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

[sunshineray]

All we know is that a family member tracked the phone. We do not know who actually retrieved the phone.

I disagree. I believe we do know. I believe it was reported first as below and then the language was subsequently updated and changed.

Tracked, found and then handed over to SLED being the original reported version of what occured. AJMO

I believe it was The Island Packet that first used the bolded language below but unfortunately that is stuck behind a paywall for me. It was picked up and widely reported as below before being updated that phone was pinged by family member which led SLED to it.

"When a family member used their phone's location accessory the next day, they were able to locate her phone on the roadside nearby.

The phone was then handed over to SLED as evidence. It was not made clear how her phone got outside of the family's property."


Maggie Murdaugh's Cellphone Was Found Near Roadside Away From Crime Scene, Sources Reportedly Say

 

[Barry]

Another potential line of thinking. So far, most of our discussion has been about the criminal/civil proceedings against the M's and revenge factor related to that. Reversing that, what ongoing or recent cases have the M's been pursuing, that might have a evoked a message factor? MOO.

 

[evilwise]

Another potential line of thinking. So far, most of our discussion has been about the criminal/civil proceedings against the M's and revenge factor related to that. Reversing that, what ongoing or recent cases have the M's been pursuing, that might have a evoked a message factor? MOO.

I think someone said they had like 50 open lawsuits currently in court. Who knows how many settled ones that would have still been hurting the defendants. Have fun digging through all that.

 

[sunshineray]

Another potential line of thinking. So far, most of our discussion has been about the criminal/civil proceedings against the M's and revenge factor related to that. Reversing that, what ongoing or recent cases have the M's been pursuing, that might have a evoked a message factor? MOO.

Interesting...do you mean something like this? I'm sure R. Alex and his law firm were interested in this costly issue. I don't see how Paul or Maggie's deaths change this though?

Insurance company claims it’s ‘not responsible’ in Mallory Beach death lawsuit | WSAV-TV

 

[sunshineray]

I think someone said they had like 50 open lawsuits currently in court. Who knows how many settled ones that would have still been hurting the defendants. Have fun digging through all that.

Most of those would be private matters no? The particulars wouldn't be for public viewing, only the court dates and such?

 

[Sustained]

I disagree. I believe we do know. I believe it was reported first as below and then the language was subsequently updated and changed.

Tracked, found and then handed over to SLED being the original reported version of what occured. AJMO

I believe it was The Island Packet that first used the bolded language below but unfortunately that is stuck behind a paywall for me. It was picked up and widely reported as below before being updated that phone was pinged by family member which led SLED to it.

"When a family member used their phone's location accessory the next day, they were able to locate her phone on the roadside nearby.

The phone was then handed over to SLED as evidence. It was not made clear how her phone got outside of the family's property."


Maggie Murdaugh's Cellphone Was Found Near Roadside Away From Crime Scene, Sources Reportedly Say

We'll have to disagree then ...

This is a quote from an Island Packet story linked here :

https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article252299338.html

New information from sources close to the Murdaugh investigation have said Maggie’s phone wasn’t at the crime scene when police arrived. Investigators later found her phone on a road off the property.

Can't publish the link here but Mandy Matney also reports that the phone was discovered by LE with the assistance of a family member. She is as close or closer to this investigation as anyone so I'll go with her version.

Why in the world would the M's (as prosecution and evidence experts) handle a piece of evidence like MM's cell phone after the murders potentially destroying any DNA/prints to be found ?

 

[sunshineray]

We'll have to disagree then ...

This is a quote from an Island Packet story linked here :

https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article252299338.html

New information from sources close to the Murdaugh investigation have said Maggie’s phone wasn’t at the crime scene when police arrived. Investigators later found her phone on a road off the property.

Why in the world would the M's (as prosecution and evidence experts) handle a piece of evidence like MM's cell phone after the murders potentially destroying any DNA/prints to be found ?

Yes that's what it was updated as saying.

As to why in the world anyone, including family, involved in an unsolved double homicide would do that? It's anybody's guess really. It needs thorough investigations, which are right now, hopefully, on-going.

