SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton #26

[BUF]

This is rich -- AM's defense attorney that screamed for a gag order tweeting WaPost report.

And JG was front and center on that CNN special last night.

 

[BrownRice]

Well thought out SMM. Removing access to his crutch may have tipped things, but I think he was planning how to get rid of Maggie even earlier, when he heard she was asking questions, seeing a divorce lawyer(if).
I think Maggie was nervous about seeing AM alone when he asked her to come home(using the excuse about his Dad), and asked Paul to be there as a buffer, in case AM got nasty. I'm sure, because she was kept out of the loop for years, she had no idea that AM would try to kill her.
I also think MM may not have known about family/household Bills, because AM had those sent to another address/PO, or even a House Manager/Accountant??? She was embarrassed and mortified when her check was returned...Yowza. MOO

Where’s that from about bouncing checks!

 

[Walela]

MM searched for white 30 RP

It’s 30 mg Oxycodone. Not OxyContin which is continuous release.

View attachment 404313View attachment 404314

Thank you for posting this.

 

[BUF]

Perhaps one of the reasons the Judge chooses the jury foreperson is to, based on his experience, gain insight to possible jury tampering? It's the first trial I've watched where the Judge makes that decision, but he does it all the time in that courtroom. Perhaps there's a reason for doing that in that courtroom?

I have seen judges pick a jury foreperson before … but never before the prosecution has rested and the defense hasn’t even started.

This is a smart judge that has been around the “Murdaugh” courtroom for a while.

 

[10ofRods]

Thoughts coming at random re: AM’s “addiction”.
1. There is no way this man was spending $50,000/ week on pills. My husband had a pretty significant opioid addiction. When I mentioned this amount, he confirmed there is no way anyone could function in any capacity on this no matter their tolerance. Definitely would not be able to practice as a well respected lawyer. He had an opioid problem, but those numbers are a lie.
2. So this leaves dealing or that $50,000/ week has to do with something else entirely. But why involve yourself with drug dealing? He was pulling in more than enough at PPMD. I don’t typically associate dealing with people that have viable means of other income (although I’m sure there are instances where this has happened). Something is off here

Exactly. Something is very rotten in Denmark, if you ask me.

While I can believe there was (entry level) drug trafficking/party favors going on, something else has to account for those expenditures. Hush money? Bribes? (For what? Gambling? Prostitution? Intimidation? Racketeering?)

I fear we may never know the actual story here.

IMO.

 

[otto]

MM searched for white 30 RP

It’s 30 mg Oxycodone. Not OxyContin which is continuous release.

View attachment 404313View attachment 404314

Trying to understand this ...

On May 5, 2021, Paul and/or Maggie found a bag of green pills at Edisto Beach property. Maggie searched online to figure out what they were. She did not delete the search.

May 6, Paul texted Alex that Maggie found a bag of pills. He told Alex to contact him about it.

"On May 6, 2021, Paul Murdaugh sent his father, Alex, what appeared to be a difficult text message. Paul, 22, was letting his dad know that he was still at the family’s house in Edisto Beach, South Carolina, but that things were not OK.​

​

“I am still in EB because when you get here we have to talk,” Paul wrote. “Mom found several bags of pills in your computer bag.”​

What happened between May 5-26, and between May 26 and June 7? What texts and conversations were had in relation to pills? Maggie's sister knew that pills were a today problem. Paul and Alex must have talked, and we know it didn't change anything. The first time Maggie did a search, she didn't delete it. The second time, 2 weeks later, she did delete it. Why?

What is the story behind the drugs that Alex didn't want his family to know? I don't believe that he is an addict. I think that might be a cover story for getting caught faking a suicide, and it ties to the pills text from Paul. ... or was it just a collision of all his misdeeds simultaneously?

Two weeks after Maggie did the second pills search, she and Paul were dead with several angry gunshot wounds.

 

[General wooster]

Oh I forgot about the hose:
22. The hose was off the hook during Paul’s video of the dog. When police arrived, hose was hung up again. Random killer wouldn’t hang hose back up but Alex would out of habit (after washing up).

And JG was front and center on that CNN special last night.

