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A
Hey, everyone, I'm Ann Emerson, and welcome to Crimly Obsessed. More than a million of you have watched my interviews with Blanca Trubbiati Simpson. She was a Murdoch family housekeeper, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. But the lingering question is this one. It has to do with the moments after the double murders of Maggie and Paul Murdoch. And the question is, was there someone else there at the scene of the crime that night at the kennels besides Alec Murdoch? Who are the cleaners? Blanca? Out of fear, Blanca wouldn't answer that question back in November, but now she goes more in depth. She also circles back to that kennel video with Maggie's dog, Bubba, who Blanca is now caring for. And she also talks to me about Alex appeal to have his double murder convictions overturned. Before we start back in, be sure to like and subscribe and give us five stars so others can find this show. Now let's get into it.
B
I think it's time for me to actually start speaking out more. We have got to speak out and say when there's something wrong, especially with, you know, the way the judicial system deals with certain things getting to the appeal. If he. If they feel that he deserves an appeal, you know, that. That if they do feel that he deserves another trial, that that's fine. And then now at least I know what I'm going to be dealing with. Whereas before, it was like walking in with blinders and you had no idea.
A
I did an interview with Kenny Kenzie. That's forensic expert Dr. Kenny Kenzie. He was a witness in the Alec Murdoch trial, and he provided a clear picture of how Alec managed to shoot Paul. And then Maggie and I wanted to. I want. Oh, hi. Hi, Bubba. You know, Bubba knows when we're talking about stuff that he needs to protect you with and keep an eye on you, huh?
B
He's been right here.
A
He's been.
B
I know.
A
I. I feel like I've been hearing his tail in the background. Y' all know Bubba, Maggie's dog. He's become a therapy dog for Blanca. Bubba, I am so glad to see you too. Although you are have. Have your back to me now, but I understand you gotta look at Blanca. This is Kenny. And I said I took Kenny Kenzie, who was the after the fact investigator.
B
Right.
A
So they brought him in independently to be looking at the case with the crime scene. And I talked to him about our incredible conversations that we'd already had. Blanca, I talked to him about, you know, the opportunity to speak to you about all of these questions you had about what was going on. I want you to hear, if you can, what he says about you, okay? Because you've got some. You got some people in your corner. Hold on.
C
I would say other than Murdoch blood, Ms. Blanca's probably got the best insight of anyone as to what took place in and around that household. So I've got to respect her opinion, and I've got to respect her view. She is a very, very bright lady.
A
That. That was what he had to say about you. What do you think about that?
B
Makes me feel good that. That the people do view me like that. And I'm. And I'm not trying to downplay anybody because that's not who I am. Unfortunately, some people are gonna respect me and like me, and then there's gonna be some people that just do not care about me. And I'm okay.
A
I. Blanca, I feel like what Kenny's saying there, too, is you need answers to your questions about things that you raised. And that is the urgency that I felt in that conversation was to hear from someone as well respected as Kenny Kenzie that the state brought him in. I mean, we all saw him in. In court. We saw the work he did in that case to seal the deal with Alec Murdoch getting the double murder convictions, and for him to say, hey, we need to hear what Blanca has to say. Do you think you're going to get to a place where you're going to be able to share who you think the cleaners are? The cleaners? If you haven't heard our first interview with Blanca yet, I'm telling you, you've got to hear this. We'll link it here below. But in that first conversation we had with Blanca, she laid out a bunch of clues. She noticed after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdoch, she has some theories, like Alec Murdoch may have had some help after the murders. The idea of these mysterious cleaners has been sticking in my mind, and I wanted to hear what she's thinking right now. Will she ever name the cleaners?
B
I think eventually I probably will. But there's gonna be some limits as to what I can say. Some people have misunderstood when I said, when I call them the cleaners, I'm not saying that they help commit the crime. What I'm saying is that they help clean up. That's why I call them the cleaners in my book. Got it from. I think other people know who I'm referring to when I. When I call them cleaners. I just don't want to use names because of, you know, of course, you know, lawsuits and all of that. But I, I think. I think people understand who, who I'm referring to when I say cleaners. And they know who they are. They know in. Will it come up later on, maybe years up? I don't know. Will it come up if he does? I. I don't know. But there's some. There's just. I'm. I'm curious about certain things that are going on now that, that are kind of making me wonder how much. How much they actually did help with the two cleaners that I'm referring to.
A
Okay.
