Everything They Missed — BONUS: Origin Story: From the Murdaugh Murders to the Mic — A Conversation with Stephanie & Mark Tinsley
Podcast: Everything They Missed
Host: Stephanie Tinsley (with Mark Tinsley and Elizabeth Bolling)
Release Date: September 15, 2025
EPISODE OVERVIEW
In this candid bonus episode, host Stephanie Tinsley sits down with her husband, attorney Mark Tinsley (central to the Murdaugh/Mallory Beach litigation), and longtime friend Elizabeth Bolling. Departing from the usual documentary narrative, the trio openly discuss Stephanie's personal and professional “origin story”—her journey from the sidelines of the Murdaugh media circus to launching her own true crime podcast investigating the 2007 murder of Danny Harris. They explore the complex intersection of personal tragedy, national scandal, and the often messy reality of digging into a story everyone else missed, revealing not only the genesis of the show, but how personal lives and obsessions intertwine with true crime.
KEY DISCUSSION POINTS / INSIGHTS
1. Introducing the Voices Behind the Mic
- Stephanie frames the episode as a “raw, unfiltered” conversation with the people closest to her obsession with the Danny Harris case—Mark, her husband and an attorney, and Elizabeth, a lifelong friend and indispensable sounding board.
[01:40] Stephanie Tinsley: “Who better to talk than the two people who’ve probably heard me obsess over it the most?”
2. Stephanie and Mark Tinsley: Origin Stories Collide
- The conversation weaves personal history (how Stephanie and Mark met in 2020 and quickly bonded over litigation and a shared worldview) with the burgeoning Murdaugh story in South Carolina.
- Mark recounts how he became a key player in the Mallory Beach case (Paul Murdaugh-driven boat crash) and how it snowballed into national tragedy.
[06:37] Mark Tinsley: “That really started, I guess, everything coming down this road.” - Stephanie details her instant attraction to Mark’s character and commitment to his clients:
[07:24] Stephanie: “The way he talked about his clients...I just knew he was a different kind of man and a different kind of lawyer.”
3. Love, Cancer, and Living With a Public Catastrophe
- The early days of their relationship were shaped by Mark’s fight with cancer—adding depth and urgency to their connection.
[10:35] Stephanie: “Mark was such a superman in all of it…There was nothing at all, like, I would forget that we were there for cancer treatment. It just felt like a vacation.” - Elizabeth poignantly notes how this experience forged their bond:
[12:11] Mark: “Cancer is not the best way to get a relationship or perspective…I don’t really recommend it to anyone, but we made the most of it.”
4. The Murdaugh Case Blows Up—and Envelops Their Lives
- Mark outlines how his push for Alex Murdaugh’s financials in civil court was a catalyst for the tragedy to follow.
[14:46] Mark: “He didn’t want me to have [his financials], so I was pushing…the judge to compel him…which I think most people believe was one of the precipitating events that led this sociopath to think the only way out was to murder his wife and son.” - As the murder trial explodes into the national spotlight, the family’s life is upended; Stephanie describes both the fear and the morbid “excitement” of having a front-row seat at the biggest case in America:
[21:34] Stephanie: “It was exciting because the world was watching…now all of a sudden, I’m in the most high-profile international murder…of the decade.”
5. Power and Perils of Media:
- The pair pull back the curtain on the chaos, inaccuracies, and shallowness of much media coverage—even from major networks.
- Mark laments reporters who miss the real story:
[25:12] Mark: “You can’t tell this story in three minutes or less…If you didn’t know the story and you were asking me stupid questions…you get stuck in the fluff without understanding the significance.” - Stephanie reflects:
[23:19] Stephanie: “Every show that we watch as true crime fans was in our house calling for interviews…when the stories would come out, they would either be flat wrong or just interested in headlines for clickbait.”
6. Becoming a Storyteller: The Birth of “Everything They Missed”
- Stephanie shares step-by-step how years of “bystander” fascination, her insider seat, and disappointment with existing coverage led her to consider making her own podcast. She wanted to go deeper, hear untold voices, and avoid exploitation.
