SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #2

[Cryptic]

Snipped by me -
IMO, I don't think PM was going to do much time at all given his name is Murdaugh. Convicting him would have required a trial in which someone placed him at the wheel of the boat at the time of the crash and a jury of local citizens to convict, all of them knowing how much power the Murdaughs wield.

I imagine that it would have been resolved by plea bargain in which he would have pled guilty under the condition that the procecutor recommended a short sentence to the Court. The friendly judge would then accept it. I am thinking 2 years at most.


As a side note, I grew up in a mid sized, but still small southern town. Decades ago, a mother of three was killed by the black sheep son of a local surgeon when she rand an errand that took her into a stretch of road off of a "cruising" spot known for drag race challenges.

The black sheep was drag racing in his lifted and blinged out truck. In the course of the race, he cut into- or as he claimed, was forced into her lane and hit her head on.

Rumors swirled of blood tests being administered late (the next morning- or the next afternoon?) due to the need to provide "urgent" medical attention to the lightly injured sheep. He passed the test with flying colors. Other rumors had the father being able to remove "personal items" from the truck at the police impound lot that included alcohol and empty beer cans.

What is known is that the Black Sheep's trial was conveniently changed to a county far, far away..... . There, the black sheep eventually pled guilty after delays and negotiations. He was sentenced to about 2 1/2 to 3 years in prison- of which he served about half.

 

[stmarysmead]

Some inline answers and opinions ...

Some points very well taken…none of which will be resolved…one way or the other…till some actual evidence or LE statement is released. But in regard to RM’s comment about missing calls and finally picking up his wife’s phone…that was in one of the articles…and he said he was hunting. But you are right…it’s not in the interview…if that’s the full interview that’s online now. Was there a second interview on NBC the next morning?

 

[stmarysmead]

This isn’t in the GMA video either at the moment. Correction…”out with dogs.”

Murdaugh murders: Son, matriarch of prominent S.C. legal family gunned down at hunting lodge

Both Randy and John Murdaugh said in the segment that they received frantic calls from their brother the night of June 7, saying that his wife and son had been hurt.

“I missed some phone calls from him. I was outside with the dogs,” Randy Murdaugh said. “When I came in, he was calling my wife’s phone. And it was the worst phone call because of his voice, the fear. He was just distraught. I didn’t know if something was still happening. He was only able to tell me it was very, very bad. He said he thought they were dead.”

 

[Sustained]

This isn’t in the GMA video either at the moment. Correction…”out with dogs.”

Murdaugh murders: Son, matriarch of prominent S.C. legal family gunned down at hunting lodge

Both Randy and John Murdaugh said in the segment that they received frantic calls from their brother the night of June 7, saying that his wife and son had been hurt.

“I missed some phone calls from him. I was outside with the dogs,” Randy Murdaugh said. “When I came in, he was calling my wife’s phone. And it was the worst phone call because of his voice, the fear. He was just distraught. I didn’t know if something was still happening. He was only able to tell me it was very, very bad. He said he thought they were dead.”

Facts matter and it's obvious the media doesn't get them right most of the time or just doesn't care.

It's akin to the elementary school game played where the classmates line up and the kid on one end is given a statement to pass along to the next and then down the line. By the time the last kid gets the statement and recites it, it's nothing like the original.

 

[stmarysmead]

Some inline answers and opinions ...

A cell phone belonging to Maggie Murdaugh was found on the road outside the 1,700-acre Colleton County estate the day after she and her son Paul were slain, according to sources familiar with the investigation


Read more here: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article252301778.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Sustained]

A cell phone belonging to Maggie Murdaugh was found on the road outside the 1,700-acre Colleton County estate the day after she and her son Paul were slain, according to sources familiar with the investigation


Read more here: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article252301778.html#storylink=cpy

I'm aware of that report but which road ? Salkehatchie Road also backs up to the property in the rear.

 

[stmarysmead]

Hmmm…that’s great information and I thank you for the correction. So they could have left ‘the back way.’ It took me weeks to see the second entrance. Lol

This back road goes past the river?

 

[Sustained]

Hmmm…that’s great information and I thank you for the correction. So they could have left ‘the back way.’ It took me weeks to see the second entrance. Lol

This back road goes past the river?

The river meanders about halfway between the Moselle property and Salkehatchie Roads and crosses Sniders Hwy (Rte 63) down toward the bottom right of the attached pic. It is certainly possible the killer(s) went the back way out of Moselle down a trail, crossed the river (doesn't appear to be very wide in spots), and then discarded the phone on Salkehatchie Road.

 

[T rex]

Something that has puzzled me: within a very short peri0d of time, LE found something at the crime scene that caused them to reopen the SS case. That’s pretty remarkable, since they were on the scene of a double homicide of two members of a very powerful family and for years, had shown very little interest in the SS case.

That brings me to T-Rex’s very compelling observation…had PM given some information about that case previously in hopes of a plea deal to LE? Had he claimed to have evidence?

I don’t think it could be about his brother. I doubt th8s family would allow him to trade off his jail sentence for a drunken boating accident and give up his brother for a brutal murder that was all but forgotten.

