Anyone following the Murdaugh family murders in South Carolina?

[tyty333]

Also just heard that the tires on the Mercedes SUV he was driving were run-flat tires. He should have been able
to travel up to 50 miles after the tire got punctured. I believe he was only 7 miles from home when he got the flat
tire. Hmmm....

 

[Slickk]

Also just heard that the tires on the Mercedes SUV he was driving were run-flat tires. He should have been able
to travel up to 50 miles after the tire got punctured. I believe he was only 7 miles from home when he got the flat
tire. Hmmm....

Interesting! And usually people with run flats (like us) don’t have a spare because the run flats eliminate the need to pull over and change a flat. Hmm

 

[Arcadian]

I hate that y'all sucked me into this craziness.... but yeah definitely a lifetime movie in the making.

 

[tyty333]

Interesting! And usually people with run flats (like us) don’t have a spare because the run flats eliminate the need to pull over and change a flat. Hmm

Exactly! So what was he doing? just examining it???

I hate that y'all sucked me into this craziness.... but yeah definitely a lifetime movie in the making.

Oh, you know you need a break from all these crazy storms @Arcadian ! Might as well have something else crazy to follow!

 

[whitewave]

I don’t think Le ever released Maggie’s death certificate, which I find interesting.

 

[whitewave]

I don’t think Le ever released Maggie’s death certificate, which I find interesting.

Also, he sold the family property to Maggie for $5 and love and affection.

So Mallory Beach’s family’s attorneys just did this: https://www.fitsnews.com/2021/09/09...s-move-to-secure-claims-for-alexs-properties/

 

[RMOO]

I was reading about this last night. I told my husband that this will be on Dateline, 48 Hours and 20/20. I can already hear Keith Morrison saying “So what really happened on that rural road?”.

I’m also finding it hard to believe that the father didn’t call to have someone change the tire on that rural road.

Agreed. I doubt this guy did anything for himself, with that much power and money. In addition, this supposedly happened on a remote road; if someone had really wanted him dead, why leave him with only a superficial wound when they could have finished him off? Sounds to me like this is a ploy to garner sympathy, and create a diversion from his other legal issues. Checking into rehab the day after release from the hospital is another classic move (remember he is a lawyer) to try to shift blame to his "condition."

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I read they found the knife that slashed the tires nearby, so it's just a matter of time before he gets arrested, IMO.

(Just wanted to add...this is very rural area (and likely very HOT), so I am sure if this had been a real flat tire situation, he would have been changing the tire himself. I know in other places that might not be the case, but my husband under no circumstances (aside from serious injury) would call for someone else to change a tire!)

 

[Rfisher]

I would imagine gunshot residue from himself firing the gun to his own noggin would be an easy obtained evidence and standard procedure to check for?
-
I wonder if the hospital mixup had anything to do with getting him somewhere where he thought he had influence to ensure investigative protocol was not followed to check for that?
Or maybe they do indeed have all that evidence and aren’t forging ahead just yet/making it public - waiting for the other evidence to fall into place to charge on the more serious charges of murdering his wife and son.

 

[Calliecake]

I fell down the Reddit hole on this story the other night.

I thought the same thing @RMOO. He gets shot in the head while changing a tire and his first thought is to check into rehab?

I wonder how much life insurance he had on his wife and son.

So far we have murder, stealing money from family members and his law firm, money problems and drugs. The only thing missing is a Mistress.

 

[Matata]

Alex Murdaugh Shooting Was Twisted Suicide Insurance Ploy

via FacebookIn a stunning turn of events, a South Carolina man was charged later Tuesday with shooting troubled attorney Alex Murdaugh in the head in an assisted-suicide plot to secure $10 million in insurance money—just three months after Murdaugh’s wife and son were murdered.The alleged...

www.yahoo.com

“On September 13, 2021, Mr. Murdaugh provided a statement to SLED admitting to the scheme of having Mr. Smith murder him for the purpose of his son collecting a life insurance policy valued at approximately ten million dollars,” the affidavit states."

