Over the last few weeks, the sprawling crime saga surrounding Alex Murdaugh has once again been catapulted into the spotlight. Six months after he was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul on 7 June 2021, Murdaugh filed a motion demanding a new trial based on a damning accusation against Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill. His attorneys claim that Ms Hill tampered with the jury, pressuring them to find him guilty and breaking her oath as an elected official. New details continue to emerge about this – including a random Georgia man’s unlikely links to the case – and legal experts have warned that if the allegations are in fact true, a new trial is almost certain. At the same time, Murdaugh’s other criminal charges are progressing through the courts. He appeared in court on 14 September for a hearing on a slew of state financial charges – marking his first court appearance since his murder trial sentencing. On Thursday, he is slated to appear in court to plead guilty to 22 federal financial criminal charges including wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering – after signing a plea deal with prosecutors on Monday. Now, Netflix has dropped its second series of “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” – bringing new details and claims about the Murdaugh saga to light. Here are some of the key revelations from the new series: Cousin Eddie claims Murdaugh all but confessed to murders Curtis “Cousin Eddie” Smith has claimed that Murdaugh made a bombshell confession about his wife and son’s murders before orchestrating the now-infamous botched hitman plot. On 4 September 2021, Mr Smith – Murdaugh’s former law firm client, distant cousin and alleged drug dealer – allegedly shot the double murderer in the head along the side of a road in Hampton County in an assisted suicide scheme. Mr Smith claimed in the show that Murdaugh begged him to shoot him but he refused. When he asked Murdaugh why he wanted him to kill him, Mr Smith revealed that Murdaugh had given a chilling response. “Because they’re going to be able to prove that I’m responsible for Maggie and Paul,” Murdaugh allegedly said. Cousin Eddie also asked Murdaugh “what did happen” that fateful night. Murdaugh is said to have given the damning response: “Things just got all f***ed up.” Randolph Murdaugh published obituary as ‘warning’ to wife Murdaugh’s now-late father Randolph Murdaugh once wrote and published a fake obituary for his wife when she was still alive as a “warning” because she wanted to divorce him, it has been claimed. In 1976, an obituary for Libby Murdaugh – Murdaugh’s mother – appeared in the local paper The Hampton Guardian. The obituary has long been a source of mystery as to who published it and why. In the Netflix show, Paul Murdaugh’s former girlfriend Morgan Doughty claimed that Maggie once told her that the obituary came about because Libby told Randolph she wanted to divorce him. Randolph then took the step to write Libby’s obituary himself and have it published in the paper. “I think it was a gesture to scare her into staying,” said Ms Doughty, who also took Maggie confiding in her as a warning. “I think that was her way of letting me now what I was signing up for. I think it was kind of like a warning.” Paul Murdaugh hosted booze-fuelled boat party weeks before murder Paul Murdaugh was pulled over by police for hosting a booze-fuelled boat party just days before he was brutally murdered by his father – and at a time when he was awaiting trial over a 2019 deadly boat wreck. Housekeeper Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson revealed that the 22-year-old had a fresh brush with the law in the run-up to the 7 June 2021 murders. The incident took place around a week before Memorial Day weekend, when Ms Turrubiate-Simpson said Maggie told her that “Paul got in trouble again”. “He was on the boat with friends and they were drinking,” she said. “But they called Alex and he said he was going to take care of it.” Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill also confirmed that the DNR had stopped the 22-year-old with a boat full of people and confiscated a cooler “full of booze”. At the time, Paul was awaiting trial over a February 2019 drunken boat wreck that killed friend Mallory Beach, 19. Court clerk reveals daughter was ‘almost’ on jury The South Carolina court official at the centre of Murdaugh’s bid for a new murder trial has revealed that her own daughter was almost seated as a juror in the case. “So my daughter almost became a juror,” said Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill. She added: “She was so excited.” Ms Hill went on to describe her first encounter with Murdaugh on the opening day of the trial – an encounter that appeared cordial and as though the now-convicted killer expected the saga to soon be over. “The first day of trial, Alex was coming in and said ‘good morning Ms Becky, how are you?’” she said. “It was more of a lightheartedness. It was a ‘we’re going to get through this in about a week or two, we’re all gonna go home. All of this is going to go away’.” Ms Hill – who is a regular feature throughout the new three-part series – is an elected official of the court whose role was to maintain the courtroom proceedings and even read out Murdaugh’s verdict. Now, she has been accused of jury tampering by Murdaugh’s attorneys as the convicted killer fights for a new trial. Bubba the dog’s new life Among the familiar faces from the Murdaugh saga returning in the Netflix series is Bubba the dog. Bubba’s name cropped up multiple times during the murder trial as he was likely something of a witness to the killings of