SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #3

[Watts Bar]

This just seems too personal to be random locals. The choice of weapons could be that the perps maybe expected that the intended victims could themselves be armed and long guns could afford some distance if need be. I just don’t see burglary or theft here.
On the call, I know 911 asks if anyone is around but did they not think to advise precaution? Did the responding cops ask dispatch about a potential shooter? I just don’t understand how easy everybody involved took this and not to belabor the point, but this “no threat” is just so, so disturbing. Whoever was behind that public statement REALLY should explain.

I actually think you may have possibly hit on the key to the case here…why they won’t tell us the reason they said/knew there was no threat. It seems “off” to assume there was no longer a threat on that vast property (at night, in the rain) upon the arrival of law enforcement. As well as no threat to other family, and no threat to the general public. But LE seemingly walked right onto the scene, cleared it for EMS and told the public there was nothing to worry about. MOO, if they tell us why they knew that, there’s a good chance they’ll be telling us who did this.

AMOO

 

[gentlemanplanter]

These are my impressions -- I don't have the articles to cite -- but I thought BM was still in law school (so not a member of bar) and since I feel like it's come up a couple times that he was working at the M firm, I assumed his employment was maybe for the summer or if year-round, maybe he just assists with certain cases like an intern. I do not know the facts — only my memory at work. Just speculation.

The more interesting question for me is finding out for sure where BM was the night of the murders. He could very well have been at home in Rock Hill when his uncle called him (GMA) but in all likelihood uncle was calling BM on a cell phone and he could have been anywhere. Don't mean to be sleuthing him just wondering if he has an alibi?

[deleted my comment related to July 24 Governor’s Cup — could no longer find the photo]

 

[worm]

I actually think you may have possibly hit on the key to the case here…why they won’t tell us the reason they said/knew there was no threat. It seems “off” to assume there was no longer a threat on that vast property (at night, in the rain) upon the arrival of law enforcement. As well as no threat to other family, and no threat to the general public. But LE seemingly walked right onto the scene, cleared it for EMS and told the public there was nothing to worry about. MOO, if they tell us why they knew that, there’s a good chance they’ll be telling us who did this.

AMOO

It’s just that I spent many years listening to police respond to situations and reporting on them for a living and the threat is always a priority when they approach a scene and usually EMS/rescue will even stop and hold off nearby until they are assured safety. It doesn’t sound like that was the case here and we are talking about a very big area where the murders took place, acres of it. Helicopters with spotlights and heat imagers are commonly brought in to search a scene. It just seems that too many people were at ease with approaching this.

 

[worm]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a 911 dispatcher let a call end, so someone reporting a possible double murder with a perp unknown, Could call other people. They usually insist that the caller stay on the line as they get more info. It doesn’t seem tho that the dispatcher knew it was a solicitor calling unless she recognized the name later in the call. At any rate, it’s odd.

 

[Elley Mae]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a 911 dispatcher let a call end, so someone reporting a possible double murder with a perp unknown, Could call other people. They usually insist that the caller stay on the line as they get more info. It doesn’t seem tho that the dispatcher knew it was a solicitor calling unless she recognized the name later in the call. At any rate, it’s odd.

There were parts redacted before it was released, no telling what AM said that would have had to be redacted.

 

[worm]

It’s sad and a black eye to this entire state that people have nowhere to turn, unless the DOJ stepped in, to force these officials to explain some things like the “no threat” statement. SLED and state courts won’t do it, as we have seen and it’s an easy guess as to why nobody in that area has faith in the justice system. Having seen many local officials carted off to the fed pen myself, it’s easy to lose respect and trust in the agencies they wrecked.

 

[worm]

There were parts redacted before it was released, no telling what AM said that would have had to be redacted.

I had actually forgot that and you are exactly right, there’s no telling what else is there.

 

[Oakie]

After following this case, and the cases of the deaths of Mallory Beach and Stephen Smith, I am nagged by a thought....

Most law enforcement officers nowadays carry both shotguns, and "black rifles" (AR15 types) in their cruisers.

This is just speculation, but what if the PM and MM murders were committed by police officers? Could it be that, if Murdaughs were put on the witness stand, subject to cross-examination, too much revealing information about police corruption and favoritism would come forward? Could it be that a resolution of this case would just be too risky for local law enforcement? Had the victims become too inconvenient?

We've struggled with this sort of situation in Kentucky for generations now (many of you will know of examples of this in our state....). Could it happen in South Carolina too?

