Max Diekneite
Anchor/Investigative Reporter
Savannah, Ga.
:no_upscale()/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/gray/3a3527e0-102f-4866-bb96-ea4e1ed0c860.png)
Max Diekneite is an investigative reporter/anchor for WTOC. You can catch him anchoring the 7 p.m. news every weeknight with Dawn Baker.
Max moved to Savannah in October 2020 after spending more than three years as an anchor/reporter at KCCI (CBS) in Des Moines, Iowa. During his time in Iowa, Max helped lead the coverage of several monumental events, including the 2020 Iowa caucuses. He also anchored major breaking news events, including the George Floyd protests and central Iowa’s historic floods in 2018.
A St. Louis native, Max attended the University of Missouri School of Journalism. During his time in school, Max worked as a reporter for KOMU 8 News (NBC) in Columbia, Mo., and interned for the award-winning investigative team at KTVI/KPLR News (FOX) in St. Louis.
Max is committed to fair, unbiased journalism. He is passionate about helping everyday people and believes in earning the viewers trust every day.
In his free time, Max likes to watch sports, exercise, and travel. He is a die-hard Cardinals baseball fan. Max has family in the southeast and is excited to explore the Coastal Empire.
Updated: 8 hours ago
|By Max Diekneite
The trial for two people accused of murdering a British tourist in Savannah last year has been put on-hold.
Updated: Mar. 28, 2023 at 5:32 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
They’re different people, with different cars, damaged at different times. But they all told us the same story: they took their car to Hernandez Collision Center, where it sat for months unfixed, racking-up charges in what they now call, “car jail.”
Updated: Mar. 24, 2023 at 6:15 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Lawmakers in Washington are urging Federal regulators to take a closer look at a Savannah-based business.
Updated: Mar. 23, 2023 at 1:23 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Big news for anyone who drives on I-95 or I-16 near Savannah.
Updated: Mar. 22, 2023 at 6:32 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
New developments in the controversy surrounding the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office.
Updated: Mar. 22, 2023 at 5:16 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Stephen Smith died on July 8, 2015.
Updated: Mar. 20, 2023 at 4:28 PM EDT
|By Paige Phillips and Max Diekneite
The family of Stephen Smith and their attorneys will be holding a news conference Monday morning.
Updated: Mar. 17, 2023 at 11:48 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
There’s nothing quite like Saint Patrick’s Day in Savannah!
Updated: Mar. 3, 2023 at 4:16 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Many affected by Alex Murdaugh’s actions attended Friday’s sentencing.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2023 at 2:25 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Eric Bland, the man representing Gloria Satterfield’s family - the housekeeper who died on Murdaugh’s property – did not hold bak. He thinks Alex Murdaugh is guilty, but he has his doubts about what the jury will decide.
Updated: Feb. 28, 2023 at 2:39 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Alex Murdaugh’s testimony to end last week’s court hearings will loom large when this jury sits down to decide his fate.
Updated: Feb. 21, 2023 at 5:46 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Thursday will mark one month since the Murdaugh murder trial began.
Updated: Feb. 14, 2023 at 6:09 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Residents in Chatham and Effingham Counties are under a boil water advisory after a water main break overnight.
Updated: Feb. 8, 2023 at 6:20 PM EST
|By Tyler Manion, Max Diekneite and Paige Phillips
The courtroom was evacuated during the Murdaugh murder trial on Wednesday afternoon.
Updated: Feb. 6, 2023 at 6:38 PM EST
|By Tyler Manion and Max Diekneite
The judge has ruled to allow testimony related to Alex Murdaugh’s financial criminal charges in the double murder trial.
Updated: Feb. 6, 2023 at 4:54 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Week three of the murder trial against disbarred low country attorney Alex Murdaugh continuing Monday.
Updated: Feb. 2, 2023 at 6:19 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
While Murdaugh may be in a Colleton County courtroom this week, signs of his impact can be seen here in Hampton.
Updated: Feb. 2, 2023 at 4:36 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
hile the murder trial is playing out in Colleton County, the killings at the Murdaugh family property there sparked a second look at several investigations connected to the family in their home county – Hampton County.
Updated: Jan. 30, 2023 at 5:05 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
As the Murdaugh trial continues, WTOC is taking a closer look at the witness list.
Updated: Jan. 30, 2023 at 4:18 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
WTOC stopped by Castillo’s Pizzeria, which is just a block east of the courthouse, just after 1 p.m. and they were almost empty.
Updated: Jan. 26, 2023 at 5:02 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Now that jury selection is over for the Murdaugh double murder trial, the public is allowed in the courtroom and that has made the area around the Colleton County Courthouse even busier.
Updated: Jan. 25, 2023 at 5:28 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
A judge has approved a settlement between the family of Mallory Beach, the young woman killed in a boat crash in 2019, and two of Alex Murdaugh’s family members, according to Beach family attorney Mark Tinsely.
Updated: Jan. 23, 2023 at 6:24 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Alex Murdaugh made the 911 call the night his wife and son were killed.
Updated: Jan. 23, 2023 at 3:43 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
While Alex Murdaugh will be the focus of this trial, others will debate his fate.
Updated: Jan. 23, 2023 at 3:39 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Alex Murdaugh’s family ties run deep in the Lowcountry.
Updated: Jan. 19, 2023 at 6:16 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
This month marks the start of the first full semester the Savannah Police Department will enforce speed cameras across ten school zones within the city. But some drivers claim the cameras are issuing inaccurate tickets. Our Investigates team looked into it.
