Moment murderer realised police had found his victim’s body was caught live on TV

The eerie moment a murderer posing in plain sight as a civilian was told that his victim had been found by police was captured live on television.

Stephen McDaniel from Georgia, US, was chatting away to a local news when after his Macon neighbour Lauren Giddings had been reported missing from her home.

The reporter – little did they know – was speaking to the murderer all along.

Watch the terrifying moment unfold below:

Back in 2011, McDaniel was asked questions about Lauren by the journalist, all while posing as a concerned local.

Meanwhile, McDaniel had been secretly following Giddings for months after she refused to go on a date with him, but agreed to stay in touch.

He would secretly film outside of her bedroom and even broke into her apartment when she wasn’t home.

On 26 June, McDaniel snuck into her house once more, this time while she was sleeping.

When she woke up, he murdered her by strangulation, dismembering her body and then disposing of her in a bin.

Lauren Giddings was just 27 when she was murdered by Stephen McDaniel. (Family Handout)

After committing the monstrous crime, McDaniel went about his life as normal – but after Giddings was reported as missing, instead of staying quiet, he decided to offer to help conduct the search.

As part of his ‘concerned friend’ act, he did a TV interview with WGXA in which he described how he attended the same university as Giddings, Mercer College in Georgia.

At one point, he even suggested that she may have been snatched while out running.

But his calm and collected temperament clearly shifted when the reporter interviewing him asked him about a torso that had just been discovered – marking the exact moment McDaniel realised the police would soon be on to him.

He appeared to be lost for words, saying: “I think I need to sit down,” before breaking down in tears and saying: “I don’t know anyone that would want to hurt her.”

At this point, police had already established McDaniel as a person of interest, and this was likely only exacerbated by his strange behaviour on camera.

Stephen McDaniel had stalked and been obsessed with Lauren Giddings before he brutally murdered her while she slept. (Macon County Police Department)

Just a week on from the murder, he was called in for questioning and police searched his home where they found a collection of swords, guns, toilet rolls and a mask made out of women’s underwear.

They also discovered packaging for the hacksaw that had been used to dismember Giddings’ body along with the master key to the rooms in the building.

His interrogation was even stranger than his news appearance, as he chose to stay bizarrely fixed in one position throughout the 12-hour interview.

In 2014, McDaniel finally confessed to the brutal murder and he was sentenced to life in prison and won’t be eligible for parole until 2041.

McDaniel appealed his conviction in 2017, but his appeal was rejected and he is currently serving his sentence at Hancock State prison.

Featured Image Credit: WGXA/Macon Police Department