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

 

[GrandmaBear]

Settled doesn't mean that they have been paid yet. They will be first in line for any $$ coming in.

Judgments often go unpaid but settlements are usually made with the understanding payment is to be made for it to be settled in that amount. Imo. Like I'll give you $20,000 today if you dismiss your case for $35,000. Not I will pay you five years from now or they wouldn't dismiss the case.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Here's the details of the settlement, as reported in January. Apparently, Maggie allowed Paul to use her credit card to purchase the alcohol and Buster allowed use of his ID. So I think it is now just the financial victims like Sattersfield, which maybe will be payrolled by the Netflix series.

Murdaughs reach settlement with family of Mallory Beach, who died in fatal 2019 Murdaugh boat crash | Fox News

Mallory Beach died in apparently booze-fueled boating trip along the South Carolina coast in the Murdaugh family's boat in 2019

www.foxnews.com

I take this to mean Buster settled and Maggie's estate settled but the claim against Alex is NOT settled nor against the store. Unless something has happened since only Buster and Maggie's estate settled and were released from the suit or will be on payment from the home most likely. The suit would continue on against the others.

 

[GrandmaBear]

So sue me. Actually I said 'apparently'. If you want to interpret Tinsley's words differently then you can read and interpret and post yourself. The facts will never be verified now because they have settled and two of the named respondents have been murdered.

They may have very well thought they could prove each allowed him to use the credit card for such things and the DL for such things and that the knew he did. They settled so they may have been concerned there could be proof of such. But as you say, it won't be known now as those two are out of the lawsuit.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I could also see how the place of purchase could be sued due to the cc used not matching the id.

I think that's iffy at best. There isn't anything against using someone else's credit card WITH permission. It's done all of the time. And they had matching last names even if he was known as "Buster". The using a false ID is what got him the alcohol or a credit card, cash or anything else wouldn't have been needed whether he bought a pack of gum or a six pack.

 

[Tresir]

This article has a little bit more info about the Beach settlement. It explains that Buster would get $530k from the Moselle sale and that Buster and Maggie's names would be removed from the lawsuit.

Buster Murdaugh Just Released A Statement About Stephen Smith's Death

 

[Guess Who]

Judgments often go unpaid but settlements are usually made with the understanding payment is to be made for it to be settled in that amount. Imo. Like I'll give you $20,000 today if you dismiss your case for $35,000. Not I will pay you five years from now or they wouldn't dismiss the case.

Settlement just means an amount was agreed upon by both parties, not that it's actually been paid yet. It just means that it didn't go through to a judgement made by the court.It keeps either side from losing their case completely.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Settlement just means an amount was agreed upon by both parties, not that it's actually been paid yet. It just means that it didn't go through to a judgement made by the court.It keeps either side from losing their case completely.

It's my only day off in a long stretch and I'm not going to look further but you can find this or similar out there easily and with far more detail I'm sure but not going to take the time to look further. Settlement means you get paid. No one in their right mind would settle if it didn't mean payment was being made posthaste. Nor a judge dismiss. It's why Alex tried to settle for a certain amount, it was all he could scrape together he figured. You can't settle with a money settlement with no money to offer or without an agreed on plan. Right in the document it will generally have the terms or time limit, etc. Most say something like the a check is to be issued within something like ten to 30 days or the agreement is null and void. To be sent to such and such attorney and distributed by him and so forth in such a manner.

And just like the home sale was how the other parties settled, it was agreed upon.

What happens after a case is settled? ​

After a case is settled, meaning that the case did not go to trial, the attorneys receive the settlement funds, prepare a final closing statement, and give the money to their clients. Once the attorney gets the settlement check, the clients will also receive their balance check.

 

[GrandmaBear]

You don't make good on the terms in a settlement agreement, then you are not off the hook because you did not execute your part of the agreement. It isn't a judgment.

 

[Tresir]

I take this to mean Buster settled and Maggie's estate settled but the claim against Alex is NOT settled nor against the store. Unless something has happened since only Buster and Maggie's estate settled and were released from the suit or will be on payment from the home most likely. The suit would continue on against the others.

I agree. Except I don't think Alex had any assets anyway -he sold Moselle to Maggie for $5.

 

[Guess Who]

It's my only day off in a long stretch and I'm not going to look further but you can find this or similar out there easily and with far more detail I'm sure but not going to take the time to look further. Settlement means you get paid. No one in their right mind would settle if it didn't mean payment was being made posthaste. Nor a judge dismiss. It's why Alex tried to settle for a certain amount, it was all he could scrape together he figured. You can't settle with a money settlement with no money to offer or without an agreed on plan. Right in the document it will generally have the terms or time limit, etc. Most say something like the a check is to be issued within something like ten to 30 days or the agreement is null and void. To be sent to such and such attorney and distributed by him and so forth in such a manner.

And just like the home sale was how the other parties settled, it was agreed upon.

What happens after a case is settled? ​

After a case is settled, meaning that the case did not go to trial, the attorneys receive the settlement funds, prepare a final closing statement, and give the money to their clients. Once the attorney gets the settlement check, the clients will also receive their balance check.

Not necessarily. A plaintiff might decide to settle on an amount rather than risk getting nothing by losing completely if going through to judgement. A defendant could settle rather than risk losing even more of it went through to judgement. The end result might take years to complete, but it was still agreed upon by both parties. Just like a judgement, it doesn't mean that the end result is completed.

 

[Tresir]

Not necessarily. A plaintiff might decide to settle on an amount rather than risk getting nothing by losing completely if going through to judgement. A defendant could settle rather than risk losing even more of it went through to judgement. The end result might take years to complete, but it was still agreed upon by both parties. Just like a judgement, it doesn't mean that the end result is completed.

