Camp Swamp Road Ep. 6: Your Side, Their Side and the Truth

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Journal. - Camp Swamp Road Ep. 6: Your Side, Their Side and the Truth
Original Air Date: March 1, 2026
Hosts: Ryan Knutson & Jessica Mendoza, reporting by Valerie Borlein

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Camp Swamp Road brings listeners into the high-stakes immunity hearing in Horry County, South Carolina, stemming from the killing of Scott Spivey. The hearing will determine if Weldon Boyd and Bradley Williams, the men involved in Spivey's death, are granted stand your ground immunity—shielding them from criminal charges and civil lawsuits—or whether the case moves forward. With emotional testimony, conflicting narratives, and a pivotal judge’s decision, the episode explores not just the case, but the broader questions of justice, self-defense, and truth.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. The Stakes and Setup of the Hearing

• The hearing is for Jennifer Spivey Foley’s wrongful death suit and serves as a critical juncture for legal accountability:
  • [02:04] “If the judge agrees, the killers can never be criminally charged or sued in civil court… the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
• Judge Eugene C. “Bubba” Griffith presides, and uniquely, reporters are allowed to sit in the jury box ([03:54]).
• The only opinion that matters here is Judge Griffith’s; no jury is present.

---

2. Opening Arguments and Framing the Incident

Defense Opening (Morgan Martin):

• Paints Scott Spivey as the aggressor and a public danger:
  • [04:39] “He instigated it. He started it. He sustained it. He kept it up. And that was him.” — Morgan Martin
• Argues Boyd and Williams followed Spivey to help police, not to escalate:
  • [05:18] “Everybody else had to react to Mr. Spivey that day… He was a holy terror that day.” — Morgan Martin
  • [05:40] “Because it’s clear that evidence will bring you back to the idea that this is not anything but a clear, clear case of stand your ground immunity. It ain’t close, I will tell you.” — Morgan Martin

Plaintiff Opening (Mark Tinsley):

• Focuses on evidence of Boyd’s own description of events as a “chase”:
  • [06:56] “Chase is not our word… it is Weldon Boyd’s word. And he relentlessly… chased Scott Spivey and murdered him.” — Mark Tinsley
• Argues Spivey saw Boyd as the threat, undermining the self-defense claim:
  • [07:31] “I’ve never seen a road rage case where the road rager was being chased by an innocent person.” — Mark Tinsley
• Attacks Boyd and Williams’ credibility:
  • [07:57] “This is a chase… and you’re going to hear… over and over again about their lies, both of them.” — Mark Tinsley

---

3. Key Testimonies & Evidence

A. Surveillance, Eyewitnesses, and 911 Calls

• Bar video shows Spivey drinking and then getting into his truck ([08:14]). Multiple highway witnesses testify to Spivey’s erratic driving and gun-waving.
• The pivotal 911 call from witness Blaze Ward highlights confusion and fear.
  • Initially, Ward identifies Spivey as firing first. But in deposition played in court:
    • [12:27] “I did not see that happen. I didn’t see nobody get out of either vehicle. I just would like to. I messed up.”
    • She admits her fear clouded her perception.

B. Frank McMurrow’s Account

• Closest to the shooting; in deposition, says:
  • [14:16] “Yeah, I have no idea who fired first. I didn’t hear a single pop. Then a bunch of pops. I just heard pop.”
  • [15:12] “He was brandishing a firearm down by his side is what I think.”
• Crucially, did not see Spivey raise his gun or fire first, contradicting Boyd’s account.

C. Law Enforcement Bodycam Footage

• Officer Higgs’ body cam captures the aftermath; Spivey found deceased, family visibly distraught ([17:36]).

---

4. Testimony of Weldon Boyd

• Sworn in, questioned for four hours about his background, the incident, and aftermath ([20:14]).
• Boyd’s account:
  • Claims Spivey brake-checked them, aimed gun at Boyd and Williams, and shot first ([23:06]).
  • [23:31] “There is no doubt in my mind that that man shot at us first.” — Weldon Boyd
• Contradicts McMurrow’s testimony about where Boyd’s gun was.
• Boyd asked about insensitive remarks after the killing:
  • [27:04] “You embrace the suck. When things are hard, you make a joke out of it and get the hell over it.”
  • [27:56] “[After a week] I crashed… I stayed in that bed for weeks. I was broken… I’m still broken.”
  • Describes “dark humor” as a coping mechanism.

Alleged Coaching and Credibility Issues

• Boyd confronted about a note from a police officer: “act like a victim” ([24:19]), and about his recorded calls with police deputies promising to “take care of him” post-shooting.
• Boyd’s stories about having his phone in hand vs. gun are scrutinized.
• Admission of having said he “had a fucking blast” after the killing. Tries to explain as trauma-induced dark humor.

---

5. Testimony of Bradley Williams

• Williams aligns with Boyd’s account; says Spivey was the sole aggressor and shot first.
  • [37:44] “In the seconds before you or Weldon shoot the gun, are you in fear for your life? Absolutely.” — Bradley Williams
  • [37:59] “Because I had no other option… I can’t retreat. I can’t get out. I’m there.”
• Cross-examination attempts to paint Williams as more than an innocent passenger.

---

6. Judge Griffith Announces His Ruling

• Instead of deliberating, Judge Griffith immediately announces his findings ([42:07]):
  • Casts doubt on Boyd’s credibility and his version of events.
  • Notes that the pursuit of Spivey was reckless:
    • [43:01] “Foolish behavior don’t require you to foolishly act yourself. And it seems that driving over 100 miles an hour trying to keep up with the guy with a gun is foolish.” — Judge Griffith
  • Points to Boyd’s post-shooting actions and communications as attempts to cover himself.

The Verdict

• [45:26] "I find that Mr. Boyd’s request for immunity is denied." — Judge Griffith
• Civil suit moves ahead; criminal prosecution is now possible for Boyd.
• Williams’ immunity status is undecided, pending further examination.

