SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #3

[sunshineray]

I don’t understand how he gets to decide this. Isn’t he already legally conflicted from working so close with the victims family?

You'd think so wouldn't you.

 

[sunshineray]

Just something else I'm wondering about. Maybe someone more familiar with Colleton County will know.

The Colleton County Sheriff's Office released a single sentence statement that read, “On June 7, 2021, at approximately 2226 hours [10:26 pm] I responded to 4147 Moselle Rd in Colleton County in reference to two gunshot victims found by the caller.”

Alex Murdaugh's 911 call came in at 10:07.

That's 19 long mins waiting for the first LE on the scene to arrive. That seems an extremely long wait after reporting two people shot...maybe reporting two people shot dead having determined that yourself.

Is Colleton County that large spread-out rural or that understaffed they took 19 mins to get there after AM called?

 

[worm]

"The prosecutor, Duffie Stone, had worked under the last Murdaugh prosecutor and took over the office in 2006. He said in a statement this week that, to his knowledge, “there is no clear suspect” in the case and he suggested that he would not make a decision about recusing himself until there was one."

"No clear suspect", so does that mean there's a not so clear suspect within the evidence? After gathering prosecutable evidence on he/she, then if it's a Murdaugh Stone will recused himself?

It's all lawyer speak to me.

A Mother and Son Are Found Murdered, Deepening a Mystery in South Carolina

I don’t understand how he gets to decide this. Isn’t he already legally conflicted from working so close with the victims family?

Just something else I'm wondering about. Maybe someone more familiar with Colleton County will know.

The Colleton County Sheriff's Office released a single sentence statement that read, “On June 7, 2021, at approximately 2226 hours [10:26 pm] I responded to 4147 Moselle Rd in Colleton County in reference to two gunshot victims found by the caller.”

Alex Murdaugh's 911 call came in at 10:07.

That's 19 long mins waiting for the first LE on the scene to arrive. That seems an extremely long wait after reporting two people shot...maybe reporting two people shot dead having determined that yourself.

Is Colleton County that large spread-out rural or that understaffed they took 19 mins to get there after AM called?

A lot of these counties, like mine, are very rural places. Not heavily populated but spread out with miles of country roads. Also many of the PDs don’t have many on patrol. I think we have 3 cars out at night and a now retired LE friend of mine used to tell me that 1 domestic situation or the like can cause delay for a call that’s on the other side of the county. Watching out for deer is a big problem with driving too.

 

[worm]

I have no idea how that ^^^^^^^^^happened.

 

[Warwick7]

"The prosecutor, Duffie Stone, had worked under the last Murdaugh prosecutor and took over the office in 2006. He said in a statement this week that, to his knowledge, “there is no clear suspect” in the case and he suggested that he would not make a decision about recusing himself until there was one."

"No clear suspect", so does that mean there's a not so clear suspect within the evidence? After gathering prosecutable evidence on he/she, then if it's a Murdaugh Stone will recused himself?

It's all lawyer speak to me.

A Mother and Son Are Found Murdered, Deepening a Mystery in South Carolina

I underlined.

This was a strange yet loaded statement.

1. He made it obvious there is a "not so clear suspect."

2. Talk about letting the cat out of the bag that there is a probability that it is a Maurdaugh.

MOO

 

[stmarysmead]

I’m posting this article because it demonstrates that the accusations of alleged Murdaugh favoritism and privilege…that may have fueled the motive for these murders…was not confined to social media.

When we discuss an airline crash, we cannot ignore the weather. This article reports the storm building in that area over two years ago.

The issue was no longer just gossip on FB pages…it entered the realm of professional reporting and opinion editorial with a wide reach in the area. The Island Packet for example is owned by the McClatchy group…which owns the following SC newspapers.

The Beaufort Gazette, Beaufort

The State, Columbia

The Island Packet, Hilton Head Island

The Sun News, Myrtle Beach

The Herald, Rock Hill

We have discussed that the pandemic caused legal backups that help explain why PM had not yet gone to trial. But PM also had his travel restriction removed in his favor during this time….which could only have reinforced the feelings of his ‘special handling’ compared to the average person. Two years had passed…and, in my opinion, faith in the justice system treating him as any other citizen might have been treated, was vastly depleted.

The impact of the public sentiment from this first case has not dissipated in my opinion. Hopefully LE is being scrupulous to remove anyone who ever moved anywhere within the M influence circles…far away from the case. It is imperative that the public have full confidence THIS time. This is why I feel it is puzzling that the Solicitor does not step aside….if for nothing more…than to reassure the people he serves.

