The Mark

The Mark

April 17, 2026 · 52 min · Season 18 · Episode 1

About this episode

The episode discusses the murder of Bill McLaughlin and the subsequent cold case investigation led by Matt Murphy.

In 1994, wealthy Newport Beach businessman Bill McLaughlin is shot and killed in his own kitchen. His girlfriend Nanette Johnston and her secret boyfriend, ex-NFL player Eric Naposki, are immediately suspicious…but the stories don't hold and prosecutors can't make charges stick. The case goes cold, leaving Bill's family without justice for over a decade. Fifteen years later, Orange County DA Matt Murphy picks it up, determined to finally prove what really happened and who arranged it. Matt Murphy is a legal analyst for ABC News and an attorney in private practice in Southern California. He was a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Orange County California. Matt Murphy spent 21 years assigned to the sexual assault and homicide units where he prosecuted some of the most notorious murder cases in the state of California. He completed 132 jury trials in his career as a prosecutor, including 52 while he was assigned to the homicide unit. He worked as an adjunct professor of law for 7 years. In addition to his work for ABC news, Mr. Murphy is in private practice representing victims of sexual abuse and some select criminal defense cases. He's also been regularly appearing on NewsNation…

People in this episode

Guest: Matt Murphy

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ABC News, NewsNation, MK True Crime

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