---

7. Aftermath and Reflections

• Jennifer Spivey Foley describes her family’s relief at the ruling, seeing it as validation and closure:
  • [46:29] “It was so relieving to hear somebody else come to that same conclusion... It just was so much like, this is what we’ve been saying all along. Finally, somebody else sees it.”
  • Reflects on the three sides of every story: “Your side, their side, and the truth.” ([47:02])
• The family’s first act of healing: picking out a headstone for Scott, after two and a half years of legal limbo.
  • [49:19] “Jeremiah 1:19. They may fight against us, but they will not prosper.” — Jennifer Spivey Foley

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Morgan Martin (Defense):

  • [05:40] “This is a place where we come to find the truth. And we would want you to find it here. We want all the facts to be laid out. Any and everything, hide nothing, show it all.”

• Mark Tinsley (Plaintiff):

  • [06:56] “Chase is not our word … it is Weldon Boyd’s word. And he relentlessly … chased Scott Spivey and murdered him.”

• Judge Griffith (Ruling):

  • [43:01] “Foolish behavior don’t require you to foolishly act yourself. And it seems that driving over 100 miles an hour trying to keep up with the guy with a gun is foolish.”
  • [45:26] “I find that Mr. Boyd’s request for immunity is denied.”

• Jennifer Spivey Foley:

  • [48:11] “You cannot expect the justice system to advocate for you. It will not do it. You have to advocate for yourself. You have to advocate for your loved ones. And even then, the justice system is still going to do only what you push them to do.”

---

Key Timestamps

• 02:04 - Explanation of immunity hearing and stakes
• 04:39 - Morgan Martin paints Spivey as aggressor
• 06:56 - Mark Tinsley frames incident as a “relentless” chase
• 09:20 - First 911 call witness, Blaze Ward
• 12:27 - Blaze Ward recants critical details from initial statements
• 14:16 - Frank McMurrow’s deposition contradictions
• 20:14 - Weldon Boyd takes the stand
• 23:31 - Boyd claims Spivey shot at them
• 27:56 - Boyd describes post-shooting trauma
• 34:44 - Discussion of dark humor, teardrop tattoos
• 42:07 - Judge Griffith’s ruling announced
• 45:26 - Immunity denied for Boyd
• 49:13 - Family plans headstone inscription

---

Summary Takeaways

This episode encapsulates the agony and complexity of seeking justice after a violent death, underlining how truth is often constructed from incomplete, untrustworthy, and shifting narratives. The court’s decision—a denial of immunity for Weldon Boyd—shifts the case into a new, more accountable phase, and provides long-awaited validation for Scott Spivey’s family. As Jennifer Spivey Foley notes, the legal system rarely advocates for the victim—persistence and advocacy are essential. The episode demonstrates the profound emotional toll of such hearings, the messiness of memory and trauma, and how justice hinges on credibility, not just facts.

---

For anyone following the Camp Swamp Road saga, this is the pivotal episode. The Journal promises ongoing reporting as the civil suit progresses and criminal charges loom—a reminder that the search for truth, even in the courts, is fraught, and often hard-won.

Transcript

[Valerie Borlein]

To hear previous episodes of Camp Swamp Road, there is a link in this episode's description. Click on that to go to a Spotify playlist of the whole series. A word of warning. This series contains descriptions of violence and strong language, including unbleep curse words. Please be advised. Previously on Camp Swamp Road.

[Weldon Boyd]

He shot us first.

[Morgan Martin]

He shot at you.

[Weldon Boyd]

He shot 100%.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

You don't know what to think. It's like the bottom of your whole. Your soul. Everything just kind of drops out.

[Weldon Boyd]

Bradley, I know it's fucked up to say, but I had a fucking blast. I know it's fucked up, but I'm a fucked up person.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

I was like, you're kidding me. He's like, no, I'm not kidding you. He's like, it just keeps getting more

[Valerie Borlein]

and more absurd, you know?

[Morgan Martin]

I'll be so glad when we get out of the podcast world, with due respect to you, and into the courtroom, so we can try this case.

[Valerie Borlein]

The town of Conway, South Carolina, is the Horry county seat. It's where Scott Spivey's body was towed in his truck on the night he was killed. It's where the county council meets, and it's where Jennifer Spivey Foley gave a speech begging anyone in authority to look at the evidence she'd uncovered. In a red brick building in the town center is the county courthouse. Inside, a hearing is about to start. It's a hearing for Jennifer's wrongful death lawsuit against Weldon Boyd and Bradley Williams. Good morning, ma'.

[Weldon Boyd]

Am.

[Morgan Martin]

Ma', am.

[Weldon Boyd]

Are y'.

[Morgan Martin]

All.

[Weldon Boyd]

I'll get you to a media.

[Valerie Borlein]

Media. Yeah.

[Weldon Boyd]

Okay, hit on.

[Valerie Borlein]

But we know not to bring our phones in.

[Weldon Boyd]

All right, thank you.

[Valerie Borlein]

I walk into the Horry county courthouse with my producer, Heather Rogers.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

There's a lot of people coming in. There's a big line at the security.

[Valerie Borlein]

Under South Carolina's stand your ground law, individuals are entitled to total immunity if they can convince a judge they killed in self defense. If the judge agrees, the killers can never be criminally charged or sued in civil court. These proceedings are called an immunity hearing. If the judge says an immunity should apply, Jennifer's lawsuit would be over. And Boyd and Williams are forever shielded from criminal prosecution. On the other hand, if the judge says immunity does not apply, Jennifer's civil case can continue and Boyd and Williams could face criminal charges for the killing of Scott's body. The stakes couldn't be higher. I'm valerie borlein and this is camp swamp road. A series from the journal. Coming up, episode six, your side Their Side and the truth. The courtroom is filled with observers, friends and family on both sides, curious members of the public. And there's lots of media, both local and national. To me, this sure feels like a trial. But there's no jury. It's just a hearing in Jennifer's civil suit. The only person whose opinion matters here is Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith.

[Weldon Boyd]

All right.

[Morgan Martin]

Good morning, everyone.

[Valerie Borlein]

Believe it or not, the judge allowed me and the other reporters to sit in the jury box. From here, I can see everything.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

All right, ladies and gentlemen, we have groups of Dernis.

[Valerie Borlein]

To my left is the judge. To my right are the lawyers and the defendants. Plaintiff.

