Anyone following the Murdaugh family murders in South Carolina?

[Calliecake]

His mug shot looks good for someone who was recently shot in the head.

 

[MissGotRocks]

The father could very well have decided that the son was either going to criminally or civilly be convicted which would have been money that he didn’t have - and apparently the father didn’t either. He was already in debt and stealing from the firm. Was their life insurance for the son? Surely there was for the mother - and he needed money. If he killed the son, he would have had to kill the mother as well because she would know what happened and would have turned him in. The housekeeper was just another unfortunate soul to cross paths with that family. I believe I read that she had been with the family for two decades. Obviously loyalty means nothing to that privileged family - especially when the till gets low.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Was *there* life insurance for the son - hate the misuse of that word! Sorry!

 

[Calliecake]

There may not have been any life insurance on the son. If they were at one point really wealthy would they have needed the life insurance on him? Now it’s being reported Alex has been an opioid addict for 20 years. How did he function at his job for 20 years being an addict? He hired someone to kill him so his other son would get his insurance money? That tells me he has very little money.

Alex’s father died 3 days after his son and wife were killed. Wouldn’t you think he probably was left a lot of money from the father’s estate?

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

OMG, the father lost his father, wife and son in a short period of time. Is it any wonder that the mans thinking is out of whack. He is overcome with grief and fear.
He is afraid of someone wanting to kill him as well as his son and wife, and being exposed for theft at his law firm. And on opioids. Right now, I feel for the guy.

What about the family that was awarded 500,000 and did not collect a dime from the son. I would look at those people.

The Housekeeper worked for them for 30 yrs. Why would thy hurt her?

Annette

 

[AprilBaby]

Don’t feel sorry for him, he apparently collected 4 mil on his homeowners policy for the housekeeper and told her sons he only got $500,000 Which he would pay them. His wife was doing an audit on him, his son was a loser. He tried to get 10 mil in insurance for Buster who is suspected of killing a gay man. He has it all figured out.
Why kill the housekeeper? It seems the dead son pushed her down the stairs in anger, no reason.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,
Since when does anyone have to tell how much they collect on a homeowners policy? Turn this around, and say the father offered to give the sons $500.000, and reneged on this. He did'nt have to offer them anything. I actually thought it was a court judgement, but if its not, then I amend my previous post that suggested the police look at who was owed the 500,000. This makes him a bad guy that he offered to give them 500,000.? I think its pretty nice.

If the guy is broke, he needed the money for himself, but made an empty gesture to make everyone feel better.

I'm not saying he is a great guy, but you people have made him into a killer and called him a sociopath. I can't see the evidence of that. the son seems to be center.
I would say the mother is collateral damage.

The fact that he is a thief, liar, and reneged on a promise doesn't make him a murderer.
Annette

 

[smitcompton]

Hi Again,

I have had some time to think on this. Aprilbaby, I just don't know if you understand home insurance. While I am far from an expert, people usually have liability insurance to protect themselves from others hurting themselves on your property.. So, it appears that the father had 4 million in liability insurance to protect him from any lawsuits and medical expenses if someone got hurt on his property.. I think I have 300,000. In no way will the insurer pay the father 4 million. The victim or her estate would most probably hire a lawyer to negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement, which appears to be 500,000. It is on the insurer to pay that out, not the homeowner. Nor can the homeowner offer a settlement. The insurer does that.

So, the father does not appear to have done anything wrong here, not even to renege on a promise. The insurer takes care of it all.

I still feel for the guy.

Annette

 

[Rfisher]

Hi Again,

I have had some time to think on this. Aprilbaby, I just don't know if you understand home insurance. While I am far from an expert, people usually have liability insurance to protect themselves from others hurting themselves on your property.. So, it appears that the father had 4 million in liability insurance to protect him from any lawsuits and medical expenses if someone got hurt on his property.. I think I have 300,000. In no way will the insurer pay the father 4 million. The victim or her estate would most probably hire a lawyer to negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement, which appears to be 500,000. It is on the insurer to pay that out, not the homeowner. Nor can the homeowner offer a settlement. The insurer does that.

So, the father does not appear to have done anything wrong here, not even to renege on a promise. The insurer takes care of it all.

I still feel for the guy.

Annette

Alex Murdaugh 'pocketed' $4M payout from grieving sons of housekeeper

Alex Murdaugh has been accused of stealing $4 million from the grieving sons of his longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, after he told them to sue him but never paid them out.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Sons of Alex Murdaugh's dead housekeeper 'scared,' 'shell-shocked,' after SC lawyer's release to drug rehab

The two sons of a 57-year-old housekeeper who died weeks after a mysterious fall at the home of prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh four years ago are absolutely “shell shocked,” their attorney tells Fox News, after Murdaugh was let out of a jail on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond...

www.foxnews.com

Alex ‘took care’ of it for his deceased housekeepers sons. He most certainly did.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Thanks RFisher. I read the Fox account. The insurer paid out to Murdock it appears.. However the settlement was decided by the insurance company. There are other insurers as well, but it is the sons who must make the claim.
Yes, Murdock told them to sue, as he is covered by insurance. Nothing terrible there. If the insurer paid Murdock instead of the sons, shame on them. Murdock wasn't involved in negotiations. In fact usually its the lawyer who gets the check, and then distributes it to his client ( sons)

I'll wait to see what happens with the payout. Of course the settlement goes to the sons. No 4 mil was stolen. It has not been determined where the 500,000 went.

