SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #13

[MerryB]

I didn’t get to the WSJ this week and see the article to which “Impact of Influence” refers.

Anything new in WSJ, anything we haven't heard before?

“Paul, 22 years old, had been shot in the chest and head, according to his death certificate. He was shot at close range with a shotgun, according to Thursday’s indictment. Maggie, 52, was found facedown and was shot multiple times in the chest and back, including twice at close range while lying on the ground, according to a person familiar with the investigation. She was shot with a rifle, according to the indictment.”

Alex Murdaugh, Disgraced South Carolina Lawyer, Charged With Murdering Wife, Son

Murdaugh, once a prominent South Carolina attorney, has been jailed since October and faces 81 separate charges related to alleged financial crimes.

www.wsj.com

 

[clearskies1]

Seton and Matt talk about the People article and different theories of how the murders might have occurred with FBI expert Bobby Chacon:

68: What Happened The Night of The Murders

Podcast Episode · Impact of Influence: The Murdaugh Family Murders and Other Cases · 07/28/2022 · 50m

podcasts.apple.com

I'm half way through the podcast. It's very interesting. They express an idea that I've been thinking about -- the People magazine articles make assertions, but we don't know the basis for the assertions. They say Maggie arrived at Moselle at 7 pm. But we don't know why People or LE thinks that. They say Alec had his AR at the ready when Maggie arrived. How do they know that? Maybe the video or audio on PM's phone, but we don't know. Unless or until more info is released or there is a trial, it will be unclear what happened. I actually don't think we'll ever really know, because I doubt this will go to trial. JMO.

 

[DeDee]

It's standard for law enforcement to address if there is a threat to the public or not, but it's rare that it's as adamant as it was here.

Normally they'll say something like "we have no reason to believe the public is in danger."

I respect the hell out of the move here, as they weren't leaving it open to interpretation; they knew this was an isolated incident.

You can't just start seizing weapons, or arrest someone merely because you know they probably did it.

I'm sure a search warrant would have been quickly executed to seize any firearms though.

MassGuy, or anyone, what do you think about Alex murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, then calling 911 to report it while sporting clothes that contain blood splatter belonging to those same murdered family members?

Were the guns recovered? Where were the firearms located when they were found?

 

[worm]

MassGuy, or anyone, what do you think about Alex murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, then calling 911 to report it while sporting clothes that contain blood splatter belonging to those same murdered family members?

Were the guns recovered? Where were the firearms located when they were found?

I wonder if it was the actual clothes that he was wearing when he called or if he changed and they found them.

 

[MassGuy]

I wonder if it was the actual clothes that he was wearing when he called or if he changed and they found them.

The People article mentioned that they were laundered I think, so he must have changed prior to calling 911.

You've got to use the right cleaning solution if you want to destroy DNA on clothing, as bleach or regular detergent just won't cut it.

"Billy Mays here for OxiClean..."

Want to Get Away With Murder? Use a Special Detergent

Gotta get rid of that evidence, you know?

www.discovermagazine.com

 

[DeDee]

I wonder if it was the actual clothes that he was wearing when he called or if he changed and they found them.

MerryB's post 842:

“Paul, 22 years old, had been shot in the chest and head, according to his death certificate. He was shot at close range with a shotgun, according to Thursday’s indictment. Maggie, 52, was found facedown and was shot multiple times in the chest and back, including twice at close range while lying on the ground, according to a person familiar with the investigation. She was shot with a rifle, according to the indictment.”

Paul was shot at close range with a shotgun. Maggie was shot multiple times including twice at close range, with a rifle. Does the timeline support Alex going inside the Moselle residence after the shooting if he thought something needed to be done before making the 911 call? He could have changed clothes if the splatter wasn't seen by arriving officers that evening.

There is no doubt for me that blood splatter from the two victims stained Alex's clothes. He walked right up to each one of them then fired the trigger on those weapons at close range. Overkill. Does anyone have the news lnk where the splatter on Alex's clothes was reported? tia

 

[worm]

The People article mentioned that they were laundered I think, so he must have changed prior to calling 911.

You've got to use the right cleaning solution if you want to destroy DNA on clothing, as bleach or regular detergent just won't cut it.

"Billy Mays here for OxiClean..."

Want to Get Away With Murder? Use a Special Detergent

Gotta get rid of that evidence, you know?

www.discovermagazine.com

I’m kinda worried about your study habits now Mass.

@DeDee, I remember the report about the high velocity blood splatter. No doubt with the power of those explosions it would be hard to get clean.

 

[MassGuy]

MerryB's post 842:

“Paul, 22 years old, had been shot in the chest and head, according to his death certificate. He was shot at close range with a shotgun, according to Thursday’s indictment. Maggie, 52, was found facedown and was shot multiple times in the chest and back, including twice at close range while lying on the ground, according to a person familiar with the investigation. She was shot with a rifle, according to the indictment.”

Paul was shot at close range with a shotgun. Maggie was shot multiple times including twice at close range, with a rifle. Does the timeline support Alex going inside the Moselle residence after the shooting if he thought something needed to be done before making the 911 call? He could have changed clothes if the splatter wasn't seen by arriving officers that evening.

There is no doubt for me that blood splatter from the two victims stained Alex's clothes. He walked right up to each one of them then fired the trigger on those weapons at close range. Overkill. Does anyone have the news lnk where the splatter on Alex's clothes was reported? tia

That People article just says that Maggie's blood splatter DNA was found on his laundered shirt.

So he had to have changed at some point, either before he left to see his father or during that time period. I'm super curious as to where this shirt was ultimately located. Thinking about it, maybe he entered the house and threw it in the wash before he left.

Then he heads to see his dad, dumping Maggie's phone on the way.