[Mark Tinsley]

Readership?

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Plaintiff ready?

[Valerie Borlein]

Defendants ready.

[Blaze Ward]

All right.

[Valerie Borlein]

Judge Griffith starts by letting each side make opening arguments. Attorney Morgan Martin kicks things off for the defense. That's Boyden Williams. Side. Martin argues that in the minutes before he died, Scott Spivey was a public danger. It was Spivey who brought on the difficulty that led to his death.

[Morgan Martin]

Whatever he did on the road that day, he did for reasons that were satisfactory to himself and himself alone. He instigated it. He started it. He sustained it. He kept it up. And that was him.

[Valerie Borlein]

Martin is wearing a pink tie and a matching pocket square. He's comfortable in this courtroom. It's kind of his second home. Martin's known as a lion of the Horry County Bar. He's defended stan your grand cases many times before in criminal court. The defense team valued that expertise, so they brought Martin into the civil case.

[Morgan Martin]

Everybody else had to react to Mr. Spivey that day. He was, for lack of a better term, as my mother would have said. He was a holy terror that day.

[Valerie Borlein]

Martin argues that Boyd and Williams didn't chase Scott Spivey. They only followed him so they could relay his location to police. And when they got to Camp Swamp Road, Spivey's the one who shot first.

[Morgan Martin]

This is a place where we come to find the truth. And we would want you to find it here. We want all the facts to be laid out. Any and everything, hide nothing, show it all. Because it's clear that evidence will bring you back to the idea that this is not anything but a clear, clear case of stand your ground immunity. It ain't close, I will tell you.

[Valerie Borlein]

I look over at Weldon Boyd. He's wearing a white collared shirt and a blue sport coat. On his wrist is a two tone stainless steel and gold Rolex. He looks confident. The plaintiff's side is next.

[Mark Tinsley]

Thank you, you, Honor.

[Valerie Borlein]

Mark Tinsley speaks on behalf of the Spivey family. In his opening argument, he points to the calls that Boyd secretly recorded on his phone, the calls where he spoke candidly and made light of the shooting. In those recordings, Boyd himself calls the pursuit of Scott Spivey a chase.

[Mark Tinsley]

Chase is not our word, Judge. It's not the podcaster's words. It's not the media's word. It is weld and Boyd's wor. And he relentlessly, and this is what the testimony is going to show, he relentlessly chased Scott Spivey and murdered him.

[Valerie Borlein]

The Boyden Williams side argues that Scott Spivey was a violent road rager. He was speeding, running cars off the road and threatening other drivers with a gun. Boyd and Williams were just being good citizens by following him and calling 911. But Tinsley says if Boyd chased Spivey, then it's reasonable to think that Spivey would have seen Boyd as the threat.

[Mark Tinsley]

I have never seen a road rage case where the road rager was being chased by an innocent person. When you see those videos on the Internet of road rage, some fool's coming up and he's beating your side mirror off. He's pounding on your door. He's trying to get you, not get away from you.

[Valerie Borlein]

Tinsley says that the judge will hear evidence that Weldon Boyd and Bradley Williams lack credibility.

[Mark Tinsley]

Judges are not a standing ground case. This is a chase. This is a chase. And you're going to hear, I don't know how many lies I tried to count the lies you're going to hear over and over and over again about their lives, both of them.

[Valerie Borlein]

With the opening statements concluded, it's now time to present evidence. Boyden Williams side. The defense gets to go first. The defense plays surveillance footage from Boardwalk Billy's, the bar where Scott Spivey had spent his afternoon on the day he died. Spivey was at the bar for five hours. He ordered some food, seven Miller lights, and eight shots of Fireball cinnamon whiskey. Though the video shows that some of those drinks were for other people. Spivey then drove his black truck onto Highway 9. The defense calls witnesses who were also on Highway 9. They testified that they saw Spivey driving erratically and waving a gun. From their perspective, it was Spivey who started the confrontation. Then the defense plays a 911 recording from a different witness on Highway 9. She was the first person to call the police that day.

[Morgan Martin]

We would intend to play the 911 call. Blanket war.

[Weldon Boyd]

Correct.

[Valerie Borlein]

If you've heard earlier episodes, this call should be pretty familiar.

[Blaze Ward]

There is a Guy that is waving a gun in front of me, trying to shoot at my car, and the other one's beside us. He's all over the road, and I have his license.

[Valerie Borlein]

From the start of the police investigation, the witness account of Blaze Ward was crucial. She said she saw everything. She saw Spivey with a gun on the highway. She saw the road raging with Weldon Boyd, and she saw the shooting on Camp Swamp Road.

[Blaze Ward]

He's jumping out of the truck. I'm turning the same way. There is a truck behind him and. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. What happened? Ma', am, what happened? Did he fire together?

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Ma'? Am?

[Blaze Ward]

Ma'.

[Weldon Boyd]

Am.

[Blaze Ward]

Oh, my God.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd and Williams lawyer describe her as, quote, little blond headed Blaze Ward. The fear in her voice is real, and they want the judge to hear it. The lawyers on both sides wanted Blaze Ward to testify in court. But for months before the hearing, Ward had gone dark. She didn't respond to phone calls, door knocks, or subpoenas. But at the last minute, Ward surfaced. Rather than coming into court to testify, though, she agreed to sit for a recorded deposition. That happened on Friday the 13th, just days before the hearing started. Would you preach your name, please? You solemnly swear or affirm the testimony you're bound to give in this case? The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Said it'll be God. Thank you. The entire video deposition was played in court on behalf of the Spivey family. Mark Tinsley asked the first questions. And almost from the get go, Ward starts backtracking on the things she told police.

[Mark Tinsley]

Have you had an opportunity to go back and listen to the words that you said on the 911 call?

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

No, I have not. Recently at all.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Okay.

[Mark Tinsley]

But at some point, you've either heard it or you've heard people commenting about words. And you agree now that some of the things that you were saying on the 911 call weren't accurate, right?

[Valerie Borlein]

Yes. Ward explained that from the moment she saw Spivey's gun, she was terrified.

[Mark Tinsley]

Had you had a prior instance with a gun?

