PAUL & MAGGIE MURDAUGH: South Carolina vs. Alex Murdaugh for Double Homicide of wife & son *GUILTY*

This case is being kept pretty quiet, no major details released to speak of (other than it does say there were two different guns used), but no info regarding who found them, who called 911, very little else.

Of interest, the grandfather died just a few days after these murders and it sounds as if he was ill from various articles so probably not unexpected. I think of the typical motives, did grandpa have a big estate? How big in the overall family of grandpa's on down? They sound like a pretty well known family and a powerful one in their state, more on that in the article.

Questions abound in SC Murdaugh killing. Among them: Should prosecutor step aside?

Several days after two members of a prominent Hampton County family were fatally shot, questions about what happened still vastly outnumber answers.

www.postandcourier.com

 

[Tresir]

Came here to post this but just caught up on the thread's interesting news on the Stephen Smith case that POI's are not Murdaughs. Perhaps it may need a separate thread if the cell phone data ends up confirming that.

Russell Lafitte - this guy is still not in jail and his second attempt to get an appeal has been knocked back. So when is he to be jailed?

Federal judge denies Russell Laffitte appeal, calls Alex Murdaugh 'serial liar, fraudster'

Judge Richard Gergel ruled, not only is Murdaugh's testimony not newly discovered evidence, but Murdaugh is "manifestly not a credible witness."

news.yahoo.com

Here's another link that suggests sentencing could be May or June.

Federal judge denies Russell Laffitte's motion for retrial in federal bank fraud case

abcnews4.com

 

[Tresir]

Latest on Murdaugh.

Murdaugh would rather 'take chances on the yard than rot in a cell'

Murdaugh, who is serving two life sentences at McCormick Correctional Institution in South Carolina, reportedly would rather take a chance at being harmed by other inmates than be isolated.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Just thinking about the fact that Murdaugh admitted his financial crimes during his murder trial. So how are they going to be able to prosecute him for that separately now?

 

[GrandmaBear]

Latest on Murdaugh.

Murdaugh would rather 'take chances on the yard than rot in a cell'

Murdaugh, who is serving two life sentences at McCormick Correctional Institution in South Carolina, reportedly would rather take a chance at being harmed by other inmates than be isolated.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Just thinking about the fact that Murdaugh admitted his financial crimes during his murder trial. So how are they going to be able to prosecute him for that separately now?

Not sure I follow. Why would it matter if he admitted such? I'd think that would be a good thing and help to clinch a conviction if anything. Is there something that says if he admitted such in one trial, it can't be used in the other or something? I'd think they have him under oath admitting to at least some of it, if not all. It isn't like he pled the 5th to avoid incriminating himself.

Tell me your thinking on this? Is there some rule of law saying he can't now be tried on the other? I'd think news and talking heads would be saying as much if that was the case.

 

[Tresir]

Not sure I follow. Why would it matter if he admitted such? I'd think that would be a good thing and help to clinch a conviction if anything. Is there something that says if he admitted such in one trial, it can't be used in the other or something? I'd think they have him under oath admitting to at least some of it, if not all. It isn't like he pled the 5th to avoid incriminating himself.

Tell me your thinking on this? Is there some rule of law saying he can't now be tried on the other? I'd think news and talking heads would be saying as much if that was the case.

If he has already admitted it under oath, I would think that then his presumption of innocence is no longer available to him. Maybe as a lawyer, he knew that. I have never come across it before but the crimes should really have all been tried together. JMO though. I think this morning I saw a link that said they were not pursuing the financial crimes but when I pulled it up to read it, i could not access it as I am in Europe. I will find it again and post the link for others to read and perhaps the important bits can be summarised in here.

 

[GrandmaBear]

If he has already admitted it under oath, I would think that then his presumption of innocence is no longer available to him. Maybe as a lawyer, he knew that. I have never come across it before but the crimes should really have all been tried together. JMO though. I think this morning I saw a link that said they were not pursuing the financial crimes but when I pulled it up to read it, i could not access it as I am in Europe. I will find it again and post the link for others to read and perhaps the important bits can be summarised in here.

Yeah I am lost with all of that and not sure how it works as to presumption of innocence etc. But a new jury with a different case wouldn't know that and would presume him innocent until facts came in including his admission no? Or am I looking at that in too simple of a way?

Not sure what you mean about all tried together. Do you mean his financial crimes should have been tried along with the murders? I don't think they should have. They aren't really part of it, I mean they relate to a point but not directly. When he was screwing people out of the money long before the boating accident, I doubt the murder of his wife and son was on the horizon. I don't know and realize I am not making much sense because this man, like the Daybells, has so many crimes related to him that it's just hard to grasp it all sometimes or know what the legal process would be in relation to all of them.

