Murdaugh Murders Podcast - TSP #96 - ‘Hired Hitman’ Arrest and New Witnesses in Solomon Cases + Overlooked Evidence in Scott Spivey Shooting?

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

It’s been a week filled with breaking news and, as usual, investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell are on it, starting with the arrest of Grant Solomon’s mother. Grant was 18 years o...ld when he was killed outside of Nashville under mysterious circumstances (and with his father, former news anchor Aaron Solomon, nearby). In the years since his death, Grant’s mother has fought for law enforcement to take another look at her son’s case and sought for protection for her daughter, who accused Aaron of sexual abuse.  This past Friday, Angie Solomon was arrested and charged with attempting to hire a hitman to kill Aaron. Mandy and Liz break down what happened and why the accusations seem … off.  Plus, reporter Beth Braden learns that two new witnesses to Grant’s death came forward last spring and what they had to say is interesting.  Also on the show, Jane Doe No. 1 stands up to Myrtle Beach Pastor John-Paul Miller’s legal bullying.  Plus a shocking (overlooked?) piece of evidence in the Scott Spivey case … no really, it’s wild.  Premium members get updates on Russell Laffitte’s plea deal, Alex Murdaugh’s latest attempts to manipulate dummies and what’s up with Cory Fleming’s appeal?  Let's dive in... 🥽🦈 Episode Resources “CORRUPTION: What happened to Grant Solomon?” Podcast 🎧 Episodes Referenced: TSP 9, 11, 14 🎧 Premium Member Links Angie Solomon’s Arrest Paperwork - April 13, 2025 ⚖️ Paramedic Run Report in Grant Solomon’s Death - July 20, 2020 📄 Grant Solomon’s Death Certificate - Signed July 28, 2020 📄 Gallatin PD’s Updated Traffic Report - April 16, 2024 📄 Russell Laffitte’s Federal Plea Agreement - April 14, 2025 ⚖️ Jane Doe No. 1’s Answer to Plaintiff’s Counterclaim - April 8, 2025 ⚖️ Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Premium Members also get access to ad-free listening, searchable case files, written articles with documents, case photos, episode videos and exclusive live experiences with our hosts on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. Check out our LUNASHARK Merch 👕 What We're Buying... Chewy - chewy.com/mandy - Chewy has everything you need to keep your pet happy and healthy. Save $20 on your first order and get free shipping at chewy.com/mandy or visit our storefront here: https://www.shop.anchor.store/chewy/@trusunlightpod Here's a link to some of our favorite things: https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn *** ALERT: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email info@lunasharkmedia.com and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** For current & accurate updates: bsky.app/profile/mandy-matney.com | bsky.app/profile/elizfarrell.com TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia tiktok.com/@lunasharkmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey there, listeners. EB here, and I want to tell you about a new weekly podcast that I'm hosting. I love being a lawyer, being a speaker. I absolutely am looking forward to being an author of my book, Anything But Bland, but I'm excited to tell you that I'm launching my very own podcast called Good Skill, betting on yourself. I delve into the idea that success isn't merely about luck, but is instead achieved through honing skills
Starting point is 00:00:29 and strategic efforts and planning. Each episode of Good Skill offers listeners an insightful journey into the minds of individuals who are reshaping their respective industries and their careers. Good Skill serves as a beacon of inspiration with a roster of interesting guests like independent journalist, media disruptor, and Cup of Justice co-host Mandy Matney. These
Starting point is 00:00:51 conversations empower listeners seeking to make their mark in the world. Visit the EricBland.com website to learn more or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, EB here, your faithful Cup of Justice co-host. I am so excited to tell you about my new book, "'Anything But Bland." In this memoir, I share stories about my childhood marked by bullying, my father's job loss, and the indomitable spirit that propelled me into the law
Starting point is 00:01:21 and ultimately international recognition during the Alex Murdoch murder trial. I believe in certain life principles that have helped me and helped others achieve success. From the power of organization and a sense of urgency to the importance of truth, leadership and resilience. With vivid recollection from challenges and triumphs framing each chapter. Success isn't about luck, it's earned through skill and hard work.
Starting point is 00:01:48 Please visit TheErikBland.com to learn more about the book, Anything But Bland is the manifesto for those seeking triumph over adversity and a guide for anyone aspiring to reach their full potential. I don't know if we will ever learn the full truth of what happened to Grant Solomon in July, 2020. But after his mother was arrested for solicitation
Starting point is 00:02:15 to commit first degree murder on Friday, Beth discovered a never before reported development in Grant's case. And boy, do we have a lot to talk about. My name is Mandi Matney. This is True Sunlight, a podcast exposing crime and corruption previously known as the Murdoch Murders podcast. True Sunlight is a Luna Shark production written with journalist Liz Farrell. Okay, first of all, I can finally say it on this podcast that Britney freaking Snow will be playing
Starting point is 00:03:00 me in the Hulu show coming out this fall. I could scream about that for years, but we have a lot to cover today. So be sure to join Lunashark Premium as a Soak Up the Sun member to get access to Girl Talk, a new premium podcast where Liz and I talk about life, which includes all sorts of juicy details on our Hulu project. This week, I'll tell y'all everything
Starting point is 00:03:26 I've been dying to say for months. Check the link in the description to join today. So, there was a big breaking story in the Solomon case out of Tennessee this weekend. And before we get into that, I need to answer a question so many of y'all have been asking me for years now. Why did we stop covering the Solomon case?
Starting point is 00:03:48 For background in the summer of 2023, we started covering the Solomon case after hundreds of listeners asked us to look into it. So we did for three episodes, True Sunlight podcast, nine 11 and 14. And we stopped abruptly for reasons I will explain today, but mostly because of the timeline. We built this podcast's audience on the Murdoch case. Throughout 2023, the Murdoch cases were still very much ongoing, and we vowed to cover those developments through and through. Specifically, after we published our last episode on the
Starting point is 00:04:26 Solomon case in September 2023, Team Murdock dropped another big twist on us with the Becky Hill allegations and their big appeal for a new trial. We had to unexpectedly shift our sunlight gears to focus on that. Then we were unfortunately stuck covering all of Dick and Jim's nonsense for the next several months until Judge Toll finally put an end to that wild goose chase. Shortly after that, several people asked us to cover the Kaluji case that desperately needed sunlight before what was supposed to be the May 2024 trial date, which was postponed, and I'm pretty sure it was because we pressured the Attorney General to try harder. And then Micah died in April 2024.
