SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton #19

[Megnut]

I have a procedural question about the case. I skimmed back through the previous thread and didn't see it discussed but I may have missed it.

Is there a reason that they've paused the trial to determine whether AM's financial misdeeds can be admitted? I would have thought that would have all been handled in pre-trial motions rather than midway through the court case. Is this just how SC trials work or is there some other reason it was done this way?

I think it's because the defense, when questioning a witness, opened the door.

JMO

 

[ch_13]

That's a good question. I myself would like to know the answer.

I think it's because the defense, when questioning a witness, opened the door.

JMO

Yes, you're correct.

I did a little research and found the answer in a Vox article.

On February 1, the defense unexpectedly entered a short video into exhibit that showed Alex celebrating his birthday at home with family and friends. The video showed Alex smiling and laughing as a group gathers around to sing “Happy Birthday.”

But the video, which the defense introduced to show a softer side of the defendant, had an unexpected consequence: Because it introduced a character argument into the trial, it created an opening for a wealth of prosecutorial evidence that the judge had previously ruled inadmissible: Alex Murdaugh’s alleged years of financial fraud and related schemes, which were unraveling in the lead-up to the murders of his wife and son.

The sudden reintroduction of all this evidence meant that the trial has been halted several times throughout the week to allow the judge to entertain whether specific pieces of testimony will be admitted. Some of that testimony, given without the jury present, has included allegations that Alex created fraudulent bank accounts, as well as tearful testimony given on February 2 from one of Murdaugh’s former best friends, attorney Chris Wilson.

I also edited my original post with details about the article.

 

[Edvis]

PLAUSIBLE TIMELINE FOR THE DEFENSE?​

• AM at house taking a nap until 8:35. He leaves phone in house, drives to kennels, arrives at 8:37 p.m. At 8:45, after admonishing Bubba about the chicken, drives back to house, and on his way back thinks he should check on mom since she might be lonely with dad in the hospital.
• At 9:02, in the house, he grabs the phone, calls Maggie, who doesn’t answer. He paces around for 2 minutes waiting for an answer. He tries again at 9:04, but she doesn’t answer. He paces around another 2 minutes. He figures she’s still busy with Bubba and the chicken, so he just leaves in the truck at 9:06. This accounts for the 283 steps on his phone between 9:02 and when he leaves in his truck at 9:06. From the suburban, he texts her at 9:08 to let her know he’s on his way to see mom.
• The two assailants, meanwhile, have been lying in wait in the pine trees by the kennels. They track Alex’s movements to the kennels, back to the house, and off the property. As soon as he gets clear of the property, they arm themselves with weapons left near the kennels, or possibly ones they stole earlier, and shoot Paul and Maggie at about 9:08. Maggie is still alive at 9:06 because her phone changes orientation, and this is the last time she touches her phone.
• The perpetrators flee with the weapons, and with Maggie’s phone. They realize they shouldn’t have taken it, but thinking it is too dangerous to go back, they throw it out the window about a half mile down the road, not end over end so phone records no data.
• Alex arrives at mom’s house about 9:30, checks in on her for about 15 minutes to make sure she is ok, then gets back in the car at 9:45, calls Maggie again, then drives directly to the kennels, where he arrives at 10:05, probably to let Maggie have it for not answering his calls or his text. There he discovers the bodies of Maggie and Paul. He calls 911 at 10:07 p.m.
• Alex lies about being at the kennels because he assumes everyone would blame him for the murders. He realizes now that it was a mistake to lie, and that he now admits he was there for about 5 minutes, between 8:40-8:45.
• HOW AM I WRONG!

If the grassy knoll/ pine tree assailants were part of the so- called threat team there to get justice for AM's son's actions in the boat accident, why wait for AM to leave. If your there for payback why not just clean house and remove the whole family. Sure some will say they let AM live to suffer the deaths of his family, think AM's trail of stealing from the living as well as the dead paint's a grim mask that's been doing it's best to hide behind the good ole boy, loving man mask IMO.

 

[worm]

Yes, you're correct.

I did a little research and found the answer in a Vox article.


I also edited my original post with details about the article.

That birthday video also gives a good example of his voice to compare with the kennel video.

 

[Warwick7]

