SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton *Guilty* #42

[ch_13]

I truly don't know what to make of this entire case. It has had so many twists and turns. I'm generally NOT one to lean into conspiracy theories, but my gut reaction has always wondered if he wasn't directly responsible for the murders, but his other illicit activitie got him entangled with those who were. No doubt he was present for the murders. Less certain he was the one who pulled the trigger.

I also ponder (again, not usually one to buy into conspiracy theories) if, given the level of corruption with this area, if something shady took place for these allegations to come about.

I think the vast amount of electronic data (the dog video, the OnStar data, the Apple Health data from AM's phone, the way both Paul and Maggie's phone stopped transmitting at almost the exact same time, etc.) all point to Alex being at the kennels at the exact time the murder occurred.

Whatever corruption may exist in the Low Country, I don't think that data could be faked.

 

[Jurisprudence]

Wonder if the state will seek the death penalty if he is given a new trial.

Interesting question. The facts that led them to not seek it the first time though are still the same.

“prosecuting the case would have been significantly more costly if his team had pursued the death penalty, and he noted that a death sentence would have been unlikely to lead to an execution any time soon, if ever. South Carolina has not executed anyone since 2011, in part because of the difficulty the state has in obtaining lethal injection drugs. There are so many factors you have to consider,” the attorney general said. “We felt like this case is complicated enough. Especially important here was the fact that the evidence against Murdaugh was entirely circumstantial. No eye witnesses or other evidence directly tied him to the murders."

And, the judge's remarks (also in the attached links) are going to demand recusal from any retrial and I wouldn't be surprised if he recuses himself without even being asked. Assuming of course a retrial even happens.

jmo

Why did Alex Murdaugh escape the death penalty? Perhaps it's because he's white and rich.

The judge's silence drove home the continuing legacy of racial and class privilege that haunts capital punishment in South Carolina and elsewhere.

www.usatoday.com

Why didn't prosecutors seek death penalty for murderer Alex Murdaugh?

Dick Harpootlian said prosecutors knew that they would not have secured a conviction if they had pushed to execute the disgraced legal scion at a press conference outside the Colleton County court.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[ch_13]

And, the judge's remarks (also in the attached links) are going to demand recusal from any retrial and I wouldn't be surprised if he recuses himself without even being asked. Assuming of course a retrial even happens.

RSBM.

I believe Judge Newman is at retirement age, so I don't think he'd be eligible for a retrial anyways.

 

[Jurisprudence]

RSBM.

I believe Judge Newman is at retirement age, so I don't think he'd be eligible for a retrial anyways.

Wow, 72? (He looks good lol). They say he is still scheduled to preside over the financial crimes cases which could extend into next year but given he essentially already presided over that imo in the murder trial (when it wasn't the issue before his court) he should probably recuse from that as well.

jmo

Murdaugh trial judge elaborates for first time on his emotional sentencing remarks

South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman spoke about why he thought the Murdaugh case captivated the nation.

www.today.com

 

[DeDee]

When I stated that the verdict would not stand, I was talking about the guilty verdict. Someone said that the verdict would still stand. I was replying that it would not. The trial would start over from scratch.

If it is true that the clerk's actions caused a Juror to be removed over a FB post, and it looks like that's true, then you are correct about a new trial. She's written a book, too. I'm appalled.

If true she spoke and instructed Jurors, it's criminal, right? This is an outrage! Wait a minute. CTV spoke to her and BH denied it. She is Judge Buckner's court reporter?

Judge Newman will not be amused.

JMO

 

[kittythehare]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/05/murdaugh-murder-retrial-motion/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main

 

[Seattle1]

Clerk of Court Becky Hill Shares Murdaugh Trial Insights (7/31/23)​

Interesting how over the past 5+ weeks, there were less than half a dozen critical viewer comments about the court clerk authoring a book, and Miss Becky heavily praised and congratulated. Of course, post today's defense Motion, the daggers are out!

IMO, a good rule of thumb here for any acting clerk of the court would have been to table this book until retirement to avoid the very same semblance of impropriety, or allegations of misconduct including jury tampering.

 

[Seattle1]

I've not read MB's book but thought this comment by MB during a podcast eerie: I understand SLED Investigator David Owen told her that the grass where MM and PM's bodies were found at Moselle did not ever grow again but instead white flowers sprouted where MM's body found and red flowers for PM. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

She is Judge Buckner's court reporter?