Starting point is 00:05:15 And wow, time really flies when you are covering cases where crime meets corruption, because honestly, we haven't really had a full week since 2023 where there wasn't major news to cover and the stories that we've already exposed our audience to. The weeks that we have taken off in the past few years have been not because we didn't have anything to cover, but because our team needs time away from the stress of covering these cases and the chaos that comes with it. Y'all know how I learned in the early days of MMP how important rest is and that you can't help anyone if you don't take care of yourself first. Anyways, this is all to say I am sorry for exposing y'all to the initial reporting of
Starting point is 00:06:02 the Solomon case and not following through with it or explaining why we stopped covering it. 2023 was honestly a terrible time for my mental health. I was battling consistent online harassment, I was constantly paranoid and worried for my safety, and my confidence was at an all-time low. Which is weird because my career was at an all time low, which is weird because my career was at an all time high. And my book took a huge mental toll on me, especially when I didn't make the New York Times list
Starting point is 00:06:32 and I felt like a failure. Every day of 2023, I woke up wondering how much longer I could do this whole true crime podcasting thing for because it was all gutting me. But day by day, episode by episode, week by week, case by case, everything got better and the load got lighter. And I learned to fall in love with work again
Starting point is 00:06:55 in the last two years. I have you, our amazing listeners, and especially the Lunashark Premium members to thank for that. A lot has changed since 2023, and while I will not commit to dedicating so many episodes and so many resources to the Solomon case, I will commit to covering what happened to Angie Solomon this weekend, what we know about Grant's case, and what comes next. As we told y'all in Cup of Justice this week, Angie Solomon, the mother of Grant Solomon,
Starting point is 00:07:26 who died mysteriously in 2020, was arrested and charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband, Aaron Solomon. Angie has publicly accused Aaron Solomon of being involved in Grant's death, and also has accused him of sexually abusing their daughter Gracie. Erin, the former Nashville TV anchor, and Angie Solomon had a nasty and treacherous divorce over a decade ago. Angie has also publicly accused Erin of having good ol' boy connections all around Tennessee. Most importantly, she has been a loud critic of multiple police agencies in the Nashville area since her son's death.
Starting point is 00:08:09 So what happened to Angie Solomon this weekend? On Friday, Angie Solomon was arrested and charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill Aaron. Late Friday night, Franklin Police, the investigating agency of the place where Angie lives, not where Grant died, announced that Angie Solomon was being held on a $500,000 bond following an investigation with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Over the weekend, police released very little information on the arrest, and
Starting point is 00:08:45 naturally, the overwhelming response to Angie's arrest on social media was highly skeptical. I mean, the whole thing is hard to accept, right? Since Grant's death, Angie Solomon has fought to have the district attorney's office taking another look at the evidence in Grant's case, and she has fought to keep Erin away from their teenage daughter, who alleges that Erin sexually abused her for years. Angie has struggled with people in power not believing her and choosing her ex-husband's side over hers for over a decade, starting with the judge who ordered that she give up all parental time with her children in 2014.
Starting point is 00:09:25 So yes, on its surface, something stinks in suburbia. Angie Solomon is probably the loudest law enforcement critic in all of Franklin, Tennessee, with a big following of very pesky supporters who believe her and believe Grace. But as you all know, there is always more beneath the surface and that's why we're here. Reporter Beth Braden, FOIA for the affidavit in Angie's case and we received it on Monday morning as we were recording Cup of Justice.
Starting point is 00:09:58 Here's David reading the arrest warrant. On April 11, 2025, at approximately 2.15 p.m., Angelia Solomon met with an undercover law enforcement officer acting as a, quote, hitman in the parking lot area of 1800 Galleria Boulevard, Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee, for the express purpose of hiring him to murder her ex-husband, Aaron Solomon. Angelia Solomon promised to the undercover officer as well as provided the registration to her vehicle as a form of initial collateral payment for Aaron Solomon to disappear and to be put underground.
Starting point is 00:10:41 Angelia Solomon stated that this would provide her daughter access to a trust fund. Angelia Solomon provided the undercover officer with information on how he could find Aaron Solomon, places he may work, and the area where he lives. This constitutes the offense of solicitation to commit first-degree murder TCA 3912102 393202. Needless to say, the affidavit just led us to more questions. The biggest being, what led Franklin police to hire a fake hitman? And how exactly did they contact Angie? Could this possibly be entrapment?
Starting point is 00:11:27 Beth Braden asked Franklin police this question and they said that they received a tip from a concerned citizen a few weeks ago. That part set off alarm bells and our corruption watch brains. We don't know Angie Solomon but the little that we do know about her from the few interactions that we've had, we know that she is highly skeptical and untrusting of mostly everyone, especially the police, and especially someone who would remotely show any signs of being affiliated with law enforcement. So what happened here? How is it possible that a woman who trusts no one
Starting point is 00:12:09 somehow gained enough trust in a stranger within a few weeks to meet them in a Macy's parking lot and put her life on the line? Now, the next question is how exactly did this happen? How much of what Angie allegedly said was prompted by an undercover officer? Who offered her car registration? Is this exchange on video or at least audio? Was this a situation where police caught a desperate woman in a desperate moment saying something that she didn't mean?
Starting point is 00:12:45 Or is this a situation where Erin's life was actually in danger, and police felt if they didn't stop Angie, no one would? Again, we know so very little at this point, which is why we sent reporter Beth Braden to Franklin, Tennessee on Tuesday to find out more. On Tuesday morning, Angie Solomon was set to appear in court for a bond modification hearing. Beth said that the gallery was nearly empty, and the only other media outlet that was there was WSMV, where Aaron used to work. This is interesting because big outlets like The Daily Mail, Fox News, and The Independent
Starting point is 00:13:25 covered Angie's arrest this weekend. We are unsure how much media attention this case will get going forward because again, it is a sticky case. And it is complicated. One person sat behind Beth and that was Aaron Solomon himself. She said he sat there for a few minutes and then was ushered to the victim's room. Angie did not appear in court,
Starting point is 00:13:50 and a few minutes after court was set to take place, the judge's assistant told Beth that the case was reset for April 27th. So for now, Angie remains behind bars on a $500,000 bond. This week, Beth heard from a source She remains behind bars on a $500,000 bond. This week, Beth heard from a source that there was a big development in Grant's case that happened in 2024, but no one has reported on it until now.
Starting point is 00:14:16 She heard that two witnesses came forward to Gallatin Police in April 2024 to say that they did in fact witness the accident that killed Grant, and that is what it looked like to them, an accident, not murder. This tip was a big deal, as frankly, every detail of Grant's 2020 death seemed too impossible to believe. And before we get into what those witnesses said to police, let's do a quick recap of what happened to Grant. Grant Solomon was killed on the morning of July 20, 2020, just one month after his 18th
Starting point is 00:14:57 birthday. In several text messages leading up to this day, Grant had expressed hesitation and concern about doing any physical activity that could strain his lungs as he recently had COVID and was struggling with his asthma. According to Angie's online timeline of 7-2020, the day Grant died, Grant left the house at 7.38 a.m. and before leaving announced he didn't want to die in Gallatin.