[Valerie Borlein]

Yes.

[Mark Tinsley]

And did that cause you to be afraid?

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

Very much.

[Valerie Borlein]

In the deposition, Ward said that her fear caused her to perceive things that weren't accurate. For instance, in the 911 call, Ward said that she was trying to get away from Spivey's truck, but she realized later that that was impossible because she was driving behind him.

[Mark Tinsley]

You agree that at any time you could have pulled over and stopped and gotten away from whatever was happening?

[Ken Moss]

Yes.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

Correct.

[Valerie Borlein]

And then Ward backtracks On a much bigger claim she'd made to police that she saw Scott Spivey shoot his gun at Weldon Boyd's truck. Ward now says that she didn't actually see Spivey fire his weapon. What she saw was glass popping off Boyd's windshield. And because she'd only seen Spivey with a gun, she assumed that he was the one shooting.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

I said that, of course, I cannot take that away, but I shouldn't have, because I put two and two together in my head going back to Sandago, and I thought, oh, me in my head, plus 2, plus 2, 4. You see the outcome, you're gonna think, oh, my gosh, the windshield's blowing out. So he's shooting. That's what my resort to. And I jumped a gun, and I said, he's jumped out of his truck whole time. I didn't see that happen. I did not see that happen. I didn't see nobody get out of either vehicle. I just would like to. I messed up.

[Valerie Borlein]

All right.

[Morgan Martin]

That's good.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd and William side Long saw Blaise Ward as a critical witness. However, her deposition doesn't seem to be a slam dunk. But she did confirm something important. That Spivey was aggressive and threatened her on the road. Next, Boyd and Williams lawyers shift to a different witness, a man named Frank McMurro. McMurro was driving down Camp Swamp Road toward Howienan. He passed Spivey's black truck right as he jumped out of it, and he was next to Boyd's white truck as the gunfire started. Out of all the witnesses, Frank McMurra had the closest view to the shooting. His 911 call is played in court.

[Blaze Ward]

And what's going on? I know you said shots fired there. Okay, so a guy got out of his truck. He was in a black truck. He got out of his truck with a pistol drawn. The slide was open. He told the guy, do not follow me anymore. The guy in the white truck had his gun drawn, pointed at him, and the guy in the black truck kind of, like, moved his pistol. And the guy in the white truck just unloaded a complete magazine at the guy, shot through his back window, and I think he might have hit him.

[Valerie Borlein]

In a written statement to police that night, McMurray said that he saw Spivey pointing his gun at Boyd. But in a recorded deposition played in the courtroom, his story is different.

[Frank McMurrow]

Yeah, I have no idea who fired first. I didn't hear a single pop. Then a bunch of pops. I just heard pop.

[Valerie Borlein]

McMurrow testified that he didn't see Spivey point his gun at Boyd's truck. What he saw was Spivey's gun at his side, the slide locked back, meaning it wasn't ready to shoot. Then McMurrow said he saw Spivey move his arm.

[Frank McMurrow]

What I saw was when his arm slightly moved in my side mirror, all hell broke loose. I don't even think he would have had the time to raise his gun and chamber it and fire in that time. I don't.

[Valerie Borlein]

This account that Spivey had his gun pointed down is consistent with what McMurrow said to police on Camp Swamp Road. The only place it was different was in his written statement.

[Frank McMurrow]

You know, I've been around guns my whole life. I've taken multiple training courses. I've done multi things. When he was brandishing a firearm down by his side is what I think.

[Valerie Borlein]

He didn't.

[Frank McMurrow]

I didn't see any motion of him raising that up in an aggressive manner or pointing it or anything like that at all.

[Valerie Borlein]

Though McMurrow didn't see who shot first, he also testified that before shots were fired, he saw Boyd with his gun propped up on the dashboard, pointed at Spivey.

[Frank McMurrow]

I didn't get nervous until I saw the gun in the white truck, because

[Valerie Borlein]

then I was like, oh, this is a bombshell. Boyd and Williams have said from the beginning that Spivey pointed his gun at them and shot first. But McMurray's deposition casts serious doubt on that version of events. Boyd and Williams attorney Morgan Martin asked McMurrow about that.

[Morgan Martin]

Well, at either. Either way, either either as is written in your handwritten statement, or as you're telling us today, you did see Mr. Stivey, at some point in time, raise his pistol and point it towards the truck before there was any shooting.

[Frank McMurrow]

No, I did. I have never once said I saw Scott Spivey point a pistol at the white truck. I said he went. He moved his arm in an upward position is all I saw. I never saw him point a gun at that white truck ever.

[Valerie Borlein]

In court, Boyden Williams lawyers move on to the aftermath of the shooting. They call a witness to the stand, Horry county police Officer Carrie Hicks. He was the first officer to arrive at Camp Swamp Road.

[Morgan Martin]

Can you sort of walk the judge through what you observed when you first got on scene, what you did? When I got on scene, it was a little hectic with traffic.

[Weldon Boyd]

Camp Swamp is a route that people

[Morgan Martin]

go to and from Tabor City.

[Valerie Borlein]

The defense then plays a video on a TV monitor in the courtroom. It's from higgs's body cam. Within seconds of Higgs arrival, Weldon Boyd comes running up to him.

[Weldon Boyd]

I was taking pictures of his license plate when I turned in here. He got out of that truck, had his pistol. He racked it and it shot me. And Bradley started shooting back. I mean, I can't. He was shooting at us. Why would he do that? They saw everything right there. No, we're good. He's deceased.

[Valerie Borlein]

The body cam then shows Higgs walking up to Spivey's truck. I look over to the Spivey family. They're sitting in the front row of the gallery. My eyes drift to Scott Spivey's mom, Deborah. As the video plays, her jaw drops. She's seeing this footage for the first time.

[Morgan Martin]

Tracking on the vehicle. Black Chevy, NC plate Romeo Charlie 15 3.

[Valerie Borlein]

Higgs walks up to the driver's side door, which is flung open. Scott Spivey is slumped over the center console.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

Sir?

