Found Deceased SC - Michelle Murph 6 & dad Jason Murph 42, may have been in car accident, phoned wife 8pm near Hwy 301 near Calhoun County, 16 Dec 2023

[Chimera]

Mystery surrounds death of a dad and daughter, 6, who froze to death

A mystery has grown after a father and his six-year-old daughter were found dead near their 'broken down truck' in rural South Carolina on their way to the young girl's grandma's house.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'Because of the elements,' Calhoun County Coroner Donnie Porth said, according to WLTX. 'It wasn't below freezing by no means, but because of the wind and the rain, they become extremely cold, and I think it became an urgency for them to try to find help and try to find shelter.'

The coroner suggested the truck got stuck in the mud and evidence at the scene showed they made attempts to try and free it. But, a grass fire started from the friction in the failed efforts.
Red bolding mine.

So, the ground and foliage were wet ?
As in, soaking ?
I can see a grass fire starting, but the resultant fire was possibly enough to melt/burn off the wheels and for the windows to be shattered !
The photo looks like someone dumped a flammable substance over the entire vehicle and lit it.

Tbh, I didn't think it was cold enough for both of them to perish from hyporthermia ?
Alive and shivering and very traumatized, but not deceased in one night.

So baffling and sad.

From the link :




Rest in peace, Jason and Michelle Murph.
I hope a thorough investigation is conducted.
Omo.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Mystery surrounds death of a dad and daughter, 6, who froze to death

A mystery has grown after a father and his six-year-old daughter were found dead near their 'broken down truck' in rural South Carolina on their way to the young girl's grandma's house.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'Because of the elements,' Calhoun County Coroner Donnie Porth said, according to WLTX. 'It wasn't below freezing by no means, but because of the wind and the rain, they become extremely cold, and I think it became an urgency for them to try to find help and try to find shelter.'

The coroner suggested the truck got stuck in the mud and evidence at the scene showed they made attempts to try and free it. But, a grass fire started from the friction in the failed efforts.
Red bolding mine.

So, the ground and foliage were wet ?
As in, soaking ?
I can see a grass fire starting, but the resultant fire was possibly enough to melt/burn off the wheels and for the windows to be shattered !
The photo looks like someone dumped a flammable substance over the entire vehicle and lit it.

Tbh, I didn't think it was cold enough for both of them to perish from hyporthermia ?
Alive and shivering and very traumatized, but not deceased in one night.

So baffling and sad.

From the link :

View attachment 470039


Rest in peace, Jason and Michelle Murph.
I hope a thorough investigation is conducted.
Omo.

I still don't understand the fire.

But this link would explain dying of hypothermia in wet mud, even if the temperature wasn't freezing. The temperature where they were found was in the low 30s:

• At a water temperature of 32.5 degrees, death may occur in under 15 - 45 minutes.
• At a water temperature of 32.5 to 40 degrees, death may occur in 30 - 90 minutes.

How Long Does It Take to Get Hypothermia in Cold Water?

The amount of time that it takes to develop hypothermia depends on the temperature of the water and the type of protective gear that is worn while in the water.

www.hofmannlawfirm.com

 

[Rosydecember]

Not to sound unintelligent, but how did the fire start if it was raining and the ground underneath was muddy? Is there something maybe I am missing or misunderstanding?

 

[Scatcat]

So sorry that lives went this way x

 

[nao]

Not to sound unintelligent, but how did the fire start if it was raining and the ground underneath was muddy? Is there something maybe I am missing or misunderstanding?

Moo.. if you are stuck you go ..drive . reverse to try and move it. The wheels are just spinning cause he is not getting traction.. basically digging auto deeper unfortunately...wheels heat up..gas tank blew..grass fire starts. He could of been trying to roll it back n forth for n hour or more. He panicked and they got stuck in mud while walking out. Myself and son got stuck walking on mud flats, my 5 yr son, he started panicking, we had to leave our boots in mud and belly crawl out...it was scary

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Moo.. if you are stuck you go ..drive . reverse to try and move it. The wheels are just spinning cause he is not getting traction.. basically digging auto deeper unfortunately...wheels heat up..gas tank blew..grass fire starts. He could of been trying to roll it back n forth for n hour or more. He panicked and they got stuck in mud while walking out. Myself and son got stuck walking on mud flats, my 5 yr son, he started panicking, we had to leave our boots in mud and belly crawl out...it was scary

I'm glad you and your son made it out safely. That could have so easily turned out badly.

 

[nao]

I'm glad you and your son made it out safely. That could have so easily turned out badly.

Moo..we were lucky it was day lite and could see solid land. They were not lucky it was dark. I had never experienced quick sand mud. They probably panicked and it was dark, probably fell over. Also we were wearing gum boots/wellingtons easy to get feet out.

 

[Chimera]

Not to sound unintelligent, but how did the fire start if it was raining and the ground underneath was muddy? Is there something maybe I am missing or misunderstanding?

Good questions.

How did a grass fire of that magnitude start, if it was wet ?
That truck was incinerated.
None of this makes sense, unfortunately.
Omo.

 

[Unsolved]

I always ask my DH for his opinion when a vehicle is involved just to get his ideas. He asked if anyone knows what JM bought at the pump at the Exxon station, because if they were only there for a couple minutes (6:19 to 6:22) he thinks JM might have pulled in and filled a gas can in the bed of the truck, which might have had something to do with how bad the fire was. Just something to think about.