Aw c'mon. Murdaugh hires somebody to shoot him in the head, the shot is botched, the hired killer doesn't check that he's completed the job and Murdaugh calls 911 instead of saying "hey, you missed, try again"?

And they're calling it "assisted suicide". Nolo says SC doesn't have an aid-in-dying law.

 

[MollyMalone]

Alex Murdaugh Shooting Was Twisted Suicide Insurance Ploy

via FacebookIn a stunning turn of events, a South Carolina man was charged later Tuesday with shooting troubled attorney Alex Murdaugh in the head in an assisted-suicide plot to secure $10 million in insurance money—just three months after Murdaugh’s wife and son were murdered.The alleged...

www.yahoo.com

“On September 13, 2021, Mr. Murdaugh provided a statement to SLED admitting to the scheme of having Mr. Smith murder him for the purpose of his son collecting a life insurance policy valued at approximately ten million dollars,” the affidavit states."

Aw c'mon. Murdaugh hires somebody to shoot him in the head, the shot is botched, the hired killer doesn't check that he's completed the job and Murdaugh calls 911 instead of saying "hey, you missed, try again"?

And they're calling it "assisted suicide". Nolo says SC doesn't have an aid-in-dying law.

The developing saga is wild!! But whoever wrote the Nolo piece is perhaps confused. Assisting suicide is a felony under South Carolina's penal code, punishable by a prison term of up to 15 years and/or a fine of up to $100,000:

2020 South Carolina Code of Laws :: Title 16 - Crimes and Offenses :: Chapter 3 - Offenses Against The Person :: Section 16-3-1090. Assisted suicide; penalties; injunctive relief.

Justia Free Databases of US Laws, Codes & Statutes

law.justia.com

 

[Calliecake]

This story gets more bizarre every day. Unbelievable!

 

[Rfisher]

 

[tyty333]

So who thinks he either killed his wife/son or that he hired to have it done?
{raises hand}

 

[RMOO]

A passenger in the boating incident points out to a patrol office that Paul Murdaugh was the driver, asks him if he knows who it is, and says "Good Luck." When asked what he means he says "anything they get into, they get out of." The initial police report that stated Alex Murdaugh had no visible injuries, and no suspected alcohol/drug use is changed, after the fact, to superficial injuries, and unknown. He's airlifted(!) to a hospital for those non-existent/superficial injuries. Now he has supposedly enlisted a hitman to kill himself. And yet, he has not been arrested, or even named as a person of interest in the murders of his wife and son. I think there is a whole lot of dirty law enforcement in South Carolina.

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

I must say, we are quite good at figuring this all out!

I read the story this morning about the failed hit, and thought, "Damn! We PSers were spot on!"

 

[MamaBear]

This is unreal…I can’t believe how people think sometimes! Unnerving

 

[MissGotRocks]

I love how they keep saying that the murders of the wife and son remain unsolved. . .

 

[Matata]

This is a classic tale of how power corrupts. Justice will be served if the downfall of this family also caused a wholesale cleansing of everyone they had in their pockets.

 

[whitewave]

I think he is going to turn himself in tomorrow on the failed suicide and money laundering charges

 

[missy]

I think he is going to turn himself in tomorrow on the failed suicide and money laundering charges

Yup just watching the morning news and he is turning himself in today.

Here is the latest and the timeline as a recap fyi.

THE LATEST: Murdaugh murder mystery timeline​

The latest information on the investigation into the deaths of Paul Murdaugh and Maggie Murdaugh in Hampton County, as well as Mallory Beach and Stephen Smith.

Updated: 10:05 AM EDT Sep 15, 2021​

Curtis Smith and Murdaugh family
SOURCE: WJCL

​

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. —
Here is a timeline of events in a South Carolina story that is making national headlines.
A prominent South Carolina lawyer, Alex Murdaugh, found the bodies of his wife and son in July.