[Valerie Borlein]

The officer prods Spivey's back. There's no response. A few minutes later, Higgs goes around to the passenger side of the truck and opens the door. There's glass scattered across the seat and bullet holes in the front windshield. The camera catches the blood on Scott Spivey's face. Deborah has her eyes fixed on the screen. She looks distraught. Jennifer is turned away and weeping. She shields her face with a tissue. Unlike Deborah, Jennifer has watched this footage many times, cataloging it as evidence for her lawyers. By now, the hearing has gone on for two days, and so far there's been very little discussion about Weldon Boyd's state of mind and whether he was in fear for his life on Camp Swamp Road. Neither of the men who killed Scott Spivey has testified. But the next day, that will change. After the break, come forward and be smart. Weldon Boyd takes the stand.

[Morgan Martin]

Mr. Boyd, been a long time coming for you to tell your story.

[Ken Moss]

I'm ready. This episode of the Journal is presented by Intuit Enterprise Suite. If your finance team spends more time finding data than using it. If there's one entity here and one here and one here and one here, if scaling your business feels like starting over, you need the Intuit ERP. Intuit Enterprise Suite. The AI native ERP is here. From the makers of QuickBooks. Learn more at intuit.com erp.

[Valerie Borlein]

Weldon Boyd takes the stand on the third day of the hearing. He's now wearing a gray suit and he's not wearing his Rolex anymore. After he's sworn in, Boyd is questioned by his longtime lawyer, a Man named Ken Moss.

[Morgan Martin]

Now, here's what I want you to do. I want you to pay attention to that judge and only that judge. I'm gonna ask you a lot of

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

questions,

[Morgan Martin]

but the only two people in this courtroom that matter are you and that judge.

[Weldon Boyd]

Yes, sir.

[Valerie Borlein]

Moss questions Boyd for about four hours, and they cover a lot going back to Boyd's upbringing.

[Weldon Boyd]

My father is a very direct, blunt man, and I think I was raised the same way. You know, you thought down and get up. I don't want to hear you whine about it. It happens. It's going to happen again. Do the right thing. If you feel like something needs to be done, you do it. Don't be lazy and put your family first.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd is asked about his experience in the national Guard and a deployment to Kuwait, and he spends a lot of time talking about a custody battle with his ex fiance. After two hours, Boyd starts to tell his version of what happened on Camp Swamp Road.

[Weldon Boyd]

I'm driving along, and I'm just finishing up a text message, and I sent that. And as soon as I sent it, sometime immediately after, I hear my friend Bradley, and excuse my language, judge, yell, what the fuck?

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd tells the court that on Highway 9, Spivey had pointed a gun at his friend Bradley Williams. He testifies that Spivey brake checked him, forcing his truck off the highway.

[Weldon Boyd]

I'm trying to catch up. He's running fast. And I try to get caught up because I want to get his license plate. I want to get this information to the police.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd testifies that as he drove and spoke to 911, he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding his phone. Moss placed portions of the 911 call in court.

[Weldon Boyd]

He's aiming guns at people. He ragged it. He was about to shoot at us. We pulled our guns out. I don't know what this dude's problem is.

[Valerie Borlein]

Then Spivey and Boyd turned on to Camp Swamp Road.

[Weldon Boyd]

He's stopping. He's stopping. Hey, we're about to have a fucking shootout, dude. This dude's got a gun. He's got a fucking gun.

[Valerie Borlein]

According to Boyd, Spivey jumped out and started walking towards his truck. Then Spivey did what Boyd calls a matrix move dramatically swinging his arm towards Boyd with a gun in his hand.

[Morgan Martin]

Did you see Mr. Spivey fire you?

[Weldon Boyd]

I absolutely saw Mr. Spivey fired.

[Morgan Martin]

Were you afraid when he raised that gun?

[Weldon Boyd]

I knew exactly what was going to happen next.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd says he dropped his phone and reached for the gun in his waistband. Then he and Williams started shooting.

[Morgan Martin]

Do you have any doubt about what you saw with respect to Mr. Spivey?

[Weldon Boyd]

There is no doubt in my mind that that man shot at us first.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd's testimony is very different from Frank McMurro's. McMurrow said that before the shooting started, he saw Boyd gripping his gun with both hands propped on the dashboard, aimed towards Spivey. Boyd testifies that that was impossible.

[Weldon Boyd]

I believe. And I'm not gonna call anyone, I'm not gonna call him a liar, I believe McMurra is. He did not see my gun because I had a phone in one hand. I had another hand on the steering wheel. I was trying to go between shifter, which is up here, shifter down here. I don't know where a gun would have been in that moment.

[Valerie Borlein]

Ken Moss also asked about what happened after the shooting. He questions Boyd about the note written by Horry county police Officer Damon Viscovy. The note that read, act like a victim. Camera.

[Morgan Martin]

Was it a surprise to you that some officer you don't know shoved you this note?

[Weldon Boyd]

I didn't know what he meant by. I was totally dumbfounded by it. I mean, what do you say to that? What do you do to that? Act like a victim? I mean, I am a victim. I'm sitting here at a scene where someone just tried to shoot me and we had to shoot back. And you walk up and you just flash that in me. And then I. I mean, immediately I knew this was bad because I didn't ask for that. That's. That. That is not. That is not what I needed you to do. It's not what I asked you to do. I don't know. This guy, he just walked up and did it to me.

[Morgan Martin]

Well, you've had a couple years to reflect on it. Do you have any idea what he

[Mark Tinsley]

might have been doing?

[Morgan Martin]

Now,

[Weldon Boyd]

I have thought about this over and over and over because this has made me look guilty of something that I didn't do. And all I can do is just try to figure out why he did it, why he felt led to do it. The only thing that I have come up with is I was in a frantic state. I was up. I think my adrenaline was probably still going. I. Pacing back and forth. I'm trying to get people on the phone. I don't know if maybe he just wanted me to calm down and just chill. I don't know if he thought that he was helping. I can't speak for why someone else did something. All I can do is try to understand it. But I Don't know why he did it.

[Morgan Martin]

Well, that goes for Mr. Spivey, too. You can't speak for why he do what he did.

[Weldon Boyd]

Very much so.

