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]

This is a pretty good recap of all the incidents involving Alex. The section about the attempted murder/suicide has this paragraph.

Smith has not entered a plea for the charges, South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Communications Director Robert Kittle told TODAY.com. Smith denied that he fired a shot at Murdaugh in Episode 3 of the second season of "Murdaugh Murders," alleging he wanted to “scare some sense into (Murdaugh),” and fired a shot into the air.​

"I knew I hadn’t shot him," Smith said, adding the injuries to Murdaugh’s head were due to him falling onto rocks nearby. "I knew there weren’t no blood on him, there was no blood on me. So I went home."​

Where is Alex Murdaugh now? Former lawyer sentenced to 40 years in federal financial crimes case

The South Carolina attorney's stunning downfall is documented in the Netflix documentary, "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal."

www.today.com

Alex had no intent of ending up dead, he lied. Never believed it for a moment. This was another stunt both to get sympathy and convince people someone was after the Murdaughs, showing that someone else shot Maggie and Paul. Imo.

Isn't Eddie n prison or jail? Can't recall for what? It says as of that time he had not entered a plea. This part of things has been mostly quiet. He also laundered all that money. And of course there were allegedly drug buys. Are they making deals with him/investigating up the chain...? Or is his part finished and the roadside incident charges and sentencing are only outstanding yet for Alex? What do they charge on something like that re Alex? False reporting? Something like the women who staged their own disappearance with one claiming she saw a child on a highway i a diaper and then claimed she was abducted? The only charges they could find for her were I believe misdemeanors, nothing very big.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Pamela Pinkney was about $0.4m. I read that Gloria was $4.3m and Plylers were $1.2m so those three alone come to $5.9m. Then there was the guy who loaned him $600k and ended up losing another $192k was it? So another $0.8m brings it to $6.7m. The policeman was mentioned too and the Independent link below mentions $100k was stolen from him and also mentions $121k stolen from Randy Murdaugh making it almost $7m total.

I guess the money he owes the firm must be the rest, bringing it to the total $8.3m figure that is often quoted.

The article below mentions 7 counts of money laundering and covers some of the victims and amounts so I have copied the relevant section and updated the amounts above.

Alex Murdaugh sobs about murders at fraud sentencing: Live

Sentencing marks only the latest chapter in the Murdaugh saga, as he continues to fight his conviction over the June 2021 murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul

www.independent.co.uk

From the article -

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh was confronted by his victims in a courtroom in South Carolina today before being sentenced to 27 years in prison on a slew of state financial crime charges.

“You seem empty, I don’t see anything,” Judge Clifton Newman told Murdaugh as he handed down the sentence. “Hopefully something will emerge in your spirit, in your soul.”



For more than a decade, Murdaugh stole over $12.5m from clients at his law firm in a vast multi-million-dollar fraud scheme.
Alex Murdaugh to be sentenced today on state financial crimes charges
Today, Alex Murdaugh will be back in court in Beaufort County to be sentenced on the slew of state financial fraud charges.
The convicted killer accepted a plea deal in the case earlier this month – admitting to the sprawling fraud scheme in court.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office had offered Murdaugh a deal to plead guilty to 22 of the 101 charges in the case in exchange for a reduced sentence.
The 22 charges include: seven counts of money laundering, four counts of obtaining a signature by false pretences, six counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, and one count each of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, forgery, computer crimes, criminal conspiracy and willful attempt to evade or defeat a tax. The other charges will be dismissed.
Based on the remaining charges, Murdaugh could face up to 239 years in prison.
However, prosecutors are asking Judge Clifton Newman to sentence him to 27 years – a sentence which would be served concurrently to his existing two life sentences for Who are Alex Murdaugh’s financial crime victims?
For more than a decade, Murdaugh stole over $8.5m from several clients at his law firm in a scheme going back more than a decade.
Among the victims is the family of Gloria Satterfield.
Satterfield worked as the Murdaugh family housekeeper for more than two decades before she died in a tragic “trip and fall” down the steps of the family home in 2018
Murdaugh recommended that her sons hire his friend and accomplice Cory Fleming to represent them in bringing a wrongful death claim against him – as the homeowner of the property where she died – so that they could collect from his homeowner’s insurance policies.
The insurance companies ultimately settled the estate’s claim for more than $4m – two payments of $505,000 and $3.8m.
Murdaugh and Fleming then stole the settlement money for themselves and the housekeeper’s sons didn’t get a dime.
Much of the stolen money was funneled through a fake “Forge” bank account which sought to imitate the legitimate and totally unrelated business Forge Consulting.
The Satterfield case is among the most shocking, due to Murdaugh’s personal ties to the family.
But several other victims also fell foul of his schemes.

