SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #6

[Countem]

RSBM

4. Law firm hadn’t hired a forensic accountant until after finding out about the embezzling - how did they find out? He told them, then in his own words “resigned”. Why? He needed to disappear. Clearly worse possibilities are out there in his mind than getting arrested for embezzling.

According to AM’s attorney, “Alex resigned after being accused of diverting lawyer fees from the firm.” (BBM)

Murdaugh murders: S.C. attorney accused of stealing from law firm in wake of family tragedy

Additionally, the statement from PMPED read that AM’s “resignation came after the discovery by PMPED that Alex misappropriated funds in violation of PMPED standards and policies. A forensic accounting firm will be retained to conduct a thorough investigation.” (BBM)

Law firm says Alex Murdaugh resigned after it was discovered he misappropriated funds | WCBD News 2

This implies that someone in the firm discovered the fraud first (potentially when internally reviewing finances in the wake of RM’s death), and the partners confronted AM about it, allowing him to resign as a professional courtesy. Then, the firm hired a forensic accountant to determine the extent of the fraud.

IMO.

 

[raja]

Yes it could be, but my money is on savannah or someones home.

...

The statement reads:

"The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. I’m resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated these murders. I am immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships."

Alex Murdaugh resigning from law firm, entering rehab after shooting

Snipped from statement.

I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships."

....

He could be holed up in a home in the woods rehabilitating himself for all I know.

Jmo

Such a very good point. He is entering "rehab" does not say hospital, facility, spa or whatever. It leaves the whole thing completely open to interpretation, not even what he is going to rehabilitate from. Press can make their own interpretation. LE has not verified this. I am certain LE knows where he is.

 

[shefner]

I think the one thing you’d really focus on as a lawyer is “limit your liability”. If anyone hired a hit, the focus would be on covering tracks and eliminating that liability. Money won’t keep people quiet long and all a hitman needs is a better offer to spill the beans.

When we think of a traditional hit, we automatically think of money. And yes, money will only go so far when keeping certain people quiet.

But what if the hit was offered in exchange for something more valuable than money, like an agreement to look the other way when a felony has been committed, helping keep someone from a lifetime jail sentence, or fixing a case to go a certain way for a person in an elevated position? There are some things even money can't buy and I think the powerful Murdaughs could deliver those things in spades...but the payback on those favors might require a hefty return. These kinds of deals keep everyone silent.

 

[Beren]

Yes I know that’s what was reported but if he had been accused of embezzling/misappropriating funds, one would think the wording would be that the law firm then fired him (or at least suspended him until a forensic accountant did their analysis). I place more emphasis on the wording that he RESIGNED. Whether he initiated it or some other event brought it to light, he pretty much admitted it for a quick get away.

Don’t know if the shots fired at him or near him were a real threat but I think it was bad enough to scare him and his brothers. When I had half of my head split open for brain surgery (cranium removed, brain retracted etc) I was discharged in one day. I think it’s possible someone’s after him.

 

[drama_farmer]

I said earlier, how do you fire a volunteer?
Lol

Not to mention, you'd think a title of authorized volunteer prosecutor would come with some sort of paper trail, like records of cases and hours worked.

Or, maybe SC operates in a way that words mean something different than they do in other parts of the country?
IMO

 

[bestill]

Has this been posted? Just started reading and watching it
Murdaugh family killings: A timeline of murder and mystery in South Carolina - CNN

 

[Beren]

When we think of a traditional hit, we automatically think of money. And yes, money will only go so far when keeping certain people quiet.

But what if the hit was offered in exchange for something more valuable than money, like an agreement to look the other way when a felony has been committed, helping keep someone from a lifetime jail sentence, or fixing a case to go a certain way for a person in an elevated position? There are some things even money can't buy and I think the powerful Murdaughs could deliver those things in spades...but the payback on those favors might require a hefty return. These kinds of deals keep everyone silent.

Exactly! And if you’re a good (bad?) lawyer, you’d try to take the extra step to ensure you eliminate that liability so that it doesn’t come back to bite you.

 

[raja]

When we think of a traditional hit, we automatically think of money. And yes, money will only go so far when keeping certain people quiet.

But what if the hit was offered in exchange for something more valuable than money, like an agreement to look the other way when a felony has been committed, helping keep someone from a lifetime jail sentence, or fixing a case to go a certain way for a person in an elevated position? There are some things even money can't buy and I think the powerful Murdaughs could deliver those things in spades...but the payback on those favors might require a hefty return. These kinds of deals keep everyone silent.

