True Sunlight - podcast cover

True Sunlight

LUNASHARKlunasharkmedia.com
Previously known as the Murdaugh Murders Podcast, True Sunlight is the intersection of True Crime, journalism and systematic corruption. Celebrated journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell are taking their style of reporting beyond Alex Murdaugh and his co-conspirators. We expose the truth wherever it leads giving voice to victims like Mica Francis, Sara Lynn Colucci, and Christa Gilley, while still pursuing justice for all the victims you've met so far like Stephen Smith, Dallas Stoller, and others. True Sunlight is the antithesis of True crime. True Sunlight values accuracy over "access journalism". True Sunlight is shed with empathy — not exploitation. True Sunlight was created as a matter of public service — not just entertainment. While the name of the podcast has changed, our mission, values and team have not. We are simply expanding our horizons while continuing to shine a much needed bright light on crime and corruption wherever it appears. Ranked #1 and #2 globally in 2021 and 2023 respectively as the Murdaugh Murders Podcast, True Sunlight provides unmatched insight into the crimes and criminals exposed on MMP and dives deep into new instances of where crime meets corruption across the US. We empower listeners to understand their legal and judicial systems through investigative journalism while providing tools to hold agencies and public figures accountable in order to change those systems for the better.  Listen on any streaming service or visit TrueSunlight.com to learn more.  Premium Members also get access to 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. And for those just wanting ad-free listening without all the other great content, we now offer ad-free listening on Apple Podcast through a subscription to Luna Shark Plus on the Apple Podcasts App. And we also offer access to exclusive video content through our new YouTube Premiere subscription. Check out our new Luna Shark Merch With a Mission shop at lunasharkmerch.com/ SUNscribe to our free email list to get alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBM For current & accurate updates: TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ instagram.com/truesunlightpod/ Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia tiktok.com/@lunasharkmedia
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Episodes

TSP #78 - What Happened to Mica Francis On Her Way to Work? + Russell Laffitte’s Hearing and Alex Murdaugh’s Appeal

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell have spent months behind-the-scenes — along with researcher and reporter Beth Braden — trying to piece together what happened to Mica Francis in the 34 minutes between when she left for work on April 27 and when she bought a gun shortly before allegedly killing herself in a North Carolina swamp. And now they have a theory about what would have been bad enough for Mica to think she had to take her own life. As they await the outcome of the FB...

Dec 12, 20241 hr 17 minSeason 3Ep. 78

TSP #77 - The Tangled Web of What JP Miller Knew on the Night Mica Died + Is Big Creighton Energy Coming Back For More?

The Mica Francis case takes another turn as Solid Rock moves to "The Rat Hole". Questions continue to be raised about what Myrtle Beach Pastor JP Miller knew about his estranged wife’s death on the night her body was found in a North Carolina swamp … and when he knew it. Are those questions fair? Are they warranted? Are they just the beginning to figuring out what happened to Mica Francis in April 2024? Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell take a second look at old pieces of th...

Dec 05, 20241 hr 7 minSeason 3Ep. 77

TSP #76 - Land of Too Many Coincidences: Pastor JP Miller and the Mysterious Death of His Alleged Paramour’s Husband...

Less than three years before Mica Francis’ body was found in a North Carolina swamp after her alleged suicide, there was another strange death near Solid Rock at Market Common, the Myrtle Beach church that belonged to Mica’s husband Pastor JP Miller. That’s the death of Chris Skinner, the 41-year-old quadriplegic man who was married to the woman JP was allegedly having an affair with at the time — the same woman JP has routinely been photographed with since Mica’s death in April. Chris was found...

Nov 28, 20241 hr 11 minSeason 3Ep. 76

TSP #75 - Russell Laffitte’s Big Break + How Christa Bauer Gilley’s Family Is Fighting to Keep Her Babies Safe

After accused killer Lee Gilley appeared in court in Houston, Texas supported by lead defense attorney Dick DeGuerin, investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell dive in to what happened to Christa Bauer Gilley of Summerville, South Carolina. Court documents in the case reveal shocking details of how Lee Gilley acted after his wife’s death at their Houston Heights home. You’ll hear the latest on Lee Gilley’s bond agreement and what’s next to get Justice For Christa. And affidavits fil...