Griffin is try to dig out from the manure pile that he dumped on his case. Career ended. IMO

 

[General wooster]

Exactly. Something is very rotten in Denmark, if you ask me.

While I can believe there was (entry level) drug trafficking/party favors going on, something else has to account for those expenditures. Hush money? Bribes? (For what? Gambling? Prostitution? Intimidation? Racketeering?)

I fear we may never know the actual story here.

IMO.

Well, it certainly wasn’t going towards Habitat for Humanity.

 

[Loveallmyhorsesdogsandcats]

Trying to understand this ...

On May 5, 2021, Paul and/or Maggie found a bag of green pills at Edisto Beach property. Maggie searched online to figure out what they were. She did not delete the search.

May 6, Paul texted Alex that Maggie found a bag of pills. He told Alex to contact him about it.

On May 6, 2021, Paul Murdaugh sent his father, Alex, what appeared to be a difficult text message. Paul, 22, was letting his dad know that he was still at the family’s house in Edisto Beach, South Carolina, but that things were not OK.​

​

“I am still in EB because when you get here we have to talk,” Paul wrote. “Mom found several bags of pills in your computer bag.”​

What happened between May 5-26, and between May 26 and June 7? What texts and conversations were had in relation to pills? Maggie's sister knew that pills were a today problem. Paul and Alex must have talked, and we know it didn't change anything. The first time Maggie did a search, she didn't delete it. The second time, 2 weeks later, she did delete it. Why?

What is the story behind the drugs that Alex didn't want his family to know? I don't believe that he is an addict. I think that might be a cover story for getting caught faking a suicide, and it ties to the pills text from Paul. ... or was it just a collision of all his misdeeds simultaneously?

Two weeks after Maggie did the second pills search, she and Paul were dead with several angry gunshot wounds.

I question the addiction too, it will be interesting to see if the defense brings forth drs or other evidence to prove addiction. I know he had drugs in his system after the road side shooting, I would take something too knowing I was going to fake a shooting, about to be hurt. Good thing he arranged to have his insurance info for the trip to the hospital

 

[Megnut]

I'm not so sure he was 'dealing' himself and the pills Maggie found and researched were 30mg. Plus, we don't know how many pills she found. I do believe he was a user himself but I also believe he used what he didn't swallow as party favors to his "friends" when he was attending functions; as payoffs or paybacks to others who could then turn a profit themselves; and as savings account currency. A goodly stash of drugs for him was better than the stock market (no broker fees), better than cash in a safe (earns nothing), thousands of dollars worth fits in a small container and is easy to hide in multiple places (safety deposit boxes, gym bags, mason jars). I think he used CES to deal to local users when he needed cash to pay off or pay back those that wouldn't take his dope. I believe AM had quite a bit of his ego tied up in those pills but the checks he wrote to CES, weren't all for drugs. Those checks were cashed and a portion went to Smith for a 'service fee' and the remainder went back to AM so he could do what dishonest people do with large sums of cash. jmo

Thoughts coming at random re: AM’s “addiction”.
1. There is no way this man was spending $50,000/ week on pills. My husband had a pretty significant opioid addiction. When I mentioned this amount, he confirmed there is no way anyone could function in any capacity on this no matter their tolerance. Definitely would not be able to practice as a well respected lawyer. He had an opioid problem, but those numbers are a lie.
2. So this leaves dealing or that $50,000/ week has to do with something else entirely. But why involve yourself with drug dealing? He was pulling in more than enough at PPMD. I don’t typically associate dealing with people that have viable means of other income (although I’m sure there are instances where this has happened). Something is off here

Exactly. Something is very rotten in Denmark, if you ask me.

While I can believe there was (entry level) drug trafficking/party favors going on, something else has to account for those expenditures. Hush money? Bribes? (For what? Gambling? Prostitution? Intimidation? Racketeering?)

I fear we may never know the actual story here.

IMO.

Money laundering and buying people off....

You need a lot of capital for that.

JMO

 

[Kyshoegal]

Could he have walked back to the house or the caretaker house and back to kennels in these 594 steps? Seems like a lot of walking in 10 minutes.