Starting point is 00:15:22 Angie texted Erin, if you're up, Grant has a change of mind and quote, doesn't want to die in Gallatin. Angie texted Aaron, if you're up, Grant has a change of mind and, quote, doesn't want to die in Gallatin, so one of us needs to be there. Will you? If not, I will go and sit in the parking lot. Let me know ASAP. According to the timeline, Aaron texted back, yes, of course. To be clear, Angie appeared worried specifically about her son's breathing during the baseball training. That morning, Grant and Aaron arrived at the parking lot of Ward Performance separately. According to Aaron's statement to police, he pulled up next to Grant, saw Grant get out of the truck,
Starting point is 00:15:56 and walked toward the back door area. He then noticed the truck was no longer beside him, and he started to get out and look, and he heard a large crash and observed Grant under the vehicle. Solomon stated that he called 911 at that time and attempted to help his son. I want to play a portion of the 911 call for y'all right now to refresh your memory. My son's truck backed over him and it's rolled over him and drug him into the ditch and it's on top of him. He's trapped under the truck and I, yeah he, somehow it drug him underneath it. Yes, my son is under it. I'm trying to, no, I'm trying to call 911.
Starting point is 00:17:09 Okay, what's your name? Oh my truck backed up over him and dragged him into the ditch and that Grant was trapped. He also appeared to be speaking to at least one other person at the time, which we have always had questions about. Aaron said there were three men on the scene and every account from police that day had previously said Aaron was the only witness. It always seemed weird to us that three men would run to help, would suddenly disappear when police arrived on scene. So back in 2023, Luna Shark reporters Beth Braden and Sam Berlin spoke to a first responder who was first on the scene.
Starting point is 00:17:41 He said no one was near the truck when they arrived, not Aaron, and not, quote, three arrived, not Aaron, and not, quote, three men, as Aaron had claimed. He also said when they arrived on the scene, Grant did not need to be extricated from the vehicle. A written report from the EMTs noted the weight of the truck was not on Grant and that Grant was under the front of the truck between the two front tires. According to the EMT report, Grant started receiving CPR at 8.53 a.m. Paramedics administered oxygen, fluids, and epinephrine in an attempt to save Grant, and they intubated him to help him breathe. The ambulance left the scene at 9.03. According to
Starting point is 00:18:19 documents, Angie said Erin called her at 8.58 a.m. to tell her there'd been an accident. It took her about an hour to get to Sumner Regional Medical Center from her home in Franklin. By the time she got there, Grant had already been pronounced dead. Erin had declined to have an autopsy done. The doctor said CPR was stopped at 9.28 a.m. and that it was, quote, apparent that resuscitation was not going to be successful due to the prolonged time of cardiac arrest, in addition to blunt trauma with massive head injury. For this reason, resuscitation was terminated. Grant's death certificate noted that his cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma, and that he had been, quote quote run over by a vehicle.
Starting point is 00:19:07 This last part is listed in the spaces for both Grant's cause of death and in another box for describe how injury occurred. It's stated as fact even though no investigation appears to have been done by a medical examiner and no extensive investigation appears to have been done by police. One thing the death certificate doesn't note is cardiac arrest as a cause of his death even though his medical records list this as the principal diagnosis and notes that the cause of the cardiac arrest is unspecified. In True Sunlight episode 14, we walked you all through the many mistakes and inconsistencies
Starting point is 00:19:46 made in Gallatin's shoddy investigation of this incident. For instance, did they check to see if the truck was in park? What made it roll back? Had police shown a little more curiosity in their investigation, we would know more about what that parking lot looked like. For instance, was there any physical evidence that showed Grant falling at the top of the incline and being dragged into the ditch? How exactly does a healthy teenager get run over by his own truck in a matter of seconds? Had Aaron elected to have an autopsy, we would know for certain whether Grant had experienced
Starting point is 00:20:19 lung trauma prior to his death, which might explain this strange event. Like we said, this case is complex and baffling. Even when you strip away the lawsuit, custody battle, accusations of abuse, and intense family dynamics in the months leading up to Grant's death, specifically that Grant was wanting to get custody of his sister as an 18-year-old who was just recently declared an adult. What happened to Grant Solomon does not make sense. How could this happen mere feet from his father and his father have not seen it?
Starting point is 00:20:55 How could this teenager have been run over by a truck and dragged down an incline and into a ditch with seemingly little injury to his body? And how could a pickup truck with no known or demonstrable mechanical issues slide out of park. We have been wondering about those questions for the last few years so when Beth heard this tip about witness reports we jumped. Despite what our trolls say we always follow the truth wherever it leads even when it leads us somewhere we least expect. More on that after a quick break. and loved ones safe. Follow and listen to the award-winning crime analyst podcast, your new best friend on speed dial. Every week, ride shotgun with me, your host Laura Richards, criminal behavioural analyst, former head of New Scotland Yards Homicide Prevention Unit,
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Starting point is 00:22:39 So on Tuesday, Beth went to the Gallatin Police Department and it turned out that those witness statements do in fact exist. I'll have David read exactly what the new report says. On April 15, 2024, witness number one stated he and his foreman were traveling down Highway 109 in Gallatin on July 20, 2020, when he observed a white Toyota truck rolling backwards through the parking lot. And there was a guy, Grant Solomon, on the driver's side of the vehicle trying to stop the truck from rolling.
Starting point is 00:23:13 He stated that the truck jumped the curb and went into the air and when it came down, it came down hard. Witness number one stated that as the truck was rolling backwards, Grant got pulled under the truck and when the truck hit the ditch, he saw Grant under the truck. He described the victim as being folded up under the truck, quote, like a pretzel. I find witness number one statement to be credible and factual. On April 16, 2024, Witness Number 2 stated that on the morning of July 20, 2020, he and Witness Number 1 observed the accident on Highway 109. He mentioned that they were traveling northbound on Highway 109 in a work truck pulling a trailer. Witness Number 2 stated that he was coming up on Highway 109 bypass when he observed a white truck backing
Starting point is 00:24:07 Rolling down the hill with speed and when he saw the truck He started checking his rear-view mirrors and swerved into the turning lane because he didn't want to get hit by the truck Witness number two stated witness number one stated that the truck backed over someone He then pulled over and went back to see if he could help. He observed the front of the truck in the ditch facing toward the building. With the victim underneath the center of the truck in the ditch, he described the victim as being folded and wadded up with no possible way of dragging him out. Witness number one and witness number two left the scene when Fire EMS police arrived on scene.