Nov 21, 20241 hr 1 minSeason 3Ep. 755

TSP #74 - JP Miller’s Mystery Apology and His Big Night in Jail + the Latest in the Christa Bauer Gilley Case

After investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell wrapped up last week’s episode — in which Mandy wondered when we’d ever see Myrtle Beach pastor JP Miller in handcuffs — they got their wish. JP spent one glorious night in jail after a physical confrontation between him and a female protester. And the drama didn’t end there... On today’s episode we look at what went down between JP and the protester as well as everything that was revealed in a May 2 recording of JP talking to his busi...

Nov 14, 20241 hr 24 minSeason 3Ep. 74

TSP #73 - Justice for Mica: With FBI Raid, JP Miller’s World Comes Crumbling Down

UPDATE: JP Miller was arrested for third degree assault. Justice for Mica Miller is percolating six months and more than 20 episodes after investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell began reporting her the death and what her life looked like in the leadup to it. On Friday, the FBI finally moved in on Mica’s husband... Myrtle Beach Pastor JP Miller, who stands accused of harassing, stalking and coercively controlling her during their marriage. For more than five hours, around two doze...

Nov 07, 20241 hr 8 minSeason 3Ep. 73

TSP #72 - Bowen Turner Release Day: How a Prosecutor Helped The Thrice Accused Rapist Avoid Accountability

Thrice accused rapist Bowen Turner is getting out of prison on Halloween, and in this episode, journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell warn the women of South Carolina while explaining who is responsible for the systemic failure that led to Turner’s swift release. Did Assistant Solicitor Kevin Hope fail when he agreed to the plea sentence for Turner’s resisting arrest charge? Did Bowen change? How is Bowen Turner getting out of prison? This wildly important episode focuses on the Bowen Turner c...

Oct 31, 20241 hr 23 minSeason 3Ep. 72

TSP #71 - Top 10 Systemic Failures That Benefited Bowen Turner + The Big Suicide Lie and the Christa Bauer Gilley Case

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell begin their look into the Oct. 7 death of 38-year-old Christa Bauer Gilley in Texas and the arrest of her husband, Lee Gilley, who initially told investigators that Christa died by suicide after an argument they had. Christa, who was nine weeks pregnant at the time of her death, was strangled to death according to investigators. It’s yet another instance in which a woman’s cause of death is presented to law enforcement as a suicide when evid...

Oct 24, 20241 hr 11 minSeason 3Ep. 71

TSP #70 - What Happened To Mica In 2018? + How the SC Attorney General Is Failing Domestic Abuse Victims + Murdaugh Madness

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell return to the Mica Francis case and to March 23, 2018 … the day of Mica’s alleged first attempt at suicide.... Medical records from that day say her husband — pastor JP Miller — called one of Mica’s mental health providers at 10 a.m. to say that Mica had stolen JP’s credit card, snuck out of the house while he was sleeping, gone ot Dick’s Pawn Shop that morning, purchased a gun, received a lesson on how to use it and then tried shooting hers...

Oct 17, 20241 hr 24 minSeason 3Ep. 70

Premium Dive #4 - Am I Being Defamed? (Part Two): Navigating Defamation Lawsuits With Lessons From (former) Defendant Mandy Matney, and Plaintiff Buster Murdaugh

As you likely know, we are taking off from COJ and True Sunlight this week to focus on educating students around the Midwest so thank you for understanding and we hope you enjoy this bonus content! In today’s Premium Dive Bonus episode, Attorney Rebecca Lindahl and reporter Sam Berlin discuss the implications of Buster's media interviews and public appearances, which could make him a public figure, complicating his defamation case. They highlight the legal protections for press, such as the Fair...