[Valerie Borlein]

In the days after the shooting, Boyd is on dozens of recorded phone calls, talking about what happened and making light of it. In court, Ken Moss asked Boyd about that time period and how he was feeling. Boyd testifies that he was struggling within the next days.

[Weldon Boyd]

I tried to get back to it. I just tried to. I got a business run. I got to get back to it. I don't know how that's supposed to work, but I got to do it. So I tried to work. I ran errands.

[Morgan Martin]

What have you told me in the past about what you. What you learned to own in the military?

[Weldon Boyd]

What's that?

[Morgan Martin]

What have you been told to embrace?

[Weldon Boyd]

You embrace the suck. When things are hard, you make a joke out of it and get the hell over it. You keep going. What's lying around crying about it gonna change? It's not gonna change a damn thing. You just go. That's what you do. You just.

[Morgan Martin]

Is that what you did?

[Weldon Boyd]

Yeah. I tried to just be tough. I just try. I made light of it. I made jokes of it and just push it out. It's just. We got to get past it. There's shit that. Excuse my language. I'm sorry. There's stuff that needs to be done. We got to keep going. You can't. You just. It's no big deal. You just keep going. That's how I handled this. And I made it about a week.

[Morgan Martin]

And then what happened? I crashed.

[Weldon Boyd]

I had a picture attack. I just. I fell. I made it to my bed, and I stayed in that bed for weeks. I would get up and shower, and I'd get right back in the bed. I was broken. I didn't work for eight. Around eight to 10 months. I didn't even walk in my business. I couldn't. I mean, I just. I broke, and I'm still broken.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd testifies that the things he said on the calls were dark humor, a way to cope with stress.

[Morgan Martin]

Some of them are disgusting.

[Weldon Boyd]

They're disgusting. Have you heard most of them? I mean, I have a hard time listening to them. I can't. I hate listening to them. They're awful. They're just disgusting.

[Valerie Borlein]

After hours of testimony, Kim Moss concludes by again asking Boyd about the shooting.

[Morgan Martin]

Did you intend to hurt that man?

[Valerie Borlein]

No.

[Morgan Martin]

Have fired at him, had he not?

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

No.

[Weldon Boyd]

I gave him every chance. He really just got back in the truck.

[Valerie Borlein]

Now the Spiveys lawyer gets to cross examine Weldon Boyd. Mark Tinsley zeroes in on Boyd's credibility. He asks about the act like a victim note.

[Mark Tinsley]

Now, remember you questioned why on earth Damon Viscovi would hand you that note. And then you said that you were pacing back and forth. You want me to bring up that video? You pacing back and forth. And I don't know if he said, you think he felt sorry for you or what, but you couldn't fathom why he did it.

[Valerie Borlein]

Tinsley plays some footage from Vescovi's body cam before the officer writes the note. The court sees Boyd sitting on his trailer, talking on the phone. In the video, Viscovi asked Boyd who was on the call.

[Mark Tinsley]

I just ask you who you're on the phone with and you're safe.

[Valerie Borlein]

Kim?

[Weldon Boyd]

Yes.

[Valerie Borlein]

Boyd was on the phone with his lawyer, Ken Moss. Boyd hands his phone to Viscovi.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Okay.

[Mark Tinsley]

He said, ken, this is Dana, right?

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Yes.

[Valerie Borlein]

About a minute after Viscovy talks to Boyd's lawyer, he writes the note and

[Mark Tinsley]

he walks back to his car. He writes the note, he comes back, he shows it to you, correct?

[Weldon Boyd]

I believe that's when it happened, yes.

[Valerie Borlein]

In Boyd's earlier testimony, he said he was, quote, dumbfounded by the act like a victim note, that he had no idea why Viscovy would show it to him. But Boyd skipped over the detail about the phone call with his lawyer. Next, Tinsley moves on to another person who Boyd called after the shooting. Deputy chief of the Horry County Police, Brandon Strickland. In a call, Strickland had promised Boyd that he had, quote, the right people coming to Camp Swamp Road. Tinsley plays a call from the following day. You were taken care of.

[Morgan Martin]

Well, I appreciate that.

[Weldon Boyd]

I mean, I don't even. I mean, there's already people saying that I shot him because he's dating my ex. I mean, I don't even understand this shit. I don't even know the guy.

[Valerie Borlein]

Tinsley asked Boyd, quote, why do you need to be taken care of if it's a clear cut case of self defense?

[Weldon Boyd]

I answered a phone call and someone started talking to me. I didn't request to be taken care of.

[Mark Tinsley]

You actually did. You picked up the phone immediately and you called him to come down there right away.

[Valerie Borlein]

Right?

[Mark Tinsley]

You just heard that?

[Weldon Boyd]

I did call him. I did ask him to come. I didn't ask for anyone to take care of me.

[Valerie Borlein]

Another big question about Boyd's story has to do with what was in his hands when the shootout started. Was it his phone, as Boyd testified, or was it his gun. As Frank McMurrow testified. Here, Tinsley plays a call between Boyd and his mother from two days after the shooting, when he got back in

[Weldon Boyd]

his vehicle and quit shooting at us. We quit shooting, you hear me?

[Blaze Ward]

Still being on 91 1, all of it's recording.

[Weldon Boyd]

I made sure the phone was sitting right between me and Bradley when this was going on so it could all be recorded. Even the dispatcher made sure it was

[Mark Tinsley]

sitting right between you.

[Valerie Borlein]

Right.

[Mark Tinsley]

You didn't drop it. You had it sitting there so it would all be recorded on 911 when you did this.

[Weldon Boyd]

I dropped the phone. It ended up there in the shuffling around, it ended up on the floor.

[Mark Tinsley]

That's not what you told your mama, right? We just heard.

[Weldon Boyd]

Truth was, not even I dropped the phone, landed in between us. I assume in the shuffling around, it ended up on the floor.

[Valerie Borlein]

Next, Tinsley confronts Boyd about the calls he described as dark humor.

[Mark Tinsley]

But you actually told Bradley that you had a fucking blast, didn't you?

[Weldon Boyd]

I did say that. Don't recall the conversation.

[Mark Tinsley]

But you do recall denying it. And you got a situation, don't you?