B
If they're watching this or if they're going to watch this or if they're going to see it, I mean, I do pay attention. I'm not, you know, just sitting in my home, you know, being a hermit. I do get out now and I. And I see a lot of things and, you know, people pay attention. At least I do. And some things just, you know, just don't make sense and I guess in the way that I can say certain things. And it's going to be up to the experts or the investigators or whatever to come up with whatever they decide based on what I say, because obviously they're not. They. They're not listening, or maybe the evidence is lost, or maybe they didn't take certain pictures like they said they did. And I know they don't want to be criticized. They've already been criticized enough, you know. Sure. Small town life. Small town law enforcement usually never sees a crime of this epic proportion. So I see where all the interest and the curiosity with everybody that was there that night, I, I see it. However, you still have to respect the fact that there's procedures that you follow in, in instead of making excuses, admit where you were, where you fell short, you know. Yeah. Admit it and go forward instead of trying to explain, you know, the step we. I've lived in this community over 30 years, and I can tell you, when a crime happens, of course people are curious. Of course people want to look. Of course people want to be the one that solves the crime, you know, be the hero. And I. And I knew that. And you can see it. You know, everybody because of who it was that night, especially on the body cam video, because of who he was, you know, everybody was trying to do this and do that because of the murder. Name. Y' all familiar with this family?
C
All right, I wasn't until he told me.
B
All right, I'll fill you in later.
A
Blanca. I just went through the. The whole appeal hearing. Did you watch the appeal hearing?
B
I did not. I was actually, when the appeal happened, I was actually dealing with the loose ties or the loose ends that are still left from Alex, you know, financial stuff. So I was out of the state when the appeal happened. I was, I was not. I was kind of listening here bits and pieces because I was dealing with some other things, but I was out of the state.
A
I guess my big question to you is what do you think about his convictions getting, you know, the possibility of being overturned? I've got a couple of, of bites here that I'd like to play for you about how it sounds right now. And honestly, I'll tell you from my perspective, I don't know what's going to happen. You know, I was like listening to it like everybody else. But what I will say was that I was floored at the pushback from the justices about the, the way the, the first trial went with the financial crimes coming in. And Becky Hill. Becky Hill was the former Colleton County Clerk of Court during the double murder trial. She pleaded guilty to perjury, obstructing justice and misconduct in office. She was sentenced to probation. Neither of which of course have anything to do with whether or not Alec Murdoch actually did what he did. Right, let's listen to the first one real quick for my audio listeners. I'm going to play a clip from oral arguments in the appeal. The voice you're about to hear is Justice John Cannon. Few speaking directly with lead Murdoch prosecutor Creighton Waters.
C
The jury could not understand the full weight of the pressures if they didn't understand that entire criminal and financial history. You can't understand the need for it without understanding the lifestyle, the bad real estate deals, the maxed out loans. You can't understand the badger theft of over a million dollars if you don't understand that that they had with his bank co conspirator had stolen a million dollars from the plier loans and that had to be accounted for. You can't understand the need for fake forge and why he did that if you don't understand the complications of having to steal that money. I think all of that is completely accurate. The disconnect that the defense is getting at and that I'm trying to ask you about occurs when he takes the, what the judge called some sort of urgency. He had a nice phrase he used when he was ruling on it. How do you get from that to murdering your wife and son? That's the disconnect that the defense is focusing on. They're not focused on the disconnect between Ford Forge and stealing money, that everybody understands that.
A
What do you think about the fact that. Is there a disconnect, according to the. The justices, that. That there could be this disconnect between the financial crimes of what Murdoch was dealing with and actually killing Maggie and Paul? Do you buy that?
B
I believe the finances had a lot to do with it. I do believe that. I think the pressure of people finding out that you were broke, you know, was. Is what triggered to me what happened June 7, 2021. There's been so many people that said, no, somebody else did it, or whatever. No, I just believe that the financial crimes have a lot to do with what happened on that evening. Okay. I think it was getting to the point where June 10 was around the corner. And no matter how they try to spin it, you have a man that has been in power for many, many years. Your family has been in power for so many years, and you're about to disclose to everyone that you're broke, that you don't have everything, that you are not the person that they thought you were. That, to me, carries more weight than what. What they're saying. There is a connection. If they disconnect from the fact that there was, you know, the financials were involved in that, then basically the prosecution probably does not have a case against Alex. And that's just the way that I see it.
A
The reason I ask is because you would have. Were you also one of the people that had no idea that Alec was as in as much trouble as he was?