Oct 10, 202452 minSeason 3Ep. 70

TSP #69 - Alex Murdaugh’s Biggest Loss Yet? Buster Triples Down on Defamation Claims + Police Kept Public Info from Mica Francis Before Her Death

Investigative reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell celebrate Alex Murdaugh’s biggest loss yet … one that will effectively keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. Also on the show, Buster Murdaugh triples down on his defamation claims against Netflix and Hampton County reporter Michael Dewitt. In a federal filing this week, Buster argues that — though he left out the context of Dewitt’s words in his original filing in South Carolina — including all of Dewitt’s interview on “Murdaugh Murd...

Oct 03, 202453 minSeason 3Ep. 69

TSP #68 - Legal Bullying From JP Miller and Greg Parker + Russell Laffitte Appeal + A Bestiality Accusation?

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell take on the Good Ole Boys once again, starting with lawyers who knowingly file frivolous lawsuits. Last week Myrtle Beach pastor JP Miller and his attorney Russell B. Long filed a defamation complaint against a paralegal who said he called her law office in search of a divorce attorney who could “destroy” his wife, Mica Francis, whose body was found in a North Carolina swamp last April. Not only is it laughable that JP believes this hurts hi...

Sep 26, 20241 hr 22 minSeason 3Ep. 68

TSP #67 - Medical Records Expose JP Miller’s Influence Over Mica’s Mental Health + Part Two of Chloe Bess and the Bowen Turner Hearings

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue their coverage of two appeal hearings heard last week in the case of thrice-accused rapist Bowen Turner and his sweetheart plea deal. Today. listeners will get to hear Part Two of the Chloe Bess interview, where she talks about what it was like being in the courtroom and on her thoughts about how the system continues to coddle and make excuses for Bowen, who sexually assaulted her as a teenager. Also on the show, Mandy and Liz begin...

Sep 19, 20241 hr 10 minSeason 3Ep. 67

TSP #66 - Why This Week’s Hearing in The Bowen Turner Case is a Big Deal Moment + Survivor Chloe Bess Speaks Up For Victims

The Bowen Turner case in South Carolina has been one for the outrage records. Listeners across the country have been horrified as they watched the justice system coddle Bowen over and over while the thrice-accused rapist gave his second, third and fourth chances the middle finger. But now, something good could come from the case — a case that included the horrific bullying of Dallas Stoller, one of his accusers. Bullying that resulted in her death. Something good might come from Bowen’s 2022 sha...

Sep 12, 20241 hr 21 minSeason 3Ep. 66

TSP #65 - Leaked Medical Records Show Mica Francis’ Confusion Over Her Diagnosis + Bowen Turner Case Heads for First Appeal

Leaked medical records from Mica Francis’ in-patient and outpatient visits to mental health facilities were leaked to the public over the past week, and investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell are diving in. According to the records — some of which were sent directly to Luna Shark Media and others that were posted online by a TikToker sympathetic to JP Miller’s plight — Mica was confused about her diagnosis and its symptoms. At the same time, these records raise questions about ho...

Sep 05, 20241 hr 19 minSeason 3Ep. 65

TSP #64 - 'How Selfish And Ungodly’: What JP Miller’s ‘Evidence’ Says About Mica’s Mental Health (Part Two) + Murdaugh Update

Investigative reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue their look into the Mica Francis case with Part Two of their deep dive into the pile of “evidence” her estranged husband — Myrtle Beach Pastor JP Miller — filed in her probate case. The evidence was meant to support JP’s claims that he was a good husband and not the cause of Mica’s death this past spring. Instead, Mandy and Liz are finding that the evidence — when pieced together — provides a disturbing look at the early days of the c...

Aug 29, 20241 hr 19 minSeason 3Ep. 64

TSP #63 - ‘The Scariest Thing Of Our Entire Lives’: The Horrifying Truth Revealed From JP Miller’s Evidence - Part One

Investigative reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue their in-depth coverage of the Mica Francis case. Earlier this month, exhibits filed with Horry County Probate Court by Mica’s estranged husband, Myrtle Beach Pastor JP Miller, were made available to the public. To JP Miller, they are evidence that Mica Miller was a sick woman and he only wanted the best for her — that her estrangement from him was the result of family pressure and not because of anything she felt. He is adamant that ...