Starting point is 00:24:50 I find witness number two statements to be credible and factual. Okay, so that is a lot to take in because again, with a case this strange, there are always more questions than answers. But to recap, two witnesses whose names are not listed in the report told police a year ago that they saw Grant's truck in the gym parking lot rolling backwards downhill toward traffic.
Starting point is 00:25:18 One of the witnesses said they saw Grant trying to stop the truck and getting pulled underneath it. Both witnesses said they left the scene when first responders arrived, which is why they weren't mentioned in reports. Both witnesses said that Grant's body was wadded up and folded up under the truck, with one of them saying that there was no possible way to get him out. Now a couple things to keep in mind before we all start freaking out about this. First of all, Aaron is not mentioned in either statement.
Starting point is 00:25:50 Aaron said on the 911 call that three guys were on the scene. It's possible that these two witnesses had fuzzy memories from four years ago, but it's kind of weird that Aaron or the other guy aren't mentioned. The description both witnesses gave of Grant under the vehicle doesn't seem to match his injuries. But again, memories tend to fade and change in four years. Another thing, I still find it odd that the witnesses didn't stay on scene to talk to police. If you saw something that horrific happening, why would you flee before speaking with the police
Starting point is 00:26:27 about what happened? Finally, what exactly made these witnesses come forward in April, 2024? Beth reached out to Gallatin Police Captain Lamar Ballard to try to get some more clarity on this. Captain Ballard told Beth that the witnesses had come forward on April 15, 2024, and that he personally spoke to Angie Solomon and Aaron Solomon on April 16, 2024, to tell them what the witnesses said. She asked Ballard if the witnesses spoke anonymously or identified themselves.
Starting point is 00:27:02 He said the witnesses did identify themselves and he confirmed their employment. We are still unsure exactly of what made these witnesses come forward at that point in April 2024. So there is a lot to take in and I need everyone following this case to take a big breath right now. Reporting this development does not mean that we have turned on Angie Solomon. Rather, this is a big part of the puzzle that needs to be brought to light. I don't consider it a smoking gun.
Starting point is 00:27:35 I don't consider it evidence that proves that Aaron was a perfect father who never harmed his children. It does not mean that Angie lied about everything. It does not mean that Gracie lied about the abuse that she allegedly endured. It is, however, evidence that definitely bolsters Aaron's account of what happened to Grant on that day. And it is telling that no one has reported on this before now. Is it possible that it really was an accident? Maybe Grant was flustered that day. Maybe he forgot to put his car in park
Starting point is 00:28:11 and felt like he would rather throw himself in the way of a moving truck than to disappoint his father for being so careless. Maybe they had an argument before the accident and that's why Aaron's telling of the story never really quite added up. Maybe Aaron did feel somewhat at fault for what happened to Grant, which is why he never showed any interest in further investigating the incident. It is also possible, and I just have to say it,
Starting point is 00:28:39 that these two witnesses weren't telling the truth. We say this all the time on this podcast, two truths can exist at the same time. We know how Angie felt understandably at wit's end with her son's case, and we know how much trauma that she has endured by not being believed by the system. Maybe Angie felt that this report was fabricated, and that's why she didn't share it. Y'all know that I am first to say the words, I don't know. And the truth is
Starting point is 00:29:11 we don't know a lot in this case. We don't know what happened to Grant that morning. We don't know what kind of parents Erin and Angie were behind closed doors. We do know that Grant had just turned 18. And not only was he no longer legally under Aaron's thumb, he, according to his girlfriend, sister, and mother, regarded his 18th year as when he could finally seek custody of Gracie and get her away from their father as well. We know that the agency that arrested Angie Solomon was not the agency that poorly investigated Grant's death, and we are still trying to find out if there was any reported beef between Angie and Franklin police before she was arrested on Friday. We also know that while Angie has launched many serious allegations against Aaron, so
Starting point is 00:30:07 many that he actually sued her for defamation, we have to say that Aaron has not been charged or convicted with any serious crimes. And what we do know is that the sinner of this is a real victim, Gracie Solomon, who is still grieving the loss of her big brother and now has to navigate life with her mother in jail, for the time being at least, and an estranged father who she has publicly accused of abusing her. I want everyone to think of Gracie today and keep her in mind as we comment on this case. She is the victim, who deserves to be respected and protected.
Starting point is 00:30:47 For now, I'll tell you that we will try to cover developments in the Solomon case as best we can. But in the meantime, check out Lauren Conlon's podcast, Corruption, What Happened to Grant Solomon, if you want to dive deeper into the twists and turns of the case. See that link in the description. Now let's switch gears and talk about the latest in the Jane Doe cases against Myrtle Beach pastor John Paul Miller, his father Wayne Miller, and their churchy businesses and schools. When we last talked about this, JP had filed a counterclaim against Jane Doe No. 1 for defamation.
Starting point is 00:31:31 He also denied Jane's allegations that he had raped her at her father's church in 1998 when she was just 15 years old. But let me just say one thing first. I want everyone to understand something. In South Carolina, it is generally illegal for someone to publish the identity of a sexual assault victim. For anyone who wants to read the statute on that, it's 16-3-730. The only exceptions to that, again, generally, are when a victim wants to be named publicly or a court orders the victim to be identified.
Starting point is 00:32:10 Like with every law, there are nuances to it. But again, generally speaking, this law extends to the publication of personal details that could lead to the identification of a sexual assault victim, such as publicly identifying family members of victims by name. I want people to be aware of that when discussing this case on social media and sharing information. It is important not just to the Jane and John Doe's
Starting point is 00:32:39 of the world, but to the would-be Jane and John Doe's. It's also potentially actionable, especially when the intent of the publication is considered malicious. Okay, back to the case. JP's response to Jane Doe's accusations was gross, but not surprising. We have all seen how he uses the court system and law enforcement as tools of his revenge. We all watched as he painfully dragged protestors through the mud by suing them in magistrate court
Starting point is 00:33:13 on the basis of vague and inaccurate accusations. We all saw how those blew up in his face. You would think he would learn. Last week, Jane Doe filed her response to JP's countersuit, a motion to dismiss his countersuit, a motion for more specific accusations in his counterclaim, along with a counterclaim to his counterclaim. And she made it clear that she will not put up with any bullying from JP Miller. It was glorious. So the first thing in the filing, Jane Doe is like, this guy's a punk and hasn't met the minimum standards for even filing this
Starting point is 00:33:51 defamation case, so it should be dismissed. Second, she's like, but if he insists on filing this case, the court needs to make him and his lawyer Russell B. Long do it correctly instead of Russell B. Wrongly. She said, this claim needs to be specific about what I supposedly said that was false. The claim needs to say where exactly these so-called lies about JP were published, and the claim needs to identify the audience.
