DENVER (Court TV) — The media and its impact on the world of true crime were center stage at CrimeCon on Saturday afternoon.
Vinnie Politan led a panel discussing the impact of the media on high-profile investigations and trials, with a focus on the cases of Alex Murdaugh and Barry Morphew.
Court TV’s Vinnie Politan hosts a panel at CrimeCon focusing on media coverage of high-profile trials. (Court TV)
“The days of tight-lipped, arms crossed [detectives] not talking to the media are over,” said retired Atlanta homicide detective Vincent Velasquez, who explained that detectives in today’s day and age need to partner with the media during their investigation. Velasquez acknowledged the possibility that reporters may uncover information the police don’t have, saying, in order to get that information, “I need to give her a little bit, I need to give her a tip on something.”
Mark Tinsley, the attorney who represented Mallory Beach’s family following the deadly boat crash that preceded the Murdaugh murders, said he vividly remembers the moment he got involved in the case. “I remember when 9/11 happened and my mother called me and said, ‘There’s a plane that’s hit the World Trade Center. And I can remember being on the couch on Sunday morning and getting a call about the boat crash.”
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Alex Murdaugh was eventually convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son, Paul, as well as financial crimes. It was the financial crimes that investigators believed motivated the murders. Tinsley said Alex’s plan was to misdirect attention away from him and the financial crimes, and that’s what led to his attempt to stage a shooting. “He knew the world was coming to an end. He loved Paul, he loved Maggie, but he loved himself more.”
It was after Alex staged the shooting that the world began to pay attention to the case. “It’s not just the Lowcountry, it’s the whole country,” Politan said.
Stephanie Tinsley, who met her husband, Mark, just nine months before the murders, said the media’s focus on the case infiltrated every part of her life: “Netflix was filming at our rehearsal dinner the night before my wedding.”
Stephanie, who launched her new podcast, “Everything They Missed,” on the Murdaugh murders on Friday, said it’s essential for the media to be ethical while covering true crime. “You can be a journalist that is having a show and exploiting it, consuming it as entertainment. Or you can be a very responsible journalist and get as close to the truth as possible.”