Aug 22, 20241 hr 29 minSeason 3Ep. 63

TSP #62 - 'They Feared He Had Killed and Buried Me Somewhere’: New 911 Calls in Mica Francis Case Reveal Haunting Details

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell are once again forced to scrap their plans for an episode topic because of breaking news. On Tuesday, TikTok user JusticeNTruth4SCcourts posted never-before published 911 calls from Mica Francis and her estranged husband Pastor JP Miller. This caught Mandy’s and Liz’s attention because they had FOIA’d Horry County for just about everything one can think of or related to this case and yet these calls were not disclosed to us. This public agen...

Aug 15, 20241 hr 37 minSeason 3Ep. 62

TSP #61 - JP Miller Airs More Dirty Laundry... Was It an Attempt to Pressure Mica’s Family into a Settlement?

After Monday’s settlement was announced between Myrtle Beach Pastor JP Miller and the family of his estranged wife, Mica Francis, investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell take a look at what led up to this moment. For the past two weeks, JP Miller has gone on a media tour … and when that tour didn’t seem to get the reaction he wanted out of the public, he appears to have made a decision: It’s time to post the recording from the night of March 11, when JP discovered that Mica was wi...

Aug 01, 20241 hr 23 minSeason 3Ep. 61

TSP #60 - A Breakdown of JP Miller’s Media Tour + Mica Francis’ Best Friend Wants Accountability

Today, investigative reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell take a look at everything JP Miller has said on the record thus far and offer an analysis of how his statements jibe and conflict with each other and with police and court records. Over the past month, Pastor JP Miller of Solid Rock Ministries in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has taken to TikTok videos to combat what he says are lies being told about him after his wife Mica's death. Over the past two weeks, though, those videos have com...

Jul 25, 20241 hr 9 minSeason 3Ep. 60

TSP #59 - 911 calls shed light on JP Miller’s True Colors And Cohort + Stephen Smith Officer Claps Back (Sort of)

Investigative reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell share two newly released 911 calls in the Mica Francis case. In the first call, Mica’s estranged husband Pastor JP Miller can be heard in the background as his loyal friend and associate pastor Tricia Ross tries to get Mica arrested by accusing her of theft. As Mandy and Liz continue to piece together the days and weeks leading up to Mica’s death in April, they’re finding more and more evidence of the abject cruelty Mica might have been experi...

Jul 18, 20241 hr 14 minSeason 3Ep. 59

TSP #58 - Stephen Smith UPDATE And Why the Strongest Lead in the Case Is Marred by Integrity Questions + JP Miller Cries Harassment in Wake of Mica Francis’ Death

Tragically this week, two abused women were failed by the justice system and allegedly killed by their partners — Lauren Johansen of Mississippi Stephanie Francis of Rhode Island. On today’s episode we’ll get into that and a lot more on why our justice system needs to be paying attention. Investigative reporters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell give an update in the Stephen Smith case during the ninth anniversary of his mysterious death. Why did Highway Patrol stop looking into Stephen’s death right...

Jul 11, 20241 hr 12 minSeason 3Ep. 58

TSP #57 - ‘40 Days and 40 Nights’: 911 Call and Reports Show Harassment and Stalking Patterns in Mica Francis Case + How The Medical Examiner Failed Mica

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue their coverage of the Mica Francis case, starting with JP Miller’s shock and horror upon discovering a shirtless photo has been posted of him online. Social media came hard for JP this week with more accusations surrounding the tattoo of Mica’s signature he has on his torso. Solid Rock Ministries continues its battle with protesters, who were assaulted by a sprinkler this past weekend. Mandy and Liz also break down the contents of t...