Starting point is 00:34:19 Who do they believe heard these so-called lies about JP? And she's like, but by the way, everything I've said about you and what you did to me is true, or related to my opinion of you, and both of those are defenses to a defamation case. Jane Doe denied all of JP's vague accusations regarding the so-called defamation. I noted that, bottom line, she's protected by the First Amendment. Then, Jane tells the court that she's now going to sue JP
Starting point is 00:34:46 for abuse of process, for using the court to intimidate, harass, and coerce her into quote, abandoning her legal claims of sexual assault, thereby suppressing truthful accusations regarding defendant Miller's misconduct. Here's David with some more from Jane's counterclaim. Some of this we've condensed from the original filing, but get ready for a bombshell.
Starting point is 00:35:11 Defendant Miller committed willful acts by initiating these counterclaims, knowing them to be groundless to gain an illegitimate collateral advantage, namely silencing plaintiff, preventing her lawful pursuit of remedies and protecting his financial interests and reputation. Defendant Miller has previously admitted to a former employee of Cathedral All Nations Church that he engaged in sexual conduct with a minor on a Sunday morning similar to that alleged
Starting point is 00:35:48 by the plaintiff. In this admission to the employee of All Nations Cathedral, John Paul Miller also stated he had taken the virginity of a young girl in his truck which was parked outside the church. This is the same allegation as referenced by plaintiff Jane Doe number one in her complaint. Defendant Miller also admitted via text messages to a specific person to having sexual relationships with two minor females when he was 19 years old. Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnesses.
Starting point is 00:36:27 It looks like people are coming forward to help the Jane Doe's by sharing what they know about JP Miller, Wayne Miller, the churches and the schools. And as Mandy always says, that's a big deal. They call it safety in numbers, but I think it's more accurate to say bravery in numbers. And we're so glad to see it happening. But also thank you, Jane Doe, number one, for putting JP in his place. I hope the judge sees what the rest of us do when it comes to JP's brazen use of the courts to bully anyone who speaks
Starting point is 00:36:56 up about him. At some point, he needs to learn that this isn't April 17, 2024. This isn't 10 days before Micah's death when JP was flying high on his own power and influence and determined to make his estranged wife's life miserable. It's been almost a year since Micah died and in her death she told the whole world about what kind of person JP Miller is. And the world has her back. and the world has her back. All right, it's time to talk about our least favorite and very corrupt police agency, Horry County Police Department.
Starting point is 00:37:34 The law enforcement agency that treated Micah with suspicion while constantly taking JP at his word when Micah tried to report the harassment she was experiencing leading up to her death. The law enforcement agency that seemingly helped North Myrtle Beach businessman Weldon Boyd get a very soft landing when he was being investigated for murdering 33-year-old Scott Spivey in September 2023 on an Horry County road after an alleged road rage incident. A quick recap.
Starting point is 00:38:02 Weldon and his passenger Bradley Williams told police that Scott threatened them with a gun in some sort of road altercation. The entanglement lasted for nearly 10 miles until Scott got out of his truck on a side road holding a pistol in his hand according to a witness. And according to that witness who didn't use the word pointed by the way, Scott shouted at Weldon and Bradley, stop following me. Why are you following me? Scott's body was found seated in the driver's seat of his truck and slumped over the console with his right arm draped toward the back seat where his empty pistol was found.
Starting point is 00:38:39 Scott died from a gunshot wound to his back. To the media, which is to say to the public, the Horry County Police Department immediately portrayed Scott as the suspect and Weldon and Bradley as the victims, which is interesting because that is not how they were identified in the case file. Scott was listed as the victim. Weldon and Bradley were listed as the suspects.
Starting point is 00:39:02 Why would the police tell the media at the time that Scott was the offender when their own internal documents said otherwise? Like I said, interesting. The case was reviewed by SLED and the South Carolina Attorney General's office, who also determined that no charges should be filed against Weldon and Bradley.
Starting point is 00:39:20 They reviewed the case at the request of solicitor Jimmy Richardson and the police department because three days after Scott's death, Weldon posted a long message to Facebook thanking the witnesses, thanking the police, and thanking the solicitors who were on the scene. Last month, the case was reopened and is being looked at by the FBI. In announcing this, Horry County Police Chief Chris Leonhard did not mention that in connection with the reopening of Scott's case, his number two guy, Deputy Chief Brandon Strickland had resigned and was now under criminal investigation by SLED. For what,
Starting point is 00:39:57 you ask? Well, in the spirit of what the PIO for the police department said to us when we asked her this same question, you'd have to ask Brandon that. Except you don't, because we don't. We might not know his personal reasons for resigning, but we know his departure is connected to this case and specifically to his relationship with Weldon Boyd. Last week, we told you about who Weldon seems to be based on his post to Facebook and on his 911 call,
Starting point is 00:40:24 the one he made as he was chasing Scott for what appears to be based on his post to Facebook and on his 911 call, the one he made as he was chasing Scott for what appears to be a significant part of the nearly 10 mile interaction. The one where the dispatcher never told Weldon to stop chasing Scott, where Weldon had already given the dispatcher Scott's license plate number. The one where Weldon told the dispatcher that there's about to be a shootout. The one where you can hear Wellden and Bradley kill Scott. We'll talk more about that call in a minute.
Starting point is 00:40:49 The story of the Horry County Police Department and what went down in the Scott Spivey case is not an insignificant one. Obviously it raises questions about the investigation and how deep it went or rather how deep it didn't go, which we'll get into more over the next few weeks. It raises questions about how this police department is run and whether the proverbial bad apples are spreading their rot in a way that makes it hard for good law enforcement
Starting point is 00:41:14 and good firefighters and good EMTs to do their jobs in an ethical way. It raises questions about what kind of stronghold certain members of the community in Horry County might have over the police department. A stronghold that has existed since its inception in 1959, which has its own tale of corruption to tell, by the way. And it raises questions about how far the castle doctrine extends.
Starting point is 00:41:38 For instance, in South Carolina, your car is also your castle. Meaning, the law allows for you to protect it with lethal force in some circumstances, just like with your home. But does that protection include a voluntary chase where the lethal force was arguably unnecessary and seemingly avoidable? Does the castle doctrine cover male ego?
Starting point is 00:42:01 Does it cover bravado? Does it stand on principle every time? Those are all important questions that we are not going to answer today. There's a much bigger discussion that's going to be had there. But we are going to continue talking about who Weldon Boyd is because that's a central element to this case. Again, Weldon is 34. He is a single dad of a very adorable toddler. He owns a successful restaurant called Bowie's on the boulevard. From what we can tell, he seems to be a beloved boss. A group of employees even surprised him at his condo once to sing Christmas carols, which is
Starting point is 00:42:38 brave considering Weldon doesn't seem like the kind of guy who answers the door without a weapon in his hand. Weldon also owns a 50-acre blueberry farm that looks like it is straight off of someone's Pinterest board. He even has custom stamps for his eggs. From pictures it looks like a well kept and well planned farm. Manifested, if you will. Rustic and thoughtful. And a place host to a number of community events.