Hakeem Pinckney
(provided)
Among the other victims were the family of Hakeem Pinckney – who he represented through his law firm Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED).
Pinckney was a deaf man who became a quadriplegic after being involved in a horror car crash in 2009. He died two years later.
Murdaugh stole most of a $309,000 settlement and than an additional $89,000 payment meant for Pinckney’s mother.
Another victim was former lieutenant with the South Carolina Highway Patrol Tommy Moore, who hired Murdaugh as his personal injury lawyer when he suffered a broken neck in the line of duty.
Murdaugh has admitted he stole $100,000 of a $125,000 settlement for the officer.
Murdaugh even stole a $121,000 check from his own brother Randy Murdaugh – who also worked at the law firm PMPED.

I have to mention the headline in this one too. I never saw Alex sob.

And the murders did not relate to this sentencing but he had to get that in there. They are going to of course try to get him off and out of that with a new trial. So now he claimed that all of his other dirty dealings and crimes led SLED to focus on him because he was clearly a crook (paraphrasing). Laying the groundwork and also hoping to convince those close to him, some of the public and anyone dumb enough to fall for it.

You know, one thing I did catch when Waters was going through where the stolen money went in each incident, paying his dad back large sums of money was in there more than once. While Alex made good money (if he had only made above board money) he did not make the kind of money to pay back multiple millions in short order. Why would his dad even think he could I wonder? Did he finagle dad that one big case was in the works that would bring him himself millions? I can't recall but it seemed like one loan was 4 million and some or is my memory wrong? There were sooo many figures in that hearing with all the different amounts stolen, credit cards paid, dad paid, friends paid, etc. I definitely could be wrong but I'm sure one loan was multiple millions to dad. Dad was no dummy, he practiced himself through his lifetime and his brother and the law firm partners aren't either. They had to see none of this was making sense, the amounts Alex needed and/or spent on his lifestyle, etc. They are not the same at all as the average local person he took advantage of. I have a hard time believing none saw that anything was up... Or did but they just kept their mouths shut in alerting the others, etc...? I don't know...

The Alford plea on the brother's is interesting. It either is the one thing he did not do intentionally so he refuses to come clean (which I seriously doubt) (and since when at this point should his integrity matter with what he has admitted to) OR he feels because it was family it wasn't theft because Randy (it was Randy wasn't it?) was fine with it, Randy would never say he stole it and would defend him or something like that OR, and this is where I lean more so, he told Randy he never realized and he lied to Randy and he NEEDS Randy to KNOW he would not steal from him. I can only guess that Randy has told him if he finds out he lied to him, he is done with him for good and no more help from Randy ever.

With all of his charges and life and multiple years in prison, why is it this one is a sticking point?

The murders of course are as he needs to get rid of the life sentences first and foremost. He can never admit to those. Ever. And he won't. But it is clear as can be he did them. Imo.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Buster Murdaugh's classmate Stephen Smith died in hit-and-run with large skull fracture: pathologist

Stephen Smith, Buster Murdaugh's high school classmate, died in a hit-and-run on a rural road in Hampton County in 2015, according to a pathologist who oversaw his autopsy.

www.foxnews.com

By Audrey Conklin Fox News
Published December 1, 2023 4:00am EST

Buster Murdaugh's high school classmate, Stephen Smith, died in a 2015 hit-and-run, according to the pathologist who oversaw his second autopsy. Certain details of the autopsy have only recently become known to the public.

Smith, who was 19 at the time of his death July 8, 2015, was found dead on a rural, South Carolina road, not far from the Murdaugh estate in Hampton County, with a 7½-inch skull fracture.

"Scientifically, medically and forensically, we know what happened, but we don't know who did it," pathologist and former investigator Dr. Michelle DuPre told Fox News Digital. "And that's the investigation. That's where law enforcement comes in. And they are working on the case."

<snip>

"We found that the only injury that Stephen had, really, was the skull fracture. There was … what we call road rash on his forearms, which you would expect. But there were no other injuries at all on his body. None," DuPre said.

The shape of the skull fracture on the right side of his head and a secondary fracture on the back of his skull indicated that some kind of object attached to a car or truck traveling at a high speed struck Smith, who was walking in the middle of Sandy Run Road after his car broke down.

He was also walking toward a curve in the road that may have made it difficult for vehicles to see him in the dark, DuPre said.

"We believe that a vehicle came around the curve, going fast probably, and may have seen something in the road. I'm not even sure that they knew it was a person. We don't know," the pathologist said.

<snip>

The medical examiners who conducted the second autopsy believe "something on that vehicle," such as a ladder or an extended mirror "about 65-or-so inches off the ground and at least a foot to 18 inches, laterally" struck Smith as he was walking.