The description of the interaction in court describes what drives public concern…today…in this now internationally followed case.

https://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/liz-farrell/article230068069.html


“Someone did not get the memo on how things “normally” proceed at the Beaufort County Courthouse.

That person would be the detention center guard, who on Monday — after Judge Steven John set Paul Murdaugh’s bond at $50,000 — mistakenly took that as a cue to do his job and came jingle-jangling over to young Murdaugh to cuff him and take him to jail, where, ostensibly, Murdaugh would have been booked, processed and released like all the non-Murdaughs are after they’ve been charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence in a fatal boat crash.

The guard walked up to Murdaugh with the assuredness of someone who has done this many times before ... almost, dare I say, “routinely.”

Murdaugh, who is 20, regarded the man with the type of assessment you might give a cater waiter who has a raging case of pink eye but is still offering you a canape off his tray.

Actually, that’s not a good characterization.

Murdaugh’s expression was more like, “Handcuffs? No, no. There’s been some sort of mix-up. I’m not here to be arrested. I’m here to be ‘arrested.’ Like the summer intern version of arrested.”

For a moment, he appeared to be terrified that life was about to break a certain way for him, that several generations of the history, wealth, influence and power baked into his DNA were about to crumble away and expose the gooey, undercooked, terrible-tasting middle.

But fear not, all he had to do was wait four more seconds.

That’s when South Carolina Attorney General’s Office prosecutor Megan Burchstead — who works for you, by the way, and who never once said the name “Mallory Beach” out loud nor made any solid subject-verb request on behalf of the state when it came to Murdaugh’s bond, though she did hint that his potential alcohol consumption might be a “concern” for society — came through for the child and shooed away the overzealous guard.

Can you imagine the thought of getting handcuffed when you’re arrested?

Yes, you can.”

 

[stmarysmead]

On Monday, Stone, in his first public statement, did not recuse himself. He justified his lack of recusal by saying there are no clear suspects in the case.

He said his office is available to the S.C. Law Enforcement Division for legal advice and “investigative support.” However, the solicitor did not clarify what role his office has played in the investigation besides maintaining contact with S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson and SLED Chief Mark Keel.

https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article252275383.html

I don’t think it matters who the suspect is. There has just been a very public accusation that allegedly ‘friendly’ LE tried to shift blame from PM to someone else in a previous case. This may be entirely false…but it is another ‘weather system’ adding to the ‘storm damage”… already existent in that area.

Why give rumor and speculation any openings to doubt the integrity of any outcome of this case? Anyone connected to, donated to, or on the M invitation list…should be far from this investigation. My opinions only.

 

[Sustained]

I’m posting this article because it demonstrates that the accusations of alleged Murdaugh favoritism and privilege…that may have fueled the motive for these murders…was not confined to social media.

When we discuss an airline crash, we cannot ignore the weather. This article reports the storm building in that area over two years ago.

The issue was no longer just gossip on FB pages…it entered the realm of professional reporting and opinion editorial with a wide reach in the area. The Island Packet for example is owned by the McClatchy group…which owns the following SC newspapers.

The Beaufort Gazette, Beaufort

The State, Columbia

The Island Packet, Hilton Head Island

The Sun News, Myrtle Beach

The Herald, Rock Hill

We have discussed that the pandemic caused legal backups that help explain why PM had not yet gone to trial. But PM also had his travel restriction removed in his favor during this time….which could only have reinforced the feelings of his ‘special handling’ compared to the average person. Two years had passed…and, in my opinion, faith in the justice system treating him as any other citizen might have been treated, was vastly depleted.

The impact of the public sentiment from this first case has not dissipated in my opinion. Hopefully LE is being scrupulous to remove anyone who ever moved anywhere within the M influence circles…far away from the case. It is imperative that the public have full confidence THIS time. This is why I feel it is puzzling that the Solicitor does not step aside….if for nothing more…than to reassure the people he serves.

The description of the interaction in court describes what drives public concern…today…in this now internationally followed case.

https://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/liz-farrell/article230068069.html


“Someone did not get the memo on how things “normally” proceed at the Beaufort County Courthouse.

That person would be the detention center guard, who on Monday — after Judge Steven John set Paul Murdaugh’s bond at $50,000 — mistakenly took that as a cue to do his job and came jingle-jangling over to young Murdaugh to cuff him and take him to jail, where, ostensibly, Murdaugh would have been booked, processed and released like all the non-Murdaughs are after they’ve been charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence in a fatal boat crash.