Annette

 

[Calliecake]

I read another interesting article over the weekend. The hit man who Alex Murdauth claimed shot him in the head, came forth this weekend saying he did not shot Alex. He is claiming he is being set up to be the fall guy. He says Alex was waving the guy around when it off, stating Alex shot himself in the head.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Obviously Alex is not a smart guy.

Annette

 

[Rfisher]

Alex Murdaugh Orchestrated Campaign to Silence ‘Innocent Teen’ of Blaming Son for Fatal Boat Crash, Court Docs Say

Disgraced former lawyer Alex Murdaugh is facing more legal troubles after the parents of a boating crash victim filed a lawsuit against him on Monday. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Murdaugh’s son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, was allegedly driving a boat in 2019 when he killed Mallory Beach...

www.crimeonline.com

The same lawyer/friend/college roomie/ lawyer that Alex directed his deceased housekeeper’s sons to ‘hire’ for insurance money they supposedly never received, is the same lawyer Alex supposedly recommended to Connor (Paul’s friend) in the boat crash…in an attempt to keep scrutiny off of Paul as the driver of the boat.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,
My take-away-- There were 2 separate guns used in the murders of Paul Murdock and his mother. That would suggest to me, there were 2 , or more persons involved.

2. I do not know if its unethical to recommend lawyers that are close personally to one another. I don't think so. I think referrals are often made this way. Maybe he should have said, the lawyer is a good friend of mine.

3. A lawyer who tells his client to not talk about the case to anyone, is a good lawyer.
He was cleared of all charges (Cory Cook)

4. The parents of the girl have filed suit against Alex Murdock. Can't say I understand that.

Annette

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

You all got me interested in this, so if I may continue......

The dead girls parents may be suing Alex Murdock in the same way the sons of the housekeeper sued Murdock. If the boat is owned by Murdock and is covered in his insurance policy , the parents will claim wrongful death. What I don't know is if a person can be held liable for the negligence of another person, in this case his drunken son. The son, Paul, pleaded not guilty. Upon death the case goes away. So the homeowners insurance is a way to get some justice for their daughter.

The news accounts are pretty slanted against Alex Murdock. I guess being rich and influential doesn't always pay off. Especially when you go down. Nobody likes a loser.

Annette

 

[Calliecake]

@smitcompton, Boaters insurance is not required by law in South Carolina. I thought the girl’s parents may try to sue Alex because he owned the boat. I would assume the Murdaugh’s had an umbrella policy. Wouldn’t this payout in a situation like this?

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Yes Callie, I think that's what's happening. Cars, boats, house all fit under the policy. But, say you lend your car to your friend to go to a store. She stops at a bar and gets drunk. On the way home she hits a person, who dies. You gave her permission, so usually if she was in an accident, your insurance would cover. But as a drunk driver, I don't know?

The family wants a recognition of the wrong done. If they all say Paul was drunk, why didn't they get out of the boat?

Annette

Callie--Do you think HE will ever go to jail????(DT)

 

[Calliecake]

My guess is they all got in the boat because they were probably drinking too. The girl who died was only 19 years old. One of the articles I read said Paul had hit and spit on his girlfriend before the boat crashed. I was kind of surprised the other people on the boat didn’t do something to him after that and let one of the others drive the boat. Supposedly only one person on the boat was given a sobriety test and it wasn’t Paul Murdaugh.

Paul Murdaugh sounded like a spoiled entitled brat who never faced any consequences for his actions.

@smitcompton, I pray he goes to jail but at this point I doubt he ever will. I’d be thrilled if he just spent the rest of his life doing nothing but golf and I never had to hear his whiny voice again LOL. Do you think there is a chance he ever gets a prison sentence?

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Do you think there is a chance he ever gets a prison sentence?

Hi why do you think he wouldn't? (Serious question)
Is it really thinkable that his status alone would get him off the hook? Here in Europe you'd be able to get to ok lawyers with top dollars and evidently a huge team of excellent lawyers would be more likely to find any formal errors (usually tiny formalities that weren't respected to the nth degree).
But as such, even an ex -president /mayor/ notable/ rich person etc isn't automatically untouchable. Even someone with a background in law /administration. They usually move the case to a different location...

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I would love to answer you Kapari, particularly because you do see these questions from a different perspective, but I don't want this to turn into a political thread, and have us booted off. I sneak little things in, as I know Callie feels as I do, and I have no other way of contacting her. So, I'm sorry I can't comment

Annette.