News of the deaths of Paul Murdaugh, 22, and Maggie Murdaugh, 52, has led to national headlines.
Not only for the mystery surrounding their murders but for the ties to other death investigations in the area: Stephen Smith in 2015 and Mallory Beach in 2019.

July 8, 2015: Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead on Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. No arrest is made.

Feb. 24, 2019: Mallory Beach, 19, goes missing after a boat crash near Parris Island. A 911 call is placed from the scene of the crash at Archer's Creek. (Paul Murdaugh later indicted in the crash)


March 3, 2019: Following a week of searches, a boater discovers Mallory's body in a marsh area near the Broad River boat landing in Beaufort County.

March 2019: The Beach family files a wrongful death lawsuit against a Beaufort County bar, convenience store and two homeowners all of whom, the suit claims, served Beach and her underage friends alcohol the night of the crash. The lawsuit was later amended to only name Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh Sr., Richard Alexander "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., and Parker's convenience store.

April 18, 2019: Paul Murdaugh is indicted on charges of boating under the influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence causing great bodily injury.

May 6, 2019: Murdaugh pleads not guilty to all charges.

June 4, 2021: Court ordered mediation in the wrongful death lawsuit fails, which appears to make the case bound for trial.

June 7, 2021: Alex Murdaugh discovers the bodies of his son Paul and wife Maggie at their 1,770-acre hunting lodge on Moselle Road in Islandton, Colleton County. A 911 call is placed at 10:07 p.m.

"I need the police and ambulance immediately," Alex Murdaugh says in the 911 call. "My wife and child have been shot badly!"
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office responds and secures the scene. South Carolina's State Law Enforcement Division is contacted at 10:28 p.m. to assist. SLED agents arrive at 11:47 p.m.
Murdaugh family friend Tangie Ohmer says: "It was just siren after siren..."

June 8, 2021: Authorities confirm the identities of the deceased, referring to the incident as a double homicide. However, they say there is no threat to the public.

June 11, 2021: A graveside service is held at Hampton Cemetery for both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.

June 14, 2021: The Colleton County Coroner confirms both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh died from multiple gunshot wounds. The estimated time of death is somewhere between 9 and 9:30 p.m.

June 16, 2021: SLED creates a 24-hour dedicated tipline for the case: 803-896-2605.

June 17, 2021: Alex Murdaugh's brothers, Randy Murdaugh IV and John Marvin Murdaugh, appear in an exclusive interview with ABC News in which they plead with the public to come forward with any information. They say they don't know whether the family has enemies but Paul Murdaugh had received threats.

June 21, 2021: SLED releases a handful of heavily-redacted documents shedding light on what deputies discovered the night of the murders.

June 23, 2021: Based on information gathered in the Murdaugh investigation, SLED says it is looking into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith in Hampton County. SLED does not elaborate on what information it obtained.

June 25, 2021: Members of the Murdaugh family formally announce a $100,000 reward for information that leads to arrest in the double homicide.

July 7, 2021: Attorneys representing a survivor of the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach filed a petitionalleging law enforcement tried to shift the blame from Paul Murdaugh to their client, Connor Cook.

July 14, 2021: During a court hearing, Circuit Judge Bentley Price said he would review the redactions made by SLED in publicly-released documents pertaining to the case and if he felt they weren’t legal, order more information released.

July 22, 2021: SLED releases the 911 call placed by Alex Murdaugh the night Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were killed.

Aug. 6, 2021: People magazine spotlights the double homicide of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.
The South Carolina Attorney General's Office drops all charges against Paul Murdaugh in the death of Mallory Beach due to his own death.

Aug. 11, 2021: 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone sends a letter to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stating he intends to recuse himself from the investigations into the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

Aug. 17, 2021: Following a Freedom of Information Act request, WJCL receives photos and videos from the South Carolina Attorney General's Office collected as evidence following the boat crash that killed Mallory Beach.

Sept. 4, 2021: Father of Paul Murdaugh and husband to Maggie, Alex Murdaugh is shot in the head while changing a tire in Hampton County, according to a family spokesperson. SLED is investigating. He is hospitalized in Savannah and said to be conscious and speaking.

