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]

Is it normal to charge and try the defendants in these types of financial conspiracy and fraud cases separately like this?

 

[GrandmaBear]

This is another article about Cory Fleming's deal and charge. This seems to have more details in it than what I have read before.

Same as Lafitte, Fleming hasn't been sentenced yet but could get up to 5 years. Murdaugh has 22 charges so if he got 5 years for each then that would be 110 years. Lafitte was found guilty of 6 charges, so could be facing 30 years IMO.

Fleming, Lafitte and Murdaugh were childhood friends.

Cory Fleming pleads guilty to role in Murdaugh plot to steal $4.3M from dead housekeeper

Suspended Beaufort lawyer Cory Fleming pleaded guilty Thursday to one federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme that involved now-convicted double-murderer Alex Murdaugh.

news.yahoo.com

From the link -

In March 2019, after a mediation, Nautilus Insurance Company agreed to pay the Satterfield estate $3.8 million, the charging document said.

Fleming then prepared a fraudulent disbursement statement for Satterfield’s estate, with about $1.4 million going toward attorney’s fees and about $2.7 million going to the estate, the charging document said.

Fleming collected approximately $672,595.85 in attorney’s fees — less than half of the $1.4 million in attorney’s fees he reported to the circuit court, the charging document said.

The disbursement sheet also said $105,000 was for “Prosecution Expenses,” but it really went to Fleming and Murdaugh “for their own personal enrichment,” the charging document said.

Acting under Murdaugh’s direction, Fleming in May 2019 issued a check for nearly $3 million in Nautilus settlement funds to “Forge,” a phony company Murdaugh created with a checking account. Murdaugh deposited the check into his fake Forge account, the charging document said.

In October 2020, at Murdaugh’s direction, Fleming issued another check to “Forge” for $118,000, the charging document said. Fleming also in three separate transactions wrote a total of $26,000 in checks out of the Satterfield settlement funds for himself.

In all, Fleming, acting under Murdaugh’s direction, and Murdaugh took some $4.3 million from money due to the Satterfield estate — money that the Satterfield sons never received, the charging document said.

To get the matter approved by a circuit court judge, Fleming on two occasions in 2019 took two “fake disbursement sheet(s)” showing where the Satterfield estate’s supposedly went, the charging document said.

Judge Carmen Mullen was the judge who approved the phony disbursement sheets submitted by Fleming, according to undisputed news accounts about the case. Mullen has declined comment, and there is no evidence she participated in the scheme.

The embezzlement of Satterfield’s estate was first revealed in the early fall of 2021 in a lawsuit brought by attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, who represented Satterfield’s sons, who alleged Murdaugh and Fleming had schemed to steal the estate’s money.

Fleming had no knowledge of Murdaugh’s numerous other criminal schemes to defraud others, his charging document said.

This is a developing story. It will be updated

The judge declined to comment. Not surprised. Did they choose the judge they took the fake disbursement sheets to... At minimum she isn't very thorough is she, what did she do, just glance and sign off based on who was submitting them or did she notice it didn't seem right and still signed off/gave them what they needed...

 

[GrandmaBear]

Is it normal to charge and try the defendants in these types of financial conspiracy and fraud cases separately like this?

Not sure what you mean. Do you mean try Alex and Fleming separately for instance?

Or do you mean federal versus state charges? They'd never combine those together.

 

[Guess Who]

This is another article about Cory Fleming's deal and charge. This seems to have more details in it than what I have read before.

Same as Lafitte, Fleming hasn't been sentenced yet but could get up to 5 years. Murdaugh has 22 charges so if he got 5 years for each then that would be 110 years. Lafitte was found guilty of 6 charges, so could be facing 30 years IMO.

Fleming, Lafitte and Murdaugh were childhood friends.

Cory Fleming pleads guilty to role in Murdaugh plot to steal $4.3M from dead housekeeper

Suspended Beaufort lawyer Cory Fleming pleaded guilty Thursday to one federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme that involved now-convicted double-murderer Alex Murdaugh.

news.yahoo.com

From the link -

In March 2019, after a mediation, Nautilus Insurance Company agreed to pay the Satterfield estate $3.8 million, the charging document said.

Fleming then prepared a fraudulent disbursement statement for Satterfield’s estate, with about $1.4 million going toward attorney’s fees and about $2.7 million going to the estate, the charging document said.

Fleming collected approximately $672,595.85 in attorney’s fees — less than half of the $1.4 million in attorney’s fees he reported to the circuit court, the charging document said.

The disbursement sheet also said $105,000 was for “Prosecution Expenses,” but it really went to Fleming and Murdaugh “for their own personal enrichment,” the charging document said.