Jul 04, 20241 hr 15 minSeason 3Ep. 57

TSP News Break "Mini-Sode": Chris Skinner 911 call + What JP Miller’s Ex Said

We originally planned to take this week off entirely, but guess what happened...? We got a flood of FOIA responses in the Mica Francis case… This week, due to the dogged FOIAing from Beth Braden and brilliant mind of Liz Farrell, LunaShark was the first media outlet to receive the 911 call from the incident that led to Chris Skinner’s death on September 6, 2021. Tik Tok has been hot with Chris Skinner theories ever since the news of Mica’s death hit national headlines — but JP’s ex-wife’s mentio...

Jun 27, 202418 min

TSP #56 - ‘The Smallest Man in the World’: What TikTok Videos and His Parents’ Divorce Tell Us About JP Miller + Buster Murdaugh Sues Netflix

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell — formerly of Murdaugh Murders Podcast — give an update on the latest drama involving Alex Murdaugh. His remaining son, Buster Murdaugh, filed a defamation lawsuit this week against major networks over documentaries they ran, which he said falsely insinuated he had something to do with Stephen Smith’s death. He is also suing a Hampton County reporter and his newspaper company for that same thing. Also, a federal judge issues an order in the ...

Jun 20, 20241 hr 14 minSeason 3Ep. 56

TSP #55 - From Divorce Court to Pardon Hearings to TikTok: How JP Miller Operates + Dick Harpootlian Is a Loser

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue down their path of discovery in the Mica Francis (Mica Miller) case and how her estranged husband, Pastor JP Miller, tends to operate, knowing the system will largely have his back. From TikTok videos in which JP threatens to expose Mica’s private musings to divorce court, where he showed up in a wheelchair, to his 2021 pardon hearing where he showed no remorse, the collective of JP’s actions and words show a man who thinks he only ...

Jun 13, 20241 hr 19 minSeason 3Ep. 55

TSP #54 - Escaping JP Miller + Mica’s Law and the Mission to Make Coercive Control a Crime in SC

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue their real-time coverage of Mica's case — which they’re now going to call the Mica Francis case to give Mica back her identity free from Pastor JP Miller. As each week passes since Mica’s death, more information emerges about the utter hell she was experiencing in her attempts to escape JP. On Wednesday, her divorce attorney Regina B. Ward — who is now representing her family — announced that plans are in the works to champion a law...

Jun 06, 20241 hr 5 minSeason 3Ep. 54

TSP #53 - The Ominous Legal Document Filed Before Mica Miller’s Death + The Dark Past of JP Miller’s Father

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell find more pieces to the puzzle in what Mica Miller's life was like before her death in a North Carolina swamp. Just a month before Mica’s death, old paperwork granting her husband the authority to make all medical decisions for her — including whether doctors fight for her life — was filed in the Horry County Register of Deeds Office. Mandy and Liz break down what was happening with that power of attorney and point out small details that cou...

May 30, 20241 hr 3 minSeason 3Ep. 53

TSP #52 - ‘My Blood Is Gonna Be On Your Hands’: The System That Failed Mica Miller

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue their deep dive into the Mica Miller case and into Mica’s estranged pastor husband, John-Paul Miller, who stands accused of harassing Mica in the days leading up to her death. On today’s episode, Mandy and Liz talk about what happened in November 2022 after JP instigated what would become a defining fight of their relationship. The escalation starts with two ominous 911 calls placed by Mica’s sister, who feared for her husband and y...

May 23, 20241 hr 10 minSeason 3Ep. 52

TSP #51 - What Happened To Mica Miller? Best Friend Gives Haunting Details Of Abusive Relationship

Before South Carolina pastor’s wife Mica Miller was found dead in a North Carolina state park at the end of April, her best friend tried to get church officials to step in and do something about Pastor JP Miller’s “volatile” behavior toward Mica. They admitted seeing it too … but they did nothing. Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue to look into what Mica’s life looked like leading up to her suicide. In this episode, Mica’s best friend speaks out about what she saw ha...

May 16, 20241 hr 36 minSeason 3Ep. 51
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