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

[tara83]

Strange that he didn't seem concerned that the killers were still around and could attack him.

 

[Sustained]

Heartbreaking, wrenching, just horrible...I think AM had his phone on speaker and I think it's possible someone else might have already been there with him.

At 2:59 -3:01 on the audio, right after she asked him what his phone number is, AM says very softly and calmly "What?". It doesn't sound like he said it in answer to her question or to himself. To my ears it sounded like he was saying it to someone next to him.
AJMO and perception.

Who do you suppose would have been with him ?

BM was out of town - RM4 and JK came later - RM3 was sick at home or in the hospital and I doubt his mom would have out with him @ 10pm on a work night.

 

[Diddian]

BBM

I don't, LE was already on the way and he wanted to call his brothers to get them out there.

Reasonable people can disagree; however, while LE was on the way, they were not yet there and the dispatcher had asked Alex to put his emergency flashers on so that arriving officers could see where he was.

I take that to mean that there might be some difficulty in identifying exact location so that Alex best be available to the dispatcher if more details are needed to direct arriving officers.

 

[Warwick7]

Heartbreaking, wrenching, just horrible...I think AM had his phone on speaker and I think it's possible someone else might have already been there with him.

At 2:59 -3:01 on the audio, right after she asked him what his phone number is, AM says very softly and calmly "What?". It doesn't sound like he said it in answer to her question or to himself. To my ears it sounded like he was saying it to someone next to him.
AJMO and perception.

Great catch!

 

[Sustained]

Reasonable people can disagree; however, while LE was on the way, they were not yet there and the dispatcher had asked Alex to put his emergency flashers on so that arriving officers could see where he was.

I take that to mean that there might be some difficulty in identifying exact location so that Alex best be available to the dispatcher if more details are needed to direct arriving officers.

I'd bet most everyone in the county knew where 4147 Moselle Road is located. Small town.

 

[Diddian]

I'd bet most everyone in the county knew where 4147 Moselle Road is located. Small town.

Perhaps so, but the dispatcher asked him to describe the color of the house and Alex responded that it is white, but that it is not visible from the road. So, apparently the dispatcher didn't know. (ETA: And, I'd expect the dispatcher to be more knowledgeable than many.)

 

[Warwick7]

Strange that he didn't seem concerned that the killers were still around and could attack him.

I posted this elsewhere and I'm going to post it here. Just the horror of it would have sent the fear of God in me. I would have jolted back, looked to my left looked to my right, backed up and ran for the car, and high tailed it out of there! I would think the killer's still around. I could just see me jump in the car, arms flying trying to shut the door lock it and grapple with my phone punching 911 while bawling. Oh yeah, and with my foot on the accelerator full bore!

 

[Sustained]

Perhaps so, but the dispatcher asked him to describe the color of the house and Alex responded that it is white, but that it is not visible from the road. So, apparently the dispatcher didn't know. (ETA: And, I'd expect the dispatcher to be more knowledgeable than many.)

Where is the dispatcher located for Colleton County ?

 

[MoeInVA]

Every minute of that 911 call felt like forever. Based on the redacted version released and my knowledge of the response time, I would absolutely want to hang up and call family rather than sitting on the line for another 15 minutes. I would not be wanting to stand around alone in that scene. Moo

MOO- I thought the “what” at 3 minute mark could have been an utterance to himself regarding the unfathomable situation.

 

[Diddian]

Where is the dispatcher located for Colleton County ?

E-911 operates as part of the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, which is located at 394 Mable T Willis Blvd, Walterboro. And since the CCSO has several posts relating to various parties delivering baked goods to that office to thank dispatchers, I assume they are located in that building somewhere.
County Government Organization - Colleton County, South Carolina
Sheriffs Office - Colleton County, South Carolina

ETA: That building is located 25 miles from 4147 Moselle, Islandton.

 

[Sustained]

E-911 operates as part of the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, which is located at 394 Mable T Willis Blvd, Walterboro. And since the CCSO has several posts relating to various parties delivering baked goods to that office to thank dispatchers, I assume they are located in that building somewhere.
County Government Organization - Colleton County, South Carolina
Sheriffs Office - Colleton County, South Carolina

ETA: That building is located 25 miles from 4147 Moselle, Islandton.

That's quite a distance, especially if the dispatcher was from the other side of Walterboro. My point was that LE would certainly know where Moselle was located.

 

[escape2sc]

At the .42 mark on the 911 call it sounds like the call is disconnected ? someone hangs up ? then you hear the punching in of numbers. AM saying hello and the dispatcher saying "I am still here, stay on the line" then the dispatcher speaks to Colleten. Was the dispatcher dialing the Colleten 911 then ?

 

[Diddian]

That's quite a distance, especially if the dispatcher was from the other side of Walterboro. My point was that LE would certainly know where Moselle was located.

I'm not sure I agree that would certainly be so.