The guard walked up to Murdaugh with the assuredness of someone who has done this many times before ... almost, dare I say, “routinely.”

Murdaugh, who is 20, regarded the man with the type of assessment you might give a cater waiter who has a raging case of pink eye but is still offering you a canape off his tray.

Actually, that’s not a good characterization.

Murdaugh’s expression was more like, “Handcuffs? No, no. There’s been some sort of mix-up. I’m not here to be arrested. I’m here to be ‘arrested.’ Like the summer intern version of arrested.”

For a moment, he appeared to be terrified that life was about to break a certain way for him, that several generations of the history, wealth, influence and power baked into his DNA were about to crumble away and expose the gooey, undercooked, terrible-tasting middle.

But fear not, all he had to do was wait four more seconds.

That’s when South Carolina Attorney General’s Office prosecutor Megan Burchstead — who works for you, by the way, and who never once said the name “Mallory Beach” out loud nor made any solid subject-verb request on behalf of the state when it came to Murdaugh’s bond, though she did hint that his potential alcohol consumption might be a “concern” for society — came through for the child and shooed away the overzealous guard.

Can you imagine the thought of getting handcuffed when you’re arrested?

Yes, you can.”

PM's travel restriction was likely removed so he could return to college in Columbia.

 

[stmarysmead]

PM's travel restriction was likely removed so he could return to college in Columbia.

I’d like to know if others facing the same charge were also afforded that opportunity. Or was their education, ability to fulfill work travel obligations affected in a quite different way.

Because it’s disparity in the justice system from one person to the next that is the real issue.

 

[Sustained]

I’d like to know if others facing the same charge were also afforded that opportunity. Or was their education, ability to fulfill work travel obligations affected in a quite different way.

Because it’s disparity in the justice system from one person to the next that is the real issue.

I think you already know the answer to that question and it's been that way for generations.

The fault is not on the M's for using that power, the fault is on the system for letting them have that power.

 

[stmarysmead]

I think you already know the answer to that question and it's been that way for generations.

Quite true. But norms in society change.

We recently watched “The Quiet Man” movie. Dragging one’s wife thru the fields, pushing her about…is not viewed with the same amused approval as when that film was made. We no longer are oblivious or amused by films with drunks driving home from parties….ha! ha! Too often it now makes us recall lives unnecessarily lost.

I do believe , in my opinion, that any disparity that exists in our justice system is no longer just passively accepted as ‘how things are done.’ I think we are seeing public pushback to what was just shrugged off as inevitable before.

 

[swedeheart]

Nancy discusses the case:

(This link is Spotify, but I'm sure it's on other sites that host podcasts. Should be on Youtube shortly.)

Murdaugh mom and son murders still a mystery

 

[shefner]

I think you already know the answer to that question and it's been that way for generations.

The fault is not on the M's for using that power, the fault is on the system for letting them have that power.

The fault rests with both the Murdaughs and the, "System."
The Murdaugh family and family history has been entrenched in law and justice for 100 years. The fault for using that power inappropriately would land squarely on them and they should answer to the people, and to the court, for their actions.
As for the system, it is comprised of individuals who must answer for their own corruption and be held accountable for it.

 

[sunshineray]

I’m posting this article because it demonstrates that the accusations of alleged Murdaugh favoritism and privilege…that may have fueled the motive for these murders…was not confined to social media.

When we discuss an airline crash, we cannot ignore the weather. This article reports the storm building in that area over two years ago.

The issue was no longer just gossip on FB pages…it entered the realm of professional reporting and opinion editorial with a wide reach in the area. The Island Packet for example is owned by the McClatchy group…which owns the following SC newspapers.

The Beaufort Gazette, Beaufort

The State, Columbia

The Island Packet, Hilton Head Island

The Sun News, Myrtle Beach

The Herald, Rock Hill

We have discussed that the pandemic caused legal backups that help explain why PM had not yet gone to trial. But PM also had his travel restriction removed in his favor during this time….which could only have reinforced the feelings of his ‘special handling’ compared to the average person. Two years had passed…and, in my opinion, faith in the justice system treating him as any other citizen might have been treated, was vastly depleted.

The impact of the public sentiment from this first case has not dissipated in my opinion. Hopefully LE is being scrupulous to remove anyone who ever moved anywhere within the M influence circles…far away from the case. It is imperative that the public have full confidence THIS time. This is why I feel it is puzzling that the Solicitor does not step aside….if for nothing more…than to reassure the people he serves.

The description of the interaction in court describes what drives public concern…today…in this now internationally followed case.

https://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/liz-farrell/article230068069.html


“Someone did not get the memo on how things “normally” proceed at the Beaufort County Courthouse.