A settled case is a contract between parties, outside of the court so if the amount is not paid then it would be a breach of contract I think.

 

[Guess Who]

A settled case is a contract between parties, outside of the court so if the amount is not paid then it would be a breach of contract I think.

Yes, they can then go back to court for breach of contract if not satisfied by agreed upon time. Settled only means they figured out things before the court decided for them.

 

[Tresir]

They may have very well thought they could prove each allowed him to use the credit card for such things and the DL for such things and that the knew he did. They settled so they may have been concerned there could be proof of such. But as you say, it won't be known now as those two are out of the lawsuit.

It is possible to have someone else on your credit card. Eg. My son is on one of my cards, (one with a low credit limit.) The card is in his name but is on my credit card account. This is a very normal thing. I did it for him as he travels a lot and that particular card has free cash withdrawals internationally IIRC. He hasn't used it in a long time and in fact I haven't used it either in a very long time now as I rarely travel now.

This is a link that I forgot to post earlier about settlement.

settlement

www.law.cornell.edu

 

[Tresir]

I am not going to discuss settlement any more. It is a done deal.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Not necessarily. A plaintiff might decide to settle on an amount rather than risk getting nothing by losing completely if going through to judgement. A defendant could settle rather than risk losing even more of it went through to judgement. The end result might take years to complete, but it was still agreed upon by both parties. Just like a judgement, it doesn't mean that the end result is completed.

Okay. I personally don't know of any but I gather you do?

It isn't a divorce settlement or a personal debt settlement or payment plan that just keeps the wolves at bay for a time longer with payments not met. It also usually involves insurance companies and multiple law firms and is a good faith settlement and if all terms aren't met they would be back in court. Why would a defendant agree and then not pay only to be back in the lawsuit?

I think you are talking of something extremely unlikely. The entire contract depends on payment and a final settlement closing statement and distribution to all parties and such are always included. The agreement isn't met and concluded until that all happens.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Yes, they can then go back to court for breach of contract if not satisfied by agreed upon time. Settled only means they figured out things before the court decided for them.

Yeah if payment isn't made the entire agreement is null and void. Said that above. Lol.

Almost no one enters into such and doesn't make payment that I've ever heard of or they risk being back in court, back in the suit and paying more which is what they were avoiding by making a settlement agreement and payment.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Going to court in August against the store and Alex. From today this one is.

 

[Guess Who]

Okay. I personally don't know of any but I gather you do?

It isn't a divorce settlement or a personal debt settlement or payment plan that just keeps the wolves at bay for a time longer with payments not met. It also usually involves insurance companies and multiple law firms and is a good faith settlement and if all terms aren't met they would be back in court. Why would a defendant agree and then not pay only to be back in the lawsuit?

I think you are talking of something extremely unlikely. The entire contract depends on payment and a final settlement closing statement and distribution to all parties and such are always included. The agreement isn't met and concluded until that all happens.

I know of plenty and the ones I know of mostly involve complicated real estate holdings and/or investments that have to be disposed of and since if it takes a long time, but the case is considered settled. Both parties agreed to the terms so the courts the ones making the decisions.

I only started prior that settled didn't mean paid, which is correct.

 

[Tresir]

This is an article from March that states how the funds from the Moselle sale will be distributed. I don't think it has been posted before. This is how it looks like the $3.9 million gets distributed according to the article.

$m

2.8 boat victims
0.53 BM
0.3 Settlement fund approx
0.27 remainder for creditors/legal fees

3.9 total

Murdaugh estate sells for $3.9 million. Here's who will get the money.

Moselle, the 1,700-acre hunting lodge where Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were killed, was sold recently, property records show.

www.cbsnews.com

From the link -

The boat crash killed a 19-year-old woman, Mallory Beach. The bulk of the proceeds, about $2.7 million, will go to Beach's family, as well as two survivors of the crash, the newspaper said. Another boat crash survivor will receive $100,000, while Buster Murdaugh will receive $530,000. Almost $300,000 in additional funds will go to a settlement fund for creditors and financial victims of Alex Murdaugh, among other payments to creditors and to cover legal fees.

Just reviewing this. I think the creditors listed for $270k could include the $250k owed to the brother of AM or it could be part of the $300k settlement fund.

 

[GrandmaBear]

It is possible to have someone else on your credit card. Eg. My son is on one of my cards, (one with a low credit limit.) The card is in his name but is on my credit card account. This is a very normal thing. I did it for him as he travels a lot and that particular card has free cash withdrawals internationally IIRC. He hasn't used it in a long time and in fact I haven't used it either in a very long time now as I rarely travel now.

This is a link that I forgot to post earlier about settlement.

settlement

www.law.cornell.edu

It is called an authorized user here, you can add just about anyone you like.

It is also so relaxed that no one even checks or has to sign for most credit card purchases these days much less show ID. I have taken my mom's card to go make a purchase for her, etc. Easy as pie and not illegal.

With Maggie and Paul it may never be known but the way these kids were raised AND provided for, it wouldn't surprise me if she knew of it, was okay with it, etc. and knew alcohol or a night out was perhaps often charged to her card. Hard to say. An account of one friend or "kid" was that Maggie and Alex provided alcohol for the "kids" and their friends on a regular basis and they even imbibed at the law firm and that seemed to be okay too, as did "children" of the other partners if I recall correctly.

I'm not saying she was okay with it being used for such a thing or wasn't okay with it but am saying it is certainly possible she was. I seriously doubt it was the first time he used her card to purchase alcohol and if that is the case, they would have had a strong argument that she knew or should have known with prior purchases and credit card activity and yet did nothing to stop it.

I seriously doubt he lifted her card that night or Buster's ID. Jmo though.