Experts also studied the crime scene to determine what evidence was and was not left behind. For example, if a car struck Smith directly, there might have been glass or other debris from the car at the scene, but there was no vehicle debris. There were no tire marks. And there were no dropped weapons.

There had been speculation that someone driving past Smith, who was openly gay, might have struck him with a baseball bat while driving past him, but DuPre dismissed that rumor based on two pieces of evidence.

First, his injuries were not consistent with someone who had been struck by a weapon like a bat, which creates a depressed fracture. Second, the person who would have been wielding the bat likely would have dropped it, and there was no such weapon found at the scene.

DuPre said her findings make "a lot of sense," but it is "very hard to convince" the public that Smith was struck with some kind of object attached to a car.

"People have been thinking for almost nine years that this was something nefarious, and … I just, I don't think it's impossible to maneuver a vehicle or something in such a way to do this intentionally. I just don't think that would be possible," she said.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Buster Murdaugh's classmate Stephen Smith died in hit-and-run with large skull fracture: pathologist

Stephen Smith, Buster Murdaugh's high school classmate, died in a hit-and-run on a rural road in Hampton County in 2015, according to a pathologist who oversaw his autopsy.

www.foxnews.com

By Audrey Conklin Fox News
Published December 1, 2023 4:00am EST

Buster Murdaugh's high school classmate, Stephen Smith, died in a 2015 hit-and-run, according to the pathologist who oversaw his second autopsy. Certain details of the autopsy have only recently become known to the public.

Smith, who was 19 at the time of his death July 8, 2015, was found dead on a rural, South Carolina road, not far from the Murdaugh estate in Hampton County, with a 7½-inch skull fracture.

"Scientifically, medically and forensically, we know what happened, but we don't know who did it," pathologist and former investigator Dr. Michelle DuPre told Fox News Digital. "And that's the investigation. That's where law enforcement comes in. And they are working on the case."

<snip>

"We found that the only injury that Stephen had, really, was the skull fracture. There was … what we call road rash on his forearms, which you would expect. But there were no other injuries at all on his body. None," DuPre said.

The shape of the skull fracture on the right side of his head and a secondary fracture on the back of his skull indicated that some kind of object attached to a car or truck traveling at a high speed struck Smith, who was walking in the middle of Sandy Run Road after his car broke down.

He was also walking toward a curve in the road that may have made it difficult for vehicles to see him in the dark, DuPre said.

"We believe that a vehicle came around the curve, going fast probably, and may have seen something in the road. I'm not even sure that they knew it was a person. We don't know," the pathologist said.

<snip>

The medical examiners who conducted the second autopsy believe "something on that vehicle," such as a ladder or an extended mirror "about 65-or-so inches off the ground and at least a foot to 18 inches, laterally" struck Smith as he was walking.

Experts also studied the crime scene to determine what evidence was and was not left behind. For example, if a car struck Smith directly, there might have been glass or other debris from the car at the scene, but there was no vehicle debris. There were no tire marks. And there were no dropped weapons.

There had been speculation that someone driving past Smith, who was openly gay, might have struck him with a baseball bat while driving past him, but DuPre dismissed that rumor based on two pieces of evidence.

First, his injuries were not consistent with someone who had been struck by a weapon like a bat, which creates a depressed fracture. Second, the person who would have been wielding the bat likely would have dropped it, and there was no such weapon found at the scene.

DuPre said her findings make "a lot of sense," but it is "very hard to convince" the public that Smith was struck with some kind of object attached to a car.

"People have been thinking for almost nine years that this was something nefarious, and … I just, I don't think it's impossible to maneuver a vehicle or something in such a way to do this intentionally. I just don't think that would be possible," she said.

They are sticking to this story??!!!! First a young man can't hear a vehicle coming? Are you kidding me? Second where he was and what he was without made no sense. Wasn't he at school that night? He wasn't drunk or anything. He isn't a five year old clueless about walking down the middle of a road. I could go on and on. I'm no medical expert but that part doesn't gel either. WHY didn't he use his phone to call his sister or call home? WHY was he walking and why there? Personally I don't think he was.

Regardless of what really happened, this case was not investigated nor answered properly. The med examiner dissed and refused the questions that the investigators had.

So something like a ladder extending swiped his head at high speed... It used to be a truck mirror, I think they said a semi. That NEVER made sense imo. Now a ladder or something extending from what, a normal height vehicle? How hard did anyone look for this type of vehicle and who may have been driving it that night? Or anyone else that saw some high rate of speed vehicle with things extending on that road?

Whether an accident or a murder even with accident they are dismissing it as the person driving possibly never saw him.