^^rsbm

Prior to running for Clerk of the Court in 2020 to fill the vacancy after the Colleton County Clerk retired, Miss Becky was a court reporter for 12 years. According to the guest on Court TV, he recognized her as Judge Buckner's longtime, previous court reporter.

 

[geevee]

I've not read MB's book but thought this comment by MB during a podcast eerie: I understand SLED Investigator David Owen told her that the grass where MM and PM's bodies were found at Moselle did not ever grow again but instead white flowers sprouted where MM's body found and red flowers for PM. MOO

I thought PM was found outside the feed room on the cement? I guess a little poetic license going on in those pages.

It's too soon to know if a new trial is going to come from all of this, but my view is the defense has always blown every accusation sky high (when the truth is much closer to ground level), will just have to wait and see if any of this bears out, under oath. I also think it was extremely ill-advised for the clerk to write a book about a case while still in office.

 

[Seattle1]

Alex Murdaugh Juror Tells All — How Jury Knew Disgraced Lawyer Killed Family​

Mar 6, 2023 #MurdaughMurders #AlexMurdaugh #LawAndCrime

A 22-year-old construction manager (Juror #530) served as one of the 12 jurors who found Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, after deliberating for less than three hours. James, who asked that his last name be withheld, spoke to the Law&Crime Network's Angenette Levy about the kennel video, how prayer played a role in the trial, whether Alex Murdaugh's testimony mattered, and more.

IMO, Juror #530 talking to Law & Crime would strongly disagree that any juror was pressured to find AM guilty as alleged by Juror #630 (Defense Exhibit A).

 

[worm]

I've not read MB's book but thought this comment by MB during a podcast eerie: I understand SLED Investigator David Owen told her that the grass where MM and PM's bodies were found at Moselle did not ever grow again but instead white flowers sprouted where MM's body found and red flowers for PM. MOO

That just sounds far fetched. Wasn’t PM found in a doorway with sand/gravel in front of it?

 

[kittythehare]

Did that sale actually close?
This shows the breakdown from the costs

Alex Murdaugh’s property, site of murders, about to sell

The property at the center of the Alex Murdaugh murder trial could soon have a new owner.

www.cbs7.com

 

[Seattle1]

Murdaugh juror on what convinced jury he was guilty​

Mar 3, 2023
A juror who convicted Alex Murdaugh on Thursday told ABC News in an exclusive interview that the piece of evidence which convinced him the disgraced lawyer was guilty, was the cellphone video placing him at the scene minutes before the murders of his wife and son. "I was certain it was [Murdaugh's] voice," Craig Moyer, a carpenter, said as he recalled the background voice he heard during his first watch of the video captured by Murdaugh's son. The video was taken at the family's dog kennels by Paul Murdaugh, 22, who later that night was brutally murdered along with his mother Margaret, 52.

Juror provided at first vote, 9 guilty, 2 not guilty, and 1 uncertain. After 45 mins-to an hour, all jurors were comfortable with a guilty verdict. As Judge Newman stated, the evidence was overwhelming. Also, Juror #530's experience with firearms helped explain the uncertainty to other jurors how casings at the scene matched weapons AM was known to own/use even though the weapons were not located at the property.

While I don't think it ideal for a sitting Clerk of the Court to author/profit from a book about a trial, it's a very big stretch from allegations of jury tampering. MOO

 

[QB2022]

Hypothetically if there's a retrial, can his testimony from this trial be used as evidence?

 

[gremlin444]

Two small points, not sure just yet what I think about the bigger issues:

Isn't there supposed to be a bailiff or bailiffs watching over the jurors when they are back in the juror rooms, both before and during deliberations? Where were they when these communications between Becky and the jurors were supposed to have occurred?

Also, in my neck of the woods, it is the judge who sets forth the guidelines for what kinds of breaks/movements outside of the juror room will be allowed during deliberation. So, wouldn't the "no leaving the building for smoke breaks" be coming from the judge and the clerk merely be passing it along? Given the heavy press presence around the courthouse while the jury was deliberating, the no smoking breaks rule could have been put in place to keep them out of the eyes of the press and reduce the risk of any accidental or deliberate influences while they are outside (the people chanting that Alex was guilty, etc).