 

[worm]

After following this case, and the cases of the deaths of Mallory Beach and Stephen Smith, I am nagged by a thought....

Most law enforcement officers nowadays carry both shotguns, and "black rifles" (AR15 types) in their cruisers.

This is just speculation, but what if the PM and MM murders were committed by police officers? Could it be that, if Murdaughs were put on the witness stand, subject to cross-examination, too much revealing information about police corruption and favoritism would come forward? Could it be that a resolution of this case would just be too risky for local law enforcement? Had the victims become too inconvenient?

We've struggled with this sort of situation in Kentucky for generations now (many of you will know of examples of this in our state....). Could it happen in South Carolina too?

They do carry those guns but they usually have to account for them if they have been used, I suppose they could be cleaned tho. The cars are usually tracked by gps but im not sure if that county uses that or not.
I just keep thinking this was somebody enforcing law, just because they weren’t seeing it done by the people, LE, who are responsible for that enforcement.

 

[T rex]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a 911 dispatcher let a call end, so someone reporting a possible double murder with a perp unknown, Could call other people. They usually insist that the caller stay on the line as they get more info. It doesn’t seem tho that the dispatcher knew it was a solicitor calling unless she recognized the name later in the call. At any rate, it’s odd.

I get the feeling LE was already on the scene without having been dispatched there. AM could have made a personal call to get them there but at some point they decided it best to go through the usual process. It's just a feeling and my opinion but there really is something odd about all of it.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a 911 dispatcher let a call end, so someone reporting a possible double murder with a perp unknown, Could call other people. They usually insist that the caller stay on the line as they get more info. It doesn’t seem tho that the dispatcher knew it was a solicitor calling unless she recognized the name later in the call. At any rate, it’s odd.

I agree. When the 911 operator let AM hang up, I was shocked. No one knew if there was a threat still there and if AM had seen anyone, he may have yelled a name to aid LE. Weird!

 

[MsJosie]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a 911 dispatcher let a call end, so someone reporting a possible double murder with a perp unknown, Could call other people. They usually insist that the caller stay on the line as they get more info. It doesn’t seem tho that the dispatcher knew it was a solicitor calling unless she recognized the name later in the call. At any rate, it’s odd.

I wonder…..is it possible when any of the M’s numbers come up on the screen the 911 operator is looking at, could there be special instructions telling the 911 operator how to handle the call? I say this because I know a friend who has a medical condition has a service dog. The dog is trained to get the phone and ‘paws at the keys” hitting all the numbers. When the operator comes on….they will try and get a response but they automatically know the dog can call the 911 for help as the issue is written on the screen somewhere. So the scree could say if M number is called call your supervisor or a certain person or anything.

I don’t think this case will be solved. Much like in Broad Day Light, everyone will remain quiet but the reason why are totally different.

 

[worm]

I wonder…..is it possible when any of the M’s numbers come up on the screen the 911 operator is looking at, could there be special instructions telling the 911 operator how to handle the call? I say this because I know a friend who has a medical condition has a service dog. The dog is trained to get the phone and ‘paws at the keys” hitting all the numbers. When the operator comes on….they will try and get a response but they automatically know the dog can call the 911 for help as the issue is written on the screen somewhere. So the scree could say if M number is called call your supervisor or a certain person or anything.

I don’t think this case will be solved. Much like in Broad Day Light, everyone will remain quiet but the reason why are totally different.

I thought about this too but the dispatcher doesn’t seem familiar with him. But later in the call when he tells her he needs to call others, the mood seems to change. I wonder if she realized who it was or someone else made her aware. Given the situation, I don’t think his authority should have been a factor in how this was dealt with but I think it was. Like his behavior at the hospital after that crash shouldn’t have been tolerated. But it looks like it was.

 

[Luna20]

Just throwing this out there as something that seemed odd to me.

AM makes his living in a business which could potentially create enemies; both from his work as an attorney and as a volunteer at the solicitor’s office. That’s simply the nature of his work. And there are some real lunatics walking among us. Unless it was known immediately who the perpetrators were, then I would think revenge against AM or the family as a whole would have been considered for that reason. (In fact, it does seem that according to the CAD, LE may have taken the initiative to check on BM?, albeit at the wrong address in Hampton)