And again this is not some five year old walking down the middle of the road. Who is to say he did or would do any such thing, had no clue of possible traffic and had no hearing?

Even IF this is likely, where are the answers to all of these questions, who was it, and what did they do about it? And why did he NOT take his phone, etc.? AND mostly, how can they exclude anything else? And be certain of this? I don't think they can.

His body could have been thrown there/placed there.

Whatever the case, this is still no decent answer for his family that would satisfy questions of things that make no sense. They can't for them as they don't for me who did not even know him.

Responding officers never thought this adds up to what they claim here.

EVEN if it was a hit and run, it is a chargeable offense and yet they try to excuse that too. May not have seen them due to curve and high rate of speed. Huh? Of course the statute of limitations is up for anything but murder so why doesn't the person come forward...

But regardless of statute of limitations, this case does not have satisfactory answers and so should never be closed and should STILL be trying to explain the rest of it. Which imo this fails to do. Even IF it was a vehicle, it also is not known it was not intentional.

I mean there remain questions galore. The family may never have answers due to the fact on how she ruled and closed it down without answers. And she is also a former investigator it says. Smh. The pathologist I mean.

 

[Tresir]

Alex had no intent of ending up dead, he lied. Never believed it for a moment. This was another stunt both to get sympathy and convince people someone was after the Murdaughs, showing that someone else shot Maggie and Paul. Imo.

Isn't Eddie n prison or jail? Can't recall for what? It says as of that time he had not entered a plea. This part of things has been mostly quiet. He also laundered all that money. And of course there were allegedly drug buys. Are they making deals with him/investigating up the chain...? Or is his part finished and the roadside incident charges and sentencing are only outstanding yet for Alex? What do they charge on something like that re Alex? False reporting? Something like the women who staged their own disappearance with one claiming she saw a child on a highway i a diaper and then claimed she was abducted? The only charges they could find for her were I believe misdemeanors, nothing very big.

Well I think Smith has been charged and is on bail. Not sure when anything is likely to happen on it. I think he was charged with discharging a weapon but I am not sure at all.

If anything, Alex could be charged for attempted fraud as he was doing it so Buster could claim insurance. They could both be charged with attempted assisted suicide, which appears to be what it was. Even though Smith didn't go thru with it, he still turned up and fired a shot.

 

[Tresir]

I have to mention the headline in this one too. I never saw Alex sob.

And the murders did not relate to this sentencing but he had to get that in there. They are going to of course try to get him off and out of that with a new trial. So now he claimed that all of his other dirty dealings and crimes led SLED to focus on him because he was clearly a crook (paraphrasing). Laying the groundwork and also hoping to convince those close to him, some of the public and anyone dumb enough to fall for it.

You know, one thing I did catch when Waters was going through where the stolen money went in each incident, paying his dad back large sums of money was in there more than once. While Alex made good money (if he had only made above board money) he did not make the kind of money to pay back multiple millions in short order. Why would his dad even think he could I wonder? Did he finagle dad that one big case was in the works that would bring him himself millions? I can't recall but it seemed like one loan was 4 million and some or is my memory wrong? There were sooo many figures in that hearing with all the different amounts stolen, credit cards paid, dad paid, friends paid, etc. I definitely could be wrong but I'm sure one loan was multiple millions to dad. Dad was no dummy, he practiced himself through his lifetime and his brother and the law firm partners aren't either. They had to see none of this was making sense, the amounts Alex needed and/or spent on his lifestyle, etc. They are not the same at all as the average local person he took advantage of. I have a hard time believing none saw that anything was up... Or did but they just kept their mouths shut in alerting the others, etc...? I don't know...

The Alford plea on the brother's is interesting. It either is the one thing he did not do intentionally so he refuses to come clean (which I seriously doubt) (and since when at this point should his integrity matter with what he has admitted to) OR he feels because it was family it wasn't theft because Randy (it was Randy wasn't it?) was fine with it, Randy would never say he stole it and would defend him or something like that OR, and this is where I lean more so, he told Randy he never realized and he lied to Randy and he NEEDS Randy to KNOW he would not steal from him. I can only guess that Randy has told him if he finds out he lied to him, he is done with him for good and no more help from Randy ever.

With all of his charges and life and multiple years in prison, why is it this one is a sticking point?

The murders of course are as he needs to get rid of the life sentences first and foremost. He can never admit to those. Ever. And he won't. But it is clear as can be he did them. Imo.

There were 7 charges of money laundering, I think these were 2 counts re the Satterfields, 2 counts re the Pinkneys, 2 counts re the guy who loaned him the $600k and then paid it back along with a second payment of $192k plus the 100k from the police officer. That's seven.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Well I think Smith has been charged and is on bail. Not sure when anything is likely to happen on it. I think he was charged with discharging a weapon but I am not sure at all.