 

[Inthedetails]

I've not read MB's book but thought this comment by MB during a podcast eerie: I understand SLED Investigator David Owen told her that the grass where MM and PM's bodies were found at Moselle did not ever grow again but instead white flowers sprouted where MM's body found and red flowers for PM. MOO

What? That is absolutely ridiculous. Sounds like a folk tale about how red and white flowers originated in the Valley of Moselle. Absurd.

jmo

 

[Gardenista]

Court Clerk's Co-Author Talks Defense Allegations in Murdaugh Case | Watch Court TV

Lawyers for Alex Murdaugh have accused Clerk of Court Becky Hill of tampering with the jury during the disgraced attorney's murder trial.

www.courttv.com

 

[Seattle1]

Two small points, not sure just yet what I think about the bigger issues:

Isn't there supposed to be a bailiff or bailiffs watching over the jurors when they are back in the juror rooms, both before and during deliberations? Where were they when these communications between Becky and the jurors were supposed to have occurred?

Also, in my neck of the woods, it is the judge who sets forth the guidelines for what kinds of breaks/movements outside of the juror room will be allowed during deliberation. So, wouldn't the "no leaving the building for smoke breaks" be coming from the judge and the clerk merely be passing it along? Given the heavy press presence around the courthouse while the jury was deliberating, the no smoking breaks rule could have been put in place to keep them out of the eyes of the press and reduce the risk of any accidental or deliberate influences while they are outside (the people chanting that Alex was guilty, etc).

When speaking to the media, the defense did a good job of slanting how the communication with the jurors was mostly by Ms. Hill so I understand why OP has questions about the Bailiff(s). Clearly, the evidence contradicts the defense allegations per the following statements from the Affidavits included with the Defense Motion.

Also, IMO, if Judge Newman made an effort to come to the jury room, I believe it follows he spoke to all of the jurors and not just a select few.

From paragraph 8 of Juror #630's Affidavit:

The foreperson, Juror #826, would tell the bailiff that she needed to speak with Ms. Hill. Ms. Hill would arrive, and then she and the foreperson, Juror #826, would go to another room to have a private conversation.

From paragraph 9 of Juror #630's Affidavit:

When we began deliberations, Ms. Hill told us that "this shouldn't take us long," and that if we deliberated past 11 pm, we would be taken directly to a hotel ... Additionally, smokers on the jury asked to be allowed to take smoke breaks but were told they could not smoke until deliberations were complete.

From paragraph 11 of Holli Miller's Affidavit referring to Juror #741:

As the jury was deliberating, she believes Judge Newman came to the room she was in and told her the jury would have to spend the night at a hotel if they did not have a vote by a certain time, but she does not recall the time deadline.

From paragraph 7 of Holli Miller's Affidavit referring to Juror #326:

As the jury was deliberating, the bailiff and Ms. Hill told the jurors that they could not take a smoke break during deliberations. There were six smokers on the jury.

 

[kittythehare]

When speaking to the media, the defense did a good job of slanting how the communication with the jurors was mostly by Ms. Hill so I understand why OP has questions about the Bailiff(s). Clearly, the evidence contradicts the defense allegations per the following statements from the Affidavits included with the Defense Motion.

Also, IMO, if Judge Newman made an effort to come to the jury room, I believe it follows he spoke to all of the jurors and not just a select few.

From paragraph 8 of Juror #630's Affidavit:

The foreperson, Juror #826, would tell the bailiff that she needed to speak with Ms. Hill. Ms. Hill would arrive, and then she and the foreperson, Juror #826, would go to another room to have a private conversation.

From paragraph 9 of Juror #630's Affidavit:

When we began deliberations, Ms. Hill told us that "this shouldn't take us long," and that if we deliberated past 11 pm, we would be taken directly to a hotel ... Additionally, smokers on the jury asked to be allowed to take smoke breaks but were told they could not smoke until deliberations were complete.

From paragraph 11 of Holli Miller's Affidavit referring to Juror #741:

As the jury was deliberating, she believes Judge Newman came to the room she was in and told her the jury would have to spend the night at a hotel if they did not have a vote by a certain time, but she does not recall the time deadline.

From paragraph 7 of Holli Miller's Affidavit referring to Juror #326:

As the jury was deliberating, the bailiff and Ms. Hill told the jurors that they could not take a smoke break during deliberations. There were six smokers on the jury.

no smoke break? YIIkes