I know AM’s fear on the scene, or lack thereof, has been discussed.
If I try to put myself in his position (and I understand it’s ridiculous to think that I really could do so), but simply as a parent, if I try..
I don’t think the fear of a shooter still on the scene would have overcome my desire to check on the condition of my son and my spouse.
However, I do think that the GMA interview portion regarding them contacting BM seems odd. RM said that AM couldn’t bring himself to call BM to tell him what happened, so RM did so himself. (i think it’s important that it was specified that the purpose of that phone call was to tell BM that his brother and mom had been killed.)
However, I think that phone call, at least for me, would have come much earlier and for another reason. I think I would not have been able to keep myself from calling my other son, likely right after the 911 call ended. And it would not have been to deliver the terrible news, but to check on his well-being. If 2/3 of my family had just been brutally murdered, my mind would quickly go my other son, his whereabouts and well-being. I would be frantically trying to find out if the other 1/3 of my family was ok.
I also would have used my clout to try to have someone in LE go to BM’s home in Rock Hill and bring him to me. I would not have wanted him to be alone, or to drive. I would be terrified for his safety until he was with me. Especially if there was evidence that the murders at Moselle had occurred recently. I would think there was a possibility the perpetrators may not be finished, that they could be out to murder my remaining son as well, but maybe hadn’t yet. This would cause me to attempt to warn and intervene, bc maybe I could stop something that hadn’t yet been completed.
I know BM is 25 yo. That wouldn’t matter one bit to me. I would at least have to consider that someone was trying to kill the entire family. So, that’s where the lack of fear comes into this for me. Not any lack of fear for AM’s own safety on the crime scene, but a lack of fear for his other son. (Of course, we only know what’s been said. Maybe AM was concerned for him, and RM just didn’t say so.)
If they had reason to believe he was in no danger at all, then ok. But then I also have to consider why did AM felt he himself needed the support and presence of his 2 brothers, but BM received a phone call with life changing/crushing news, and seems to have been expected to drive several hours from Rock Hill with no family there to support him. If I couldn’t pull some strings and get LE to pick up and bring my son to me, I’m quite sure I would have asked one of my brothers to go get him (both for safety reasons and to keep him from driving in the midst of sudden shock and grief.) What a long, anxiety ridden, panicked drive that must have been for BM.

If it tells me anything, it tells me they weren’t afraid for his safety and that possibly his personality type is one that is able to function well in high stress? even drive a considerable distance after hearing such horrible news.
Of course, we also don’t know if he had a SO or friend with him.
All that to say- there is no known evidence BM’s family was concerned for his safety as it related to the incident at Moselle.

AMOO

I agree, I think it is human nature to immediately wonder if the perps are still around. So the fact that it didn’t seem to be alarming gives some indication that no threat was quickly determined.

The reward and tv appearance could be decoys.

 

[Elley Mae]

eye for an eye.?

Could someone have killed both MM & PM as retaliation?

Both of the victims SS MB, death have been blamed on one M or the other and the way they were killed would all but make them unrecognizable as both victims SS & MB after a week on the water.

Jmo

 

[Luna20]

eye for an eye.?

Could someone have killed both MM & PM as retaliation?

Both of the victims SS MB, death have been blamed on one M or the other and the way they were killed would all but make them unrecognizable as both victims SS & MB after a week on the water.

Jmo

SS was found in water?

 

[Luna20]

eye for an eye.?

Could someone have killed both MM & PM as retaliation?

Both of the victims SS MB, death have been blamed on one M or the other and the way they were killed would all but make them unrecognizable as both victims SS & MB after a week on the water.

Jmo

And that’s an interesting thought “eye for an eye” being “two for two”

 

[Luna20]

I agree. When the 911 operator let AM hang up, I was shocked. No one knew if there was a threat still there and if AM had seen anyone, he may have yelled a name to aid LE. Weird!

She was very nonchalant about it. There wasn’t a tone of ‘stay with me until you get to safety’. I wonder if the redaction was AM stating to her ‘I know who did it, there is no need for SWAT’ so to speak?? That could explain why she was ok with him getting off the phone.

 

[worm]

I agree, I think it is human nature to immediately wonder if the perps are still around. So the fact that it didn’t seem to be alarming gives some indication that no threat was quickly determined.

The reward and tv appearance could be decoys.

I fully expect that Mr Murdaugh was armed, that may explain his seemingly lack of fear. He’s an officer in a criminal court and living in a rural isolated area so I’d bet has has a carry permit.

 

[Razz]

This keeps coming up in my head, and partially from reading a now deleted article account....but could SS and PM have suffered the same wounds and in the same places?! One shotgun blast to the head plus a defensive wound to the hand?

LE may not have recognized it right away but I'm thinking someone did eventually and pulled out the pics of SS and compared the 2.