We used to have a privately located summer home on a peninsula on the Pacific Ocean. It was in a small and rural community with large properties and large wooded areas and marshy tidal areas like Islandton is. We had a long driveway in through the woods to get to our house, and we learned when our gardener included our property in a local garden tour that most people who lived in the area had previously had no idea our home was even there. Like in Colleton County, the sheriff of that county patroled a large area and it could easily take him an hour to get to our place if we were to make a 911 call and officers were located at the opposite end of the county when the call was made.

Unless officers had reason to specifically visit that property in the past, I see no reason they would certainly know the house or the property and might in fact need assistance identifying the particular driveway to the property once they were close.

 

[Razz]

What about 911 call needed to be redacted? I understand blacking out AM's phone # but what else?

 

[Colorado303]

*2 points of interest, in my opinion only:

1.

911: "Did you hear anything or did you come home and find them?"

AM: "I've been gone, I just came back."

2.

911: "I don't want you to touch them at all..."

AM: "I already touched them to see if they were breathing."

ETA: How did AM know immediately they had been shot? Would that have been crystal clear the second he saw them, lifeless on the ground? Not only was it dark, but would he have been able to see gunshots? Or just lots of blood?

Some other things struck me as well:
1). He said he was “going back down there” suggesting he went somewhere else before calling 911. IMO probably the main house. Why? I doubt it was to get his phone. Can’t imagine he didn’t have it with him when he found them. Maybe to get a gun?

2). Perhaps it was redacted but I found it odd that the 911 operator didn’t ask if he felt safe or suggest he leave the scene and meet officers at a nearby, safer location. Nor did AM make any comments about knowing the shooter was gone or wondering if they might still be around and if was in danger.

3). The operator on the recording wasn’t the person who originally answered AM’s call. At the beginning of the recording you can hear a man warm-transferring the call to her along w/the information that the caller’s wife and child had been shot. Does 911 in that area typically take preliminary info and then transfer the call to someone else who gets more info? I’ve not seen 911 calls handled that way before and I wonder if AM didn’t call 911 directly, but someone else, possibly someone he knew in LE.

 

[T rex]

Has anyone ever heard a dispatcher agree to end a call in a situation like this? They are always adamant about the caller staying on the line until LE arrives. This one doesn't object at all. It doesn't seem right, something could have happened (it could have became active again) and responders wouldn't have had a clue.

 

[Diddian]

Some other things struck me as well:
1). He said he was “going back down there” suggesting he went somewhere else before calling 911. IMO probably the main house. Why? I doubt it was to get his phone. Can’t imagine he didn’t have it with him when he found them. Maybe to get a gun?

2). Perhaps it was redacted but I found it odd that the 911 operator didn’t ask if he felt safe or suggest he leave the scene and meet officers at a nearby, safer location. Nor did AM make any comments about knowing the shooter was gone or wondering if they might still be around and if was in danger.

3). The operator on the recording wasn’t the person who originally answered AM’s call. At the beginning of the recording you can hear a man warm-transferring the call to her along w/the information that the caller’s wife and child had been shot. Does 911 in that area typically take preliminary info and then transfer the call to someone else who gets more info? I’ve not seen 911 calls handled that way before and I wonder if AM didn’t call 911 directly, but someone else, possibly someone he knew in LE.

The original 911 dispatcher announced he was from Hampton County 911, but Islandton is in Colleton County, so that dispatcher transferred the call to the dispatcher in Colleton county. My guess is that Alex's cellphone used a signal from a cell tower in Hampton County so the 911 call automatically went there.

 

[tara83]

It's a fairly large property so for all they knew the killer was still hiding out there.I'm shocked they didn't say anything to him about locking himself in a room or something until LE arrived.

 

[worm]

The original 911 dispatcher announced he was from Hampton County 911, but Islandton is in Colleton County, so that dispatcher transferred the call to the dispatcher in Colleton county. My guess is that Alex's cellphone used a signal from a cell tower in Hampton County so the 911 call automatically went there.

This is correct. I’m on a county line and the other county center is so far, they will often see if our county has someone closer to the businesses and neighborhoods just across the line. The calls from there on cell phones often have to be transferred as well. That whole “cop has no authority across county lines” thing is more legend than truth.

 

[sunshineray]

Who do you suppose would have been with him ?

BM was out of town - RM4 and JK came later - RM3 was sick at home or in the hospital and I doubt his mom would have out with him @ 10pm on a work night.

Don't know, good question. We don't really know who came when...for certain.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

** deleted impulsive first post **

Changed my mind — 911 call is heart wrenching but I’ve watched all those Forensic Files and FBI shows, too. Devastated husband makes 911 call in tears but ends up being the culprit.

Going to withhold judgement despite how tragic the recording sounded.

Weird thing is how could he have felt safe enough to hang around there and make the call. Some of you mentioning thinking someone else was with him.

Def changes things ...