Updated: Jan. 12, 2023 at 3:00 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
A complaint over a solar company based out of Arizona prompts a WTOC Investigation. Our team found it is not the first time the company has faced public backlash.
Updated: Jan. 10, 2023 at 9:54 AM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Three Effingham County students are suing the school district, its board members and superintendent Dr. Yancy Ford.
Updated: Dec. 20, 2022 at 6:27 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
A lawsuit was filed against the City of Savannah, the housing authority, and the salvation army, by a group called ‘The Weeping Time Coalition.’
Updated: Dec. 15, 2022 at 4:45 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
Leilani Simon was indicted on felony charges on Wednesday by a Chatham County grand jury.
Updated: Dec. 15, 2022 at 12:47 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been requested to conduct a use of force investigation after a man died following a standoff in Chatham County.
Updated: Dec. 14, 2022 at 7:01 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite and Alyssa Jackson
Leilani Simon was indicted on felony charges on Wednesday by a Chatham County grand jury.
Updated: Nov. 18, 2022 at 10:09 PM EST
|By Max Diekneite
If you live in unincorporated Chatham County, and you recently got a bill for fire services, you now have more time to pay-up.
Updated: Nov. 2, 2022 at 6:53 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Savannah Mayor Johnson’s critics point to an increase in violence in Savannah and say he’s not doing enough to keep Savannah safe.
Updated: Oct. 28, 2022 at 6:30 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
It’s a tried and true tradition for some of the most dedicated fans in college sports.
Updated: Oct. 27, 2022 at 5:42 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
A Savannah Police Department officer that was at the center of an officer-involved shooting investigation was fired for an unrelated reason, according to the police department.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2022 at 5:29 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Court documents are giving us a closer look into the details behind Leilani Simon's 2021 felony arrest. Simon is the lone suspect in the investigation into her toddler's death. 1-year-old Quinton Simon was reported missing in Chatham County on October 5.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2022 at 4:38 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite and Camille Syed
For a fourth straight day, investigators say they were tirelessly searching a landfill for the body of a missing Chatham County toddler, 20-month-old Quinton Simon.
Updated: Oct. 15, 2022 at 12:08 AM EDT
|By Max Diekneite and Alyssa Jackson
A fiery debate Friday night in Savannah between incumbent Democratic Georgia U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, sparked headlines across the country and further heated up a race with major national implications.
Updated: Oct. 13, 2022 at 6:16 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
The one-year-old’s mother Leilani Simon is also now the prime suspect.
Updated: Oct. 12, 2022 at 2:54 PM EDT
|By Shea Schrader and Max Diekneite
It’s been one week to the day since 20-month-old Quinton Simon disappeared from his Chatham County home.
Updated: Oct. 11, 2022 at 6:15 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Georgia toddler Quinton Simon went missing nearly a week ago. WTOC Investigates obtained documents that shed light on missing toddler’s family.
Updated: Oct. 5, 2022 at 5:44 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
The Jenkins Alumni Association collected thousands of dollars for a commemorative brick wall display more than a year ago. But the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System said they collected the money without getting the project approved by the district first. Many grads are upset, because they collectively donated tens of thousands of dollars for a project, that might not even happen.
Updated: Sep. 30, 2022 at 10:54 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
It’s a quieter Friday night than usual on Hilton Head Island as many restaurants closed down ahead of Ian’s arrival.
Updated: Sep. 15, 2022 at 3:58 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
It’s a topic that gets people in our area talking: apparent big cat sightings, like panthers and mountain lions, in rural Georgia.
Updated: Aug. 16, 2022 at 4:41 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Officials at The Blood Connection in Savannah say they are experiencing a serious shortage of blood donations for all blood types in our area, and they need your help.
Updated: Aug. 11, 2022 at 6:28 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Kaleel Clarke’s parents, Madiha Clarke and Kenneth Frazier, are still mourning the loss of their son. They’re also calling for the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office to reopen the investigation into his death.
Updated: Aug. 4, 2022 at 5:46 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Kids are heading back to school, but their return impacts all drivers. That's because multiple municipalities in the area are activating school zone speed cameras. Our investigative team found these cameras do reduce speeding. They’re also big money-makers for departments and for the company that sets them up.
Updated: Jul. 21, 2022 at 1:34 PM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
A guide for renters: why prices are so high around Savannah, and where to look.
Updated: Jun. 27, 2022 at 4:49 AM EDT
|By Max Diekneite
Fact-checking a controversial claim: a local sheriff’s office accused of racial profiling.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ROGQTQRYBBCSRNROWMFGATEXFM.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/O6TMCKCYHBGL3AFQO6BUMNS6GM.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/EJA5RDAH5VFGZIAPOCMEXKYSBM.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/3YZ6WY6YRZERDPQUPHACPWX5H4.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/QMJWFT73QHJKG3SGLM5IYWOCYU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/QNMEZE47YNDBRJYF56ATYB7XKU.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VH5L3NOJFFH5PFETPV5JS3ZPPY.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/KGNFNX4ZDNCUTEQRBRIAQWGT4M.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/M3M3UB6M6VBNJNBTO5AKKXKFHM.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/XZPM5N2T7BEX5DTJ5J4SUY6VDY.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/QCHZ6SFGW5GPVGQVUZBLE33ECQ.jpg)