SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #4

[worm]

Agree -- I don't think this had anything to do with AM's practice or solicitor's cases.

Posted Forbes article because it presents interesting insight into the community and the judicial culture. That area is the poorest in all SC because of all the suits. Economic development is a huge challenge, median income very low, not a lot of options for employment, etc.

I know the area and a lot of rural SC suffers like this. Get outside of the cities and it’s true country. These small judicial systems are often ran by a certain few also and that just makes for bad business.

 

[sunshineray]

Just saw this \/ \/. Could be legit or perhaps an enterprising USC student. LOL. The Packet says the "concerned citizen" did not return their phone calls for this article.

View attachment 309506
View attachment 309507The Island Packet

‘Concerned citizen’ asks for $650,000 to hire investigators in Murdaugh murders. Why?

While the S.C. Law Enforcement Division investigates the murders of Paul Murdaugh and his mother, Maggie, in June outside their rural Colleton County home, an anonymous “concerned citizen” has launched a fundraising effort to hire outside investigators....

The ********’s organizer, who is not identified, claims they want to know who killed the Murdaughs....

To get those answers, the unnamed person created the ******** page, “True Justice for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh,” with a $650,000 goal: hire a group of out-of-state private investigators to “seek out what really happened....”

The page says the fundraiser is based in Columbia.

They anonymous organizer claims the hired investigators would operate “independently of each other” to compile reports and information on the case. They also said they would set up a 24/7 tip line....

The organizer wrote that each donor — five people have contributed since July 1 — would be added to an email list and would receive updates on the investigation.

The effort has raised $55, but no donations have been posted in the past month.
​

The page is gone now. Seemed like a scam to me since the picture included was of Maggie and Buster not Paul.They also said they wanted to find out who killed Mallory Beach and Stephen Smith. It's a known how Mallory died so I don't know why she was included?

 

[LetsSolvIt]

The page is gone now. Seemed like a scam to me since the picture included was of Maggie and Buster not Paul.They also said they wanted to find out who killed Mallory Beach and Stephen Smith. It's a known how Mallory died so I don't know why she was included?

Good catches. Article was updated Aug. 19 -- surprised writer didn't mention those two points.

 

[MajorHoople]

Just saw this \/ \/. Could be legit or perhaps an enterprising USC student. LOL. The Packet says the "concerned citizen" did not return their phone calls for this article.

View attachment 309506
View attachment 309507The Island Packet

‘Concerned citizen’ asks for $650,000 to hire investigators in Murdaugh murders. Why?

While the S.C. Law Enforcement Division investigates the murders of Paul Murdaugh and his mother, Maggie, in June outside their rural Colleton County home, an anonymous “concerned citizen” has launched a fundraising effort to hire outside investigators....

The ********’s organizer, who is not identified, claims they want to know who killed the Murdaughs....

To get those answers, the unnamed person created the ******** page, “True Justice for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh,” with a $650,000 goal: hire a group of out-of-state private investigators to “seek out what really happened....”

The page says the fundraiser is based in Columbia.

They anonymous organizer claims the hired investigators would operate “independently of each other” to compile reports and information on the case. They also said they would set up a 24/7 tip line....

The organizer wrote that each donor — five people have contributed since July 1 — would be added to an email list and would receive updates on the investigation.

The effort has raised $55, but no donations have been posted in the past month.
​

Thanks for the link. I went to the funding campaign mentioned in the article and it looks like has has been pulled down.

https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article253571424.html

 

[Cryptic]

I just have a hard time thinking that AMs actions as an attorney was the motive. I keep thinking that PM was the intended victim.

Though PM may well have been the intended victim, an alternative theory of AM being the main target coupled with the willingness to target the family as a whole is an easy jump for me.

The family has been running a lawsuit machine for what, three generations now? Though the press releases claim that the firm targets large companies, Robin Hood style, I have a deep suspicion their bread and butter involved targeting locals via fender benders, slip and falls, and other standard sue'em tactics,

A reporter found 70 locally originating active lawsuits by the firm on the dockets at one time. A significant majority would have been targeting locals.

I am thinking there could be thousands of small defendants over the generations. Most of these would have been dealt with by auto or business insurance. Even still, that still leaves plenty of cases where the firm may have targeted the uninsured, or pressed hard for settlements beyond the insurance amount etc.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This Forbes magazine article is 10-years-old but will certainly give you a taste of the legal climate in Lowcountry, which is effectively the PMPED law firm. Give y'all something to do while we wait for SLED to release something else for us to chew on.

Jun 10, 2002
Home Court Advantage

What a GREAT article. Thanks so much for finding and posting...

" Two years ago Wal-Mart drew up plans to build a store in Hampton. A lawyer in Columbia warned Wal-Mart that siting a store there would put the entire South Carolina operation at risk for Parker's lawsuits. Wal-Mart never built."

I wonder how many other businesses made the same decision, which shows the low economic standards and high unemployment in the area (At that time..2002)

Power is just so intoxicating.

I , too, wish they could get the funds to bring in some good PIs.

But the cynic in me, suggests that strong enough PIs could only be hired by some other power hungry entities who would like to bring this lawfirm down..........

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Whether they solve it or not....... it will make for one great mini-series. A book just sounds so... boring...in comparison.