[Weldon Boyd]

I said that I. Everything was pretty terrible, which is the

[Mark Tinsley]

opposite of having a fucking blast, right?

[Weldon Boyd]

Yeah. I truly believe that in these days, I was going through a traumatic event. I believe I was having kind of a trauma situation and I was saying things that just made no sense.

[Valerie Borlein]

Sense.

[Weldon Boyd]

Trying to cope and using dark humor. Trying to cope. I'm not denying any of these things. I'm eating them. I'm telling you, these things were said.

[Valerie Borlein]

Tinsley plays a call between Boyd and Williams where the two friends say that they should commemorate the killing.

[Weldon Boyd]

We have to find somewhere on our body to put a teardrop. I'm doing it. Me and you are doing it. I don't give a. We're doing it. Dark humor.

[Mark Tinsley]

Now that you're caught, it's dark humor, right?

[Weldon Boyd]

No, it's always dark humor. That's how I cope.

[Mark Tinsley]

You giggle like a little girl when you. When you're coping.

[Weldon Boyd]

I do giggle.

[Mark Tinsley]

Especially when you're having fun.

[Weldon Boyd]

Right. I've had a very difficult time with all of this. And this was feeling, this was returning recorded in the immediate days after, when I am still in a state of confusion, shock, trauma. I'm trying to cope best I can. I use dark humor. I have ups, I have downs. I'm crying, I'm laughing, I'm happy, I'm alive, I'm paranoid. It is an up, down episode. And from everything I've seen, that is a totally normal situation for someone to be in after they go through something like that.

[Valerie Borlein]

After about an hour of questioning, Void Tinsley stops and looks up at Judge Griffith.

[Mark Tinsley]

Judge, all of these audio calls are indirect. I've cited to them. I can do this for. There's eight hours of calls and I can do this for hours. I'm going to rely on what we've put in the record. I don't think I need to play anymore. To demonstrate what you've seen here is heard.

[Valerie Borlein]

The cross examination is over. According to my reporting, the Spavies legal team tried to make a deal with Bradley Williams in exchange for testifying against Boyd. The family said they would ask the judge to grant Williams immunity. That means he would never risk being charged, never risk going to prison. But instead of taking the deal, Williams takes the stand.

[Morgan Martin]

The first time I seen him pointing a gun at me, I exclaimed. Well, I said other words, but I'm going to skip that. He was driving erratic. He would jump in front of us, he would start slamming on the brakes, speed back off, slam on the brakes again. He ran us off the road. The whole time he's doing this, he's also pointing the gun at other people, pointing the gun at us, waving the gun out the window. It was madness.

[Valerie Borlein]

Williams backs up most everything that Boyd testified to. There was no chase. Boyd was just relaying information to 91 1. It was Scott Spivey who caused the conflict and Spivey shot first. William's lawyer, Morgan Martin asked the questions

[Morgan Martin]

in the seconds before you or Weldon shoot the gun, are you in fear for your life? Absolutely. Do you believe any reasonable man would have been fear for his life? Yes, sir, I do. And in your words, why did you shoot when you shot? Because I had no other option. Other than what? There was nothing else I could do. I couldn't. I can't retreat. I can't get out. I'm there.

[Valerie Borlein]

The Spiveys lawyer Mark Tinsley cross examines Williams for about half an hour. The thrust of the questioning is that Williams wasn't just Boyd's passenger, he was an active participant in the killing. After Williams leaves the stand, Boyd and Williams side rests their case. And after calling a couple of witnesses, the Spivey's side rests theirs. Now it's up to the judge.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

All right, good. Time for a break.

[Valerie Borlein]

We'll be right back.

[Ken Moss]

This episode is brought to you by Claude from Anthropic. Anthropic just made a commitment. No ads in Claude that matters because ads in AI aren't like ads elsewhere on social media. They sit next to your content in AI. They could be woven into it to keep you engaged rather than helping you think something through or getting the tough work done. See why the world's best problem solvers choose Claude as their thinking partner? Try it free at Claude. AI TheJournal.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Y' all have asked for brief summaries. I think 10 minutes each is enough. That's brief.

[Valerie Borlein]

After a short break, Judge Griffith makes it clear that he's not interested in hearing long, drawn out closing arguments.

[Morgan Martin]

Thank you, Judge. Please the court.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Yes, sir.

[Valerie Borlein]

Morgan Martin for Boyd and Williams. Side goes first.

[Morgan Martin]

I am gonna make this abbreviated, you'll be happy to hear. Okay. But there are some things that I that I do think are worth mentioning and I would like for you to take with you when you leave. First of all, there's a lot of.

[Valerie Borlein]

This is Martin's final chance to convince the judge that Boyd and Williams should have immunity for the killing of Scott Spivey. He says that Spivey's dangerous behavior on the road is not up for debate.

[Morgan Martin]

As the old Lowell Malice used to say. He was a. He was a guy who was devoid of social duty and fatally bent on mischief. And that's what happened. If you want to get down to why this happened and he caused it his fault he didn't withdraw.

[Valerie Borlein]

Martin argues that what Boyd and Williams did on Camp Swamp Road is what any reasonable person would do.

[Morgan Martin]

Self defense, self preservation is an instinct that comes from the gut. You got it? I got it. Everybody in this room's got it. The great buck on the hill. Mightiest in the woods and the forest. If he hears the snap of a twig, he's gone. He's not gonna let trouble get him first.

[Valerie Borlein]

As Martin ends his remarks.

[Morgan Martin]

Thank you, Judge.

[Valerie Borlein]

Mark Tinsley starts to stand up.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Ms. Tinsley, I want you to stay there.

[Valerie Borlein]

The judge tells Tinsley to sit back down. It's not clear what's happening. The lawyers look confused. Both sides had told me it could take weeks or even months before the judge would issue his ruling. But at this moment, I realized that Judge Griffith doesn't want any time to deliberate. He's already made up his mind.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

I've listened to this whole thing. This withdrawal or trying to get away from the thing. Driving over 115 miles an hour trying to get away sounds like a reasonable trying to withdraw. I don't know what else she could have done to get away from there. That's getting away, that's withdrawing. At least that's indicative of it to me. And it wasn't working anyway. This is an immunity hearing, not a guilt or innocence. It's not a money thing. This is immunity. And this not in fault. And bringing on the difficulty, that's tricky. But credibility is huge here.