Starting point is 00:43:03 That said, there also seems to be a dark side to Weldon that comes through in his social media posts. In fact, if someone were to manifest a vigilante act of justice, using a gun maybe, in our opinions, they would post some of the same sentiments that Weldon does. Such as in May 2022, when he re-shared a post about a Florida school where a volunteer retired combat veteran is pictured with an assault rifle guarding little kids, Weldon wrote the
Starting point is 00:43:30 answer. I'd volunteer to do a day every week. I know every single brother I served with would too. This is the answer. The problem is politics. They don't want guns. They only want laws. In December 2020, Weldon shared a screenshot of a Facebook rapper man telling him his post
Starting point is 00:43:49 didn't meet its standards on dangerous individuals and organizations. It's not clear what exactly Weldon posted. You can see his emoji of a strong arm flexing and that he was sharing a post from Infantry Follow Me with what appears to be a Time Magazine Person of the Year cover and judging from the context it's possibly a fake one featuring Kyle Rittenhouse. The young man who in August 2020 shot three men killing two of them at a rally related to a police shooting that some people felt was unjustified and based on racial biases. On this post about his
Starting point is 00:44:24 rubberband Weldon wrote, a guy who shoots three people in self-defense while defending a business he works at and defending his own life from them killing him is considered a dangerous individual on Facebook. Not to get into a Kyle Rittenhouse debate here, but I have to correct the record because Weldon was spreading misinformation there. Kyle did not work for that car dealership he was protecting, nor was his help ever solicited in defending it, at least according to testimony during his trial, where he was exonerated. But interesting, right? It heightens that question. People have a right to defend themselves
Starting point is 00:45:00 in a gunfight, but what happens when that gunfight was avoidable? Again, it's a debate for another time. But there are a number of posts about Weldon's thoughts on incidents he sees as simple heroic pursuits of a well-armed man and the so-called war against him. Here's a fun post. This one's from August 21, 2023, four days before he filed a paternity suit against the mother of his unborn son, and two weeks before he killed Scott Spivey. Quote,
Starting point is 00:45:29 Faith, patience, a heavy trigger finger, and perseverance, four things that I've seen overcome anything. Let's talk about what happened after that post and over the course of the next year, because again, it relates to the shooting death of Scott Spivey and what Weldon Boyd's mindset seems to be. Reporter Beth Braden got copies of the complaints Weldon filed against the mother of his baby, who we are going to call Katie, from the Darlington County Courthouse, where they were filed in
Starting point is 00:45:59 August 2023 and March 2024. Interestingly, in his first filing, Weldon was represented by the wife of Brandon Strickland's attorney. Small, small world, right? At the time of Scott's five-year shooting, Weldon had been estranged from Katie since late May, early June. According to court records, the two knew each other prior to dating in February 2023. In March, the two, uh, consummated their relationship, according to court records, the two knew each other prior to dating in February 2023. In March, the two, uh, consummated their relationship, according to records.
Starting point is 00:46:31 And shortly after, Katie found out she was pregnant. Weldon purchased a five-carat diamond engagement ring in a $60,000 Toyota 4Runner. What Weldon said in an affidavit was Katie's dream car, and the two became engaged. Very soon after, Katie left Weldon and told him she wanted nothing to do with him. The baby was due in December 2023, and Weldon wanted custody. Two months after suing Katie in family court, a judge ordered that the case be postponed until paternity was established. This is important because at the time Weldon shot Scott, this was the pressure he was facing.
Starting point is 00:47:15 On the day of the shooting, Katie had returned the car with her engagement ring in the front seat cupholder to Weldon through a family member. And the timeline goes like this. About two hours before the shooting, Weldon posted photos of Katie's car on Facebook and said it was for sale for $52,000. Minutes before calling 911, after miles of engaging in some sort of battle
Starting point is 00:47:39 for the road with Scott, Weldon, somehow, from the parking lot of Tractor Supply, posted photos of Katie's engagement ring and listed it for sale for $11,000. According to affidavits in Weldon's court case, here's what the relationship looked like from a he-said-she-said perspective, which obviously take with a grain of salt. This is sworn testimony and punishable under perjury laws. But again, they are accusations only and should be taken as such.
Starting point is 00:48:09 In June, 2024, Katie told the court that she didn't want to bash Weldon, but she had to do what's best for their son. She said their son needs his father, but that Weldon was not a safe person for the baby to be alone with, at least for now. The two lived an hour and a half apart and the baby was strictly breastfed and not using a bottle at the time. But also, Katie had concerns about Weldon's behavior.
Starting point is 00:48:35 During her pregnancy, Katie said that she was hormonal and not herself. She had to take a pay cut at work so that she could get insurance and to make matters worse, Weldon allegedly was threatening her, quote, all the time, according to court records. Quote, "... Weldon harassed my mother and continually told me I had to leave my home and my job and move to the beach to be under his roof." She said she asked Weldon to be patient, but he would do things like call her mother late at night and brag about leaving her.
Starting point is 00:49:09 Quote, "'Weldon put me down on Facebook my entire pregnancy and let people comment all kinds of things about me.'" She said Weldon struggled with serious mental health issues that were concerning and caused instability in her life, and that he had lingering health issues because of his military service. After she had the baby, Katie said that she bent over backwards to appease Weldon. She gave her son Weldon's last name, even though it wasn't what she wanted.
Starting point is 00:49:38 But it was important to Weldon, so she did it. She said that Weldon had an open invitation to her home and even had a code to get in. She said he was allowed to come and go as he pleased to see his son. But during this time, she said, quote, "'Weldon' was still being investigated for murder." In September 23, Weldon followed behind a man for several miles. Knowing that man had a gun, he turned down a road behind the armed man, which ultimately led to a shootout, where Weldon killed that man. He shot him in the head, but that wasn't the kill shot. The man had gotten back in his car and wasn't shooting, but Weldon continued to shoot, and
Starting point is 00:50:20 the autopsy revealed that the fatal shot was through the man's shoulder blade from the back. Weldon claims it was self-defense, and the attorney general has since decided not to prosecute. There are over 500 comments on Facebook talking about how Weldon murdered that man and how he is a hothead. I'm still quoting here. The whole situation, regardless of his claim of self-defense, showed extremely poor judgment. Would Weldon have still chosen to follow that man if our baby
Starting point is 00:50:53 had been in the truck with him?" End quote. In court documents, Katie said that Weldon wants things his way and he threatens court when he doesn't get everything he wants. She said he can be a violent person at times, and not only threatened to kill her ex-husband, but bragged about killing Scott, saying things like, quote, he started a gunfight with someone he couldn't beat, and that he should, quote, get a teardrop tattoo on his face since he killed a man, referring to a practice of gang members." She said Scott's father had posted a photo of a noose on Facebook, but did not make a reference to his son shooting.