Sept. 6, 2021: Alex Murdaugh releases a statement that says, in part, he is resigning from his law firm and entering rehab.
Later that day, the PMPED law firm says Murdaugh was stealing money from them.
“This is disappointing news for all of us. Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. There’s no place in our firm for such behavior,” the law firm said in a statement.

Sept. 8, 2021: The South Carolina Supreme Court suspends Alex Murdaugh's law license, effective immediately.

Sept. 9, 2021: Following a Freedom of Information Act request, WJCL receives an incident report from the Hampton County Sheriff's Office regarding law enforcement response to Alex Murdaugh's shooting.

Sept. 10, 2021: A spokesperson representing Alex Murdaugh releases a statement saying, in part, Murdaugh's shooting was not self-inflicted, he sustained a skull fracture and the gunman was driving a blue pickup truck.

Sept. 13, 2021: SLED announces it has opened an investigation into claims Alex Murdaugh was misappropriating funds from his former law firm.

Sept. 14, 2021: Curtis Edward Smith, 61, is arrested in connection to the assisted suicide shooting of Alex Murdaugh. Authorities say Murdaugh admits that the scheme was set up so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy.

Sept. 15, 2021: Attorneys representing Alex Murdaugh issue a statement that Murdaugh has battled opioid addiction for 20 years and Smith was one of his drug dealers.
One attorney, Dick Harpootlian, also spoke on NBC's 'Today Show'. A full recap of that interview is here.

 

[RMOO]

Also, now the police are opening a criminal investigation into the Murdaugh's housecleaner's 2018 death in their home. She supposedly tripped over the family dogs and fell down a flight of stairs and died. Death wasn't reported to coroner at the time. And a wrongful death suit was settled for $500,000, however, the housekeeper's family nor their attorney was notified, and no money paid.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

A good murder mystery writer could not make up a better plot than this crazy story. Every day something new. Just read the article on the housekeeper. This guy may have three murders on him. I was leaning towards the son for the young teen that was killed in the road. He seemed like a sociopath (like his dad, apparently).

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Its almost too good to be a real murder mystery. To me, it seems as if the son acted irresponsibly in the boating accident and due to the position of the family, he had no consequences for his action. The dad was going to be exposed for stealing from his law firm and rather than face the humiliation , he chose to hire an inept hitman, who failed to kill him. I don't even see a sociopath here.

I don't think the father murdered the son or his wife. Doesn't make any sense, Yet.

Annette

 

[Matata]

I don't think the father murdered the son or his wife.

My initial reaction whenI read about the murders is that someone who is a friend/relative of the girl who died in the boat got retribution because the son did not go to jail for killing her. Perhaps the mother was in the wrong place at the wrong time or perhaps the killer wanted Alex Murdaugh to lose twice as much as the girl's family. I am having a good time in my personal conspiracy bubble.

 

[Calliecake]

It‘s going to interesting to see how this whole thing plays out.

It also made no sense that for as influential as this family is there were no security cameras on the property.

If Paul Murdaugh had been receiving threats wouldn’t that mean he had enemies? His case had not yet gone to trial for the Mallory Beach homicide. In some of the articles I’ve read on this story it sounded like most people in the area thought Paul would not be held accountable for his actions in her death.

 

[whitewave]

 

[RMOO]

It‘s going to interesting to see how this whole thing plays out.

It also made no sense that for as influential as this family is there were no security cameras on the property.

If Paul Murdaugh had been receiving threats wouldn’t that mean he had enemies? His case had not yet gone to trial for the Mallory Beach homicide. In some of the articles I’ve read on this story it sounded like most people in the area thought Paul would not be held accountable for his actions in her death.

+1 on the lack of security cameras. Gee, let me guess, they somehow got turned off at just that time of night.....

I believe that all charges were dropped against Paul in the Mallory Beach case because of his death.

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

Such an odd-looking bunch. The males have a creepy vibe. Actually, so does the mom.