Week In Review
The Week In Review is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.New episodes drop every Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.
Murdaugh Motion, Embattled Ex-Solicitor, Election Update | WIR Programming Note
No formal Week in Review (WIR) this Saturday as we’re preparing for the Halloween office party, but FITSNews founding editor Will Folks still wanted to catch viewers up on what happened and what’s ahead.
First up is the 2026 midterms. Decision day is Tuesday (Nov. 3), and FITSNews will have team coverage on election night from the watch parties of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Annie Andrews to those of Republican gubernatorial nominee Alan Wilson and U.S. Sen. Darline Graham (Nordone).
Then, updates on two major reports that went online this past week.
T...
Week in Review - Election Chaos, Family Legacies, New Chuck Wright Tapes
South Carolina is hurtling toward another pivotal general election - one featuring a surprisingly competitive race for the United States Senate.
Democrat candidate Annie Andrews visited the FITSNews studio this week for an in-depth conversation with our founding editor as she challenges Darline Graham Nordone - sister of the late U.S. senator Lindsey Graham.
Polls show Nordone - the GOP nominee for the seat vacated by her late brother’s death - locked in an extremely close race with Andrews. The competitiveness of this election has shocked political pundits as the Palmetto State hasn’t el...
Judge SCOLDS Murdaugh Attorneys Amid DNA & Drug Bombshell | Week in Review
Will Folks and Jenn Wood break down Friday’s pretrial hearing in Lexington for Alex Murdaugh’s double murder retrial.
Judge Debra McCaslin ran out of patience with both sides. Frustrated by the constant bickering between prosecutors and the defense, she told the attorneys to stop rehashing grievances from the first trial and barred both sides from filing any more motions to compel.
Despite the judge’s warnings, the defense still dropped a bombshell. Dick Harpootlian revealed a 2021 interview in which a federal inmate allegedly told investigators about prescription pill deals involving Curtis “Eddie” Smith.
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Week in Review - S.C. Lawmaker Charges, Tragic Child Cases, Flurry of Murdaugh Filings
A sitting South Carolina lawmaker was arrested by state police on a gun charge - while a former state legislator pleaded guilty in federal court on fraud charges. After briefing our audience on key developments in those two cases, our founding editor Will Folks welcomed research director Jenn Wood to the studio to discuss the controversy surrounding a horrific child fatality case out of Charleston County, South Carolina.
The tragic deaths of 2-year-old Emory Rose Deacon and fifteen-month-old Harlow Paige Deacon have shaken the Palmetto State to its core - with the girls’ mother, Justine Marie May, fa...
Week in Review: Murdaugh Murder Weapons Fallout
It’s been a little more than a week since FITSNews exclusively exposed some shocking new developments in the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga - revelations which could completely reshape the retrial of accused killer Alex Murdaugh this coming spring.
In the aftermath of our reporting on the alleged conspiracy to cover-up the Palmetto State’s ‘Crime of the Century’ - including the rumored stashing of the yet-to-be-found murder weapons - Murdaugh’s attorneys are pushing S.C. circuit court judge Debra McCaslin to hold investigators and prosecutors accountable for their handling of the case.
Specifical...
Week in Review: ‘Murdaugh Murder’ Weapons Bombshell
State investigators and prosecutors are probing reports that at least one Lowcountry law enforcement official assisted accused killer Alex Murdaugh in disposing of the weapons used in the double homicide of his wife and younger son.
News of the investigation was exclusively reported this week by http://FITSNews.com.
Our founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood explore this bombshell development - and its implications for Murdaugh’s upcoming retrial. Will and Jenn also discuss reports that Murdaugh’s attorneys have made significant progress linking the June 2021 murders of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murd...
WIR - Energy Crisis, Southern Charm at the S.C. Supreme Court, Mica Francis Miller Revelations
Gas and diesel prices are surging across the country in the aftermath of president Donald Trump’s ill-conceived war with Iran. Not only is South Carolina ground zero for these pernicious price hikes - but the Palmetto State is home to the late U.S. senator whose warmongering landed our nation in this crisis.
Our founding editor Will Folks discusses the worsening pain at the pump - and what elected officials are (and aren’t) doing about it.
Jenn Wood joins the show next to break down oral arguments in the Southern Charm case that was...
Week In Review - Southern Charm, Clemson Drama, Murdaugh Venue and Saylor Hayes Update
FITSNews' founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood cover a lot of ground in this episode, including a pair of Supreme Court cases that are heading to the campus of Clemson University next week. Jenn and Will also discussed the change of venue in Alex Murdaugh's murder retrial and the latest developments in the investigation into the death of 5-year-old Saylor Hayes in Georgetown, S.C. late last month.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
2:20 - The Southern Charmers
4:45 - Clemson Dilemma
10:20 - Murdaugh Location Unlocked
14:10 - Saylor...
