SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #5

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Scoutce said:
My family has a law firm. (I have a different profession but I did work there in college). Because it is not huge, there is an accountant/bookkeeper that does monthly employee payroll and keeps up with expenses. But both my father and sister have access to all funds. My father, head of the firm, accounts for the trust accounts every month. He would be the only one that could get away with stealing from the trust.
On another note. Oxy can cause great debt, and significant family, and life problems. It’s hard to believe it cost him millions. Maybe there is also gambling? Maybe his wife knew of what she saw as a problem and poor money management and demanded the properties in her name in 2018. I don’t think she knew of the theft then.
I have served on committees as the non attorney member for the lawyer disciplinary board in my state. I was astounded at what lawyers let each other get away with. When it comes to stealing from each other, all bets are off.

edited for grammar
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Yeah, I'm not buying the millions of dollars drug habit. He'd be dead if he consumed that much in drugs. I'm thinking gambling or blackmail.
 
Larger companies sometimes require that employees take mandatory vacation. Part of the reason is that if someone is doing anything shady, they may be able to hide it if they’re there every day, but if they’re gone for 2 weeks, their coworkers will figure it out as they cover the work. Depending on how the firm is set up, any embezzling could have been going on for a long time. With the recent family tragedy, AM may have taken more leave than usual and something could have been uncovered.
 
A life flight to a distant hospital and a two day hospital stay for a "graze" wound; then he enters "rehab". Then rumors of misappropriation of funds. All of this happens shortly after he resigns from the law firm. I'm not an attorney but I believe there are (or may be) special protections under the law for the period that a person is undergoing rehab in a certified facility. Protections that may limit any direct police investigative interviews. Clever legal move? Just my opinion and thoughts .....
 
SlamDiego said:
Larger companies sometimes require that employees take mandatory vacation. Part of the reason is that if someone is doing anything shady, they may be able to hide it if they’re there every day, but if they’re gone for 2 weeks, their coworkers will figure it out as they cover the work. Depending on how the firm is set up, any embezzling could have been going on for a long time. With the recent family tragedy, AM may have taken more leave than usual and something could have been uncovered.
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Great point and could well be what happened here.




Padres fan?
 
This appears to be one of the people who may have noticed something amiss in the books.

"Steven D."Steve" Murdaugh joined the law firm's Walterboro Office in 2009. In addition to holding a Juris Doctor degree, Steve is also licensed as a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to joining the law firm, Steve managed and operated a full service Accounting firm in Walterboro for approximately 15 years. After fulfilling his commitment to the U.S. Army, Steve worked for the Office of the South Carolina State Auditor in Columbia, S.C. for approximately three years and has since worked in Public Accounting until joining the law firm."
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Attorney Profiles | Our Team | PMPED Law Firm
 
Gardenista said:
Yeah, I'm not buying the millions of dollars drug habit. He'd be dead if he consumed that much in drugs. I'm thinking gambling or blackmail.
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Blackmailers never decrease their demands.

Gambling would get him into a rough crowd, but I’d also think that would be harder to hide from friends and family.

One can’t help but wonder whether AM’s father ran a lot of interference for AM behind-the-scenes, as AM (with his father’s help) tried to do for PM.

All MOO.
 
mjhelms123 said:
.....has to be the trust accounts to have made contact with the State Bar.
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I think so too. He probably had signing authority on the money that he secured for clients.

"Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh was born and raised in Hampton County and is a 1986 Graduate of Wade Hampton High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina in 1990, a Juris Doctorate Degree in May 1994 from the University of South Carolina School of Law and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in November 1994.

Alex represents injured persons in all areas of personal injury law, including trucking cases, products liability and wrongful death. He also serves as a part-time Prosecutor for the 14th Judicial Circuit."
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Attorney Profiles | Our Team | PMPED Law Firm
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ElementalLaura said:
RBBM.

There’s no way those life insurance policies have paid out yet (Paul and Maggie).
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Snipped for focus

I disagree. An insurance company is not going to withhold payment for what? A pending investigation? I get this has made world news but that's not their business.

An entirely different team would be heading up fraud or any investigation.

They will pay in compliance and it's not based off of whether SLED thinks there may or may not be something strange going on
 
Just a quick rundown of the craziness here:

A dead male who may have been murdered, and whose death may be connected to the Murdaugh’s in some way (SLED opened an investigation based on information learned in the Murdaugh murder investigation).

A dead cleaning lady, who allegedly fell down the stairs.

A boat crash that led to a dead victim, felony charges, and a lawsuit (Paul was allegedly driving).

The double murder of Maggie and Paul.

The death of Alex’s father, which was natural causes, but had interesting timing in relation to the murders.

An incredibly bizarre daytime shooting of Alex, who managed to survive with a superficial head injury.

Alex Murdaugh being forced out of his law firm, accused of opioid abuse, and embezzling millions.

Alex checking into rehab within hours of the shooting and latest revelation.

This case is going to the the subject of countless documentaries, to include Dateline, 48 Hours, and 20/20.

We’ll be hearing about it forever, as you can’t make this stuff up.
 
pizzaman12 said:
Snipped for focus

I disagree. An insurance company is not going to withhold payment for what? A pending investigation? I get this has made world news but that's not their business.

An entirely different team would be heading up fraud or any investigation.

They will pay in compliance and it's not based off of whether SLED thinks there may or may not be something strange going on
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That would be incredibly unusual. I can’t tell you how many murder cases I’ve followed where money has been withheld when the beneficiary may also be a suspect.

Even if someone is found not guilty at trial, the insurance company can refuse to pay, and battle it out in civil court.

Unless there’s been some policy change recently, I imagine that still occurs.
 
MassGuy said:
That would be incredibly unusual. I can’t tell you how many murder cases I’ve followed where money has been withheld when the beneficiary may also be a suspect.

Even if someone is found not guilty at trial, the insurance company can refuse to pay, and battle it out in civil court.

Unless there’s been some policy change recently, I imagine that still occurs.
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With no suspects or POI over that duration?

Compliance laws are typically something that weren't ignored.

Obviously you follow far more than I so I'd love some cases I can look to as reference.
 
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