 

[RANCH]

A grass fire started in a very wet and muddy field? I don't get it. Arson is believable in this situation. Especially when the location doesn't fit with the route to their destination.

Quentin Murph, the cousin of Jason Murph's cousin, told local WIS News that he was 'confused how the pair ended up at that location since the area they were found was not on the route to grandma's house.

There's more to this story. JMO.

Mystery surrounds death of a dad and daughter, 6, who froze to death

A mystery has grown after a father and his six-year-old daughter were found dead near their 'broken down truck' in rural South Carolina on their way to the young girl's grandma's house.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[SMK777]

A grass fire started in a very wet and muddy field? I don't get it. Arson is believable in this situation. Especially when the location doesn't fit with the route to their destination.


There's more to this story. JMO.

Mystery surrounds death of a dad and daughter, 6, who froze to death

A mystery has grown after a father and his six-year-old daughter were found dead near their 'broken down truck' in rural South Carolina on their way to the young girl's grandma's house.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Something seems missing from this story.
Some piece of information that would tie things together.
Very haunting and disturbing. ..

 

[RANCH]

Something seems missing from this story.
Some piece of information that would tie things together.
Very haunting and disturbing. ..

I'm guessing that perhaps Mr Murph was impaired and that contributed to why he drove to the field and never called for help when he got stuck.

I still don't get the fire. When I was young and dumb I got stuck in the mud on our ranch property a couple of times and spun my tires way more than I should trying to move and all I got was some steam. No hint of a fire. JMO.

 

[SMK777]

I'm guessing that perhaps Mr Murph was impaired and that contributed to why he drove to the field and never called for help when he got stuck.

I still don't get the fire. When I was young and dumb I got stuck in the mud on our ranch property a couple of times and spun my tires way more than I should trying to move and all I got was some steam. No hint of a fire. JMO.

It’s confusing for certain. Also because of the wet and muddy conditions.

 

[Knox]

This story makes no sense for all the reasons stated by posters above. What happened to his cell phone, he called the ex wife around 8:00 PM - what happened after that? Was his phone ever found?

How is the coroner coming up with a time of 10:30 for the vehicle fire, what's that based on?

 

[Charlot123]

Not to sound unintelligent, but how did the fire start if it was raining and the ground underneath was muddy? Is there something maybe I am missing or misunderstanding?

I just googled “are there peat moss marches in SC?” (Sorry by mistake I first tried NC - have been once to each, for a very short time)

But apparently there are in both

Mountain Bogs, Carolina Bays, And Farm Ponds

Nature: South Carolina's bogs, bays, and farm ponds are valuable sources of water for humans, native plants, and wildlife.

www.hiltonpond.org

It takes someone better aware of SC geography to see whether the counties mentioned match but it is not impossible. Then all, the fire, the inability to get out - is not impossible

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Horrible thought: the accident happened Saturday night but wasn't found until Monday lunchtime.

Could somebody have found the wrecked truck in the meantime, say on Sunday, without realizing Jason and Michelle's bodies were nearby--and thought it would be fun to torch it?

LE seem fairly sure the fire was started by spinning the wheels of the truck, but I wonder if there's a possibility the fire could be totally unrelated to the rest of the incident.

 

[Unsolved]

Just thinking more about my DH's ideas that I posted above, IF JM did have a gas can full of gas, and they were stuck and cold, maybe he tried to start a fire with something there (sticks, leaves. etc.) to get warm and it got away from him?

 

[Charlot123]

About peat in South Carolina

Southern Peat Bogs, Old Men and A New Farm Ethic | Jenks Farmer

Sitting in a rocking chair, a tiny plate of deviled eggs in his football player lap, I guessed he was about 75. He was almost a stranger yet immediately familiar. He had my father’s brogue, my uncle’s nose, and this family’s skills of storytelling, “Did you know Daddy used to run a peat company...

jenksfarmer.com

We went to a museum 1 hr W of Charleston. Beautiful nature, but it was all marshland. Even now, it seems, 1 mile from the highway, and you may be lost. RIP, Michelle and Jason. Very, very sorry for Michelle’s mother.

 

[RANCH]

This story makes no sense for all the reasons stated by posters above. What happened to his cell phone, he called the ex wife around 8:00 PM - what happened after that? Was his phone ever found?

How is the coroner coming up with a time of 10:30 for the vehicle fire, what's that based on?

Good questions.

It's been reported that Mr Murph wrecked his truck and it had been damaged. Hard to tell from the one photo of the truck what kind of damage it may have had prior to the fire.

She reported receiving a call around 8 p.m. Saturday from Jason Murph saying his Toyota Tundra truck had wrecked in Calhoun County, and he didn't know where he was.

Did he wreck and sometime later drove into the field and got stuck? JMO.

Report gives new details into events leading to death of Richland County father, daughter

The mother said she and the father were estranged.

www.wltx.com

 

[MollyHarps]

This case is so confusing - something just doesn’t add up to me.

If the car veered off the road and went down the embankment and got stuck in the mud surely after so long of trying to get it out you’d realise that there was no chance of dislodging it (the more times you tried the more the car would get stuck imo) - why not call for help at this stage? And just stay in the car and wait for help to arrive.

The thought of them dying from hypothermia is horrible - I really hope that the little girl died first if not she’d have been so scared by herself.