If anything, Alex could be charged for attempted fraud as he was doing it so Buster could claim insurance. They could both be charged with attempted assisted suicide, which appears to be what it was. Even though Smith didn't go thru with it, he still turned up and fired a shot.

Yeah that's what I mean, it is pretty quiet about "Cousin" Eddie Smith.

We really need a criminal attorney here whether prosecution or defense. I don't know that they can charge something like "attemped" fraud? Fraud, yes. But "attempted"? Not the same as attempted murder so really unsure on that. I mean as another example I've never heard of like "attempted" theft as a charge. There either was such or there wasn't. A completed act. If you broke into a home and meant to take a TV but were ran off before you could, I think the charge would only be breaking and entering no? i have no idea.

I think part of the reason this one has kind of went by the wayside and isn't of prime importance to charge and try is because what charge is there? There also isn't really a victim to speak of other than causing county cost and investigation time, etc.

Now going down a road with Eddie about money laundering and how big of a drug network would be a different story...

That's my opinion anyhow.

Like I said I guess Alex could get it for false reporting or some such. With Eddie it would be even harder. In a way, some may see charges on this incident as a bit over the top and a waste of time, effort and money when they have Alex on far bigger things.

I think it is big and fairly significant that he was plotting to cover his other acts but again it isn't in the scheme of things and other charges. I do think ALL he and Eddie did together IS significant though.

Yeah he claims life insurance for Buster but I don't buy it and never have. It was to help Alex, he never intended to die or be killed.

 

[Tresir]

I have to mention the headline in this one too. I never saw Alex sob.

And the murders did not relate to this sentencing but he had to get that in there. They are going to of course try to get him off and out of that with a new trial. So now he claimed that all of his other dirty dealings and crimes led SLED to focus on him because he was clearly a crook (paraphrasing). Laying the groundwork and also hoping to convince those close to him, some of the public and anyone dumb enough to fall for it.

You know, one thing I did catch when Waters was going through where the stolen money went in each incident, paying his dad back large sums of money was in there more than once. While Alex made good money (if he had only made above board money) he did not make the kind of money to pay back multiple millions in short order. Why would his dad even think he could I wonder? Did he finagle dad that one big case was in the works that would bring him himself millions? I can't recall but it seemed like one loan was 4 million and some or is my memory wrong? There were sooo many figures in that hearing with all the different amounts stolen, credit cards paid, dad paid, friends paid, etc. I definitely could be wrong but I'm sure one loan was multiple millions to dad. Dad was no dummy, he practiced himself through his lifetime and his brother and the law firm partners aren't either. They had to see none of this was making sense, the amounts Alex needed and/or spent on his lifestyle, etc. They are not the same at all as the average local person he took advantage of. I have a hard time believing none saw that anything was up... Or did but they just kept their mouths shut in alerting the others, etc...? I don't know...

The Alford plea on the brother's is interesting. It either is the one thing he did not do intentionally so he refuses to come clean (which I seriously doubt) (and since when at this point should his integrity matter with what he has admitted to) OR he feels because it was family it wasn't theft because Randy (it was Randy wasn't it?) was fine with it, Randy would never say he stole it and would defend him or something like that OR, and this is where I lean more so, he told Randy he never realized and he lied to Randy and he NEEDS Randy to KNOW he would not steal from him. I can only guess that Randy has told him if he finds out he lied to him, he is done with him for good and no more help from Randy ever.

With all of his charges and life and multiple years in prison, why is it this one is a sticking point?

The murders of course are as he needs to get rid of the life sentences first and foremost. He can never admit to those. Ever. And he won't. But it is clear as can be he did them. Imo.

He probably used the Satterfield millions to pay off his Dad and brother. He just recycled the money, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The Alford plea is maybe so he and his brother can stay on reasonably good terms. He is going to need friends if he has to stand trial for murder again.

 

[Tresir]

Yeah that's what I mean, it is pretty quiet about "Cousin" Eddie Smith.

We really need a criminal attorney here whether prosecution or defense. I don't know that they can charge something like "attemped" fraud? Fraud, yes. But "attempted"? Not the same as attempted murder so really unsure on that. I mean as another example I've never heard of like "attempted" theft as a charge. There either was such or there wasn't. A completed act. If you broke into a home and meant to take a TV but were ran off before you could, I think the charge would only be breaking and entering no? i have no idea.

I think part of the reason this one has kind of went by the wayside and isn't of prime importance to charge and try is because what charge is there? There also isn't really a victim to speak of other than causing county cost and investigation time, etc.