 

[Tresir]

Yeah I am lost with all of that and not sure how it works as to presumption of innocence etc. But a new jury with a different case wouldn't know that and would presume him innocent until facts came in including his admission no? Or am I looking at that in too simple of a way?

Not sure what you mean about all tried together. Do you mean his financial crimes should have been tried along with the murders? I don't think they should have. They aren't really part of it, I mean they relate to a point but not directly. When he was screwing people out of the money long before the boating accident, I doubt the murder of his wife and son was on the horizon. I don't know and realize I am not making much sense because this man, like the Daybells, has so many crimes related to him that it's just hard to grasp it all sometimes or know what the legal process would be in relation to all of them.

Well they are saying that hiding the financial crimes was the motive for the murder, so I think they should have been tried together. Cannot find the article I saw this morning but here is another one about his lawyer fees. They certainly were not working pro bono.

The lawyers want some of the money reserved for the victims to be used to pay their fees.

How much money could Alex Murdaugh's attorneys earn for double murder trial, appeal?

How much does Alex Murdaugh spend on legal fees, and where does this money come from? What to know about how attorneys, alleged victims, may be paid.

eu.greenvilleonline.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Well they are saying that hiding the financial crimes was the motive for the murder, so I think they should have been tried together. Cannot find the article I saw this morning but here is another one about his lawyer fees. They certainly were not working pro bono.

The lawyers want some of the money reserved for the victims to be used to pay their fees.

How much money could Alex Murdaugh's attorneys earn for double murder trial, appeal?

How much does Alex Murdaugh spend on legal fees, and where does this money come from? What to know about how attorneys, alleged victims, may be paid.

eu.greenvilleonline.com

It should be victims first imo.

I get what you are saying but they also are separate crimes and it would have been a huge undertaking to try all together and for the jury too.

They had better not pass on trying his financial crimes. I think it would not be wise. I get he has life sentences and it would save time and trouble and money but they need to show such is NOT okay. Making a deal on them wouldn't surprise me either...

I haven't read the article yet and not sure I'll get to it but so his "buddy" wasn't working pro bono? I did wonder. On the other hand it would be a crafty way of routing money back to Alex or splitting it. Would be right up there with something he and his cronies would do. Imo.

 

[Tresir]

Would they even be able to find a jury who did not already know about Murdaugh anyway?

In prison he has had numerous women contact him and also the producer of the Netflix series has contacted him. The producer says this -

"We feel at this point it's very important to have your voice in the (remainder) of our series," Gasparro reportedly wrote. "Our first three episodes (were) viewed by 40 million households and also 75 million hours (were) watched in just ten days. Those numbers will continue to rise. We believe you can have the largest platform on TV if you are willing to speak to us."

40 million households !!!!!!!

Alex Murdaugh Receives Love Letters in Prison: 'I Think About You All Day, Every Day'

Alex Murdaugh, 54, is serving two consecutive life sentences after being found guilty on March 2 of the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22

people.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Would they even be able to find a jury who did not already know about Murdaugh anyway?

Isn't that the question someone asks in every high profile case? You'd be amazed how few know about some of these cases. I think. I look to my family who doesn't follow crime like I do but some are MAJOR news watchers and they often know nothing about the high profile ones we follow here and we think all know about. And a person can know some about a case, it doesn't necessarily exclude them from serving on the jury.

 

[Tresir]

Here's the article that I cannot read.

Lawyer: Alex Murdaugh doesn’t want to ‘rot away’ in prison

“He would rather take his chances on the yard than rot away in a cell,” Jim Griffin said. Murdaugh has been told of threats made by other inmates.

www.newsnationnow.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Here's the article that I cannot read.

Lawyer: Alex Murdaugh doesn’t want to ‘rot away’ in prison

“He would rather take his chances on the yard than rot away in a cell,” Jim Griffin said. Murdaugh has been told of threats made by other inmates.

www.newsnationnow.com

The first part is just about him preferring to be in gen pop even if they say he's had threats (not personally but told of threats) and how despite that he was able to manage and develop relationships in county jail and can do the same in prison and yada yada yada. Then this from your linked article (more to come):

Murdaugh’s attorneys are appealing his conviction and have asked the court to grant the release of funds from an escrow account to pay for some of the legal fees, WJCL-TV reported. The money was previously frozen by the court as part of an agreement in wrongful death lawsuit settled by Murdaugh and Mallory Beach, who died in a boating accident in 2019. Paul Murdaugh was on the boat at the time it crashed.