I would like to know if anyone knows how many steps from house to kennel? I don’t think he walked/ran I think he took the 4 wheeler

 

[Megnut]

I would like to know if anyone knows how many steps from house to kennel? I don’t think he walked/ran I think he took the 4 wheeler

I think he didn't use the ATV. I think the three of them drove from the house to the kennels together and Alec walked/ran back.

IMO that's why he struggled to answer the question of how Maggie and Paul.got down there. Because he didn't want to associate himself in any way with that ATV. He was ridiculously vague. Like they might each have taken rides on magic carpets. Needed to distance himself from how the two of them got there. Because there were three of them.

JMO

 

[Diddian]

Agree, going to attack the time of death and data timeline hard, pretty much their only play.

Count me among those who would love to know the name of every individual who visits that $20,000/week wedding venue where the defense is holed up over this long weekend (whether the visit is by telephone or in person).

 

[Megnut]

Dbm

 

[General wooster]

The defense did sound like they're trying to say that Paul shot himself during the ballistics testimony. So I really wonder whether they might say it was a murder-suicide and that Alex came on the scene and got rid of the guns to protect Paul's name, just like it was so important for him to clear Paul's name in the boat case.

The ballistics make that near impossible though. It also wouldn't explain why he left his phone in the house before going to the kennels and why he made all the clothes changes and tried to tamper with witnesses.

If that’s their defense, I hear a fat lady singing.

 

[otto]

I would like to know if anyone knows how many steps from house to kennel? I don’t think he walked/ran I think he took the 4 wheeler

The distance is approximately 1200 feet. If Alex takes a step every 2 feet, that's 600 steps? Or is it distance travelled, so one step per foot?

My guess is somewhere around 600 steps from the house to the kennels.

 

[clearskies1]

I think he didn't use the ATV. I think the three of them drove from the house to the kennels together and Alec walked/ran back.

IMO that's why he struggled to answer the question of how Maggie and Paul.got down there. Because he didn't want to associate himself in any way with that ATV. He was ridiculously vague. Like they might each have taken rides on magic carpets. Needed to distance himself from how the two of them got there. Because there were three of them.

JMO

The State's theory is that he took Maggie's phone -- there aren't enough steps recorded on her phone for there to be a walk from the kennels to the house. JMO.

 

[ch_13]

Actually I believe the defense will bring on a phone expert to testify the times are off on the video and perhaps another expert to testify the extraction was done incorrectly and/or the software used to do the extraction has a major glitch that caused a timing error. Since the defense has admitted in their opening that he was there, they need to have the time be off. I think if they can accomplish that, AM will not be on the stand and they will go with he was so messed up, he forgot he was there earlier and they'll probably bring on a psychologist to agree with it.

I think claiming the timing was off is a difficult argument to make. Modern phones are synced by the cell tower to an atomic clock as well as by GPS satellite. As far as I know there are only a limited number of ways a phone can get out-of-sync:

• If you go an extended period of time without connecting to a cell tower and you have location services turned off, the time may drift. But these phones all had service around the time of the murders.
• If you choose the wrong timezone (and don't have it set to find the timezone automatically) your time can be off by increments of one hour. Similarly, you can set the phone to not recognize daylight savings time. However, both of those would be very obvious and easy to correct for.
• Some Android phones are off by 15 seconds due to a programming issue, but all the phones in question here are iPhones, I believe.

I don't know anything about the extraction software, but another issue is that GM's OnStar data generally corroborates the phone evidence. For example Alex drove back to the house at Moselle to get a gun while on the phone with 911 and the times all match up. Did GM make the same extraction error?

Can they find an expert to make an argument under oath about timing? This isn't a matter of opinion like a psychologist testifying about someone's state of mind. If they testified to something that was blatantly untrue, wouldn't that open them up to perjury charges?

 

[Luna20]

As per CNN Buster is up first tomorrow. Also it was said to expect an accident reenactment set up.

