SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton #32

[Warwick7]

I actually think it was possibly a set up to kill Eddie because I think Eddie knows a lot of things. I think Eddie was a loose cannon though so they didn't put him on the stand because of it, but that man likely knows about more than just Alex's drug stuff. I think it's hard to believe Eddie or Alex, but at this point I'd believe more of what Eddie said about that night than what Alex says about it. I think Eddie was afraid Alex was trying to shoot him.. maybe they did fight over the gun and it just so happen to graze Alex. I think if Alex could have, he would have shot Eddie and made up some ridiculous scenario where the same people after Paul were after him and Eddie just stopped to help him with the tire and Eddie was shot instead of Alex. Or he could have said Eddie tried to kill him and that Eddie is the one that killed Paul and Maggie.

MOO It was a set up to kill Eddie. However, Eddie wrestled the gun away from him. That's when it fired and grazed his head.

 

[Seattle1]

During AM's testimony on Friday, he was very vocal about blaming the deaths of PM and MM on unknown assailants that followed the boat Feb 2019 crash of AM's boat by PM where Mallory Beach lost her life.

The WSAV3 news broadcast video found at the link below is featured in the recently released 3-part Netflix series Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.

20-year-old indicted in death of Mallory Beach

A 20-year-old man has been charged in the death of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old killed in a boat crash in the Lowcountry in February.

www.wsav.com

Updated: Apr 19, 2019 / 10:55 AM EDT

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) – A 20-year-old man has been charged in the death of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old killed in a boat crash in the Lowcountry in February.

Paul Murdaugh has been indicted on three felony charges by a Beaufort County Grand Jury: boating under the influence (BUI) causing death and two counts boating under the influence causing great bodily injury.

As of late Thursday afternoon, Murdaugh was not in the custody of law enforcement. He may not end up being taken into custody at all until his arraignment hearing, the date of which has not yet been set.

If convicted, Murdaugh could get between 1 and 25 years for the BUI causing death as well as 30 days to 15 years for the other charges.

The indictment comes on what would have been Beach’s 20th birthday.

[..]

The S.C. Attorney General’s Office will be prosecuting the case. They were handed over the investigation by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) on Thursday.

[..]

Because of their close ties to the Murdaugh family, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and two circuit court judges have recused themselves from the case.

ETA: 5/6/2019 arraignment filmed by WSAV3

Man pleads not guilty in deadly boat crash in Beaufort County

Paul Murdaugh, 20, appeared in a Beaufort County court on Monday to plead not guilty to one count of boating under the influence causing death and two counts of BUI causing great bodily i…

www.wsav.com

 

[Warwick7]

The incident where Alex's sister tried to give him a Grisham book happened a couple of weeks ago. Are these new charges related to her actions weeks ago, or is this something new and different?

"Online jail records from the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office reveal the following: “Warrant: Misdemeanor Arrest warrant 2023a1510100048 issued by Colleton, SC; Arrest Date 02/24/2023; Additional Hold for South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; Arrest Date 02/24/2023.”​

​

Citing unnamed sources, the Post & Courier reports that the charge involves contraband related to a book.​

​

Murdaugh may have received some sort of contraband material from a loved one this week in the course of the trial, according to FITSNews. The news outlet also noted that Murdaugh’s lawyers met with their client on Thursday in a lunch meeting."​

Crimeonline

She stuck something in the book?

 

[minor4th]

Yeah. That was a slip-up. He didn't apologize to his other son, did he?

He actually did, but especially Maggie and Paul.

 

[LaborDayRN]

In court Wednesday, Alex Murdaugh's sister Lynn Murdaugh Goettee passed him a book through a member of his defense team. It was not shared with the victim's advocate, and Goettee had been admonished just five minutes before that, a source with knowledge of the incident told CNN.

The book was considered contraband because it was not clear what was in it, the source said, adding Murdaugh was already back in his jail cell with it before anybody could check it. The book -- John Grisham's "The Judge's List" -- was later confiscated.

Feb 10, 2023

Courtroom seats of some Murdaugh family members moved back due to inappropriate contact and conduct

Alex Murdaugh's double-murder trial resumed Friday, with some of his relatives ordered to sit farther back in the South Carolina courtroom due to inappropriate contact and conduct, the Colleton County

www.kvoa.com

I don't understand. If the book was passed from Lynn through the defense team it must have been in clear site of the court. Why wasn't it confiscated then and there? Also, is Lynn Murdaugh Goettee still allowed in the courtroom? What am I missing?

 

[minor4th]

I assume he meant he hurt them by impeding the investigation.

But he specifically said during redirect that he did not believe he impeded the investigation by lying because he knew he wasn’t the killer. The only way that lie impedes the investigation is by misdirecting attention away from him.

 

[Walela]

But WHY do they keep letting him control them? Even if they didn‘t think he murdered them, by the time he was in jail, they knew that he had robbed SO many needy and wounded people. WHY continue taking his calls multiple times each day? WHY keep letting him tell you what to do? WHY did JMM allow AM to manipulate his wife— to insist she put money in commissary account ‘right now’, when she was putting her children to bed? Why not stand up for your own wife? She was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing. Why does Buster continue to take orders from him? i would have stopped answering the phone altogether if he was still trying to manipulate me from jail.

