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

[LetsSolvIt]

A witness to what?

Witness to SS demise?

 

[sunshineray]

I was not thinking past my observations of Maggie and Paul. I was floored that it could be so simple. Shoot them to silence them before they could finalize a deal with LE. If there was no physical evidence to link the two to SS, but for Paul’s or Buster’s testimony, it would be a great move on their part. To answer your question, I don’t know. But I doubt Alec Murdaugh did not know that his sons were involved in SS death. But maybe Alec told his wife to stop covering for the boy and she did not listen. He may have heard the threats and/or been threatened himself. Alec thought he could legally or through connections beat the boating tragedy. Maggie was not so sure and did not want to risk Paul going to jail. It must have come out that Maggie was trying to keep Paul out of jail, by turning informant. The two SS males did not want to take the chance so they offed Maggie and Paul. Alec might have missed the party bc he was late. But he gets it now. I doubt he will ever pursue the shooters. His reward is a smoke screen. They know that he knows who they are. He knows that they know he knows who they are. That’s why the reward is to be administered through the law firm and not LE. And has such a short window. He’s making sure they get away with the murders.

Why would PM and the widespread Murdaugh machine of lawyers, LE and judges be so intimidated by two tuffs, who if what you think is true, thought it a bit of homophobic fun to hit the gay guy walking on the side of the road in the head with a baseball bat from their moving car?

I just don't see that threat remaining a threat for 6 years and then it's the wife turning informant because the connected lawyerly men won't figure something out.

Just a side note, SS's mom has said she thinks she knows, is convinced she knows who killed her son. She's also said she doesn't think Buster was involved and that she thought Buster was a nice young man.

If she's saying all that why would they go after her and SS's sister? I'm sorry, I don't agree with your senario on this. AJMO

 

[Cryptic]

This may get deleted but I’d have had PM’s butt living out of town.... It’s amazing the people who get addicted to being a big fish in a small town.

I think earlier generations of the dynasty would have done just that-

Declared PM to be well loved by the family, but objectively realized that he was very uhmm...... "problematic" and was eventually going to create a problem that could not be fixed discretely.

Thus, PM moves to New Orleans (same coastal culture) and is set up as being the quasi owner of a night club, or well, strip joint or two.

In the end, however, whether the dynasty is royal, political, business etc., there eventually comes a generation where the heirs no longer have the objective thinking skills of the founder. Yet, they are (as you noted) accustomed to receiving the historical privelages given the founder.

Add in a stress event that they dont have the skills to objectively handle, and the core stress event can snowball and produce other stress events.

In the case of Russia's Romanov dynasty and Czar Nicholas, the core stress event that started the snowball was WWI. For the Ms it was probably PM.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

I live in a Welfare home. I was taken away from my Grandparents move interstate place in a pretty horrible place( They stated on my file I placed there under the state welfare act of 1949, which did not exist in 2010 I recieved an apology and compersation) the treatment was shocking. Many teenage girls if they did not have a drink or drug problem afterwards did or even years later. They could not speak in what happen it took late 1980's,as who would believe them. Today, I know a support group where people in homes and orphanages from the 1950's onwards so many have recovered from heavy drinking problems and anti social behaviour leading to prison in their lives.
Maybe Paul in younger life could never match up to family reputation leading to problems. IMO

Sending you a hug.

 

[stmarysmead]

I’m still curious about the arson fire. When last the story was reported on, it appeared that a local contractor had been apprehended. The crime involved splashing flammable liquid on furniture and interior walls, but IIRC the fire was set on a doormat. Not exactly a crackerjack arsonist…was he?

Still that must have caused a great deal of inconvenience to the M family. Has anyone ever been able to find out how it was resolved? Did the accused go to trial? Or was the blame just….hung on him…and then, somehow it all went away?

 

[Elley Mae]

Jul 9, 2009

Local attorney victim of attempted arson


“We suspect that sometime Thursday night or Friday morning someone spread some kind of accelerant around the house and tried to set it on fire from the back door," said McAlhaney. "Luckily, for some reason it didn't spread through the house and the only thing that burned was the floor mat."

...

Jul 15, 2009

Police seek suspect in Pizza Hut robbery

McAlhaney said Tuesday that his agency was still interviewing witnesses and possible suspects and waiting for forensic tests to come back.

 

[sunshineray]

I think earlier generations of the dynasty would have done just that-

Declared PM to be well loved by the family, but objectively realized that he was very uhmm...... "problematic" and was eventually going to create a problem that could not be fixed discretely.

Thus, PM moves to New Orleans (same coastal culture) and is set up as being the quasi owner of a night club, or well, strip joint or two.

In the end, however, whether the dynasty is royal, political, business etc., there eventually comes a generation where the heirs no longer have the objective thinking skills of the founder. Yet, they are (as you noted) accustomed to receiving the historical privelages given the founder.

Add in a stress event that they dont have the skills to objectively handle, and the core stress event can snowball. This then exacerbate other stress factors.

In the case of Russia's Romanov dynasty and Czar Nicholas, the core stress event that exacerbated other stressors was WWI. For the Ms it was probably PM.

Back in the day a wealthy and connected family like the Murdaughs would have had wealthy and connected friends through out the country. They'd have sent PM to another state/region for school under the watchful eye of another family. I bet the Murdaughs were afraid if PM left their area of influence harm would come to him because their name would not mean much out of state.

 

[Knitty]

This may get deleted but I’d have had PM’s butt living out of town after the housekeeper had her “accident”. Especially after SS. Go live elsewhere. It’s amazing the people who get addicted to being a big fish in a small town.