PLAUSIBLE TIMELINE FOR THE DEFENSE?​

• AM at house taking a nap until 8:35. He leaves phone in house, drives to kennels, arrives at 8:37 p.m. At 8:45, after admonishing Bubba about the chicken, drives back to house, and on his way back thinks he should check on mom since she might be lonely with dad in the hospital.
• At 9:02, in the house, he grabs the phone, calls Maggie, who doesn’t answer. He paces around for 2 minutes waiting for an answer. He tries again at 9:04, but she doesn’t answer. He paces around another 2 minutes. He figures she’s still busy with Bubba and the chicken, so he just leaves in the truck at 9:06. This accounts for the 283 steps on his phone between 9:02 and when he leaves in his truck at 9:06. From the suburban, he texts her at 9:08 to let her know he’s on his way to see mom.
• The two assailants, meanwhile, have been lying in wait in the pine trees by the kennels. They track Alex’s movements to the kennels, back to the house, and off the property. As soon as he gets clear of the property, they arm themselves with weapons left near the kennels, or possibly ones they stole earlier, and shoot Paul and Maggie at about 9:08. Maggie is still alive at 9:06 because her phone changes orientation, and this is the last time she touches her phone.
• The perpetrators flee with the weapons, and with Maggie’s phone. They realize they shouldn’t have taken it, but thinking it is too dangerous to go back, they throw it out the window about a half mile down the road, not end over end so phone records no data.
• Alex arrives at mom’s house about 9:30, checks in on her for about 15 minutes to make sure she is ok, then gets back in the car at 9:45, calls Maggie again, then drives directly to the kennels, where he arrives at 10:05, probably to let Maggie have it for not answering his calls or his text. There he discovers the bodies of Maggie and Paul. He calls 911 at 10:07 p.m.
• Alex lies about being at the kennels because he assumes everyone would blame him for the murders. He realizes now that it was a mistake to lie, and that he now admits he was there for about 5 minutes, between 8:40-8:45.
• HOW AM I WRONG?

Did the assailants hide the blue raincoat at his Mom's?
That's just one of his glitches I can't get past.

 

[Kembo]

If the grassy knoll/ pine tree assailants were part of the so- called threat team there to get justice for AM's son's actions in the boat accident, why wait for AM to leave. If your there for payback why not just clean house and remove the whole family. Sure some will say they let AM live to suffer the deaths of his family, think AM's trail of stealing from the living as well as the dead paint's a grim mask that's been doing it's best to hide behind the good ole boy, loving man mask IMO.

The defense does not have to prove, or even supply a motive, it only has to leave a reasonable doubt that it could only have been AM. What facts in my theory are unreasonable, or impossible? The prosecution has to persuade the jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that it could only have been AM and no one else.

 

[Seattle1]

This family has No Shame. I heard an interview with someone who knew the family, and she said Maggie was all about the Murdaugh 'Name, and taught her children that they were better than everyone else. She said the kids were never disciplined, Paul was very strange and was kicked out of one school. Both boys were violent, even at a young age, and Mothers removed their children from groups they were in, as Maggie Never corrected them. She said both boys would call people Mot*r *advertiser censored*ckers all the time from a Very young age. She also said that it was well known that Alex's Father and Grandfather had Mistresses...This is a Giant Soap Opera!

Yup... And not a rumor, all repeated in MSM by an aunt who also told of PM telling her to go f' herself, at age 10! Did not post here out of respect for the victims.

That 'Murdaugh County' status is another reason why I don't think MM would have ever divorced AM. Generally, women over 50 don't have the luxury of starting over at midlife (like their mates).

I think AM pacified any discomfort by MM with fraudulent* transfers of property (for AM's benefit), expensive vehicles, and the Gucci store. (*i.e, the 2016 transfer of collateralized Moselle to MM for $5 was deemed fraudulent but for the expired statute of limitation when the challenge was made, the property remained as part of MM's 2021 Estate). MOO

 

[worm]

Did the assailants hide the blue raincoat at his Mom's?
That's just one of his glitches I can't get past.

Those are some great points and arguments but I don’t think they can sell it to the jury. Especially if he can’t easily spin the clothes change and produce them.​

 

[Kembo]

Did the assailants hide the blue raincoat at his Mom's?
That's just one of his glitches I can't get past.

Probable defense response: Alex took a blue raincoat to his mom's house a week later. Nothing incriminating about that. If he had killed them wearing the raincoat, he would have disposed of the raincoat, not taken it to his mom's. GPR on the coat is not surprising since he had hunted with that raincoat on before. Is this unreasonable?

 

[Edvis]

The defense does not have to prove, or even supply a motive, it only has to leave a reasonable doubt that it could only have been AM. What facts in my theory are unreasonable, or impossible? The prosecution has to persuade the jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that it could only have been AM and no one else.

Yup that's a given and known fact.

 

[Boodles]

The defense does not have to prove, or even supply a motive, it only has to leave a reasonable doubt that it could only have been AM. What facts in my theory are unreasonable, or impossible? The prosecution has to persuade the jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that it could only have been AM and no one else.

First of all, we haven’t heard all of the evidence yet. And there is other evidence not listed in your summary to support guilt. There’s so much detail in this case. The prosecution closing argument must lay it out cogently.

I really wish jurors could take notes. It’s like taking a class without notes, homework, etc., then having to take an exam. Ridiculous. Archaic.

 

[passionflower]

I agree. There is a big difference in going to rehab for recovery from addiction and going to rehab to dry out.

Or hiding oneself away from publicity to gain control, biding time

 

[LetsSolvIt]

JMO

Doesn't opioids make users sweat? If he was addicted to opioids I would think he'd be sweating a lot during that interview night of the shooting. Hot, humid, rainy, and opioids, no sweating?

