SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #5

[Luna20]

MassGuy—the timeline is instructive

6/7 The dead girl’s family refuses mediation for their wrongful death suit; trial is scheduled

6/10 The boy accused of causing her death and his mother who hired forensic accountants to investigate her money are both killed in the family’s hunting lodge The father, Alex discovers their bodies

6/13 The boy’s grandfather, family patriarch, with a will, dies of cancer

9/3 Father Alex is fired from family firm for stealing >1MM in escrow accounts controlled by firm

9/7 Law firm reveals he had fired for stealing; Father enters rehab

And the knife…

 

[otto]

The latest shoe to drop, and if my sources are right, there will be many more shoes to drop than a person has feet -- this story is just beginning -- Alex Murdaugh suspended Wednesday from legal practice by SC Supreme Court
https://twitter.com/jmonkatthestate/status/1435733616420691975?s=21
https://twitter.com/jmonkatthestate/status/1435733616420691975?s=21

A bit of info about steps to disbarment:

"Well-known South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was suspended from practicing law by the S.C. Supreme Court on Wednesday ... interim suspension ...

“Upon receipt of sufficient evidence demonstrating that a lawyer poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public or to the administration of justice, the Supreme Court may place the lawyer on interim suspension pending a final determination in any proceeding under these rules.”​

Murdaugh is under investigation by his Hampton law firm for misappropriating money ...

... an interim suspension order is “fairly standard in cases where there are credible allegations of misappropriation of client funds, or where there is credible evidence that a lawyer is incapacitated due to substance abuse or mental illness or injury,”

... “His resignation came after the discovery by PMPED that Alex misappropriated funds in violation of PMPED standards and policies.”

... legal authorities take seriously any allegations of misappropriating money because “our system depends on lawyers being able to hold people’s funds.”

... what isn’t clear from PMPED’s statement was whether Murdaugh is accused of taking money belonging to the firm or belonging to clients."
​

https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article254047098.html

 

[lstiff]

I’m not sold on it being a drug addiction. That may be a diversion to that he’s just a bad person. People are more forgiving and understanding with addictions versus a real Bad Guy. Many people are battling drug addictions that are a by product of pain management. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to spin that theory for sympathy. The goal is not to make him look like a Bad Guy. The statement from Griffin “the family has been through so much” was damage control.

That’s why I question if it’s cause or effect in relation to the murders. Did he start after (because of) or were they killed (bc of a variety of theories) as a result of his addiction?

 

[Elley Mae]

I’m not sold on it being a drug addiction. That may be a diversion to that he’s just a bad person. People are more forgiving and understanding with addictions versus a real Bad Guy. Many people are battling drug addictions that are a by product of pain management. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to spin that theory for sympathy. The goal is not to make him look like a Bad Guy. The statement from Griffin “the family has been through so much” was damage control.

Totally agree

He’s hiding out and coming up with some bull malarkey to weasel his way out.

 

[MassGuy]

Truth is, I didn’t need this knife story to prove to me that Saturday’s shooting was a setup.

I’ve been laughing pretty hard whenever I read about it, as it reminded me a bit of Diane Downs’ hilarious scenario.

Except in this one, it wasn’t a random carjacker on a rural road at night, rather, it was a perfectly timed daytime attack, in which the bad guys somehow managed to puncture his tire, follow him unseen, have him stop in an isolated spot, yet screwed up the easy part.

Then the kicker, this happened the day after he was fired got embezzling millions.

Man, what luck.

 

[10ofRods]

I’m not sold on it being a drug addiction. That may be a diversion to that he’s just a bad person. People are more forgiving and understanding with addictions versus a real Bad Guy. Many people are battling drug addictions that are a by product of pain management. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to spin that theory for sympathy. The goal is not to make him look like a Bad Guy. The statement from Griffin “the family has been through so much” was damage control.

I think your analysis is brilliant. Here in CA, we see it all the time (celebrity gets into legal/possible criminal matter and BOOM! they are in rehab - where they can regroup and weasel).

Money is important to the legal process everywhere, that's for sure. There is SO much spin here.

(I should add that here, locally, on the other coast, there's almost no information about the case at all; he can always move elsewhere if he can just keep himself out of prison...for life).

 

[otto]

If Alex owned the knife that was used to slash the tires, does that mean he shot himself? Or, is that too far-fetched?

 

[Elley Mae]

Truth is, I didn’t need this knife story to prove to me that Saturday’s shooting was a setup.

I’ve been laughing pretty hard whenever I read about it, as it reminded me a bit of Diane Downs’ hilarious scenario.

Except in this one, it wasn’t a random carjacker on a rural road at night, rather, it was a perfectly timed daytime attack, in which the bad guys somehow managed to puncture his tire, follow him unseen, have him stop in an isolated spot, yet screwed up the easy part.

Then the kicker, this happened the day after he was fired got embezzling millions.

Man, what luck.

Thank you, I was laughing telling hubby about it as i read, had to blow my nose, eyes watering, 10 shots and grazed in the head. on the wrong road and he’s a top prosecutor.
He should know these things. Geeze

 

[Elley Mae]

If Alex owned the knife that was used to slash the tires, does that mean he shot himself? Or, is that too far-fetched?

I’m betting on ricochet.

 

[girlhasnoname]

Okay just to help put the opioid addiction in perspective:

My sister is in her late 50's, she is addicted to pain medicine. It came legitimately from a severed blood artery during labor (40 yrs old), and she has been addicted since. It's horrible, she has no relationship with her daughter or her husband whatsoever.

She is now in her late 50's and is 90 lbs and hooked beyond reason. Now that the big Pharma has pulled the plug on prescrip meds, people are forced to go the street. BAD IDEA ALL AROUND. It's a shame, and it's a real societal problem.