[Valerie Borlein]

I look at Weldon Boyd. He's leaning over the defense table, his hands clutched together.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

I really question the credibility of Weldon Boyd. I find his testimony lacking credibility in many places. I'll give a few. For instance. I'm not going through them all, but a few. He called Mr. Strickland a deputy, but he wasn't looking for help. Called a lawyer looking for help. I get that. Called the chief deputy, but wasn't looking for help. It's not credible, The differing descriptions of Spivey's behavior outside the truck. Compare McMurray's description to these two's description. Totally different. I don't know how you confuse those. Even if you're looking through your rearview mirror, you'd see a big difference. Whether you call it pursuit, following. I'm chasing. They know. Both guys in that truck know that the guy they're following at a rapid, trying to keep up, has got a gun. Stay by it. He's acting like a fool. He was. Bobby was acting like a fool that day. No question about that. Foolish behavior don't require you to foolishly act yourself. And it seems that driving over 100 miles an hour trying to keep up with the guy with a gun is foolish.

[Valerie Borlein]

On the plaintiff's side of the gallery, Jennifer and Deborah are sobbing. They're holding each other tight.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Phone calls Boyd made after the fact shows. His. I don't know, trying to get his story straight, maybe trying to get help. Trying to make certain that they gonna be free and clear of any responsibility, liability, responsibility, whatever the word you want. And he's certainly communicating to Mr. Williams to get help in that regard. So here's what I want. I find that Mr. Boyd's request for immunity is denied.

[Valerie Borlein]

Weldon Boyd has lost his immunity. The judge finds that South Carolina stand your ground law does not apply in this case. And with that, the powerful shield protecting Boyd from civil penalties and criminal prosecution is gone. In an interview, Boyd's lawyer, Ken Moss, told me that he was disappointed in the judge's decision. He said that Boyd's recorded phone calls seem to have overshadowed any evidence that his client acted within the law. As for Bradley Williams, his fate is still up in the air. The judge says he needs to study the evidence a bit more. Because Williams was a passenger, he didn't necessarily choose to be There. Judge Griffith says he will make a decision on Williams immunity in the next few weeks.

[Mark Tinsley]

All right, thank you.

[Judge Eugene C. Bubba Griffith]

Thank you, Dr. Pluto. Hearing.

[Valerie Borlein]

A few days later, I talked with Jennifer about the ruling.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

It was so relieving to hear somebody else come to that same conclusion to someone else to say he's not credible. Your story doesn't match. It just was so much like, this is what we've been saying all along. Finally, somebody else sees it. It's exactly what I had been saying from day one to the police and to everybody else. You know, they said, the detective told me there's three sides to every story. Your side, their side, and the truth. What was told in court is the closest thing to the truth that anybody's ever going to get.

[Valerie Borlein]

And so after the hearing, what did y' all do?

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

We had our receiving line of friends and family that came and left on us afterwards. And as we made our way downstairs, you know, we had lots of congratulations as the. We went downstairs and. And then me, mama, and my husband, we loaded up in my car, and I said, I don't know about y', all, but I want some ice cream. I think this deserves. I think we deserve milkshakes after today. So we went and got ice cream sundaes. I had a hot fudge brownie, and Mama had a waffle cone. It was a good day.

[Valerie Borlein]

Now that Weldon Boyd's immunity is gone, the Spivey civil suit against him is moving forward. Separately, a grand jury is considering criminal charges against Boyd and possibly Bradley Williams. What has this experience taught you about the justice system?

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

It is far from perfect. And the easiest thing is the thing that the justice system is going to do. You cannot expect the justice system to advocate for you. It will not do it. You have to advocate for yourself. You have to advocate for your loved ones. And even then, the justice system is still going to do only what you push them to do.

[Valerie Borlein]

Jennifer told me that now her family is at the point where they can finally start to grieve.

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

Something that me and my mama talked about when we were eating our ice cream was that we've got plans this week to go pick out a headstone. Finally. We have not been able to do that for two and a half years. I feel like this is a step in the direction of healing for our family, to getting some answers. Obviously, we still have tons of questions, but it started to help get some answers last week.

[Valerie Borlein]

What do you want to say on the headstone?

[Jennifer Spivey Foley]

Jeremiah 1:19. They may fight against us, but they will not prosper.

[Valerie Borlein]

Camp Swap Road is part of the Journal, which is a co production of Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. I'm Valerie Borlein. The Journal is full of deeply reported stories like this one involving danger.

[Morgan Martin]

If you want to survive, you need to pay money and then leave this place.

[Valerie Borlein]

Conspiracy. What she's doing is a scam.

[Ken Moss]

And what the scam is called is

[Valerie Borlein]

laptop farming and mystery. What was your reaction when you first heard that this multi billion dollar fortune had gone missing? I mean, I think like wtf? Yeah, wtf? Exactly. I hope you check out more from the Journal. I'm so proud to be a part of it. Follow or subscribe for more. Great Work episodes are out every weekday afternoon for Camp Swamp Road. Our producer is Heather Rogers. Our senior producer is Enrique Perez de la Rosa. Editing by Colin McNulty. Fact checking by Nicole Pasulka Music, sound design and mixing by Nathan Singapak. Our theme music is by so Wiley. Remixed for this series by Nathan Singapak. Special thanks to Kathryn Brewer, Miguel Busillo, Sam Enriquez, Maddie Gray, Rachel Humphries, Jennifer Levitz, Ava Lubel, Bruce Orwal, Falana Patterson, Sarah Platt, Cam Pollock and the entire Journal podcast team. Thanks for listening and stay tuned. We're still following this story. Keep an eye out for updates in the Wall Street Journal and the Journal

[Blaze Ward]

Podcast Fellow

[Valerie Borlein]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint

[Ken Moss]

Mobile with a message for everyone Paying

[Valerie Borlein]

Big Wireless Way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mobile.

[Weldon Boyd]

Com.