B
You know, when I look back at it now, little things that he would say, especially like right after Maggie and Paul were killed, when Alex would give me the money to maintain the Moselle, it was like, almost like he was like nickel and diming, where he never used to do that. And I noticed that, but it wasn't really. I just thought that he was just. Oh, my God. Oh, no. I just. I'm sorry.
A
No, don't be sorry. He'll settle down. Whenever you bring up Maggie, I swear, whenever you bring up Maggie, he is all on top of you.
B
Stop. Bye. Bye. Sit. I'm sorry.
A
£150 of love right there.
B
Where. Where was I?
A
No, you were just saying that you. You saw that there was. There was something he was doing there
B
because he never questioned if I would tell him I spent this amount of money here. This amount of money here. We need to. We. We ran out of gas at the pumps right there at Moselle. And I told them. And you could see the. The. How he was kind of Hesitant, you know, he had already made arrangements to restock one of the ponds out there. I had to take part of that money to stock up that pond. You know, I had to buy a refrigerator for the other house, the little house where he was getting his clothes and all that, because the one there did not work. I mean, there was a lot of little things, but it was like always. He was like, are you sure we need to do that? Are you sure we need to do that? Where the. Alex before never questioned anything. Those are just little things that I saw another thing when he asked me to, he said, ab, come here. I need to talk to you. Sit down. You always kind of have to follow around him because he was always on the go. So that was one of the things. Like you. You never really asked me to sit down so we can have a conversation is like, you either follow me around while I'm doing what I need to do around the house, or I follow you around to try to ask you a few questions, you know, or talk to you. But I guess during the time when. When he asked, it's like I didn't know how to. What category to put that in, you know, how to sort things out.
A
That's so interesting.
B
I didn't. I didn't know he was. Whether he was mourning. I was not aware of the. The drinking and the. He went to the. The lawyers conference. I was not aware of any of that. I. I never got involved in any of that. I didn't talk to people, so I was not aware that he was doing all of that. Had I known, I would have probably questioned him and had like, hey, you know, what are you doing? Yeah, I didn't know none of that. I just figured, you know, everybody was kind of like catering to Alex because they felt bad and they wanted to be around. I had no idea that he had confrontations with, you know, the attorneys there,
A
that he was getting into it and
B
that he was dancing, you know, dancing and partying. Because I most certainly would have said something. You know, I didn't know. I didn't know any of that. But I had. I think I had that friendship with him at that point, or at least I felt I did, that I would have said, hey, what are you doing? You know, what are you doing? I didn't find out until later on about the photographs that we're taking. You know, the. The. The dancing part of it.
A
Blanc is referring to an article in the New York Post where a source told a reporter that Alec was seen drunk and dancing at a legal Convention two months after Paul and Maggie's murders. That is strange. What do you think he was doing? Just not thinking.
B
I guess. He got lost in. In. In the moment. And he was trying to play, you know, the. The widower, but at the same, wanting people to feel sorry for him. But at the same time, it's like, what are you doing? You're not displaying, you know, that you're showing. You're showing another side of you that should not even come out yet, you know, that should not even be out. You know, it's only been, you know, so many weeks. And. And here you are. No, that's not what. That's. That's not what a grieving husband and father does. No, that's not normal.
A
Let me get to this. The last thing about the appeal that I want to talk about, because I really want to hear how you feel. I really want to hear how you feel, Blanca, about the idea that. That Alec, even though he's not getting out of jail, he's staying in for the financial crimes. We understand that. But how you would feel if he actually got a retrial or had these. Had these convictions overturned. I'll play this real quick because this could be a big problem. If you're on audio right now. In this clip from the appeal, you're hearing the back and forth from Chief Justice John W. Kittridge and lead Murdoch prosecutor Creighton Waters.
C
We've got a superb trial court judge, and out in the hallway, we have a rogue clerk court. And even if we accept the truncated version of what you characterize as innocuous statements, even you acknowledge it was improper. Perhaps not improper to the point of reversal, but you acknowledge it was improper. Absolutely. And if I could respond very quickly. Well, this. I want to make the note because in my position as Chief Justice, I have to deal with the clerks of court in 46 counties in the overwhelming majority of our clerks of court are dedicated, conscientious public servants who discharge the duties of their office with integrity and do not act like this.
A
Dang. That's just about it, right? That is a real big problem. What happened with Becky Hill. There's a horrible allegations that she tampered with that jury, that she could have swayed the jury in some way. Allegations, Accusations. Nothing. Nothing we can prove. But if it was enough to taint this trial. How do you feel about justice for Maggie and Paul right now?