Now going down a road with Eddie about money laundering and how big of a drug network would be a different story...

That's my opinion anyhow.

Like I said I guess Alex could get it for false reporting or some such. With Eddie it would be even harder. In a way, some may see charges on this incident as a bit over the top and a waste of time, effort and money when they have Alex on far bigger things.

I think it is big and fairly significant that he was plotting to cover his other acts but again it isn't in the scheme of things and other charges. I do think ALL he and Eddie did together IS significant though.

Yeah he claims life insurance for Buster but I don't buy it and never have. It was to help Alex, he never intended to die or be killed.

There is a crime of attempted murder, so it is reasonable that there would be a crime of attempted assisted suicide, especially in order to commit fraud on an insurance company. The insurance company would be the ones pushing for the offence to be charged IMO.

This timeline (I don't know if it is the same one I posted before) has details of the roadside crimes charged.

Sept. 14, 2021​

Authorities provide new details in the roadside shooting. They allege that Murdaugh arranged for a man to kill him so that his older son, Buster, could collect on a $10 million life insurance policy. The man — identified as Curtis Edward Smith, 61 — is arrested on charges of assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.​

Sept. 15, 2021​

An attorney for Murdaugh, Richard Harpootlian, tells NBC's "TODAY" show that his client was depressed and attempting to get off an opioid addiction that continued to consume him in the wake of his wife and son's death. Believing his insurance policy had a suicide clause, Harpootlian says Murdaugh enlisted a man to kill him during a "fake car breakdown."​

​

From shocking deaths to murder charges: The events that led to Alex Murdaugh’s conviction in slayings of wife and son

The twisting case engulfing the scion of a prominent legal dynasty in South Carolina's Lowcountry began when he reported finding his wife and son dead in June 2021.

www.nbcnews.com

​

 

[GrandmaBear]

There were 7 charges of money laundering, I think these were 2 counts re the Satterfields, 2 counts re the Pinkneys, 2 counts re the guy who loaned him the $600k and then paid it back along with a second payment of $192k plus the 100k from the police officer. That's seven.

You mean that Eddie laundered? Or the sh*t through Forge or both?

 

[Tresir]

I have to mention the headline in this one too. I never saw Alex sob.

And the murders did not relate to this sentencing but he had to get that in there. They are going to of course try to get him off and out of that with a new trial. So now he claimed that all of his other dirty dealings and crimes led SLED to focus on him because he was clearly a crook (paraphrasing). Laying the groundwork and also hoping to convince those close to him, some of the public and anyone dumb enough to fall for it.

You know, one thing I did catch when Waters was going through where the stolen money went in each incident, paying his dad back large sums of money was in there more than once. While Alex made good money (if he had only made above board money) he did not make the kind of money to pay back multiple millions in short order. Why would his dad even think he could I wonder? Did he finagle dad that one big case was in the works that would bring him himself millions? I can't recall but it seemed like one loan was 4 million and some or is my memory wrong? There were sooo many figures in that hearing with all the different amounts stolen, credit cards paid, dad paid, friends paid, etc. I definitely could be wrong but I'm sure one loan was multiple millions to dad. Dad was no dummy, he practiced himself through his lifetime and his brother and the law firm partners aren't either. They had to see none of this was making sense, the amounts Alex needed and/or spent on his lifestyle, etc. They are not the same at all as the average local person he took advantage of. I have a hard time believing none saw that anything was up... Or did but they just kept their mouths shut in alerting the others, etc...? I don't know...

The Alford plea on the brother's is interesting. It either is the one thing he did not do intentionally so he refuses to come clean (which I seriously doubt) (and since when at this point should his integrity matter with what he has admitted to) OR he feels because it was family it wasn't theft because Randy (it was Randy wasn't it?) was fine with it, Randy would never say he stole it and would defend him or something like that OR, and this is where I lean more so, he told Randy he never realized and he lied to Randy and he NEEDS Randy to KNOW he would not steal from him. I can only guess that Randy has told him if he finds out he lied to him, he is done with him for good and no more help from Randy ever.

With all of his charges and life and multiple years in prison, why is it this one is a sticking point?

The murders of course are as he needs to get rid of the life sentences first and foremost. He can never admit to those. Ever. And he won't. But it is clear as can be he did them. Imo.

Maybe the one with his brother meant that the brother knew what was really going on so it was stated as him stealing it from his brother instead. The Alford plea was perhaps a reflection of the real situation.

Also, some of these other transactions with his father could be something to do with other victims we don't even know about.

It makes me think of an iceberg - only one tenth can be seen above the surface while nine tenths is hidden below the surface.