 

[Seattle1]

They say Maggie arrived at Moselle at 7 pm. But we don't know why People or LE thinks that.

^^rsbm

They don't know for fact but instead, People refers to their crime news story as an investigators' working theory of what happened that night when MM arrived. JMO

 

[clearskies1]

^^rsbm

They don't know for fact but instead, People refers to their crime news story as an investigators' working theory of what happened that night when MM arrived. JMO

Interesting. The posts I’m reading here seem to state it as fact. I wonder why they theorize that Maggie arrived at 7 pm and why they theorize that AM had his AR at the ready. Theory or fact we don’t know the basis for it.

 

[MassGuy]

Interesting. The posts I’m reading here seem to state it as fact. I wonder why they theorize that Maggie arrived at 7 pm and why they theorize that AM had his AR at the ready. Theory or fact we don’t know the basis for it.

I think investigators would know for a fact when she arrived, likely down to the minute (maybe even second).

Maggie's cell phone would tell them as much, and her vehicle may have also been equipped with telematics.

Digital evidence is going to be huge here, from phone location data to text messages and videos (especially Paul's).

Alex having the AR at the ready could be based on when Paul's video ended, and when they know some other event happened. The window may be too small to allow for another scenario.

 

[clearskies1]

MerryB's post 842:

“Paul, 22 years old, had been shot in the chest and head, according to his death certificate. He was shot at close range with a shotgun, according to Thursday’s indictment. Maggie, 52, was found facedown and was shot multiple times in the chest and back, including twice at close range while lying on the ground, according to a person familiar with the investigation. She was shot with a rifle, according to the indictment.”

Paul was shot at close range with a shotgun. Maggie was shot multiple times including twice at close range, with a rifle. Does the timeline support Alex going inside the Moselle residence after the shooting if he thought something needed to be done before making the 911 call? He could have changed clothes if the splatter wasn't seen by arriving officers that evening.

There is no doubt for me that blood splatter from the two victims stained Alex's clothes. He walked right up to each one of them then fired the trigger on those weapons at close range. Overkill. Does anyone have the news lnk where the splatter on Alex's clothes was reported? tia

I believe this was the first report. It wasn’t called blood spatter. It was called high velocity impact spatter, which led some to think it could be brain fluid.

“A shirt worn by Alex Murdaugh on the night his wife and son were murdered was found to have a significant amount of high-velocity impact spatter on it from at least one of their bodies, sources familiar with the investigation recently told FITSNews.

The presence of this forensic evidence on his clothing “could have only come from one thing,” according to sources close to the investigation.”

https://www.fitsnews.com/2022/04/26/high-velocity-impact-spatter-directly-ties-alex-murdaugh-to-double-homicide-sources-say/

 

[clearskies1]

I think investigators would know for a fact when she arrived, likely down to the minute (maybe even second).

Maggie's cell phone would tell them as much, and her vehicle may have also been equipped with telematics.

Digital evidence is going to be huge here, from phone location data to text messages and videos (especially Paul's).

Alex having the AR at the ready could be based on when Paul's video ended, and when they know some other event happened. The window may be too small to allow for another scenario.

Yes, I mentioned Paul’s video/audio in my first post about the lack of specifics. I just think it would be helpful to know the basis for the theories before people take it as fact.

 

[DeDee]

I believe this was the first report. It wasn’t called blood spatter. It was called high velocity impact spatter, which led some to think it could be brain fluid.

“A shirt worn by Alex Murdaugh on the night his wife and son were murdered was found to have a significant amount of high-velocity impact spatter on it from at least one of their bodies, sources familiar with the investigation recently told FITSNews.

The presence of this forensic evidence on his clothing “could have only come from one thing,” according to sources close to the investigation.”

https://www.fitsnews.com/2022/04/26/high-velocity-impact-spatter-directly-ties-alex-murdaugh-to-double-homicide-sources-say/

Alex was wearing either Maggie or Paul's or both of their high velocity impact spatter on his shirt.

That makes my head feel queasy. The audacity of this man knows no new lows.

And, Alex is pleading Not Guilty. As if.

 

[Seattle1]

People is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. Wikipedia

I don't interpret any of the above to imply only verified, factual news. Instead, very open to reporting investigators' working theories (as cited in the latest for Murdaugh). MOO

 

[TDoc72]

That People spread really made me realize how beautifully & naturally Maggie was aging. Such a shame that she didn’t get to enjoy any of an Alex-free life.
I can’t wait for more evidence against Alex to be revealed.

 

[Kemug]

I'm not sure if we really know whether either PM or MM (or both) were facing AM when he shot them? I get the impression that PM at least was. Can you imagine what it would be like to look into your father's eyes knowing that he was killing you?

 

[Kemug]

This case is seriously eroding my faith in human nature.

 

[MassGuy]

I'm not sure if we really know whether either PM or MM (or both) were facing AM when he shot them? I get the impression that PM at least was. Can you imagine what it would be like to look into your father's eyes knowing that he was killing you?

If we're to believe the reporting thus far, it appears that Maggie may have been attempting to flee when she was shot. Alex likely produced the gun and she realized what was about to happen.

Paul's injuries definitely sound like he was basically staring down the barrel of his dad's shotgun (chest and head wounds).

Doesn't get more cold blooded.

 

[Seattle1]

If we're to believe the reporting thus far, it appears that Maggie may have been attempting to flee when she was shot. Alex likely produced the gun and she realized what was about to happen.

Paul's injuries definitely sound like he was basically staring down the barrel of his dad's shotgun (chest and head wounds).

Doesn't get more cold blooded.

^^BBM

AM is such a dark soul. Certainly did not have the heart of a husband or father in the days leading up to June 7, 2021,-- if ever.

Nope. AM is a man for whom human life is just currency. MOO