Side Stories: Dig Me A Grave w/ Dick Harpootlian

Key Takeaways

Attorney Dick Harpootlian discusses his book Dig Me a Grave on prosecuting serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins.
Harpootlian details Gaskins' extensive criminal history, including prison murders and multiple escape attempts.
The episode features Harpootlian's perspective on the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, expressing doubts about Murdaugh's guilt.
Harpootlian advocates for the firing squad as a more humane method of capital punishment.
Discussions highlight complexities of the American justice system and ethical duties of legal professionals.

Hosts officially welcome listeners to 'Side Stories' ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Major topics, including new developments in the DeForvid story and the Celestia case, are postponed until the following week.
Lighter discussions involve the practicalities and social perceptions of owning a second refrigerator for drinks.
The idea of installing an outdoor television is proposed, alongside reflections on extensive backyard maintenance, specifically Julie's competitive yard work.

Former South Carolina Senator Dick Harpootlian details his prosecution of Donald 'Pee Wee' Gaskins, convicted of murder number 14 in the state.
Harpootlian's book, 'Dig Me a Grave,' recounts Gaskins' 1982 use of smuggled C4 explosive inside a radio to kill an individual in prison.
Gaskins' initial death sentence was overturned, leading him to confess to 11 additional murders to secure life sentences.
Despite being a model inmate and head trustee on death row, Gaskins attempted to have Harpootlian's 4-year-old daughter kidnapped.
Gaskins' virulent racism was highlighted in one murder where he drowned a pregnant woman and killed her mixed-race child with a hammer.

Prosecutor Dick Harpootlian discusses his experience with capital punishment, having prosecuted 15 death penalty cases and secured two post-Furman death sentences.
He advocates for the firing squad as a more humane execution method, introducing legislation for it as a senator in South Carolina.
The firing squad process involves three individuals firing 30-06 rifles with laser sights at a target over the condemned's heart, with all shots intended to be lethal.
Harpootlian contends firing squads are more humane than the electric chair, citing cases where electrocution resulted in prolonged suffering and visible physical trauma.

During the six-week trial of Pee Wee Gaskins, the defendant, described as a small and engaging man, initiated conversations with prosecuting attorney Dick Harpootlian.
Gaskins told Harpootlian during a lunch break, 'you're a lot like me... you like killing,' an implication Harpootlian refutes.
Harpootlian chose not to witness Gaskins' execution, stating he slept well afterward due to the conclusion of a traumatic period.
The Gaskins case, a six-week death penalty trial, was the longest criminal trial in South Carolina history until the Alec Murdaugh case 40 years later.

Pee Wee Gaskins had a documented history of escapes, including multiple attempts from a reform school in the 1940s and from correctional facilities.
He once escaped a second-floor courthouse window by bending bars, dropping, breaking his ankle, and later hiding under a police car where he left a message.
Gaskins allegedly saved Valium prescriptions to take a large dose during trial, causing him to collapse as part of a planned hospital escape.
The day before his execution, Gaskins cut his wrists, not for suicide, but to be moved to a less secure infirmary, later producing the razor blade by coughing it up.
While officially linked to 14 murders, Gaskins' daughter claims 105, a number the guest finds improbable, dismissing Gaskins' 'The Final Truth' claims as self-aggrandizement.

Pee Wee Gaskins, possessing mechanical skills, was capable of constructing a bomb small enough to fit inside a cup.
He created a bomb disguised as an intercom to kill inmate Tyner, utilizing a soldering iron to melt a hole in a plug, attaching a blasting cap and C4, and filling it with shrapnel.
Gaskins convinced Tyner to plug in the device in an adjacent cell, resulting in an explosion that caused severe injury and ultimately death.
Gaskins' tape-recorded calls with Simo, whose parents Tyner murdered, were crucial evidence for his conviction in the bombing.
Simo, blaming himself for not intervening, eventually took his own life after serving a short sentence for accessory charges.

Dick Harpootlian announces his new book, 'Dig Me a Grave,' to be released around Christmas, based on a 500-page transcript of Gaskins' 1983 confession.
The confession's accuracy was corroborated by law enforcement who used Gaskins' statements to locate buried bodies.
Harpootlian explains his role as a solicitor in South Carolina, equivalent to a prosecuting attorney, a position also held by the Murdaugh family for generations.
He confirms knowing Buster Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh's grandfather, who was a prominent solicitor when Harpootlian began his career in 1975.

Attorney Dick Harpootlian's initial involvement with the Murdaugh family was through the Paul Murdaugh case, later representing Alex after the murders of Maggie and Paul.
Harpootlian served as co-counsel with Jim Griffin, confirming Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering Maggie and Paul, receiving a life sentence.
It was revealed Alex Murdaugh had stolen approximately $12 million from clients, a fact unknown to the defense at the time of the murders, leading to a 25-30 year federal sentence.
The defense is seeking a new trial for the murder convictions based on alleged misconduct by the court and potential bias from the judge and court officials.

Dick Harpootlian expresses his belief that Alex Murdaugh is not guilty of murdering Maggie and Paul, questioning the police's immediate conclusion of his culpability.
He highlights several forensic oversights at the crime scene, including a lack of DNA and fingerprint collection and failure to preserve tire tracks.
Harpootlian notes the weapon used to kill Paul was not the shotgun Alex was holding upon police arrival, and Alex did not have blood or tissue on him, which an assailant would have.
Vehicle GPS data from Alex's GMC indicated his departure from Moselle coincided with the time Maggie's phone was discarded, suggesting potential involvement of another party.
He suggests that extensive testimony about Alex's financial misconduct may have overshadowed other evidence for the jury.