B
I think justice will prevail. There's a lot of rumors going around about. About that and that. That I've heard, you know, When I go to town or, you know, do my shopping.
A
If you heard right now, okay, they're going to go ahead and overturn those double murder convictions. They're going to overturn the convictions. Based on all this, how would you feel?
B
I would be devastated. I would be devastated because where's the justice for Maggie and Paul? There would be no justice for Maggie and Paul. It's like they once again, you know, it's like trying to get them out of existence or forget they ever existed. They. We have it in our, within ourselves to get away from situations if we don't like them and we can walk away. Maggie and Paul were not given that choice. Paul was to the point where he wanted, he just wanted peace in his life. He was tired of everything that was going on around my last conversation with him. He was tired of the text messages he was getting, the harassment. He just wanted to deal with it. Maggie was taking it a little bit harder because that's her baby boy. And regardless of how people say he, she never bonded. I read something just a few days ago where she, she never bonded with him. You know, she had postpartum. I had postpartum. Other women that have had postpartum, but that doesn't mean you don't love your child. You still love your child. It's just you interact with every one of your children. You parent different. You can be in the same household with all the kids, but each child is parentage different because they all have individual personalities. It doesn't mean that you don't love your child. It means that you parent. Your parenting style with each one of your children is different.
A
Maggie, I mean, what would you say if Maggie's murderer, the person who was convicted of killing her, got off or his, his conviction was overturned? If Alex conviction is overturned, are you going to be fighting for that to be retried?
B
If I'm asked, yes. Because they don't deserve that. The evidence is very clear in the kennel video.
A
We'll get the kennel video on screen. For those of you watching, this was an absolutely crucial piece of evidence in the murder trial. This, this video was filmed by Alex's son Paul, minutes before Paul and Maggie's murders. On the video you can hear the voices of Alec, Maggie and Paul. Alec had told investigators that he was napping on the couch when Paul and Maggie were murdered. And he had to admit on the stand that he had lied from day one about that.
B
And in Alex testimony, the kennel video, when it's Alex, Paul and Maggie, the dogs are Quiet. And I've always said that the dogs are quiet. You can see that they're interacting with one another, you know, there. And the dogs are quiet. Hey, he's got a bird in his mouth.
C
Bubba. Hey, Bubba. It's a guinea.
B
It's a chicken. The moment Alec gets on that 911 call, after he comes back from his parents house, you can hear the noise in the background. You can hear the dogs, you can hear the, the hound, especially that hound on the end, you know, just you, you can hear the barking and the noises. They sense the stranger there. And that's who I refer to as the cleaners. They sense that they didn't know those people. So. And then at trial Alex even made that mention that why weren't. I don't remember how the question was asked, but I do remember Alex saying the dogs didn't sense anybody there.
A
Okay?
B
And I want people to pay attention to that. Those dogs were very sensitive. If anybody was on the property close by, right there by the kennel kennels, that the dogs would have alerted and said something. They did not alert until he got on that 911 call. Because when it was just them three out there, the dogs were not. There was nobody else out there at the kennels when Paul and Maggie were murdered.
A
Can I ask you when you were with Dick Harpootlian? I know you all had some book signings together. You'll remember Dick Harpoutlian was Alec Murdoch's defense attorney and represented him during the double murder trial. Did he talk to you about your suspicions of what was going on?
B
It was kind of weird. When he walked into the book signing, he walked in the store and when he approached me after talking to my co writer, he approached me and he put his hand out and he said, I'm Dick Harpouy and I don't believe we've ever met. And that's how he, he shook my hand. And then as he was leaving
A
the
B
bookstore, he passed right by our table. He said, well, I'll see you in court. Oh, okay. And I don't know if he was just, you know, saying that or what. I think this time around I'm, I'm ready. I don't know if they're gonna, you, if they're gonna even call me or not. They need to stop underestimating people and, and really talk to people. Instead of talk down to people, you need to actually talk to somebody, talk to people. Because when you talk down or when you feel that you're more important or that you're Better than somebody. They don't say what they need to say or they don't say what could be important. I will definitely be devastated if he gets a new trial. I want people to understand that I know the law, and I'll accept whatever the law, whatever, Whatever they decide. This is a judicial system. Everybody's entitled to a fair trial. And I understand that. But the devastation is still going to be there. Because if. If you didn't do it, then who did it? Has too much time passed by for you guys to even search or look? What about phone records? How much time do you have before you can determine phone records? I think those are things that they need to look into. Location, where people were during that time. Instead of taking people's word for, I was here. No, look it up on location. You know, start looking into that if you really want to exonerate him from being guilty. What about the other people that were there? Where were you really at? How far were you. You know, where was your location? They did it to him. What about all the people that. That were there? That. That's what I'm saying. They need to start looking at. At that if you're gonna say that he's not guilty. But.
