Weldon Boyd at the scene of Scott's killing.

Starting point is 00:54:38 How did Slead know about that? Oh yeah. Luna Shark reporter Beth Braden was going through body camera footage, frame by frame, and found it, which we passed on to Jennifer Spivey Foley's attorney Mark Tinsley, who contacted SLED. And we agreed to hold the story until Dumb-Dum Viscovy came home from his last ever vacation as in Uri County Police Officer. So yeah, Chief Leonhardt took credit for that. And then there were those mislabeled videos that his investigators happened to find while all this was going on. Videos that were not given to Jennifer when she subpoenaed Scott's case file.

Starting point is 00:55:13 That's all just to say that even though Ori County was vague and not forthcoming in their press release, it was still surprising that they did this proactively. Turns out they didn't. They did it because a post and courier reporter was asking questions. about the resignations. So once again, worried county police is caught in the act of pretending not to be a corrupt, good old boy organization, and then it got worse. In December, after nearly 20 months of reporting, the True Sunlight podcast reached a long-awaited turning point. John Paul Miller was federally indicted in connection with the death of his wife,

Starting point is 00:55:53 Micah Francis. After filing countless Freedom of Information Act requests, combing through police reports, court documents, and recordings, and documenting J.P.'s alleged pattern of coercive control abuse, we finally saw accountability arrive for the Myrtle Beach pastor. In this clip from episode 128, Mandy and Liz break the news of J.P.'s indictment on charges of cyber-stalking and lying to federal investigators. Charges that represent a rare moment of accountability for good old boy pastors and crucial recognition of the devastating harm caused by coercive control. On Wednesday, John Paul Miller was indicted in connection with the death of his wife, 30-year-old Micah Frances Miller, who was found shot to death in a North Carolina park on April 27, 2024.

Starting point is 00:56:46 That is a big deal. It is a good day for justice in South Carolina, and I do not say that lightly. So many women who have faced this kind of coercive control abuse that Micah endured have rallied for this day to come. While many wish that the charges carried a heavier sentence, we are still stunned that this man is facing any accountability at all. Good old boy pastors like J.P. Miller rarely faced days like today, where the walls are finally closing and their lies have caught up to them at last. As we said before on this podcast, federal charges are no joke. They are carefully crafted and investigated, and they are rarely ever escapable. According to a 2018 Pew Research study, more than 90% of federal criminal cases end in guilty pleas, and less than 2% of all federal cases actually go to trial. When federal defendants do go to trial, they face a nearly 99% conviction rate.

Starting point is 00:57:51 So yeah, any charge from the feds is a big deal and a major milestone in the Justice for Micah Movement that began shortly after Micah's 2024 death. By the way, we refer to Micah Miller by her maiden name, Micah Francis, in this podcast, ever since we found out that she applied for her name to be changed before her death. Our hearts are with every person out there who didn't just wish for this day to come, but who did the work to make sure J.P. Miller would be held accountable for what he put Micah through. Our hearts are especially with those who are still waiting for justice in their own cases against J.P. Who have to relive the pain in their own lives every single time this man's name is mentioned.

Starting point is 00:58:37 And we're not going to lie, we do have some complaints about these indictments, namely the short sentencing guidelines and how long this took to happen and why isn't J.P. in handcuffs. But we'll talk more about that. For now, we just want to celebrate this win. Because even though the indictment is only three pages, it's pretty powerful, especially when it comes to the cause of recognizing the harm done by coercive control abuse, of finding a way to hold somebody criminally accountable for the kind of actions that wear on a person's psyche to great harm. As we close out 2025 and look toward 26, we're filled with both determination and strategic hope. The mountain of work ahead of us is undeniable. cases still unresolved, corruption still entrenched, and victims still waiting for justice. But here's what gives us hope.

Starting point is 00:59:27 You, our premium members, FOIA sponsors, and our listeners make this work possible. Your support allows the Luna Shark team to pursue the stories that expose corruption, to dig deeper when others move on, and to hold the powerful accountable when the system fails to do so. Every document we obtain, every connection we make, every piece of everything. evidence we uncover. It happens because you believe in this mission as much as we do. So thank you. Thank you for listening, for sharing these stories, for demanding better for our justice system, and for refusing to let these cases fade into obscurity. The work continues, the sunlight keep

Starting point is 01:00:08 shining, and together we're making a difference. So we'll see you in 2026. True Sunlight is a Lunar Shark production created by me, Mandy Matney, co-hosted and reported by journalist Liz Farrell, research support provided by Beth Braden, audio production support provided by Jamie Hoffman and Grace Hills, case file management provided by Kate Thomas. Learn more about our mission and membership. at Luna Sharkmedia.com. Interruptions provided by Luna and Joe Pesky.

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