But arranging a deal in order to provide evidence and testimony against a non-family member? Yes, in my opinion, they might have been desperate enough for PM to avoid a long jail sentence to do that.

In a small town, among young people…particularly those who drink and party hard, secrets are hard to keep. Some person and/or persons who’d escaped punishment for years would not want to be sacrificed for their rich friend who’d run out of other options. But PM might have had preliminary conversations. Maybe LE knew to look for something at the Lodge.

The SS case being involved in this one is only one possibility and there are several others but I think the M family also believes in that possibility. During the questioning by investigators in the following days it's likely that the family willingly pointed to or turned over the evidence that was found, but I could be wrong.

 

[zencompass]

The Post and Courier includes the podcast by their reporters:

Understand SC: Lack of details about Murdaugh homicides leaves questions, rumors

 

[stmarysmead]

The Post and Courier includes the podcast by their reporters:

Understand SC: Lack of details about Murdaugh homicides leaves questions, rumors

Could you summarize? Can’t get past the paywall.

 

[Elley Mae]

Wondering if the evidence that was found that re opened the SS investigation is/has called for or has seated a grand jury.

 

[taylorss]

Who reported Randy was out shooting that night? Was he shooting on that Mozelle 1,700 acre property or somewhere else? I hadn't heard about this.

I meant to refer to the confusion over whether AM was with his ill father or “out shooting” as was also reported. But it sounded like his brother RM was out shooting so maybe that mixed up & misreported as AM .. JMO hope that’s more clear

 

[Hoytie]

Another very frustrating case. I feel that with the family having so much clout and influence in the town, we will never find out the truth of what happened in this, Mallory Beach or S. Smith cases. And what we do eventually find out will be half truths or lies. Hopefully, someone in law enforcement, will not be influenced by $$$.

 

[Rivkah11]

The Post and Courier includes the podcast by their reporters:

Understand SC: Lack of details about Murdaugh homicides leaves questions, rumors

Wow! Great podcast. Insight into a much bigger picture than just an investigation…

 

[zencompass]

Could you summarize? Can’t get past the paywall.

@stmarysmead,

You'll see the message "404 not found" however the podcast will be at the very top on the left hand side of the page.

It looks like a line. Just click the play arrow.


This is the reporters' podcast from the Post and Courier article:

https://understand-sc.simplecast.com/episodes/details-still-sparse-in-high-profile-


Article:
Understand SC: Lack of details about Murdaugh homicides leaves questions, rumors

 

[stmarysmead]

@stmarysmead,

You'll see the message "404 not found" however the podcast will be at the very top on the left hand side of the page.

It looks like a line. Just click the play arrow.


This is the reporters' podcast from the Post and Courier article:

https://understand-sc.simplecast.com/episodes/details-still-sparse-in-high-profile-


Article:
Understand SC: Lack of details about Murdaugh homicides leaves questions, rumors

Thank you so much for this! I would never have figured this out without your help! Very, very interesting podcast.

 

[stmarysmead]

Did I hear correctly that MM was 20-30 YARDS from PM? Thats quite a distance! I’m trying to imagine how AM discovered those two bodies.

 

[Warwick7]

Did I hear correctly that MM was 20-30 YARDS from PM? Thats quite a distance! I’m trying to imagine how AM discovered those two bodies.

And that is not a "few yards away"

 

[stmarysmead]

His father, Randolph Murdaugh III, who retired as 14th Circuit solicitor in 2005, worked on a contract basis for $2,500 per month for his successor, Duffie Stone, wrote Stone’s spokesman, Jeff Kidd, citing records that date to 2015.

The roles of the Murdaughs in Stone’s office have come under scrutiny since Alex Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and son Paul were found shot to death June 7 outside their Colleton County home. Stone’s office has not recused itself from the murder investigation.


The full extent of the office’s involvement in the Murdaugh murder investigation is not known. Neither is the extent of the work done by the Murdaughs for Stone’s office. The office did not keep records of hours that Alex Murdaugh volunteered as a prosecutor, nor records of hours former Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh III contracted as a consultant and prosecutor.

They were not asked nor obligated to do so, Kidd said Wednesday in response to a records request.

From 2008 to 2019, Randolph Murdaugh, working under contract, was lead attorney prosecuting at least eight cases, mostly violent crimes, with his son Alex assisting with some of them. All but one case were prosecuted in Hampton County. Alex Murdaugh was lead attorney for one case in 2019, Kidd wrote.

Randolph Murdaugh, Kidd said, “frequently contributed to cases for which he was not recorded as the attorney of record.” He also “mentored attorneys, investigators and victim advocates, and occasionally advised us on docket management,” Kidd said.

The agency did not have records of exactly how many cases Alex Murdaugh assisted his father in prosecuting. He is “the only attorney who has served as a prosecutor in a volunteer capacity” between 2006 and 2021, Kidd said.

Kidd’s response came after more than three weeks of unreturned phone calls, voicemails and texts from The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette newspapers to Stone and his office. The newspapers filed FOIA requests, which require responses, after the office failed to return messages.

DOUBLE HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION

Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/s...oMb0_R330BylBFjn2ekC3VdbcJYokhE#storylink=cpy