 

[evilwise]

Most of those would be private matters no? The particulars wouldn't be for public viewing, only the court dates and such?

It's against the rules here to sleuth people who haven't been called "persons of interest" by law enforcement. I'm sure the names and the stakes are easy enough to find but my actual point is that contrary to family statements, the Murdaughs were sure to have had too many enemies to count.

Maybe that necessitates a cognitive dissonance about the definition of an "enemy"

 

[sunshineray]

It's against the rules here to sleuth people who haven't been called "persons of interest" by law enforcement. I'm sure the names and the stakes are easy enough to find but my actual point is that contrary to family statements, the Murdaughs were sure to have had too many enemies to count.

Maybe that necessitates a cognitive dissonance about the definition of an "enemy"

A hundred years or more of high powered jobs in one certain area would definitely lend itself to much influence and just as much drama.

 

[Elley Mae]

Interesting...do you mean something like this? I'm sure R. Alex and his law firm were interested in this costly issue. I don't see how Paul or Maggie's deaths change this though?

Insurance company claims it’s ‘not responsible’ in Mallory Beach death lawsuit | WSAV-TV

Same company that paid off the settlement for GS (trip & fall) victim.

The only changes it makes is any and all assets in MM & PM name, will probably go back to AM, or BM.

 

[stmarysmead]

I am beginning to wonder if there will ever be any resolution to this. Maybe the feeling is…keep everything secret…and in time, people forget…it all goes away.

 

[Mamamerced]

I am beginning to wonder if there will ever be any resolution to this. Maybe the feeling is…keep everything secret…and in time, people forget…it all goes away.

Reminding me a bit of the deaths of Nicole Olsen and her daughters. Her bf, with whom she and her daughters were living, comes from a very well-connected, wealthy TX family. Some things never change. Sigh.

 

[MommyPlatt]

I have a theory as to why LE is so certain about the time of death. Perhaps MM and PM met AM at the hospital to visit dying grandpa and they drove home while AM stopped by to visit his mom. Thus ironclad alibi. Maybe MM and PM came upon someone at the dog pens. Maybe someone knew exactly what time they would arrive. Did they carry guns (shotgun or rifle) in their cars?

 

[stmarysmead]

I have a theory as to why LE is so certain about the time of death. Perhaps MM and PM met AM at the hospital to visit dying grandpa and they drove home while AM stopped by to visit his mom. Thus ironclad alibi. Maybe MM and PM came upon someone at the dog pens. Maybe someone knew exactly what time they would arrive. Did they carry guns (shotgun or rifle) in their cars?

I don’t believe LE has made a statement ruling out AM or stating that he has an ironclad alibi.

The statement about the alibi comes from AM’s brothers TV interview. It was repeated by media, which causes confusion…but unless I’ve missed it, LE has made no such statement.

Did the brothers give that interview specifically to get that ‘iron clad alibi statement’ into the public consciousness? Who knows? Maybe not. But I don’t think it’s unfair to say the family springs into action when family situations arise…like AM and their Father appearing at the hospital to make sure no interviews or breathalyzer tests were taken….before MB’s body had even been located.

 

[Sustained]

Did the brothers give that interview specifically to get that ‘iron clad alibi statement’ into the public consciousness? Who knows? Maybe not. But I don’t think it’s unfair to say the family springs into action when family situations arise…like AM and their Father appearing at the hospital to make sure no interviews or breathalyzer tests were taken….before MB’s body had even been located.

Snipped and BBM -

In all fairness to the M's, any lawyer would have advised PM not to give any interviews to LE or submit to a breathalyzer.

 

[stmarysmead]

Snipped and BBM -

In all fairness to the M's, any lawyer would have advised PM not to give any interviews to LE or submit to a breathalyzer.

True. Yes, it’s only fair to make that qualification. But, sorry, I don’t like it.

Somehow the truth of what happened that night, why that girl died, should have mattered. What is justice if truth can be blocked,obscured? If it’s just who has the smartest lawyer.