 

[Warwick7]

Yes, you are correct.
I just pulled some of these times from the data timeline and found some things interesting.
He was on the phone with 911 for 7 minutes, so that takes us to 10:13 pm, roughly, and he hangs up with 911 saying he has to call family. (Edited to add: yes, I know he drove to his house but I still think it was more than enough time to hide some things and with plans for Blanca to come over and no one from law enforcement searching the house....and he returned to the kennels three minutes before he contacted RM.)
He doesn't make another phone call for well over 6 minutes - plenty of time to clean up a bit, search Paul for the pills or phone and see the 9:58 pm text from Rogan.
After calling his brothers - the next person he contacts is Rogan at 10:21 pm, 10:24 pm and 10:30 pm and even searches a restaurant before contacting BM at 10:44 pm (23 minutes after his 9 minute frantic phone call/texts/face time to Rogan).
Why would contacting Rogan, your dead sons friend, be more important than contacting your surviving son?

9:58 p.m.: After not hearing from Paul or Maggie, Rogan Gibson texts Paul "Yo."
10:05:55 p.m.: Alex puts the vehicle into park by the kennels.
10:06:14 p.m.: Alex calls 911 from the Moselle property. The call is received by Hampton County dispatch before being transferred to Colleton County.
In the 7-minute call, he says he found Maggie and Paul shot and neither were breathing.
During the call, he notes he is not presently by the bodies. He said he touched them after finding them but only to see if they were still breathing.
He hangs up after saying he needed to call family members.
10:19:32 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh calls Randy Murdaugh. The connection lasts 1 second. There is no record of the call in the data extraction of Alex's phone.
10:19:44 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh calls John Marvin Murdaugh. The call lasts 40 seconds. There is no record of the call in the data extraction of Alex's phone.
10:17:49 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh calls Randy Murdaugh. The connection lasts 16 seconds. There is no record of the call in the data extraction of Alex's phone.
10:18:45 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh iMessages Randy Murdaugh, stating, "Pls call me. Emergency."
10:21:25 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh calls Rogan Gibson. There is no answer. Gibson testified he was already asleep.
10:24:43 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh texts Rogan Gibson, stating "Call me."
10:30:31 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh again attempts to FaceTime Rogan Gibson. There is no answer.
10:40 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh searched "Whaley's Edisto" in Safari browser.
10:44:20 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh calls Buster Murdaugh. The connection lasts 8 seconds.
10:45 p.m.: Alex Murdaugh calls Brooklyn White. The connection lasts 13 seconds. There is no record of the call in the data extraction of Alex's call.

BBM

Others have spoken about AM putting himself in positions to always control the narrative.

I think this is a character flaw in him that is although consistent, it is dominant. It runs in his blood genetically.

After the boating accident, in the ER rooms, while the officer was in Paul's room trying to talk to him, his Dad and his grandfather arrived. The report indicates the interview was promptly stopped.

As we know like a train without breaks AM jammed into each teenager's room instructing them to remain quiet when questioned by investigators.

Connor Cook testified that AM stopped him while he was in a wheelchair headed to have a fractured jaw examined, and told him he "didn't need to tell anyone who was driving" the boat.

Oh and grand-daddy stayed at Paul's bedside. He was heard telling him to keep his mouth shut while AM bounced from room to room talking to the kids and medical staff. He was seen pacing back and forth while on the phone and talked in hushed tones to the parents of other passengers.

A nurse told investigators AM was trying to orchestrate something among the passengers and their families. His son’s girlfriend refused to let Alex Murdaugh in her room because he was giving her words to say to LE.

The same strategy took place with
MM's housekeeper. AM approached her privately and told her that he had a "bad feeling" about a video that showed him wearing a Vineyard Vines shirt. Blanca continued saying that AM informed her he was wearing the shirt on "that day," the day his wife and son were murdered.

Just taking these few incidents into account, it is a genetic pattern into the Murdaughs to control the narrative.

This is exactly what AM was attemped doing to Rogan Gibson. He needed to get him and do nothing but get in Rogan's head and control the narrative before LE got there.
Thank God he didn't.

Investigation of boat crash involving Paul Murdaugh included missteps, roadblocks

Newly released records reveal discrepancies by officers in the 2019 boat crash involving Paul Murdaugh and Mallory Beach.

www.postandcourier.com