He could have been telling this person on the side of the road that shot him that he was out of a job and couldn't help them anymore. That person in the "blue truck" didn't like this and bang. AM is stuck on the side of the road with a head wound. He is shot and can't really drive. How is he going to explain being on the side of the road to LE? He slashes his tire and says I was having car problems. IMHO I think his knife was found hidden in the car that drove him to the ambulance/helicopter. This of course all MOO.

 

[Luna20]

....

More than a month after the crash, Doughty told investigators she went with Murdaugh — her boyfriend at the time — on Feb. 8, 2019, to meet his brother Alexander “Buster” Murdaugh at the Thomas Cooper Library on the University of South Carolina’s campus in Columbia. She said the reason for the trip was so Murdaugh could get his brother’s ID. “This was not the first time the brothers had done this,” she said.

Buster Murdaugh, she said, would give his younger brother his over-21 ID to purchase alcohol and would in turn use his passport if he needed an ID.

https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article253519379.html

Thanks for bringing this forward! I wasn’t sure if it was on both threads (Beach & Murdaugh). There are so many pieces to this puzzle to begin with. Looks like we will have much more going forward.

 

[MoeInVA]

And the strange allusion to "physical evidence in the death of SS" found at the scene of the June 7 murders.

I was under the impression he was thought to have been a pedestrian killed by a vehicle with blue paint. Yet there is no mention of such in the Moselle LE report, not that it's very informative at all.

Was there a connection between his death and the weapons found?

The puzzle pieces are not coming together yet

Trying to keep track, but I don't recall hearing there was "physical evidence in the death of SS"found at the scene of the June 7 murders. -- Do you have link @Herat or others? I remember Sled reopened the SS case based on information obtained in the investigation of the June 7th double homicide, but I don't recall hearing the physical evidence part. TIA

 

[Luna20]

Such a very good point. He is entering "rehab" does not say hospital, facility, spa or whatever. It leaves the whole thing completely open to interpretation, not even what he is going to rehabilitate from. Press can make their own interpretation. LE has not verified this. I am certain LE knows where he is.

It could be rehab from stealing and embezzlement. My theory remains that the “rehab” is just a ploy to deflect from his bad character and blame it on a crutch/disease and grief. It registers to the public with a more remorseful dynamic versus just being Alex the bad guy.

He got caught and needed an immediate response to put out there. He “resigned” is another lie and deflection. These are just statements to soften the blow at the onset. His attorney was the first to speak and say “Alex’s family has been through so much already, please give him the privacy….” Fat chance of that happening when the story begins to crumble.

So wherever he is damage control is the goal.

 

[girlhasnoname]

Wow. The police-cam video embedded in the article is worth a listen. It doesn’t contain much new information and visually it might as well be a still shot but what’s said and how it’s said provides a lot of insight into personal dynamics.

What struck me first was the portion where you hear Paul talking to the police, giving his name snd saying “I’m fine”. He sounded like someone asked “are you OK” after accidentally bumping into him in a hallway. Not rattled. No concern about Mallory. Doesn’t sound remotely upset. (Interestingly, he also doesn’t sound drunk to me even though we know his BAL was off the charts. This is a guy who has had plenty of practice working to appear sober after consuming enough alcohol to put many of us under the table.)

Contrast that w/Connor who is clearly frantic about Mallory. It’s heartbreaking to listen to but telling. You can hear him lose it with Paul because Paul is smiling. He tells police to “keep that MF away from me” and shortly afterwards says to the cops
“Y’all know Alex Murdough? That’s his son. Gooood luck”. The distain in his voice was strong and the inference clear. Paul was untouchable. The comment’s made around the 12 minute mark and Connor’s tone even more than the words should convince anyone who has doubts that the Murdough’s held an incredible amount of power in that town.

ITA. The Murdaughs had more power and influence than they did actual money IMO.

I think they could influence LE, Judges, other Lawyers, all over that 5 county area.

JMO

 

[sunshineray]

One thing I hope someone clarifies for them is of course the "ron clad alibi" did not come from SLED...enough said on that, don't want to be involved in opening that can of worms up here again.

swedeheart, thanks for posting this.

The interesting info for me was the Medical Examiner (I couldn't believe when the host said her last name btw..."Butcher") saying someone hit by a vehicle would have sustained injury to the lower body. To my knowledge those were not mentioned, so far, in the SS case.

 

[girlhasnoname]

When we think of a traditional hit, we automatically think of money. And yes, money will only go so far when keeping certain people quiet.