Maggie and Paul. That night, Paul, Maggie and Alex were down by the dog kennels. Paul was filming a brown labrador named Cash on his cellphone for his friend Rogan Gibson. In the video, Maggie and her husband are heard shouting off-camera about Bubba catching a chicken in his mouth. Just minutes later, Maggie and Paul were shot dead at the kennels. It was this video – and Bubba’s antics – which led to Murdaugh’s voice being caught on camera at the kennels at the time of the murders. In the Netflix show, Bubba is seen with Ms Turrubiate-Simpson – after the dog began a new life with her in the wake of Maggie’s death. Ms Turrubiate-Simpson, who was a close friend of Maggie’s, and Bubba are also seen visiting Maggie’s grave. “Maggie loved Bubba,” she said. “He was her prized possession, he was not a kennel dog.” Read More Alex Murdaugh’s alleged co-conspirator shares convicted killer’s bombshell confession in documentary - live Paul Murdaugh hosted booze-fueled boat party days before his murder – as he faced charges for deadly crash Alex Murdaugh’s bombshell confession before infamous botched hitman plot revealed Court clerk accused of jury tampering in Alex Murdaugh trial says daughter was ‘excited’ to be on jury

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Online apps have been recommended to help people with lower back pain in a bid to tackle NHS waiting lists. Seven platforms have been given the green light for people over the age of 16 to manage their condition in early value assessment guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). According to the NHS Long Term Plan, lower back pain is the biggest cause of disability and is thought to account for about 30% of GP consultations every year. England affected by long-term back pain" data-source="UKHSA"> UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show there are 9.11 million people living with long-term back pain in England. Nice said it hopes its guidance will work towards reducing inequalities in care for musculoskeletal conditions. It also hopes the move could reduce NHS waiting lists, as well as bringing down the number for people using medication or waiting for GP or physiotherapy appointments. On Thursday, it emerged that a record 7.75 million people in England were waiting to start NHS treatment at the end of August. The digital platforms our committee has recommended could provide the NHS with extra capacity to get those effected off waiting lists, which vary in length across the country, and into treatment Mark Chapman, Nice Mark Chapman, interim director of medical technology and digital evaluation at Nice, said: “More than two million people suffer from low back pain each year and there are considerable pressures on NHS services to provide the treatment and care to those needing support with this debilitating condition. “The digital platforms our committee has recommended could provide the NHS with extra capacity to get those effected off waiting lists, which vary in length across the country, and into treatment. “We believe these technologies have the potential to offer value for money for the taxpayer, while offering people with low back pain quicker access to get the care they need at a time and place of their choosing.” The platforms recommended for NHS use are ACT for PAIN, getUBetter, Hinge Health, Kaia, Pathway through Pain, selfBACK and SupportBack. Some of the apps are designed for people with new back pain, while others are aimed at those with chronic back pain. These apps are yet another example of how technology can be used help patients get the care they need, when they need it Health minister Will Quince The platforms offer access to multi-disciplinary teams, along with guided exercise videos, and reminder functions for patients to do tasks such as filling in questionnaires. Health minister Will Quince added: “These apps are yet another example of how technology can be used help patients get the care they need, when they need it. “They offer a range of services which will allow patients to manage lower back pain from the comfort of their homes by improving access to musculoskeletal services – which will form a key part of our Major Conditions Strategy. “This will help to reduce pressures on the NHS and can help to cut waiting lists – one of the government’s top priorities – and will help people to live happier, healthier lives.” The technologies recommended in the guidance can be used once they have appropriate regulatory approval and meet the standards within NHS England’s Digital Technology Assessment Criteria, Nice said. The watchdog also recommends lower back pain self-management, exercise, manual therapies, psychological therapy, and combined physical and psychological programmes as well as return to work programmes. Denice Logan Rose, executive director of BackCare (National Back Pain Association), said: “Very many people living with non-specific low back pain feel that they have nowhere to turn for help, they are desperate and are at a complete loss about what they can do to help themselves. “Apps form a significant part of the technology-driven world we live in and if they can be used to help people living with back pain to lead more pain-free and active lives, this is a huge step forward.” Read More From choppy bobs to fox red, 5 celebrity-approved hair trends for autumn The UK’s first dedicated male breast cancer organisation has launched – here’s why it matters How Taylor Swift’s style has evolved over the years Model Emily Ratajkowski unveils latest fashion campaign 10 ways to cosy-up your home for an autumnal vibe 5 must-have bag trends for autumn

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