Week In Review - What Happened to Hayden Panettiere?
South Carolina made national headlines on multiple fronts this week - including its special election for the U.S. Senate and the tragic passing of actress Hayden Panetierre in Greenville on Sunday. Our Will Folks and Jenn Wood discussed the ongoing investigation into Panetierre’s death, while Andy Fancher joined Will to discuss the latest on an ongoing criminal investigation into two former state election officials.
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Chapters:
0:00 - Election Insanity
4:15 - Murdaugh Updates
7:24 - Hayden Panettiere Explained
16:55 - The Disgraced Knapp
25:53 - Sheriff Saga
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WIR - Special Murdaugh Retrial Edition
The first substantive hearing of accused killer Alex Murdaugh’s retrial was full of fireworks. Founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood break down a busy status conference dealing with Murdaugh 2.0 venue, DNA evidence, polygraphs - and a surprise reference to a potentially related homicide.
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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break down the most impactful stories published to our website, FITSNews.com.
New episodes drop every Satu...
WIR: ‘Special’ U.S. Senate Election, Multiple Murdaugh Retrial Filings
Founding editor Will Folks discusses how South Carolina is putting the ‘special’ in a special election for the U.S. Senate, specifically the seat vacated by last month’s sudden passing of Lindsey Graham. From cattle call to court drama, this race is off the rails! Will and research director Jenn Wood also discuss a flurry of filings in Alex Murdaugh’s looming retrial - as well as big developments in two Murdaugh-related civil cases.
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Chapters:
0:00 - Senate Election Updates
9:50 - Murdaugh Saga Continued
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The Week In Review (W...
Church Scandal, ‘Rose Petal Murder,’ Teen Drowning and Chuck Wright’s Next Day of Reckoning | WIR
Founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood discuss a major scandal enveloping a coastal South Carolina church, updates in the ‘Rose Petal Murder’ appeal, a critical motions hearing in an upcoming quadruple homicide trial and horrific details associated with n alleged drowning murder. Jenn and chief photog Andy Fancher also take inventory of the latest accountability set to befall disgraced South Carolina sheriff Chuck Wright.
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0:34 - Sickening Church Scandal Rocks the South Carolina Coast
6:23 - Zachary Hughes and His Push For A New ‘Rose Petal Murder’ Trial
15:33 - Ross Vilardi Challeng...
Lindsey Graham's Death, an Upstate Flock Scandal and Escalating Murdaugh Drama | Week in Review
Our founding editor, Will Folks, opens with a wide-ranging breakdown of the passing of U.S. senator Lindsey Graham and the fallout from it globally, nationally and in his home state of South Carolina. Then he breaks down the week's biggest South Carolina stories — including the Vilardi and Murdaugh sagas — with researcher Jenn Wood, followed by a candid conversation with investigative reporter Andy Fancher on the Flock camera scandal rocking the Upstate.
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Chapters:
0:00 - The Death of Senator Lindsey Graham
0:00 - Murdaugh's Civil Case and New Ross Vilardi Filings
0:00 - Allegations of F...
Chuck Wright Gets Prison, Toddler's Parents Arrested and Yet Another Rallis Scandal | Week In Review
FITSNews founding editor Will Folks and researcher/chief photog. Andrew Fancher discuss a week in federal court where everything came to a head for ex-Sheriff Chuck Wright and two codefendants, who each received varying sentences ranging from 41 months in federal prison to five years probation.
They further acknowledge the broader network of alleged criminal activity tied to Wright's 20+ years in office.
Then, Folks is joined by FITSNews researcher Jenn Wood to discuss the deeply disturbing murder of 4-year-old Javeayah Harris. They then switch gears to cover yet another arrest of the man now unofficially designated "T...
Elena Moore's Pending Toxicology, Chuck Wright's Incoming Sentence & Murdaugh's Slated Retrial | WIR
FITSNews founding editor Will Folks and researcher Jenn Wood break down the latest in the Alex Murdaugh case. With his double-murder retrial date set for April 2027, long-standing discrepancies in the state's evidence have drawn renewed interest.
Then, Wood is joined by FITSNews investigative reporter Andrew Fancher to discuss the death of Elena Moore and a decade-old police scandal tied to her husband, along with ex-sheriff Chuck Wright's incoming federal sentencing and the network of corruption that allegedly surrounds him.
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Chapters:
0:00 - Judge Sets Double-Murder Trial Date for Alex Murdaugh
8:42...
S.C. Primary ‘Blowout’ and Alex Murdaugh's Road to Retrial | WIR
FITSNews founding editor Will Folks and researcher Jenn Wood break down a big night in South Carolina politics as Attorney General Alan Wilson wins storms to a runoff victory over Lt. Gov. (and Ohio native) Pamela Evette.