Starting point is 00:51:34 Katie said Weldon saw the post and it, sent him into a rage. He stated that he should go kill the father too. Again, this is according to Katie's sworn affidavit where she noted that this post from Scott's father enraged Weldon so much that he quote, yelled and cussed at me in my own home while he was holding the baby.
Starting point is 00:51:59 He got too close for my comfort and I was genuinely afraid. End quote. Katie told the court that one of her concerns about Weldon was connected to what she called his arsenal of weapons. In her affidavit, Katie said that Weldon had guns laying around his condo and accused him of having several illegal weapons,
Starting point is 00:52:19 including several automatic weapons. She wrote, quote, Weldon told me he would go to jail for 20 years if anyone raided his condo, but then said he would never go to jail because he would have a shootout with the cops before he let that happen. Weldon may think these comments are funny,
Starting point is 00:52:38 but they certainly take on a new and chilling meaning now that he has actually killed someone." End quote. Finally, Katie told the court that Weldon routinely threatened her with lawsuits, telling her that he would drain her bank accounts and keep her in court for the rest of her life. She said he told her that if he pays child support,
Starting point is 00:53:00 he will have her audited to see what she's spending the money on. Katie ended her testimony by saying that she wants to keep things how they are, with Weldon visiting the baby at her home three times a week for a three-hour visit with an open invitation to stay longer. She also offered to drive the baby to him for visits. She said this litigation is not good for her child, but that Weldon told her to get a lawyer.
Starting point is 00:53:28 Now, Weldon's affidavit is very different from Katie's. Hers reads like a mom wanting to do what's best and right for their child, even if it means having to live in a world where Weldon Boyd has the code to your house, just so long as Weldon, for now, isn't left alone with her baby. Weldon's reads like he was expecting the judge to gasp, stand up, go to the chalkboard,
Starting point is 00:53:52 and write A plus plus plus plus like Ralphie's teacher in A Christmas Story. It's like a Red Ryder BB gun letter to Santa with all the rhetorical devices. I've been a good boy. I deserve this. I will be responsible. I won't shoot my eye out. Give me what I want now. But also, it reads like it's written in shark's blood. You can almost sense him circling the tank in the presumptuous belief that he's really charming the reader with his poor, rejected, good-guy narrative. With things like, I have a restaurant, Katie reached out to me right after I bought it. We talked, but then she got married.
Starting point is 00:54:37 But he left her in a matter of months. So there she was, dating a married man with lots of kids when she reached out for me again. And I must admit I fell in love with Katie years ago so it made my day to hear she liked me too. Weldon paints Katie as fickle and sending mixed messages to him. He paints her as in love and then indifferent but nevertheless he was planning for their happily ever after. Quote, I wish I could explain what's happening after that amazing time together, but I can't. Katie's feelings for me changed like someone flipping a light switch. Whenever I would say I wanted to come see her,
Starting point is 00:55:13 she always had an excuse. I asked if we could go away for a few days, but she wasn't interested. I have attached several text exchanges to give the court an idea of how confused I was. I tried to express to Katie my unwavering love for her and our child, even if she didn't reciprocate that love 100 percent yet. Weldon said Katie admitted to him that she was in love with someone else.
Starting point is 00:55:33 And around six weeks after their baby was conceived, she was no longer talking to him. In May, he had bought her the car of her dreams for Mother's Day, fully loaded. She accepted it even though she wasn't speaking to him, he said. By the end of the month, the woman who couldn't stand to be away from me in March told me she deleted anything she ever posted about our relationship on social media and told me to stop saying I was praying for us and saying things would be all right. In June, I gave her $7,000 to help set up her dream nursery. She never acknowledged it
Starting point is 00:56:07 So apparently this sounds really good to weld in his ear given that it's his testimony but to the ears of any woman who has had this type of situationship or relationship or prolonged interaction with a man who seems to love the hunt for The hunt and seems to love the hunt for the hunt and seems to love the catch only in the moment it's been caught. It's exhausting. Imagine all of that when your body is trying to build a child and your hormones are all
Starting point is 00:56:35 over the place. Again, I know there are guys out there who might be confused. He got her a ring, a car, a nursery. He loved her. She still rejected all that? Um, no. We don't know, Katie, but we're going to make an assumption here. She was rejecting the notion that those things were transactional.
Starting point is 00:56:52 It's one thing to give gifts, it's another to expect that there should be something in exchange for it. That said, women in relationships that are not good for them, and they know it's not good for them, can also be hopeful. And that hope can lead to temporary memory minimization. Meaning, when a man tries to win you back with the best version of himself, the side that you love and respect and appreciate, it's very easy to forget everything else,
Starting point is 00:57:17 because you want to believe what you're seeing, and that can look like flip-flopping. But no one doesn't want a fairy tale love story. It's just that fairy tales aren't only glass carriages and sparkly jewels. There's more to it. At any rate, Weldon's version of a love story goes on for pages.
Starting point is 00:57:34 Then he gets to the point. Here's David with a condensed excerpt from Weldon Boyd's affidavit. At this point, I want to address two things I believe Katie will bring to the court's attention in an effort to convince the court that I am not fit to parent my son. The first involved a shooting incident on September 9th, 2023. I was involved in a much publicized quote, road rage incident.
Starting point is 00:58:02 A man was driving erratically, forcing vehicles, including mine, off the road and pointing a gun at people in the cars as he passed them. I phoned in a report to the police and to assist them until officers could get there, I followed the vehicle. The driver then stopped and began shooting at me. I returned fire and the perpetrator was killed. I was neither charged nor arrested. After a thorough investigation by the Horry County Police Department and SLED, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office determined it would not prosecute me and the matter was closed.
Starting point is 00:58:40 If Katie were to tell this court that based on this event she fears for her and our son's safety, I want the court to know that since our son's birth she has allowed me in her home weekly. And in fact, when I was cleared by the Attorney General's office, she went with me to Sled to retrieve my guns that I surrendered pending their investigation. Claiming she is fearful would be completely disingenuous at this point. I do own over 70 firearms, but any guardian who visits my home will see that not only are they securely stored, they are in a separate room that has an electronically controlled door."