Whoa! Something must have come out while I was out of town! Has more news come out about the housekeeper's death? And Paul was involved? Thanks!

 

[LetsSolvIt]

I’m still curious about the arson fire. When last the story was reported on, it appeared that a local contractor had been apprehended. The crime involved splashing flammable liquid on furniture and interior walls, but IIRC the fire was set on a doormat. Not exactly a crackerjack arsonist…was he?

Still that must have caused a great deal of inconvenience to the M family. Has anyone ever been able to find out how it was resolved? Did the accused go to trial? Or was the blame just….hung on him…and then, somehow it all went away?

I have wondered if this was a retaliatory act by someone who had a reason to be angry at owners.

Wonder why MM & AM sold this place. Seems like it would be closer to office for commuting but maybe they only had it for convenience when boys were going to local public schools.

Or decided arson was a message?

 

[LetsSolvIt]

Anyone on this thread living in Lowcountry area?

Have time or inclination (or courage?) to do some research for stuff that might not be online about arson, housekeeper death, etc? Or find/take photos that might be better than Google?

In some WS cases I’ve followed, local folks have been part of thread and contributed excellent intel.

 

[Oakie]

Wonder why MM & AM sold this place. Seems like it would be closer to office for commuting but maybe they only had it for convenience when boys were going to local public schools.

In Hampton County, they would have attended the private school, not the public school. When I lived in SC (1988-1998), the public schools in the rural coastal counties were an absolute mess. Parents who wanted their children to have an effective (and safe) education all sent their kids to private schools.

Edited to add: I don't know when they moved from Hampton County to Colleton County. The boys may have attended high school in Colleton County, but the same remarks would apply.

 

[shefner]

Its obvious the Murdaugh's didn't send PM out of town because they knew they were capable of covering his misdeeds very well, all while he lived at home. And this gave PM the power to conduct himself any way he chose. The family didn't just turn a blind eye to him, they enabled his actions in numerous ways. The nurse in the ER, at the time of the boating incident, said PM was the most arrogant young man that had ever come through their department.
I can easily see PM making plenty of enemies.

 

[sunshineray]

I’m still curious about the arson fire. When last the story was reported on, it appeared that a local contractor had been apprehended. The crime involved splashing flammable liquid on furniture and interior walls, but IIRC the fire was set on a doormat. Not exactly a crackerjack arsonist…was he?

Still that must have caused a great deal of inconvenience to the M family. Has anyone ever been able to find out how it was resolved? Did the accused go to trial? Or was the blame just….hung on him…and then, somehow it all went away?

I can only find one tiny article mentioning it, no follow-up?

Local attorney victim of attempted arson

 

[TJW]

I have wondered if this was a retaliatory act by someone who had a reason to be angry at owners.

Wonder why MM & AM sold this place. Seems like it would be closer to office for commuting but maybe they only had it for convenience when boys were going to local public schools.

Or decided arson was a message?

No enemies-no one who would want to harm them. I forgot about that arson.

 

[sunshineray]

I’m still curious about the arson fire. When last the story was reported on, it appeared that a local contractor had been apprehended. The crime involved splashing flammable liquid on furniture and interior walls, but IIRC the fire was set on a doormat. Not exactly a crackerjack arsonist…was he?

Still that must have caused a great deal of inconvenience to the M family. Has anyone ever been able to find out how it was resolved? Did the accused go to trial? Or was the blame just….hung on him…and then, somehow it all went away?

Just thinking about after dousing the rooms with accelerant the arson lights the doormat on fire to start it? Why? Was someone feeling like a doormat? Just a thought

 

[Diddian]

In Hampton County, they would have attended the private school, not the public school. When I lived in SC (1988-1998), the public schools in the rural coastal counties were an absolute mess. Parents who wanted their children to have an effective (and safe) education all sent their kids to private schools.

Edited to add: I don't know when they moved from Hampton County to Colleton County. The boys may have attended high school in Colleton County, but the same remarks would apply.

BM was on the roster for the varsity baseball and basketball teams at Wade Hampton High School in Hampton County in 2013/14 (his statistics can be found online), so I do believe the boys did attend public school, at least at some points in their education.

Wade Hampton is a public school:
Explore Wade Hampton High School

 

[stmarysmead]

I can only find one tiny article mentioning it, no follow-up?

Local attorney victim of attempted arson

There was a follow up 0f sorts. Someone posted the newspaper quote on the earlier threads. But whether that person stood trial, charges were dropped, that has yet to be uncovered. It just seemed to go away.

 

[Elley Mae]

There was a follow up 0f sorts. Someone posted the newspaper quote on the earlier threads. But whether that person stood trial, charges were dropped, that has yet to be uncovered. It just seemed to go away.

Found this

Arrests made in arson, armed robbery cases

Michael David List, 40, of 2304 Cross Swamp Road, Islandton, is facing arson charges after previously being arrested on five counts of failure to pay laborers. List appeared before municipal judge John Stanley Thursday for a bond hearing.
According to warrants, List allegedly sprayed flammable liquids on the furniture and the walls of the Murdaugh residence and then attempted to ignite the dwelling.

 

[Elley Mae]

I think I did see were charges dropped? Or something to that effect.
Jmo

 

[sunshineray]

I think I did see were charges dropped? Or something to that effect.
Jmo

Someone sprays the inside your house (broke in?) with flammables and sets it on fire and charges are dropped, not prosecuted, in the county of your family's strength...hummm