Folks and Wood then discuss the looming retrial of accused family killer Alex Murdaugh, including an upcoming status conference and the nonstop stream of new questions surrounding SLED's handling of the case.
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Chapters:
0:00 - Life’s a beach
1:59 - Alan Wilson Wins Big, Trump Endorsement Falls Flat
11:49 - The Alex Murdaugh Retrial Pro...
Murdaugh's Legal War, a Death in Belize & "Corrupt" Bargaining Ahead of the S.C. Primary | WIR
FITSNews founding editor Will Folks and researcher Jenn Wood break down this week's biggest stories ahead of South Carolina's June 9 partisan primary.
As first reported on FITSNews.com -- The interplay between election year politics and the Alex Murdaugh retrial, the suspiciously timed death of political operative Chris Slick and allegations of a "corrupt bargain" shadowing Trump's endorsement for South Carolina governor.
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Chapters:
0:00 - Bracing for a Chaotic Partisan Primary
1:06 - Election Politics v. Murdaugh Retrial
8:07 - A Political Operative's Mysterious Death in Belize
15:15 - Trump endorsement fuels...
Oops All Politics: Clemson’s DEI Fight, the Murdaugh Debate and SC’s Redistricting Failure | WIR
FITSNews' Will Folks and Jenn Wood weigh in on whether formerly convicted, now-accused killer Alex Murdaugh deserves the death penalty -- with Wood sitting down individually with attorney Phillip Barber and novelist James Lasdun to revisit the case.
Also this week: Clemson University inherits a DEI problem while simultaneously grappling with billion-dollar woes. Plus, South Carolina strikes down Trump's redistricting push.
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The Week In Review (WIR) is South Carolina's most indispensable news program — hosted by the independent media outlet that exposed the Alex Murdaugh crime and corruption dynasty. Each week, we break do...
EXCLUSIVE: S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson & Creighton Waters on Retrying Alex Murdaugh
As the second trial of accused killer Alex Murdaugh takes shape, FITSNews.com founder Will Folks sat down with S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson and lead prosecutor Creighton Waters -- the two men who secured his first convictions and who must now convince another jury he killed his wife and younger son after the S.C. Supreme Court reversed the original verdicts.
Filmed inside the S.C. Attorney General's Office in Columbia, S.C., Wilson and Waters discuss the challenges awaiting them as they prepare for what many are calling the Retrial of the Century.
Murdaugh's Defense Attorneys React to Overturned Murder Convictions | WIR
Alex Murdaugh's defense attorneys, Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, sit down with FITSNews.com founder Will Folks in the wake of Murdaugh's bombshell murder convictions being overturned by the S.C. Supreme Court. The attorneys discuss what it took to get here and what comes next for their high-profile client.
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Murdaugh Convictions Overturned | FITSNews Special Report
South Carolina's Supreme Court unanimously and emphatically overturned Alex Murdaugh's double homicide convictions, concluding that Colleton County clerk of court Becky Hill "placed her fingers on the scales of justice."
FITSNews founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood break down the court's landmark decision and what it means for the future of South Carolina's most high-profile murder case.
For the latest on these story and more, subscribe to FITSNews on site: https://fitsnews.com
More ways to support:
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FITSTube?sub_confirmation=1
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The Price of Covering Alex Murdaugh, a Train Track Murder & Chuck Wright's Federal Countdown | Week in Review
FITSNews' Week in Review returns with a vengeance. Founding editor Will Folks and research director Jenn Wood break down the latest developments in the Alex Murdaugh appeal, with a decision from the S.C. Supreme Court now imminent.
What happens if the justices -- as widely expected -- reverse Murdaugh's convictions and remand his case back to the circuit court? FITSNews.com has answers, while Will has some blunt words for the powerful interests who have sought to intimidate this news outlet into backing away from the inconvenient truths at the heart of this case.
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Ennis Fant Under Prosecutorial Scrutiny, Kimbrell Held in Contempt, Botched Drug Case - WIR 3/14/26
Shandon Stabber Given Bond, Silfab Solar Chemical Spill, Asbestos Docket Racket -WIR 3/7/26
FITSPolitic LIVE: S.C. Governor’s Race Update, Mace Ethics Probe & Supreme Court Race
LIVE: Murdaugh Appeal, Spivey Civil, Vilardi Verdict – Month in Review 2/27/26
February featured significant developments in multiple stories FITSNews has been tracking for years.
We reported on three major legal proceedings this month: Alex Murdaugh’s appeal before the S.C. Supreme Court, the Scott Spivey civil stand your ground hearing – which concluded in a ruling against defendant Weldon Boyd, and the quadruple murder trial which this afternoon resulted in a guilty verdict against defendant Amy Vilardi.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t also discuss our Andrew Fancher’s multiple exclusive reports on disgraced former fin...