- Her podcast journey included secret voice lessons, self-imposed challenges, and a search for a story “with purpose”:
[32:05] Mark (joking): “She needs her money back from the voice lesson because she sounds no different now…” [32:16] Stephanie: “She told me I didn’t need to change anything.” - A serendipitous introduction to Jason Gishner and the Danny Harris case provided that untold story.
- Stephanie only realized she could write (“I didn’t know that I could write”) once she started, recognizing the influence of her mother, an English teacher, and her father, an attorney.
[34:40] Elizabeth: “It was just a perfect combination of your parents...how proud your mom would be of your journalistic aptitude.”
7. Reporting Philosophy and Method
- Stephanie emphasizes exhaustive research, compassion, and elevating the voices historically missed—conducting every interview herself.
[28:04] Stephanie: “The way I told this story was only gonna be an in-depth look at not only the story… but how it affected everybody and who it affected and who was involved.” - Her approach is shaped by both inspirational and disappointing encounters with media professionals:
[27:13] Stephanie: “That was the difference… producers and journalists who had done their homework…those were the same people who treated everybody involved as people versus as something to be consumed as entertainment.”
8. Mark’s Take on the Podcast—and the Power of Details
- Mark was initially skeptical of both Stephanie’s podcast and the Danny Harris case but admits he was proved wrong by her tenacity and attention to detail:
[37:18] Mark: “You like to run and gun and plow through it and, you know, you’re getting too far in the weeds and the weeds are where stuff matters. But I was wrong.” - He draws a parallel: Both the Murdaugh case and Harris’s death required “someone to notice what everyone else missed.”
[39:38] Mark: “If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss things, huge things…It’s only when everything you missed is brought into a clear focus that you get the right result.”
9. Obsession, Family, and the Personal Toll
- Stephanie confesses the emotional cost and obsession of her investigation, and how her family’s support (and Mark’s role model as an underdog advocate) sustained her.
[42:24] Stephanie: “It may sound silly, but…what gave me the confidence to do it was…Mark was very inspiring…[he] fights for justice and is not afraid to say the names and keep going.” - She also reflects on how the search for justice filled a personal void after retiring and becoming a newlywed.
- Both agree that impatience, stubbornness, and “forcing doors to open” are necessary traits for exposing hidden truths.
[46:15] Stephanie: “You have to force doors to open. I had to hire my own investigator because I wasn’t getting the answers I wanted.”
NOTABLE QUOTES
-
On why this story:
[36:06] Stephanie: “People always ask me, why this story? Why Danny Harris? Well, we’ll get into all of that and the parts you haven’t heard yet…” -
On the importance of details:
[39:38] Mark: “It’s only when everything you missed is brought into a clear Focus that you get the right result.” -
On family and teamwork:
[34:40] Elizabeth: “It was just a perfect combination of your parents…how proud your mom would be of your journalistic aptitude.” -
On personal growth:
[42:24] Stephanie: “I was miserable…other than being a wife and a mom, I didn’t really have a purpose…And it wasn’t until I put all that into [this project]…that I was happy.”
TIMESTAMPS FOR MAJOR SEGMENTS
- Relationship Origin & Early Days — 05:21 to 09:38
- Cancer Diagnosis & Impact — 10:13 to 12:11
- Mark’s Role in the Murdaugh Scandal — 14:34 to 16:04
- Media Storm & Insider Perspective — 21:34 to 23:19
- Disappointment with True Crime Media — 23:19 to 29:30
- Inspiration for Creating the Podcast — 29:30 to 36:06
- Making the Leap from Fan to Reporter — 34:40 to 36:00
- Mark’s Initial Skepticism & the Value of Details — 37:13 to 39:38
- The Need for Doggedness in Investigation — 46:03 to 47:24
- Stephanie’s Reflection on Obsession and Purpose — 45:41 to 47:37
CONCLUSION
This bonus episode lifts the curtain on Everything They Missed—not just in terms of the Danny Harris case, but also everything missed behind the scenes: the personal risks, emotional journey, and intertwined lives that shaped the show’s approach. Stephanie’s origin story is as much about overcoming doubt and following an obsession as it is about crime and justice; the influence of Mark’s diligence, their life upheavals during the Murdaugh case, and their circle of friends all color the unique podcast voice they’ve created. It’s an earnest, at times vulnerable examination of what it means to chase a story no one else cared to tell—and what it takes to make the world pay attention.