Just thought of something.......... maybe, just maybe there is some big network out there hiring PIs. Now THAT would be very enlightening.

imo imo moo

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This Forbes magazine article is 10-years-old but will certainly give you a taste of the legal climate in Lowcountry, which is effectively the PMPED law firm. Give y'all something to do while we wait for SLED to release something else for us to chew on.

Jun 10, 2002
Home Court Advantage

I DID wonder why the article was all about Parker and not he Murdaughs...they certainly make it clear that it was started by the Murdaughs.

Does anyone local to SC, have an opinion on this?? tia

 

[Betty P]

I agree that PIs might turn up the heat, and I certainly wish the FBI would get on this. Looks like maybe many are skeptical of this fund because it was started in early July and they've only had $55 in donations. Wish I had bucks to burn 'cause it sure would be fun to donate the entire $650k to fully underwrite the PI and alternative tip line!!

One way to get the ball rolling on getting the FBI involved would be to contact the member of Congress who represents the SC 6th Congressional District.

South Carolina 6th congressional district at DuckDuckGo

 

[Betty P]

I just have a hard time thinking that AMs actions as an attorney was the motive. I keep thinking that PM was the intended victim.

Yes, it seems more like the wealth and power accrued by the family has been used in a negative way in recent years. People who are victims seem to be tired of what became a rigged system that has done real harm to some people by protecting PM and others. Maybe just a classic case of people tired of one family that's always "throwing their weight around" to the detriment of others.

 

[Betty P]

Here's the link:

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - New court documents filed Wednesday revealed why Connor Cook told attorneys the Murdaughs and some law enforcement officers may have been trying to frame him as the driver of a boat involved in a deadly crash in Beaufort County in 2019. A

[...]

Cook told attorneys he lied to investigators about knowing who was driving the boat when it crashed because he was told by Alex Murdaugh, Paul’s father, that he “didn’t need to tell anyone who was driving,” a deposition revealed.

Revealing deposition claims Alex Murdaugh told man to keep quiet about who was driving boat before deadly crash

From the link:

"During his deposition, which was originally recorded on Jan. 13, 2020, Cook told attorneys that Paul Murdaugh had called his grandfather from the crash scene.

“I heard his grandad ask him who was driving, and he told his grandad that I was,” Cook said.

Attorneys then asked, “at the time you gave the statement, sounded like you knew somebody was going to blame you or somebody was going to point a finger at you?”

Cook replied, “Yes.”

The deposition was released Wednesday as evidence attached to SCDNR’s response to Cook’s pre-suit petition. The department claimed Cook’s petition was potentially frivolous and unnecessary, considering he had not filed any formal complaint against the department in court, and he admitted to lying to investigators.

“A wide-ranging, discovery fishing expedition would not alter the fact that Connor Cook has suffered no damages. The only person charged…was the late Paul Murdaugh,” court documents stated. “As Connor Cook’s testimony reveals, he lied early and often to investigators, refusing, even to this day, to provide a statement to SCDNR indicating he knew Paul Murdaugh was driving.”
​

Why is SCDNR behaving in such a hostile manner towards Connor Cook? He's trying to set the record straight and reveal evidence that exonerates himself. He has a right to do that.

 

[worm]

DNR made a pretty harsh response but isn’t he on tape telling the DNR guy who was driving and it didn’t get reported? CYA response.

 

[swedeheart]

 

[LetsSolvIt]

Whether they solve it or not....... it will make for one great mini-series. A book just sounds so... boring...in comparison.

Just thought of something.......... maybe, just maybe there is some big network out there hiring PIs. Now THAT would be very enlightening.

imo imo moo

Hey, what a clever idea for a network to pursue ... and they would have an exclusive and early start on production!! Maybe someone in the media will read your post and get an idea!!! JMO.

 

[airportwoman]

One way to get the ball rolling on getting the FBI involved would be to contact the member of Congress who represents the SC 6th Congressional District.

South Carolina 6th congressional district at DuckDuckGo

This link doesn't work.

 

[Betty P]

This link doesn't work.

Try this one

Congressman James E. Clyburn

 

[worm]

With the Ms donations, I’m sure this case is well known in the political circle throughout the state. I’d like to think too that there’s a federal eye on it already, even if it isn’t official.

 

[Betty P]

With the Ms donations, I’m sure this case is well known in the political circle throughout the state. I’d like to think too that there’s a federal eye on it already, even if it isn’t official.

Yes, but they won't move unless the local member of Congress gives the ok. These problems have been going on for many years. I'm surprised the activities in this court district weren't looked at a long time ago. Then again, maybe it's like that all over South Carolina. Still no excuse. JMO

 

[airportwoman]

Try this one

Congressman James E. Clyburn

He doesn't take online correspondence unless you live in the district.

I just might send him a postcard anyway.

Contact Me

 

[Swamp Fox Trot]

I could believe an older Toyota may still be on the road in an area such as the low country of South Carolina where the winters are mild and road salt isn't used in the winter. Rust what what took a greater number of older cars, especially older Japanese cars, off the road. Especially if it happened to be a 4x4 pickup truck, someone in the group of friends might have such a vehicle.

It's easy to imagine an old Toyota truck around there. Plus, how did the paint get on the clothing? Perhaps he was leaning against a truck with cracking paint. A tool, I have a harder time visualizing.