Acting under Murdaugh’s direction, Fleming in May 2019 issued a check for nearly $3 million in Nautilus settlement funds to “Forge,” a phony company Murdaugh created with a checking account. Murdaugh deposited the check into his fake Forge account, the charging document said.

In October 2020, at Murdaugh’s direction, Fleming issued another check to “Forge” for $118,000, the charging document said. Fleming also in three separate transactions wrote a total of $26,000 in checks out of the Satterfield settlement funds for himself.

In all, Fleming, acting under Murdaugh’s direction, and Murdaugh took some $4.3 million from money due to the Satterfield estate — money that the Satterfield sons never received, the charging document said.

To get the matter approved by a circuit court judge, Fleming on two occasions in 2019 took two “fake disbursement sheet(s)” showing where the Satterfield estate’s supposedly went, the charging document said.

Judge Carmen Mullen was the judge who approved the phony disbursement sheets submitted by Fleming, according to undisputed news accounts about the case. Mullen has declined comment, and there is no evidence she participated in the scheme.

The embezzlement of Satterfield’s estate was first revealed in the early fall of 2021 in a lawsuit brought by attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, who represented Satterfield’s sons, who alleged Murdaugh and Fleming had schemed to steal the estate’s money.

Fleming had no knowledge of Murdaugh’s numerous other criminal schemes to defraud others, his charging document said.

This is a developing story. It will be updated

Rarely do sentences run consecutively. Most run concurrently so the max time is whatever the charge that has the longest sentence. That's why we celebrate an actual consecutive sentence.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Rarely do sentences run consecutively. Most run concurrently so the max time is whatever the charge that has the longest sentence. That's why we celebrate an actual consecutive sentence.

I have no time but the other morning on Youtube or maybe it was this morning, I watched a short something and was getting ready for work so didn't stop it or end it and another something came on that YT picked for me. I think it was a 48 Hours on an old case, Roundtree, the woman her killed her ex husband but tried to in some ways blame her sister and set her up. The detials don't matter so much as she was sentenced to life, jury decided the sentence, not the judge and one of the reasons the juror gave of how the jury felt is she NEVER needed to be out of prison to affect her children's lives again (even when grown). She got life behind bars. The show ended with a notation that she was already up for parole. It was denied but she comes up for parole.

All this sh*t and all these changes went on over the past years without I think most of us knowing about it. Life doesn't mean LIFE in prison any longer. Just like a death penalty conviction doesn't mean they will ever be put to death. it is DISGUSTING. Repeat offenders and more because they get OUT.

So yes, a consecutive sentence one on top of another is necessary these days too. Who would think you need to give three life sentences consecutively as you only have one life (well except for Chad and Lori) but it IS needed.

Quit the F**K calling it a life sentence if it ISN'T a LIFE SENTENCE. I don't use the "F" word so for me to even say it without spelling it out shows how mad and outraged I am at what is going on.

 

[Tresir]

This woman only got 21 months and her identity will be protected forever funded by the taxpayer.

The hidden life of Britain's most hated woman Maxine Carr

The first trailer for the new mini-series, Maxine, documenting the Soham murders through the eyes of killer Huntley's fiancée was released last week ahead of the broadcast on Monday on Channel 5.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Tresir]

Not sure what you mean. Do you mean try Alex and Fleming separately for instance?

Or do you mean federal versus state charges? They'd never combine those together.

I meant prosecuting all three ( Lafitte, Fleming and Murdaugh) at the same time.

 

[GrandmaBear]

This woman only got 21 months and her identity will be protected forever funded by the taxpayer.

The hidden life of Britain's most hated woman Maxine Carr

The first trailer for the new mini-series, Maxine, documenting the Soham murders through the eyes of killer Huntley's fiancée was released last week ahead of the broadcast on Monday on Channel 5.

www.dailymail.co.uk

this is outrageous and disturbing on many levels. Don't take offense as I don't mean you but when Cuz said recently people in your country were smarter than in ours, this would show that definitely is not true of all.

What are they thinking?? And the other women at the end of it also provided new identities. I had heard of some. What are any of them doing free in the first place?

Also this show being made, it is continually said it is from her perspective. Is she being paid for it and helping? Or are they exploring her likely perspective on their own?

Others who have done horrible things are out on the streets in both of our countries and not protected and have fully paid for lives, what makes her or any of these women special?

They are ALL CRIMINALS and most of them murderers.

Was she truly at her mother's when this happened? Can that be proven other than by word from her family?