MOO

 

[worm]

The state moved quick on AM but I don’t think that’s rare. A local atty got into some drug trouble along with paying to fix cases and they stripped him of credentials pretty fast too. They realize this can hinder trust in the entire profession and eat their own quickly.
Same with LE corruption, they want the headline to be “Former” and whatever the mess is.

 

[Elley Mae]

Okay just to help put the opioid addiction in perspective:

My sister is in her late 50's, she is addicted to pain medicine. It came legitimately from a severed blood artery during labor (40 yrs old), and she has been addicted since. It's horrible, she has no relationship with her daughter or her husband whatsoever.

She is now in her late 50's and is 90 lbs and hooked beyond reason. Now that the big Pharma has pulled the plug on prescrip meds, people are forced to go the street. BAD IDEA ALL AROUND. It's a shame, and it's a real societal problem.

MOO

I’m not seeing opioid use with him, I as well know someone hooked for years, prescription. AM doesn’t fit the physical description of an opioid addict. If anything its beer/liquor.

Jmo

 

[MemPat]

Okay just to help put the opioid addiction in perspective:

My sister is in her late 50's, she is addicted to pain medicine. It came legitimately from a severed blood artery during labor (40 yrs old), and she has been addicted since. It's horrible, she has no relationship with her daughter or her husband whatsoever.

She is now in her late 50's and is 90 lbs and hooked beyond reason. Now that the big Pharma has pulled the plug on prescrip meds, people are forced to go the street. BAD IDEA ALL AROUND. It's a shame, and it's a real societal problem.

MOO

I'm so sorry, girlhasnoname. Your sister's story is similar to so many I've known. So much heartbreak and Oxy is such a window to Heroin addiction.

 

[Deleted member 122964]

From PEOPLE magazine (Aug. 16 issue)

Yes...this is exactly the part of the article I was referencing. Thank you @LotusPawprint !

 

[otto]

I have wondered how much MM confided in her biological family -- wondering if they were aware of any of this, reason for accounting request, reason for real estate transfer to MM, if there were challenges in the marriage, etc., and were they able to share that with LE after the murders. I realize we aren't sure how much MM knew of addiction and misappropriations, but what ever she did know, had she confided in anyone. We can only guess.

The real estate transfer was in December 2016. If Alex was embezzling in 2016, and his wife knew about it, transferring all the property; including adjacent properties, to her name might have been a joint decision. Perhaps she didn't know why property titles were put in her name. Add to that the more recent audit request from Alex's wife. If all the property is in her name, and he is arrested for embezzlement, would that property be excluded from the wrongful death lawsuit, or the embezzlement?



qPublic.net - Colleton County, SC - Report: 122-00-00-003.000

 

[10ofRods]

Tho I can’t say as fact, but from what little I could find out about MM yesterday, she seemed like a no nonsense kind of person that probably wouldn’t have approved of hard drug use or funky money play. I’d really like to know more about this lady but she impressed me.

It's a major assumption that she would even know. <modsnip: Not victim friendly>

OTOH, I believe she was about to divorce him and suspected financial shenanigans - so good for her for trying to get out of the marriage with some property.

We'll never know her true story. This whole story is so shocking - I never thought I'd be listening to so much Nancy Grace, but she did go there, and interview people on the ground. It's such a horrifying story. Why didn't AM go to rehab BEFORE all this happened?

 

[worm]

Okay just to help put the opioid addiction in perspective:

My sister is in her late 50's, she is addicted to pain medicine. It came legitimately from a severed blood artery during labor (40 yrs old), and she has been addicted since. It's horrible, she has no relationship with her daughter or her husband whatsoever.

She is now in her late 50's and is 90 lbs and hooked beyond reason. Now that the big Pharma has pulled the plug on prescrip meds, people are forced to go the street. BAD IDEA ALL AROUND. It's a shame, and it's a real societal problem.

MOO

I’m sincerely sorry for that, she is in that bubble and there is nowhere else that we want to be in that shape. Having lived like that, something will break and I hope it’s for the better.

 

[girlhasnoname]

I kinda forgot the main point I was trying to make earlier about an addict, she had a $400-500 a day addiction.

 

[TIGER0822]

Thanks for the disclaimer as I was starting to wonder how you were posting from “in there”.

Thanks! ‘In there’ was shut down by the State Insurance Department and several execs. went to jail.

I worked in a law firm where millions were ‘misappropriated’. It is quite easy if you have a few willing accomplices in the finance department who earn huge bonuses. Disclaimer : I was not involved in the deception. A few executives did end up in jail. A few more sadly were the fall guys.

edited for clarification. The company was a large medical malpractice insurance company who were unique in that they had their own law firm.

 

[10ofRods]

The real estate transfer was in December 2016. If Alex was embezzling in 2016, and his wife knew about it, transferring all the property; including adjacent properties, to her name might have been a joint decision. Perhaps she didn't know why property titles were put in her name. Add to that the more recent audit request from Alex's wife. If all the property is in her name, and he is arrested for embezzlement, would that property be excluded from the wrongful death lawsuit, or the embezzlement?

View attachment 311889

qPublic.net - Colleton County, SC - Report: 122-00-00-003.000

Excellent questions. I have no idea how SC law works, in this regard. A don't ask, don't tell marriage?

If the Court finds that he knowingly transferred stolen money anywhere then it's fair game in all 50 states, IMO. So yeah, it's pertinent. He knew he was embezzling, so when he pleads out on that (which he will), I wonder what the process will look like after that. The law firm is surely entitled to half of the joint marital assets, if not more.

Look for their properties to go on the market soon. There doesn't seem to be anyone driving this train, though, at this point in time.