Josh Mankiewicz

What Stephen McDaniel's defense attorney, Floyd Buford, said when he could speak freely about what his client had shared with him, in other words, outside lawyer-client privilege, well, it's like something out of a horror movie. He testified that McDaniel had admitted to decapitating Lauren, cutting her fingers off, and flushing them down the toilet. Really awful stuff. And he also said...

that McDaniel possessed some of the worst child porn that the attorney had ever seen. This normally would have been protected by privilege, but in this case, it wasn't. And it's not what you want your defense attorney revealing in court. That appeal didn't go anywhere.

that McDaniel possessed some of the worst child porn that the attorney had ever seen. This normally would have been protected by privilege, but in this case, it wasn't. And it's not what you want your defense attorney revealing in court. That appeal didn't go anywhere.

So coming up next, your questions from social media. Let's take your questions from social media. Good idea. So a lot of people wrote to us saying that they lived in Macon at the time. They remember the coverage of this case. I will say this.

So coming up next, your questions from social media. Let's take your questions from social media. Good idea. So a lot of people wrote to us saying that they lived in Macon at the time. They remember the coverage of this case. I will say this.

Just thought I'd add that. I like going places like that. I used to live in Atlanta. This was like 40 years ago. So I was in Macon and other parts of Georgia back then. A lot. You know, you loved Macon when you were there. Did people love you back? Were they nice to you?

Just thought I'd add that. I like going places like that. I used to live in Atlanta. This was like 40 years ago. So I was in Macon and other parts of Georgia back then. A lot. You know, you loved Macon when you were there. Did people love you back? Were they nice to you?

No. A lot of questions about Lauren's dog. What became of Lauren's dog? Everybody wants to know. Well, it's an important thing.

No. A lot of questions about Lauren's dog. What became of Lauren's dog? Everybody wants to know. Well, it's an important thing.

Dogs are very important to a lot of people. And in nearly every Dateline episode that I've done that involves a dog, there are social media questions about what happened to the dog.

Dogs are very important to a lot of people. And in nearly every Dateline episode that I've done that involves a dog, there are social media questions about what happened to the dog.

On the other hand, it may also have been that he waited until the dog wasn't there anymore, you know?

On the other hand, it may also have been that he waited until the dog wasn't there anymore, you know?

Yeah. Gail Brown Salvo on Facebook. Keith and I are on Facebook all the time. She says that this was such a sad story. So strange that the man who did this had a promising long career ahead of him and would end up destroying his life and the lives of this woman and her family, which is all true.

Yeah. Gail Brown Salvo on Facebook. Keith and I are on Facebook all the time. She says that this was such a sad story. So strange that the man who did this had a promising long career ahead of him and would end up destroying his life and the lives of this woman and her family, which is all true.

I will say that in most cases, I don't see people who end up being the killers sort of thinking about the ramifications of what happens. You know, I'm going to get caught. I'm going to, you know, end up in prison. My family will be ashamed of me. I'll impoverish them because they had to hire an attorney. You know, I'll wreck somebody else's family's life by taking away this person. Right.

I will say that in most cases, I don't see people who end up being the killers sort of thinking about the ramifications of what happens. You know, I'm going to get caught. I'm going to, you know, end up in prison. My family will be ashamed of me. I'll impoverish them because they had to hire an attorney. You know, I'll wreck somebody else's family's life by taking away this person. Right.

I mean, that guy presumably went into law for some reason. Like, he thought, you know, he could help people, or he could help himself, or he could help his family, and, you know, he's going to be locked up for the rest of his life.

I mean, that guy presumably went into law for some reason. Like, he thought, you know, he could help people, or he could help himself, or he could help his family, and, you know, he's going to be locked up for the rest of his life.

You wanted to be a lawyer. Yeah. I must say, I have only followed that case by watching your stories. But that is a weird story. And that's the kind of thing we were talking about earlier in which this is not a traditional Dateline defendant in which they're involved with or close friends with or married to somebody in the case.