United States v. Jeffrey MacDonald // The 1979 Trial // Part 4

Military Murder

Mama Margot Productions LLC

True Crime, History

4.8 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2026

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the early morning hours of February 17, 1970, military police responded to an on base apartment in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Inside the home of Army doctor Jeffrey MacDonald, they discovered a horrific scene, his pregnant wife, Colette, and their two young daughters brutally murdered. Part 4 explores the 1979 federal trial of United States v. Jeffrey MacDonald and the following appeals. ⸻ 🎧Did you know you could listen to this episode ad-free? Join the True Crime Army Club! Visit patreon.com/militarymurder to view the current membership options! ⸻ Check out today’s sponsor! Gusto: Visit gusto.com/MMP for 3 free months of payroll! ⸻ Military Murder is a military true crime podcast that focuses on murders committed by military members, veterans, and sometimes their family members. ⸻ Don’t miss out on all things Mama Margot & Military Murder Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mamamargot TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@militarymargot Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/militarymurderpodcast Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/militarytruecrime Want to advertise on the show? Email info@truenativemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back, True Crime Army. I am your host Margo, and this is Military Murder, a show where I
0:04.9	discuss true crimes committed by military members and veterans, and I do this with one goal in mind,
0:10.0	to remind you to remain vigilant always. We are nearing the end of our mini-series on Jeffrey
0:15.1	McDonald, and it has been quite the endeavor. If you haven't listened to Part 1 through 3 yet,
0:19.9	pause here, listen there first,
0:21.9	then meet me back here for part four. Today, I am walking you through the 1979 federal trial
0:27.4	that took place in North Carolina. I'm also going to be discussing some of the appellate aftermath.
0:32.9	I do have one more part for you next week, and that's going to be breaking down the wilderness
0:36.6	of error viewpoint. So, you won't want to miss that. Make sure that you follow up. Join me today
0:42.0	as we discuss the case of United States v. Jeffrey McDonald. Now, let's dig in.
0:50.5	Military murder is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any military component.
0:57.0	The views expressed are those of the host.
0:59.4	The content of this podcast is not meant to be legal or medical advice.
1:03.4	Warning, this episode contains graphic details of murder and is not suitable for young listeners.
1:09.7	Listener discretion is advised.
1:18.6	June 8, 1979.
1:21.0	The Birmingham Evening Mail has an article about a police officers association in California
1:25.5	that is holding a fundraiser for a local doctor.
1:28.5	The doctor is accused of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters.
1:32.3	The Long Beach Police Officer Association paid to print 5,000 invitations to a benefit dinner for the man,
1:38.6	and his name is Jeffrey McDonald.
1:40.9	Dr. McDonald will be on trial soon, but the president of the Long Beach Police Association,
	...

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