I suppose they may be scared for themselves and/or their families. If he could do that to his wife and son, he certainly could have something similar done to them and knowing the lies and trickery he had already put forth, there has to be some level of suspicion in their minds. On the other hand, they may just do what he wants because it's easier than not doing it. His double speak word salad badgering and harassment may keep them doing anything they can to make it stop.
moo

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

But, according to the texts, he got the extended checkout but didn't stay. Which was strange

He did stay. Hotel extended it to 1:00 p.m. and he was there till 1:50 p.m. when he texted and said they were kicking him out.

Maggie had also in a text referred to that Alex wasn't feeling well.

So apparently he didn't have pills with him on Sunday afternoon. I wish there was testimony about where he would have got them by Monday night. He didn't go anywhere other than the office. Though he could have had Curtis bring some to that hotel and that's why he was waiting in the room.

 

[Cindizzi]

From October 2021 when AM’s lawyers were all over the National news trying to sell his story of paying someone to kill him due to his
“ addiction “. Media got his records including tox reports

https://twitter.com/x/status/1449049033046114305

 

[Arkay]

I am trusting that the jurors aren't buying his load of crap. I might cry too listening to him recount seeing his wife and son like that. Maybe the jurors teared up/cried at other times when the bodies were described and mentioned. It's good news to say oh the jurors were crying when he was on the stand. I personally think so what. What he did to them is horrific and I'd cry too. I wouldn't be crying FOR Alex that's for sure.

My concern is not just that they were crying, because I agree with you that the jury may weep over the hideous nature of the murders.

My concern is more about a juror handing Alex a tissue. That makes me think at least one juror IS in fact feeling sorry FOR Alex.

That seems to me like a very personal gesture, even a bonding moment, and I was under the impression that a jury is not supposed to physically or verbally connect with the defendant in any way.

Also this new misdemeanor charge inclines me to believe Alex is sure he’s in charge of that courtroom. A longtime practicing attorney, even though he was a civil lawyer and not criminal, would know that a relative cannot sneak contraband to a defendant. IMO he didn’t care, or still is under the impression that as a Murdaugh, he’d get away with it.

Reminds me of Breaking Bad… a “criminal” lawyer. Unlike Saul Goodman though, Alex is accustomed to having his way at home, in his career and because he was a Big Man in Town.

JMO

 

[Tanager]

That's by the same writer that wrote the article Jim Griffin retweeted that was criticizing the prosecution. She has not followed the case very well, she has misstated what has been presented.

Of course you never know with any juror, but even if they are weeping that doesn't mean they wouldn't convict him. I myself felt sorry for Alex most of the time while he was up there, he looked pathetic and scared, and it's very tragic what he did to his entire family, even before the murders. I'm sure he is truly distraught that his wife and son are dead. But I would not hesitate to vote guilty.

It's a fallacy that a murderer can't be truly sad that their victims are dead. I think he likely is very sad about what he did, he didn't hate Maggie and Paul. He didn't kill them out of hate; he killed them because he cared more about himself than them. I don't doubt he is very sorry he felt it had to come to that. I think most people can understand that kind of dynamic.

I think he is obviously guilty, it is easily proven by the physical evidence. I wouldn't need the financial evidence or any motive established to vote him guilty. The physical evidence alone is damning enough.

But I've seen enough trials to know you can't trust every juror to see the obvious. So I am worried about the verdict, but not more so just because he cried.

I really appreciate your nuanced understanding of humans. Oversimplification leads people to box themselves into a corner with their own logic, and I think it is why some juries reach conclusions that seem insane. They ascribe their own motives to a killer's behavior and forget that people can by motivated by conflicting impulses and can behave in ways that seem inconceivable to others.

AM seems to live at the last resort. You know, the place where you have to keep doing the next to worst thing you can imagine to avoid the worst thing. He could stop before getting to the point of murder, but facing the shame is the real last resort for AM. He won't do that.

AM shows us with his previous last resort behaviors that he is escalating. It works to his advantage that for most of us, killing another person, particularly one you love, would be our absolute last resort, if we could ever do it at all. We see so many obvious alternatives. My brain says to me, "Why would you do the ONE thing that is literally your worst nightmare as a parent or spouse?"

A quick note from my friends in recovery- people use substances to numb their feelings. You can't selectively or surgically numb one part. It all goes, and you don't have the time or ability to lift your head up above the waterline to reflect on whether any given decision will have repercussions that you did not anticipate. It is just gasp, gulp a bunch of water, hope that nobody noticed, and keeping treading. When people are drowning, they often treat other humans like a flotation device out of desperation, and the other person becomes submerged and they drown. In lifeguarding they say, "Reach or throw, don't go." Maggie and Paul got talked into going to help A, and he climbed on top of them.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

But WHY do they keep letting him control them? Even if they didn‘t think he murdered them, by the time he was in jail, they knew that he had robbed SO many needy and wounded people. WHY continue taking his calls multiple times each day? WHY keep letting him tell you what to do? WHY did JMM allow AM to manipulate his wife— to insist she put money in commissary account ‘right now’, when she was putting her children to bed? Why not stand up for your own wife? She was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing. Why does Buster continue to take orders from him? i would have stopped answering the phone altogether if he was still trying to manipulate me from jail.