That person would be the detention center guard, who on Monday — after Judge Steven John set Paul Murdaugh’s bond at $50,000 — mistakenly took that as a cue to do his job and came jingle-jangling over to young Murdaugh to cuff him and take him to jail, where, ostensibly, Murdaugh would have been booked, processed and released like all the non-Murdaughs are after they’ve been charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence in a fatal boat crash.

The guard walked up to Murdaugh with the assuredness of someone who has done this many times before ... almost, dare I say, “routinely.”

Murdaugh, who is 20, regarded the man with the type of assessment you might give a cater waiter who has a raging case of pink eye but is still offering you a canape off his tray.

Actually, that’s not a good characterization.

Murdaugh’s expression was more like, “Handcuffs? No, no. There’s been some sort of mix-up. I’m not here to be arrested. I’m here to be ‘arrested.’ Like the summer intern version of arrested.”

For a moment, he appeared to be terrified that life was about to break a certain way for him, that several generations of the history, wealth, influence and power baked into his DNA were about to crumble away and expose the gooey, undercooked, terrible-tasting middle.

But fear not, all he had to do was wait four more seconds.

That’s when South Carolina Attorney General’s Office prosecutor Megan Burchstead — who works for you, by the way, and who never once said the name “Mallory Beach” out loud nor made any solid subject-verb request on behalf of the state when it came to Murdaugh’s bond, though she did hint that his potential alcohol consumption might be a “concern” for society — came through for the child and shooed away the overzealous guard.

Can you imagine the thought of getting handcuffed when you’re arrested?

Yes, you can.”

I've got a question. Does Stone's office oversee all of Colleton County's prosecutors so ergo influence all investigations in that county?

 

[Sustained]

The fault rests with both the Murdaughs and the, "System."
The Murdaugh family and family history has been entrenched in law and justice for 100 years. The fault for using that power inappropriately would land squarely on them and they should answer to the people, and to the court, for their actions.
As for the system, it is comprised of individuals who must answer for their own corruption and be held accountable for it.

Until the Murdaughs are charged with a crime, there is nothing to answer to. All we seem to have is a little judicial privilege afforded PM at this point.

 

[Sustained]

Quite true. But norms in society change.

We recently watched “The Quiet Man” movie. Dragging one’s wife thru the fields, pushing her about…is not viewed with the same amused approval as when that film was made. We no longer are oblivious or amused by films with drunks driving home from parties….ha! ha! Too often it now makes us recall lives unnecessarily lost.

I do believe , in my opinion, that any disparity that exists in our justice system is no longer just passively accepted as ‘how things are done.’ I think we are seeing public pushback to what was just shrugged off as inevitable before.

Money and influence will always drive the judicial system unfortunately which is why PM is able to afford Dick Harpootlian and most other defendants could not. Judges are not isolated individuals - they hang out with lawyers, go boating/hunting and to the Masters with them, and are politically funded by lawyers who practice in their courtrooms.

 

[Sustained]

I've got a question. Does Stone's office oversee all of Colleton County's prosecutors so ergo influence all investigations in that county?

Indeed they do ...

Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office

 

[stmarysmead]

Until the Murdaughs are charged with a crime, there is nothing to answer to. All we seem to have is a little judicial privilege afforded PM at this point.

If there is indeed a grand jury investigating, one would assume that there is substantially more than just ‘a little judicial privilege’ involved.

 

[Sustained]

If there is indeed a grand jury investigating, one would assume that there is substantially more than just ‘a little judicial privilege’ involved.

Since the grand jury is composed of everyday citizens, if the Murdaughs are not charged I would assume there were no grounds to indict. We will see.

 

[sunshineray]

I think you already know the answer to that question and it's been that way for generations.

The fault is not on the M's for using that power, the fault is on the system for letting them have that power.

The Murdaughs have been called and praised as a SC dynasty in so many article. I think syndicate, usually a word associated more with not so reputable organized ventures, might be a better word myself. Isn't it a bit ironic?


"As nouns the difference between syndicate and dynasty is that:

a syndicate is a group of individuals or companies formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest; a self-coordinating group

while a dynasty is a series of rulers or dynasts from one family."

The first one sounds very legit and lawyerly.

The second sounds anything but legal and the rule of law.

I disagree with your statement that the fault is not on the Murdaughs for using their power. That would be like saying any ruling dynasty had no blame in what they did to their less fortunate citizens...like the Huns, the Romans, the ever present North Korea. MOO