A
Well, I just want to say thank you so much for taking time to talk to me about this. You know, as we're waiting for this appeal, as we're waiting for what happens next, you know, I know our viewers have had so many more questions. Hopefully we'll still get to answer more questions from you over the time.
B
Yes.
A
But I just want to say thank you so much. It's always a good day when I get to hang out with Bubba and Blanca. With this appeal, it's the perfect time to dive deep into the tangled web of the Murdochs. Get caught up on all of our coverage linked below and make sure you like and subscribe to get the latest on Alec Murdoch, Blanca, and the other cases that everyone's talking about.
Criminally Obsessed, March 16, 2026
Episode: “Where’s The Justice?” — Murdaugh Housekeeper Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson Fears Overturned Murder Conviction
Host: Ann Emerson
Guest: Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson (former Murdaugh family housekeeper)
In this episode, investigative journalist Ann Emerson dives deep with Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, the former housekeeper for the Murdaugh family, on the anxieties surrounding Alec Murdaugh’s ongoing appeals, the lingering mysteries after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, and the emotional stakes for those seeking justice. The conversation traverses new ground regarding “the cleaners” — people Blanca suspects helped tidy the crime scene after the murders — and reflects on the possible overturning of Alec’s convictions amid allegations of jury tampering. The episode blends personal testimony, forensic insight, and raw emotion, spotlighting both the unresolved questions and the broader failures and strengths of the justice system.
[00:00–06:30]
“I’m not saying that they help commit the crime. What I’m saying is that they help clean up... I just don’t want to use names because of, you know, lawsuits and all of that.” (Blanca, 05:06)
“They know who they are... Will it come up later on... I don’t know.” (Blanca, 05:34)
“You still have to respect the fact that there’s procedures that you follow, instead of making excuses, admit where you fell short.” (06:25)
[01:40–03:24]
“I would say other than Murdoch blood, Ms. Blanca's probably got the best insight of anyone as to what took place in and around that household.” (Dr. Kenny Kenzie, 03:02)
[09:00–20:28]
“The pressure of people finding out that you were broke... is what triggered to me what happened June 7, 2021.” (Blanca, 12:03)
[18:43–22:07]
“I would be devastated. Because where’s the justice for Maggie and Paul? ...It’s like trying to get them out of existence or forget they ever existed.” (Blanca, 20:28)
[22:24–24:53]
“In Alex testimony, the kennel video... the dogs are quiet. ...The moment Alec gets on that 911 call... you can hear the dogs... They sense the stranger there. And that’s who I refer to as the cleaners. They sense that they didn’t know those people.” (Blanca, 23:02; 23:26)
[24:53–27:36]
“I think it’s time for me to actually start speaking out more. We have got to speak out and say when there’s something wrong, especially with, you know, the way the judicial system deals with certain things... If they do feel that he deserves another trial, that’s fine. At least I know what I’m going to be dealing with.”
(Blanca, 01:04)
“Some people have misunderstood when I said, when I call them the cleaners, I’m not saying that they help commit the crime. What I’m saying is that they help clean up.”
(Blanca, 05:09)
“If they disconnect from the fact that there was, you know, the financials were involved in that, then basically the prosecution probably does not have a case against Alex.”
(Blanca, 12:42)
“[T]his... could be a big problem... Chief Justice John W. Kittridge: ‘In my position as Chief Justice, I have to deal with the clerks of court in 46 counties... the overwhelming majority... do not act like this.’”
(Justice Kittridge, 19:00)
“I would be devastated because where’s the justice for Maggie and Paul? ...It’s like trying to get them out of existence or forget they ever existed.”
(Blanca, 20:28)
The conversation is intimate, candid, and laced with both sorrow and persistent hope. Blanca’s testimony is deeply personal but resolute, providing clarity on overlooked details and giving voice to victims too often lost in legal maneuverings. Ann Emerson’s interviewing brings out both the emotional nuances and the procedural complexities, maintaining a respectful, compassionate, and credible tone throughout. This episode offers not just updates on the Murdaugh trial saga, but a powerful meditation on community trauma, the hunger for accountability, and the delicate balance between legal fairness and the quest for truth.