Is there really only one lawyer and one banker involved in this ? The banker was involved with defrauding the Plyler sisters and the lawyer was involved with defrauding the Satterfields so who helped Alex with the other victims - Pinkney and the cop for example ? As well as the victims that were outside the statute of limitations.

Also, is the insurance company going to want the Sattersfield's $4m dollars back, because Alex lied about his dogs tripping her up, so his house insurance paid out that money based on a false claim in the first place.

 

[GrandmaBear]

He probably used the Satterfield millions to pay off his Dad and brother. He just recycled the money, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The Alford plea is maybe so he and his brother can stay on reasonably good terms. He is going to need friends if he has to stand trial for murder again.

I think he wants to get his law partners, brother and anyone with any possible influence, connections or help on his side.

I agree on the brother. I think he lied to him even after and fights or denies the charge at least due to that. AND because who can help him? Other attorneys, people with money and people with connections. AND I think it is why he went out of his way too to say they were honest, they were/are the best people that ever walked this earth, that he tainted their reputation and they didn't deserve it etc. I don't buy it. At least not in all cases. They all have to be sooo clueless and naive OR he is so good of a liar and I don't find him a good liar. On the stand or in general and they saw questionable sh*t repeatedly. But who knows...?

 

[Tresir]

You mean that Eddie laundered? Or the sh*t through Forge or both?

He pled guilty to 7 counts of money laundering this week. I listed which ones I think they were because the victims were in court to hear the sentence. I don't think any of those were the Eddie Smith payments. They were allegedly payments for drugs weren't they?

 

[GrandmaBear]

There is a crime of attempted murder, so it is reasonable that there would be a crime of attempted assisted suicide, especially in order to commit fraud on an insurance company. The insurance company would be the ones pushing for the offence to be charged IMO.

This timeline (I don't know if it is the same one I posted before) has details of the roadside crimes charged.

Sept. 14, 2021​

Authorities provide new details in the roadside shooting. They allege that Murdaugh arranged for a man to kill him so that his older son, Buster, could collect on a $10 million life insurance policy. The man — identified as Curtis Edward Smith, 61 — is arrested on charges of assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.​

Sept. 15, 2021​

An attorney for Murdaugh, Richard Harpootlian, tells NBC's "TODAY" show that his client was depressed and attempting to get off an opioid addiction that continued to consume him in the wake of his wife and son's death. Believing his insurance policy had a suicide clause, Harpootlian says Murdaugh enlisted a man to kill him during a "fake car breakdown."​

​

From shocking deaths to murder charges: The events that led to Alex Murdaugh’s conviction in slayings of wife and son

The twisting case engulfing the scion of a prominent legal dynasty in South Carolina's Lowcountry began when he reported finding his wife and son dead in June 2021.

www.nbcnews.com

​

I guess then there is assisted suicide. I was talking attempted fraud but then I guess conspiracy to commit insurance fraud did not cross my mind and is a charge.

I still don't believe he had any intent on dying BUT if he wants to claim he was planning to defraud the insurance company and be charged then I hope they charge him of course. Why would Smith even go out there and "miss"? Not to put sense into him. There would be NO shooting if Eddie wasn't there. Alex wasn't going to shoot himself as there'd be no insurance per his claimed intent so for what reason would Eddie even go out there?

There is an attempt. An attempt to make this look as if someone was after the Murdaughs. Imo. And he called it in attempting to make it look like exactly that. One of the fakest calls I've ever heard. Imo.

People like Alex don't kill themselves or arrange their own murders. This entire thing and all the cases including the murder are about his needs and satisfying his needs/wants.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Maybe the one with his brother meant that the brother knew what was really going on so it was stated as him stealing it from his brother instead. The Alford plea was perhaps a reflection of the real situation.

Also, some of these other transactions with his father could be something to do with other victims we don't even know about.

It makes me think of an iceberg - only one tenth can be seen above the surface while nine tenths is hidden below the surface.

Is there really only one lawyer and one banker involved in this ? The banker was involved with defrauding the Plyler sisters and the lawyer was involved with defrauding the Satterfields so who helped Alex with the other victims - Pinkney and the cop for example ? As well as the victims that were outside the statute of limitations.

Also, is the insurance company going to want the Sattersfield's $4m dollars back, because Alex lied about his dogs tripping her up, so his house insurance paid out that money based on a false claim in the first place.

Good post and I agree with it. I have never thought and will never think we have heard of all of the players through the years. Even just with Alex winning cases. I know there is still a questionable judge for instance and we haven't heard and will never hear the half of it. There are STATE connections in my opinion and from former talk I can't quite recall. And more.