Alec is not an opioid addict. OMO.

 

[Regal Beagle]

South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial wrapped up Day 4

Alex Murdaugh, a former lawyer, assistant prosecutor and scion of a powerful South Carolina legal dynasty, is charged with the double murder of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, on June 7, 2021.

www.foxnews.com

Feb 1, 2023

Alex Murdaugh told investigators three days after the murders he hadn't visited the dog kennels June 7, 2021, before finding his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul shot to death.

He made a similar statement hours after the double slayings to SLED special agent David Owens, who also conducted the second interview.

Alex walked investigators through a timeline of his day. The disgraced lawyer said he ate dinner with Paul and Maggie at the main house.

Maggie, 52, was concerned about Paul's blood pressure, he added.

"His feet had swollen up recently, it was a big huge deal," Alex told Owen and SLED special agent Jeff Croft, who participated in the questioning.

They were all seated in Owen's patrol car at the hunting lodge of Alex's brother John Marvin Murdaugh.

Maggie left the house to go to the dog kennels, and Paul also left but he wasn't sure where he'd gone, he said on the recording.

Alex took a nap and when he awoke, he called and texted Maggie --- but she didn't answer, he told the SLED agents.

At 9:06 p.m. he left the main house to check on his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and lives 20 minutes away.

When he returned, no one was at the main house and he drove down to the kennels.

That's when he said he found his wife and son lying in pools of blood and brain matter and called 911 at 10:06 p.m.

Thank you for the recent correction of my post concerning Paul being charged with three murders, I knew better and mistyped.

 

[ch_13]

I really wish jurors could take notes. It’s like taking a class without notes, homework, etc., then having to take an exam. Ridiculous. Archaic.

The problem with note-taking is that it's a skill to take notes and be able to pay attention at the same time. A lot of people just can't do it, especially if school was a long time ago and they are out of practice.

My view may be colored because I work with someone like this. They insist on jotting down every little thing and miss half of the discussion.

 

[HawthorneJuniper]

Yes, quite the Wolf in Sheep’s clothing.
From MM’s FB:
June 2020
“Happy Happy Father’s Day to the best who everybody loves

Thank you for all u do for our family. You work so hard for your family and our kids r so lucky! Dad,Coach,Teacher and best friend.”

All that comes to mind is what an awful lot of effort they put into a facade. I bet she wasn't all that crazy about him but she would NEVER slip in public. They would always present as "we four Murdaughs". I think whatever else they lacked they didn't lack cohesion. No one wanted this life they pretended to have to end. And they would

 

[Seattle1]

I love that Tony Satterfield got a "J'accuse" moment -- getting to take the stand and physically point out Alex in the court room. I know the jury wasn't there, but I'm still happy with it. The Satterfield theft is just the absolute worst. Makes me almost cry thinking about it. JMO.

Son of Alex Murdaugh's former housekeeper accuses him of stealing $4m

The son's of Alex Murdaugh's housekeeper Gloria Satterfield say they never received a penny from an alleged $4 million wrongful death payout that he received following her 2018 death.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Gloria Satterfield, widowed, raised two sons working for the Murdaughs for 25 years-- because she had to. I agree, Gloria would have been proud of Tony on Friday.

I've just learned that Gloria's sons are not much older than BM & PM. With 20+ years of service, AM & MM also would have known the young men most of their lives.

One has to wonder if AM also told MM that the claim he personally encouraged against their insurance, initiated at Gloria's funeral, was slow but making progress.

Unless it was always part of a plan to let the 1200 sq ft mfg home go into foreclosure, seems to me MM would have personally intervened to assist the disabled son of her loyal worker.

But maybe not. Listening to Court TV's trial recap, Vinne Politan isn't exactly a big fan of MM -- he's opined that MM comes across as sounding more inconvenienced than concerned during her 911 call following Gloria's fall on the brick stairway at the Moselle residence. Personally, I only recall MM very soon handing the phone over to PM. MOO

Obituary for Gloria Satterfield | Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Home

Share memories & support the family

www.briceherndonfuneralhome.com

 

[LetsSolvIt]

SLED should have kicked everyone out of the house the night of the murders and not let anyone in until they did a search. They had a search warrant and should have executed it. The "voluntary search" with people in the house trailing after the SLED agent was not good enough IMO. This is where the Murdaugh influence came in to play I think. I really doubt "Joe Smith" would have been afforded this courtesy. JMO.

Well said and totally agree!!

 

[escape2sc]

Just curious, in high profile cases is it normal practice for the Defense to hire PR teams to argue their theory on social media to gauge which theory the general public would find plausible ?

 

[LetsSolvIt]

Yeah the whole idea of money laundering is fascinating to me. I'm sure a little of that goes on around here, but I don't know any of the particulars. I have my suspicions, but those are just my own conjecture.

@cocky0 -- you are new! Welcome and thank you for joining the discussion.

We welcome your insight!