I think one of the stupidest things is obviously her mother, her new husband's family it sounded like (as they were horrified by the marriage), etc. know of her identity. That IS not safe nor is communicating with them. Obviously her husband knows so just how is it she dated and was allowed to tell the guys who she really was?

This sound so ridiculous one would think it made up that such people could be REWARDED for doing terrible things.

Is she protected because she testified against him? Did she testify against him? If that is the reason, why are those other women named at the end protected? They were given false identities and ARE the murderers. Sounds to me it would have been likely that hey had enough evidence without her anyhow or did they?

There's more, far more I could say, but I don't want to derail the thread too much. I will end by saying what about the safety of citizens who don't know who these women are and what they are capable of? Why would the criminal's safety EVER come before the public's???? AND the safety of children???

 

[GrandmaBear]

I meant prosecuting all three ( Lafitte, Fleming and Murdaugh) at the same time.

Well I do know it is really up to prosecutors which way is best or if it makes sense to do that, it certainly isn't required and in fact I'd say it is somewhat rare to try people together and sometimes it would create more issues than not. Generally it is when it is the same set of charges against both or all and the same event/crime.

I have no idea of the reasons but several probably play in. A key one I would this is Alex was being prosecuted for murder and they let that play out first while taking care of Lafitte etc. in the meantime. Had they not gone ahead with some on the others, the public I think would have wondered why plus why leave them free or able to try to cover their tracks. All guesses on my part of course.

In the last years of the tons of trials I've watched/followed info on, I can think of three that had people tried together or who were to Ibe tried together. First is Daybell and look what happened there, the problems with it and how the two defendants played it caused the trials to be split imo. The case of George Floyd, the officers were tried together. And then the Arbery trial, the McMichaels and the neighbor were tried together for his murder.

None of these were the federal charges either. I don't know how common it is, if at all, for the feds to try more than one at a time.

I do think Alex stands so alone as to so MANY crimes and charges that separating him out to be singled out makes some sense....

But I am no expert on it, I just know they certainly don't have to do it that way and it isn't always wisest to do it that way.

 

[Guess Who]

I meant prosecuting all three ( Lafitte, Fleming and Murdaugh) at the same time.

They do that ocassionally when all or most of the same evidence and/or witnesses are needed for the same crime.

 

[GrandmaBear]

They do that ocassionally when all or most of the same evidence and/or witnesses are needed for the same crime.

And when they face the same charges for the most part. You don't see one on for say tampering with evidence while the other faces five murder charges tried together.

I suspect it is weighed as to if it is better odds to do it together versus apart. Each I imagine brings its own challenges and advantages. Trying four people together for instance brings on four defense attorneys at minimum against the state. And could create a lot of confusion unless the case is very clear cut.

 

[Tresir]

this is outrageous and disturbing on many levels. Don't take offense as I don't mean you but when Cuz said recently people in your country were smarter than in ours, this would show that definitely is not true of all.

What are they thinking?? And the other women at the end of it also provided new identities. I had heard of some. What are any of them doing free in the first place?

Also this show being made, it is continually said it is from her perspective. Is she being paid for it and helping? Or are they exploring her likely perspective on their own?

Others who have done horrible things are out on the streets in both of our countries and not protected and have fully paid for lives, what makes her or any of these women special?

They are ALL CRIMINALS and most of them murderers.

Was she truly at her mother's when this happened? Can that be proven other than by word from her family?

I think one of the stupidest things is obviously her mother, her new husband's family it sounded like (as they were horrified by the marriage), etc. know of her identity. That IS not safe nor is communicating with them. Obviously her husband knows so just how is it she dated and was allowed to tell the guys who she really was?

This sound so ridiculous one would think it made up that such people could be REWARDED for doing terrible things.

Is she protected because she testified against him? Did she testify against him? If that is the reason, why are those other women named at the end protected? They were given false identities and ARE the murderers. Sounds to me it would have been likely that hey had enough evidence without her anyhow or did they?

There's more, far more I could say, but I don't want to derail the thread too much. I will end by saying what about the safety of citizens who don't know who these women are and what they are capable of? Why would the criminal's safety EVER come before the public's???? AND the safety of children???

One at the end I have heard of is Mary Bell. She was a child and murdered two boys years ago. She did serve a long sentence IIRC. There were also two young boys who took away and killed a toddler who were released too. They got new identities. It seems to be the norm with young kids.

 

[GrandmaBear]

One at the end I have heard of is Mary Bell. She was a child and murdered two boys years ago. She did serve a long sentence IIRC. There were also two young boys who took away and killed a toddler who were released too. They got new identities. It seems to be the norm with young kids.