Also true on the Satterfield claim, i wondered that when it was repeated which we knew that this was a false claim. Now technically that makes the Satterfiield boys guilty of fraud too. I don't think anyone would indict them and they had Alex leading them but unless they believed the dogs tripped her then it does. Maybe they were told that.

The thing is just her falling there dogs or not would allow a claim but he had to enhance it. Do you believe she died of an accident? I never have. And that would bring questions about Paul and Maggie although I guess they could have not known and just found her but even the lack of care once it happened. I don't know, I am just saying the entire incident was questionable and Alex needed victims who he could sue on behalf of and swindle...

 

[GrandmaBear]

He pled guilty to 7 counts of money laundering this week. I listed which ones I think they were because the victims were in court to hear the sentence. I don't think any of those were the Eddie Smith payments. They were allegedly payments for drugs weren't they?

Gotcha. So you were referring to those and the Forge thing. Waters brought up every check in every instance that was given to Eddie by Alex too. Maybe I am wrong, we all know how much this and some other cases have for info, but I thought in some thefts he ran money through Eddie of those victims. Others he moved to his account from the Forge account, etc. Or both even. I just watched the darned thing and so did you but already I'm not sure. Darn it.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Watched it though in very abnormal order and with little time. Lol.

 

[Tresir]

Good post and I agree with it. I have never thought and will never think we have heard of all of the players through the years. Even just with Alex winning cases. I know there is still a questionable judge for instance and we haven't heard and will never hear the half of it. There are STATE connections in my opinion and from former talk I can't quite recall. And more.

Also true on the Satterfield claim, i wondered that when it was repeated which we knew that this was a false claim. Now technically that makes the Satterfiield boys guilty of fraud too. I don't think anyone would indict them and they had Alex leading them but unless they believed the dogs tripped her then it does. Maybe they were told that.

The thing is just her falling there dogs or not would allow a claim but he had to enhance it. Do you believe she died of an accident? I never have. And that would bring questions about Paul and Maggie although I guess they could have not known and just found her but even the lack of care once it happened. I don't know, I am just saying the entire incident was questionable and Alex needed victims who he could sue on behalf of and swindle...

I think she fell down the steps accidentally. Alex supposedly found her and he lied and said she told him the dogs tripped her. This was what he relayed to the family so I don't believe they knew he lied. He got Fleming to put the claim in against his dogs on his property insurance on behalf of the Sattersfields. I am not even sure when the Sattersfields knew the claim had been made, but someone was on the ball and realised the fraud was being committed and reported it in time. Perhaps the insurance company investigated and reported it?

 

[Tresir]

Gotcha. So you were referring to those and the Forge thing. Waters brought up every check in every instance that was given to Eddie by Alex too. Maybe I am wrong, we all know how much this and some other cases have for info, but I thought in some thefts he ran money through Eddie of those victims. Others he moved to his account from the Forge account, etc. Or both even. I just watched the darned thing and so did you but already I'm not sure. Darn it.

I missed the beginning with Creighton Waters as it had already started when I started watching it live. He detailed all the crimes I think, so I'll have to watch that bit when I get time. I think there were 18 victims and $12 million in total.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I think she fell down the steps accidentally. Alex supposedly found her and he lied and said she told him the dogs tripped her. This was what he relayed to the family so I don't believe they knew he lied. He got Fleming to put the claim in against his dogs on his property insurance on behalf of the Sattersfields. I am not even sure when the Sattersfields knew the claim had been made, but someone was on the ball and realised the fraud was being committed and reported it in time. Perhaps the insurance company investigated and reported it?

I'm a bit lost here. Alex's claim was that he was not there am I wrong? It was Paul and Maggie calling 911 etc. Or did the story change once there was a claim? I have always figured he was but that isn't what was said.

So when Alex loves claims and vulnerable people and has a need to get money, I am curious why you think this woman fell accidentally? It is far from a reach to believe she did not. Logic tells me and with all we know know and of supicious deaths and crooked claims that it is more likely it was no accident. ESPECIALLY this one.

I listened more than once to what Tony said and backed it up. And could never entirely make it out. Did he say he killed his mom?

Do you remember the claim or talk that Gloria found drugs under his bed or some such? And that she went to Maggie and Paul or something on that order... Or one and then the other talked to the other? And confronted Alex?

There is sooo much here we don't know. There are so many people in my opinion that helped Alex with the financial crimes and more, just as you said. Just one local banker and attorney? No. We know of Bank of America for one. I am getting a bit offtrack I don't mean that relates to Gloria in any way.

I just mean LOOK at this man and what we know and don't forget as we do or don't know the extent or fear of the POWER they had in this community and state.

Look at Gloria's children and Gloria herself and what an easy mark that would be for Alex.

Can I prove it? No. Do I believe it? Yes.