Along with some 90 letters of support that Murdaugh has received in prison, people have also offered to help fund his appeal, Griffin said.

This must be spin I'd hope.

 

[GrandmaBear]

And here is the rest:

“Its just an outpouring of support that he has received, and it does hearten him, and he’s thankful,” Griffin said. “He is not someone who has given up hope. He has hope for the future; he has hope he will get out one day.”

As for Murdaugh’s only surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, Griffin said his life has been “turned upside down” and that he wants to move forward. Buster and his father have avoided contact via phone, Griffin said, because those calls would be subject to public records requests. Instead, the two communicate through letters.


“He’s trying to protect Buster; he’s trying to protect his family from further exposure and attention,” Griffin said. “Pretty soon Buster will be able to visit him … but that hasn’t been arranged yet.”

 

[GrandmaBear]

Makes me gag. Portraying the defendant as a victim with not a single mention OF the victims of this man.

 

[Guess Who]

The first part is just about him preferring to be in gen pop even if they say he's had threats (not personally but told of threats) and how despite that he was able to manage and develop relationships in county jail and can do the same in prison and yada yada yada. Then this from your linked article (more to come):

Murdaugh’s attorneys are appealing his conviction and have asked the court to grant the release of funds from an escrow account to pay for some of the legal fees, WJCL-TV reported. The money was previously frozen by the court as part of an agreement in wrongful death lawsuit settled by Murdaugh and Mallory Beach, who died in a boating accident in 2019. Paul Murdaugh was on the boat at the time it crashed.

Along with some 90 letters of support that Murdaugh has received in prison, people have also offered to help fund his appeal, Griffin said.

This must be spin I'd hope.

Why would they need to release escrow when in the next breath they say there are people that will fund it?

 

[Guess Who]

Makes me gag. Portraying the defendant as a victim with not a single mention OF the victims of this man.

It also seems that Buster is avoiding him. He could have visited by now if he so desired. Also probably scared of what he might blurt out in a phone call.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Why would they need to release escrow when in the next breath they say there are people that will fund it?

Yeah it sounds to me like a whole lot of spin and hogwash likely by he and his attorneys. I can't imagine who would want to fund him other than maybe people he could rat out that want him to keep his mouth shut. It's really all about money with this guy and his attys too I guess. Release the escrow even though people want to fund me, they are after both things and the remarks about him being able to offer good things and help in prison, etc. Whatever. He makes me ill. They do in fact.

 

[GrandmaBear]

It also seems that Buster is avoiding him. He could have visited by now if he so desired. Also probably scared of what he might blurt out in a phone call.

Yeah that's a bit interesting. They can read letters to my knowledge but they're not discoverable I guess...? Can't make copies if something wrong is in them...?

In the Arbery case, I think it was Greg McMichael that wrote a letter that got him in hot water. My memory on it is vague but I think he was trying to tell someone what to say in testimony or some such. So such can come out... Or maybe it came out from the other party, I can't quite recall. I think though the jail staff read it and reported it...

Alex is still trying to maneuver and cover and I'd bet on it. His only private route would be through someone like his atty. I would imagine. Tell Buster this, tell so and so that...

I'm not real sure Buster can visit until he is fully processed and those things are set up...?

 

[Tresir]

It also seems that Buster is avoiding him. He could have visited by now if he so desired. Also probably scared of what he might blurt out in a phone call.

The article said they are communicating by letter.

Regarding not trying both the financial fraud and murders together would be like not trying the life insurance frauds and murders together in the Daybell case IMO. Unless they are in different states like one of the murders in the Daybell case, I suppose.

 

[GrandmaBear]

The article said they are communicating by letter.

Regarding not trying both the financial fraud and murders together would be like not trying the life insurance frauds and murders together in the Daybell case IMO. Unless they are in different states like one of the murders in the Daybell case, I suppose.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I don't know. That's not that unusual here I don't think. They are separate cases and crimes with separate sentencing, etc. While one may play into another and perhaps can be brought up or can affect the other, I'm not sure they have to be tried together necessarily. And they actually could have waited on the murders (not that I would have them do that) as there is no statute of limitations. On the financial there is. I get I think the gist of what you are saying but I don't think it is necessary to do that for any reason I can think of. It happens all of the time. Or like when a civil wrongful death suit is filed, it can go on at the same time but different court as a murder charge, before or after, etc. Of course those are two different types of cases and courts. One is criminal and one civil.