I remember the two boys. Murdered a toddler boy. And I've heard of Mary Bell, just not fresh on it and one of the other women whose name I already can't come up with but if I went and looked again I could tell ya which one.

I find it very disturbing and not sure I think any of them should be out to begin with, much less have anonymity. Like I said the public should have knowledge of the fact a dangerous person is around them who has committed wicked deeds/murder prior. No one protected their victims from them and they don't deserve protection imo.

I do struggle when it is children more so BUT something is still REALLY wrong in that they could do such a thing to begin with. Very disturbingly wrong.

I suppose we should turn this thread back to Murdaugh before we sidetrack it too much further lol.

Once Alex gets to the big house he will probably wish he had anonymity considering the people he probably put away in his career or his family did... Funny they say that since he seemed to be more involved in civil litigation than criminal....

 

[Tresir]

I remember the two boys. Murdered a toddler boy. And I've heard of Mary Bell, just not fresh on it and one of the other women whose name I already can't come up with but if I went and looked again I could tell ya which one.

I find it very disturbing and not sure I think any of them should be out to begin with, much less have anonymity. Like I said the public should have knowledge of the fact a dangerous person is around them who has committed wicked deeds/murder prior. No one protected their victims from them and they don't deserve protection imo.

I do struggle when it is children more so BUT something is still REALLY wrong in that they could do such a thing to begin with. Very disturbingly wrong.

I suppose we should turn this thread back to Murdaugh before we sidetrack it too much further lol.

Once Alex gets to the big house he will probably wish he had anonymity considering the people he probably put away in his career or his family did... Funny they say that since he seemed to be more involved in civil litigation than criminal....

Yes, I got sidetracked discussing sentencing lengths. So often life isn't life.

 

[Tresir]

This is an interesting article for several reasons. It talks about someone at Palmetto State bank other than Lafitte and talks about the judge who signed the Murdaugh documents. The article isn't dated but the document referenced is from Feb 2022. The article date in the file name is 2nd Mar 2022.

Murdaugh latest: Solicitor requests investigation into 14th Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen

A South Carolina solicitor and a Columbia attorney question Judge Carmen Mullen's conduct in regards to handling of Gloria Satterfield's estate.

eu.greenvilleonline.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Yes, I got sidetracked discussing sentencing lengths. So often life isn't life.

it is disgusting they call it life when it isn't life and most people and even victim's families still believe it is.

I helped sidetrack.

 

[GrandmaBear]

This is an interesting article for several reasons. It talks about someone at Palmetto State bank other than Lafitte and talks about the judge who signed the Murdaugh documents. The article isn't dated but the document referenced is from Feb 2022. The article date in the file name is 2nd Mar 2022.

Murdaugh latest: Solicitor requests investigation into 14th Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen

A South Carolina solicitor and a Columbia attorney question Judge Carmen Mullen's conduct in regards to handling of Gloria Satterfield's estate.

eu.greenvilleonline.com

I'd sure like to know what the response was as to this complaint about the judge and the former complaint he asked to be looked at again.

This state needs to clean house and it looks like she passed. I'm sorry but she should step down if nothing else. AND that would not be enough imo. And that would be if one gave her the benefit of the doubt but for me, there is too much to buy it.

I've said throughout there were cronies, people in power who were complicit if nothing else and who knows what kind of "cash" may have been handed over that will never be known...

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'd sure like to know what the response was as to this complaint about the judge and the former complaint he asked to be looked at again.

This state needs to clean house and it looks like she passed. I'm sorry but she should step down if nothing else. AND that would not be enough imo. And that would be if one gave her the benefit of the doubt but for me, there is too much to buy it.

I've said throughout there were cronies, people in power who were complicit if nothing else and who knows what kind of "cash" may have been handed over that will never be known...

People and news need to yell about this and ask what resulted from it! With regard to this judge.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Stephen Smith Grand Jury Calling Witnesses, Reviewing Evidence - FITSNews

Cold case heats up ...

www.fitsnews.com

by FITSNews
June 9, 2023

A statewide grand jury in Columbia, South Carolina is actively investigating the 2015 homicide of Stephen Smith, multiple sources familiar with its deliberations have confirmed to this news outlet. In fact, the grand jury is scheduled to reconvene next week to review evidence and hear testimony related to the murder of the 19-year-old from Hampton, S.C.

In other words, it’s increasingly likely arrest warrants will eventually be issued in connection with this eight-year-old cold case – which gained international attention via its purported proximity to the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga. Interest in the Smith case escalated even further after it was prominently featured in the hit Netflix documentary, ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.’

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lengthy article at link. ~Summer

 

[Tresir]