IMO -- I seriously doubt the dysfunction in AM's nuclear family was a novelty. Parenting and relational skills are learned so my guess is codependency, passive-aggressive behavior, chemical abuse, irrational thinking, enabling, and all kinds of unhealthy dynamics can be found among the extended family. Denial is also a big part of dysfunctional relationships. My read on some of the family facial expressions during the trial is self-righteous indignation -- how dare this happen to them? MOO. MOO.

 

[Cindizzi]

My concern is not just that they were crying, because I agree with you that the jury may weep over the hideous nature of the murders.

My concern is more about a juror handing Alex a tissue. That makes me think at least one juror IS in fact feeling sorry FOR Alex.

That seems to me like a very personal gesture, even a bonding moment, and I was under the impression that a jury is not supposed to physically or verbally connect with the defendant in any way.

Also this new misdemeanor charge inclines me to believe Alex is sure he’s in charge of that courtroom. A longtime practicing attorney, even though he was a civil lawyer and not criminal, would know that a relative cannot sneak contraband to a defendant. IMO he didn’t care, or still is under the impression that as a Murdaugh, he’d get away with it.

Reminds me of Breaking Bad… a “criminal” lawyer. Unlike Saul Goodman though, Alex is accustomed to having his way at home, in his career and because he was a Big Man in Town.

JMO

AM and family absolutely know all the jail and Court protocals.
He’s been locked up a long time. There’s a jailhouse call with him and his sister whining about being able to give him books. They were told that one way was to donate books to the jail library.
I’m sure they prefer to do it THEIR way.

His sister LMG works as a Victim Advocate for cripes sake!

Remember the group text between family about visiting Handsome in the hospital and she replied “ I’ll be in Court all week “

MOO

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1629538906524794883

 

[Gardenista]

He did stay. Hotel extended it to 1:00 p.m. and he was there till 1:50 p.m. when he texted and said they were kicking him out.

Maggie had also in a text referred to that Alex wasn't feeling well.

So apparently he didn't have pills with him on Sunday afternoon. I wish there was testimony about where he would have got them by Monday night. He didn't go anywhere other than the office. Though he could have had Curtis bring some to that hotel and that's why he was waiting in the room.

TY, I completely missed that. Creighton even made a comment about him not staying for the extended checkout, but something must have been said after that part which I missed.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1629525578293424132

https://twitter.com/x/status/1629525580801622018

 

[Walela]

Depending on the Type of Trust, those monies can not be touched. Protected by the Trust. Seems the family overall, including brothers and sister, etc., has been planning how to protect assets for some time.

RM3 obviously wanted his wife and other children to benefit from his estate and he obviously knew enough about AM to protect the estate from being plundered and squandered by AM.

A family trust can be very beneficial even if there's not a great deal of money or property involved. My dad set up a trust and it was a great way to provide for my mother and subsequently my brother and I after her death. moo

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

Depending on the Type of Trust, those monies can not be touched. Protected by the Trust. Seems the family overall, including brothers and sister, etc., has been planning how to protect assets for some time.

Any word on whether it is Revokable vs Irrevocable trust? If those terms or types are used in the State?

 

[Trime]

AM and family absolutely know all the jail and Court protocals.
He’s been locked up a long time. There’s a jailhouse call with him and his sister whining about being able to give him books. They were told that one way was to donate books to the jail library.
I’m sure they prefer to do it THEIR way.

His sister LMG works as a Victim Advocate for cripes sake!

Remember the group text between family about visiting Handsome in the hospital and she replied “ I’ll be in Court all week “

MOO

I am not sure that they were told they could donate the book to the library. That may be their own idea to game the system.

Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, Richland County SC

 

[ch_13]

That's by the same writer that wrote the article Jim Griffin retweeted that was criticizing the prosecution. She has not followed the case very well, she has misstated what has been presented.

I read both the articles by Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post: the one about SLED's mistakes as well as the latest about AM's testimony, and I didn't catch any real mistakes in them. What did she get wrong?

Honestly, I thought they were both pretty fairly written articles even if the first one was quite harsh towards LE. SLED did make some significant errors that have hurt this case. In fact I would say that if not for the dog tail video, their slip-ups would have kept AM from ever being charged with the murders. And if AM is found not guilty it will be because SLED's actions (or lack thereof) helped create reasonable doubt for the jurors.

I know this won't be a popular stance, and I know that it's easy for me to sit on my couch and criticize. But this is not some small town sheriff who's never had to deal with a murder scene before. This is the state's preeminent law enforcement agency, and they really should have done a better job. I do hope they treat this as a wake-up call and look to improve their procedures, training and equipment so that they don't allow a murderer to go free in the future.