Starting point is 00:59:29 Weldon's second point to the court is related to his mental health and the accusations he thought Katie might make about it. We're not going to read that because even though these are public records available to anyone, in terms of this being relevant to Scott's shooting and the reopening of his case. It's enough just to say that this was a factor in Weldon's life, without us having to get specific. In his affidavit, Weldon goes on for several pages about Katie's student debt and how he bought bras for her. One time, he concedes that the custody wouldn't be 50-50 right away, and he was open to a short-term
Starting point is 01:00:07 plan. He said that he had been working to be the healthiest version of himself for his son. And though he wishes the three of them could be family, he said, quote, "...as much as I loved Katie, I would have to know that she was with me for more than a solution to her debt and a way to keep our son with her every day." Then he signed that in front of a notary. I should note that the tone of Katie's affidavit was definitely not that of someone hoping to get back together with Weldon in the future.
Starting point is 01:00:41 So before we end today, I want to talk about one more thing. Remember what David just read from Weldon's affidavit? Weldon's, in our opinion, whitewashed, minimalized version of what led to Scott's shooting? As far as we know right now, there was just one phone call made to 911 related to seeing Scott with a gun prior to Weldon calling 911 during that 10-mile journey. That caller tells the dispatcher that Scott was quote, pointing his gun out the window, trying to shoot the other car. And to be clear here, there is no evidence of Scott trying to shoot in the sense of pulling
Starting point is 01:01:15 a trigger, but obviously pointing a gun is a threat of shooting period. End of sentence. There are a few things we need to say about that. One, we do not know what precipitated that. Weldon and Bradley, of course, say that Scott started it. But what would Scott say if he were alive to tell his side? Meaning, we do not know for an actual fact who pulled that gun first. Two, in a sense, it doesn't really matter. Meaning, because for most of the drive, according to sources, Scott was being chased and trying to get Weldon off his tail, and that part is by Weldon's own admission. Scott was break-checking him, and it almost made Weldon run off the road, according to the witness who called 911.
Starting point is 01:01:58 Weldon called police, gave Scott's license plate number, and did not back off. And though the lethargic dispatcher who answered Weldon's call never told Weldon to stop chasing Scott, the idea of Weldon aiding the police is absurd to us and again speaks to that manifesting thing we were talking about earlier. Scott's cry of stop following me, why are you following me, which again is according to another witness means something right? Someone who started a fight with two country boys and a hundred thousand dollar truck pulling couches would probably know why they were following him Right our third issue the 9-1-1 caller who called police before Weldon is friends with Weldon on Facebook
Starting point is 01:02:42 Does that mean anything? Maybe? Maybe not? It's not clear when they became friends on social media or if Weldon is even aware of it, but he does seem very locked in with the social media platforms and aware of things that go on there. That said, Weldon has identified himself as a public figure, at least according to what appears to be a second Facebook page that he allegedly created back in the day for people to follow him on.
Starting point is 01:03:10 So it's not out of the question that somebody on the road would randomly know Weldon. Okay, fourth and last, let's revisit a much clearer version of Weldon's 911 call from that evening because sometimes with clarity of sound comes clarity of facts. We're going to play a clip from the call you heard last week. And it's the moment that Weldon and Bradley kill Scott. You'll hear gunshots. So please fast forward if that is something you want to avoid. Here it is.
Starting point is 01:03:44 Weldon back up. Weldon back up. Weldon back up. I can't play in gear. Here it is. Whoa, play that last part one more time David. I could leave him alone. Hey, help us please! Whoa. Play that last part one more time, David. Hey, I did it. I could leave him alone. That's what I thought I heard. God damn it, Weldon. Why couldn't you fucking leave him alone? Said by Bradley Williams, Weldon's passenger and co-shooter, who not only seemed to recognize that there was a way out of shooting Scott when Scott got out of the car, maybe. You know when he said, back up, Weldon, back up, and Weldon said, I can't put it in gear. And then you hear the shooting start.
Starting point is 01:04:59 This guy seems to have also immediately recognized that killing Scott was a choice and not an inevitable conclusion to whatever went down between Weldon and Scott miles before. Like we said, clearer audio can sometimes mean clearer facts. I'm not an expert, but I did happen to notice that neither Weldon nor Bradley said, shots fired or he just shot at us. Weldon was narrating everything else, but not that part. It's just a question I feel like we need to raise. And why didn't Horry County Police Department, Solicitor Jimmy Richardson, Sled Chief Mark Keel's team or South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson's people, all of whom have said
Starting point is 01:05:41 they went carefully through the evidence, all of whom concluded that no charges needed to be filed here have this much clearer recording of Weldon's 911 call. Because you would think having all those heavy-hitting, self-proclaimed, thoroughly tough-on-crime power players' eyes and witness to the shooting, aka one of the shooters, had to say almost immediately after he and his friend killed a man in a hail of gunfire, a man who was shot to death in the back while sitting in his truck, you would think they would have been like, well, uh-oh. Either they didn't listen to it or they didn't do the careful job that they thought they did. Either way, the question is still why. How can they explain Bradley's comment in terms of no charges? Actually, what am I saying? How will they explain it? Because you know something dumb
Starting point is 01:06:33 is coming our way. There are a lot of bottoms to cover here. And you know it's going to be something like, yes, yes, we took that statement into consideration, of course. See, when Bradley asked Weldon why they couldn't leave Scott alone, he was referring to that single pop at the end. Yes, the one more shot that Weldon took at Scott, it was superfluous. So all of us, we all totally thought that that's what he meant in that beleaguered tone he used when he said, why couldn't you leave him alone? Which yeah, sure feels like something a person bothering another person for no good reason
Starting point is 01:07:10 would say, but that's why no charges, uh, were warranted. I can honestly see all of that being said right before they say, stop looking at us. This is gut-shed journalism at its worst. I can already hear this rewrite of history, just as they should already feel the burn of white hot sunlight on their necks right now. Because honestly, things are going to get worse for them all before it gets better. It's not too much for all of us to want one system of law enforcement and to the people in charge of making that happen for us to want the
Starting point is 01:07:52 same thing and to strive for that and that means being transparent in a real way and being honest and holding their own people to account. No matter how bad they think it will make them look, I promise it looks a whole lot worse when they do it their way. So much more to come on this case. Stay tuned, stay pesky, and stay in the sunlight. True Sunlight is a Lunashark production created by me, Mandy Matney. Co-hosted and reported by journalist Liz Farrell. Research support provided by Beth Braden.
Starting point is 01:08:44 Audio production support provided by Jamie Hoffman. Learn more about our mission and membership at lunasharkmedia.com. Interruptions provided by Luna and Joe Pesky. Ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff. Shop with Rakuten and you'll get it. What's it? It's the best deal, the highest cashback, the most savings on your shopping. So join Rakuten and start getting cash back at Sephora, Uniqlo, Expedia and other stores you love. You can even stack sales on top of cash back.
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