South Carolina Judge Finds Murdaugh Podcaster in Contempt of Court A South Carolina circuit court judge has ruled that true crime podcaster Mandy Matney is in civil contempt for refusing to comply with a court order to attend a deposition in a high-profile civil lawsuit tied to the case of accused killer Alex Murdaugh. In a 22-page order issued on July 13, 2026, Judge Keith Kelly found Matney willfully disregarded a lawful subpoena and multiple court directives, leading to a $176,500 financial penalty. The sanctions include $171,500 in attorney’s fees and costs for the plaintiffs, Greg Parker and co-defendants, plus a $5,000 fine. The case stems from a wrongful death lawsuit arising from a 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach. The litigation, which exposed alleged financial crimes by Murdaugh, became a focal point for media attention, drawing in figures like Matney, a podcaster who has extensively covered the case. Although Matney is not a party to the underlying lawsuit, she became entangled in the legal proceedings after attorneys sought to depose her during discovery. Kelly’s order detailed that Matney’s deposition was scheduled for March 27, 2026, at a law office in Bluffton, South Carolina, a location that had appeared on subpoenas issued over the preceding five months. Despite repeated court rulings mandating her attendance, Matney refused to comply, insisting she would only participate at her own attorney’s office. Parker’s legal team argued this refusal was a deliberate act of defiance, citing Matney’s failure to object to the deposition location during the five-month subpoena period. The judge concluded that Matney’s decision to avoid the scheduled location was not due to confusion or inability but a “deliberate choice” to disregard the court’s orders.#south_carolina #judge_keith_kelly #mike_murdaugh #mike_murdaugh_case #greg_parker