 

[bludiva]

Hi why do you think he wouldn't? (Serious question)
Is it really thinkable that his status alone would get him off the hook? Here in Europe you'd be able to get to ok lawyers with top dollars and evidently a huge team of excellent lawyers would be more likely to find any formal errors (usually tiny formalities that weren't respected to the nth degree).
But as such, even an ex -president /mayor/ notable/ rich person etc isn't automatically untouchable. Even someone with a background in law /administration. They usually move the case to a different location...

i have seen a little bit about this case in the news and the family entrenched itself in both the legal & local govt community for generations, so you end up with this "i AM the law" level of entitlement. probably easier to happen in a smaller city/county but that's also how a lot of prominent people in the US who are widely known or suspected to be corrupt get away with it for so long. or people (usually sons of someone powerful) who get a free pass after a heinous act, because no one wants to ruin their "bright future" ...it's not automatic that a case like this would be moved to a more neutral jurisdiction (i don't think -- not a lawyer).

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

i have seen a little bit about this case in the news and the family entrenched itself in both the legal & local govt community for generations, so you end up with this "i AM the law" level of entitlement. probably easier to happen in a smaller city/county but that's also how a lot of prominent people in the US who are widely known or suspected to be corrupt get away with it for so long. or people (usually sons of someone powerful) who get a free pass after a heinous act, because no one wants to ruin their "bright future" ...it's not automatic that a case like this would be moved to a more neutral jurisdiction (i don't think -- not a lawyer).

Ok, thank you for clarifying. A bit shocked here, tbh

 

[bludiva]

Ok, thank you for clarifying. A bit shocked here, tbh

it's gross. if you've ever heard the phrase "good ol' boy network" that's this kind of thing :/

 

[Rfisher]

WILL THE ALEX MURDAUGH MURDERS FOREVER CHANGE HOW S.C. PICKS JUDGES?

The JMSC is South Carolina's way of screening and, in reality, picking State Judges. Holding a seat on this commission gives great power.

myrtlebeachsc.com

“South Carolina and Virginia are the only states in which their legislatures play primary roles in electing judges.”


There’s just no way it’s business as usual for them with this case, anymore after all the publicity this case has gotten.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

RFisher, you are on top of the case! So, it appears from this article that the 4 million was the settlement, not the 500,000 we discussed above. 1.4 million was designated as lawyers fees, which sounds right (25% fee scale) and the rest was paid out to Alex Murdock. whereas this payment should have gone to the sons. I take it the comment that persons do not understand how Alex Murdock sued himself in the wrongful death suit refers to the fact he got 2.6 million as settlement, the sons of the housekeeper got nothing. Is this possible??

Alex Murdock had friends in high places. The lady judge protected him and his son legally. That I guess is what influence means. Do I have this right so far .?

Annette

What corruption??

 

[smitcompton]

Hi Again,

One insurance Co. filed a suit asking the judge to rule that the insurance Co. had no liability for the boating accident that caused the death of the young girl. Murdock carried a 3 million dollar policy and a 5 mil umbrella policy. This was for the Hunting Lodge where the accident occurred. The insur co. maintained they only insured for an occurrence of bodily harm to a hunting party . The boat was not insured , nor were "Buster" Murdock who let his brother use his ID when purchasing alcohol. So , the girls parents who did sue must look elsewhere for relief.

There is another policy for 500.000 that appears to cover the boat..

I wish i knew how to get the article I read on here, but I don't know how. So sorry! Its long.

Annette

 

[RMOO]

https://www.reddit.com/r/MurdaughFamilyMurders/comments/pvdsqp

I am guessing this has something to do with why the attorneys for the estate of Mallory Beach filed a Lis Pendens on two of the Murdaugh properties. Notice under the signature line the small print that shows that Buster has power of attorney over his father.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,
Your link suggests the property (house) or properties belongs to the wife. If this is true, they would pay it off. . How could you make her estate responsible for the boat accident? I think they would have gone after that already. Only Paul Murdock was murdered and now they are looking for some settlement. Insurance is not paying.

Annette

 

[tyty333]

Hi,

RFisher, you are on top of the case! So, it appears from this article that the 4 million was the settlement, not the 500,000 we discussed above. 1.4 million was designated as lawyers fees, which sounds right (25% fee scale) and the rest was paid out to Alex Murdock. whereas this payment should have gone to the sons. I take it the comment that persons do not understand how Alex Murdock sued himself in the wrongful death suit refers to the fact he got 2.6 million as settlement, the sons of the housekeeper got nothing. Is this possible??

Alex Murdock had friends in high places. The lady judge protected him and his son legally. That I guess is what influence means. Do I have this right so far .?

Annette

What corruption??

So now, or maybe I didnt pick up on this earlier, they are insinuating that Murdoch may have killed the housekeeper to get money.
No autopsy was performed and the manner of death was listed as "natural" when it should have been "accidental" if it happened
as they said it did (which who believes anything they say at this point)???

I heard they may exhume the housekeeper's body to see if they can tell what happened.

I'm feeling sorry for anyone who knew this family or came into contact with them!