But what if the hit was offered in exchange for something more valuable than money, like an agreement to look the other way when a felony has been committed, helping keep someone from a lifetime jail sentence, or fixing a case to go a certain way for a person in an elevated position? There are some things even money can't buy and I think the powerful Murdaughs could deliver those things in spades...but the payback on those favors might require a hefty return. These kinds of deals keep everyone silent.

Very good post. ITA

 

[sunshineray]

....

More than a month after the crash, Doughty told investigators she went with Murdaugh — her boyfriend at the time — on Feb. 8, 2019, to meet his brother Alexander “Buster” Murdaugh at the Thomas Cooper Library on the University of South Carolina’s campus in Columbia. She said the reason for the trip was so Murdaugh could get his brother’s ID. “This was not the first time the brothers had done this,” she said.

Buster Murdaugh, she said, would give his younger brother his over-21 ID to purchase alcohol and would in turn use his passport if he needed an ID.

https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article253519379.html

So BM would drive around with his passport for ID? That seems a bit much, to me. Thanks Elley for this info about BM. Any little bit helps me to understand the whole picture better. BM is still a bit of an enigma in all this.

 

[otto]

If Alex drove his father to the Hampton Regional Medical Center (do we know which hospital he visited?) and visited his mother on the night of the murders, it's a 20 minute drive one-way.

If the victims were lured to the kennel and the shooter met them at the kennels, there would be enough time for the following timeline:

9:00 PM - hospital
9:20 PM - Moselle
9:40 PM - visit mother
10:00 PM - Moselle
10:07 PM - 911 call

 

[sunshineray]

Yes it could be, but my money is on savannah or someones home.

...

The statement reads:

"The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. I’m resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated these murders. I am immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships."

Alex Murdaugh resigning from law firm, entering rehab after shooting

Snipped from statement.

I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships."

....

He could be holed up in a home in the woods rehabilitating himself for all I know.

Jmo

You're absolutely right. We have to remember that involved parties making statements are themselves lawyers, who then have lawyers speaking for them. These statements are crafted to be sure.

 

[10ofRods]

Thing about reputable rehab is they strictly limit your access to outside world. They dont want you interacting with potential stressors and you are very busy learning self care, involved in reflection, daily AA meetings, and various therapies — group, individual, art, music, acupuncture, etc.You might be allowed 2-3 ten-minute phone calls per week (you are not allowed to have cell phone) and only one face-to-face visit on a Sunday afternoon.

But celebrity rehabs don't operate that way, IME. And in some rehabs, much is negotiable. All depends on the treating physician, IME.

 

[sunshineray]

I think the one thing you’d really focus on as a lawyer is “limit your liability”. If anyone hired a hit, the focus would be on covering tracks and eliminating that liability. Money won’t keep people quiet long and all a hitman needs is a better offer to spill the beans.

IF anyone had hired a hit (because it’s not a huge mental leap to imagine a person who can go from saying “don’t worry about her, she’s gone” to actually thinking about and then making someone inconvenient be gone).

What better way to eliminate liability than by showing up home earlier than planned at the time and place of the hit and ambushing the hit man in “self defense”?

Explains why:
1. There were 2 different guns used,
2. first reports mentioned something about him saying he’d been out shooting before coming home (then realized that excuse no longer works once he thought it through that PM would not be shooting at MM! Mom he was supposedly with conveniently has dementia),
3. His true despair and utterance about PM getting involved in the 911 call because he had intended to shoot the hitman, not PM whom he hadn’t known would be there and it was dark,
4. Law firm hadn’t hired a forensic accountant until after finding out about the embezzling - how did they find out? He told them, then in his own words “resigned”. Why? He needed to disappear. Clearly worse possibilities are out there in his mind than getting arrested for embezzling.

What a whole 'nother aspect of this if a hitman is out there ready to either blackmail or threaten to expose...things...to keep him and his safe. A time bomb.

 

[sunshineray]

Trying to keep track, but I don't recall hearing there was "physical evidence in the death of SS"found at the scene of the June 7 murders. -- Do you have link @Herat or others? I remember Sled reopened the SS case based on information obtained in the investigation of the June 7th double homicide, but I don't recall hearing the physical evidence part. TIA

One of them did say there was a piece of his shirt...then talked about the micro flecks of that paint and the possiblity that color matched an, IIRC, off road type vehicle of someone in the Murdaugh family. It was said in the section where they were discussing SS.