At the least, SC has an implied consent law. Why didn’t that apply? All those kids should have been tested by LE at the scene of the crash. But it didn’t happen. What good is that law if it only applies to those unlucky people who don’t have a lawyer on speed-dial?

 

[Warwick7]

True. Yes, it’s only fair to make that qualification. But, sorry, I don’t like it.

Somehow the truth of what happened that night, why that girl died, should have mattered. What is justice if truth can be blocked,obscured? If it’s just who has the smartest lawyer.

At the least, SC has an implied consent law. Why didn’t that apply? All those kids should have been tested by LE at the scene of the crash. But it didn’t happen. What good is that law if it only applies to those unlucky people who don’t have a lawyer on speed-dial?

Tou·ché!!

 

[Cryptic]

I also wondered about security for the family after these murders. With everything going on with Paul, I’d have kept him away from Hampton....

Objectively, your hypothetical course of action regarding keeping PM staying away from Hampton and laying low elsewhere makes perfect sense.

Subjectively, the clan (with a "c", not a "K") is apparently on its fourth generation of being powerful legal and landed gentry in a democratic society. Using power in a democratic society is usually "soft" and involves subtlety, and discretion

In any dynasty (commercial, industrial, heck, royal) it is very difficult to maintain the talent and wisdom that started the dynasty generation after generation. Rather, ability can remain, or decline with each generation.

In this case, my guess is that the group no longer had the ability to know when discretion was called for with PM laying low any more than they could discern that attempts to arrange no punishment for PM could not be maintained given the publicity in a social media age.

A soft power approach would have involved accepting an ankle monitor on PM (with soft power assurances of uhmm..... "appropriate exceptions"). PM then stays out of sight and keeps his mouth shut.

Discretion could well also mean accepting/ quickly that PM would face conequences (with soft power guarantees of a uhmm...... "reasonable" sentence to be served under "reasonable conditions" with of course..... "reasonable" access to an amazing variety of work release programs etc.

 

[Warwick7]

I don’t believe LE has made a statement ruling out AM or stating that he has an ironclad alibi.

The statement about the alibi comes from AM’s brothers TV interview. It was repeated by media, which causes confusion…but unless I’ve missed it, LE has made no such statement.

Did the brothers give that interview specifically to get that ‘iron clad alibi statement’ into the public consciousness? Who knows? Maybe not. But I don’t think it’s unfair to say the family springs into action when family situations arise…like AM and their Father appearing at the hospital to make sure no interviews or breathalyzer tests were taken….before MB’s body had even been located.

BBM
I want to add, that many of us want to know the particulars of how RM wound up at the scene, where PM was driving that boat.

 

[stmarysmead]

Objectively, your hypothetical course of action regarding keeping PM staying away from Hampton and laying low elsewhere makes perfect sense.

Subjectively, the clan (with a "c", not a "K") is apparently on its fourth generation of being powerful legal and landed gentry in a democratic society. Using power in a democratic society is usually "soft" and involves subtlety, and discretion

In any dynasty (commercial, industrial, heck, royal) it is very difficult to maintain the talent and wisdom that started the dynasty generation after generation. Rather, ability can reman, or decline with each generation.

In this case, my guess is that the group no longer had the ability to know when discretion was called for (PM staying away) any more than they could discern that attempts to arrange no punishment for PM could not be maintained given the publicity in a social media age.

A soft power approach would have involved accepting an ankle monitor on PM (with soft power assurances of uhmm..... "appropriate exceptions"). PM then stays out of sight and keeps his mouth shut.

Likewise soft power could well be accepting quickly that PM would face conequences (with soft power guarantees of a uhmm...... "reasonable" sentence to be served "reasonable conditions" with of course..... "reasonable" access to an amazing variety of work release programs etc.

Translation: PM stays out of sight. He then gets a light sentence at a safe prison and gets out fast. But..... he is still punished to some degree- and that can make alot of difference.

Great post!! That’s it exactly.