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

[Error505]

I’m thinking the audit was already in process. It’s beyond client trust accounts as those are very closely monitored due to ethical requirements with large law firms. It’s an unfortunate situation for sure, but one that occurs so often.

Next? There was no shooter of AM. And we will see a strong connection of his actions to the murders.
All MOO of course.

There should be a statement by LE today regarding the investigation into his “shooters.” Has anyone seen this yet?

off to work… there are some ethical attorneys out there

Excellent points @legalmomma

 

[taylorss]

….. There should be a statement by LE today regarding the investigation into his “shooters.” Has anyone seen this yet? …

We’ve all been saying this & waiting for something normal like a LE statement from day 1!
If they do finally start talking now, I guess that’ll mean the case truly is broke open at last moo

 

[Oakie]

Is the red roof the house? ... is the small building to the right the dog kennel?

Victims in Colleton County double shooting being laid to rest Friday

The red roof is an equipment shed, maybe with dog kennels.

 

[taylorss]

…. Alex is a desparate man on an island right now.. Who is going to look out for him? Is he afraid for his own life, or is he just going to cover up as much as he can right now with the "rehab behind closed doors"......

moo moo moo...of course

Well put! At least he was a desperate man on an island two days ago - did he come back from Savannah?
Where’s his rehab, Hawaii? Cuba? JMO

 

[Gardenista]

The red roof is an equipment shed, maybe with dog kennels.

They are to the left of the red shed. You can see the cages to the upper left of it here

Investigators release timeline of events in Murdaugh murder case

 

[Elley Mae]

Mr. Murdaugh’s lawyer, Jim Griffin, confirmed that Mr. Murdaugh had left the firm after being accused of misusing funds. Mr. Griffin said Mr. Murdaugh had been released from the hospital on Monday after his injury was determined to be not life-threatening and that he had immediately met with investigators from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating the double-killing and the shooting of Mr. Murdaugh.

Lawyer Shot After Wife and Son Were Killed Had Been Pushed Out of Law Firm

 

[MajorHoople]

Enter this in google: PMPED Law Firm | Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick
Then select "cached"

PMPED Law Firm | Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, Detrick

That's a huge law firm for a town of less than 3000 people (Hampton, SC).

 

[zencompass]

Alex's statement came from Amanda Loveday, of NP Strategy, a public relations firm in Columbia, S.C

Alex Murdaugh resigns from law firm, enters rehab after being shot at

"At 2:28 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 6, The Hampton County Guardian received the following statement from Amanda Loveday, of NP Strategy, a public relations firm in Columbia, S.C., issued on behalf of Murdaugh."

“The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. I’m resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated by these murders. I am immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships.”

"Loveday did not immediately respond to questions regarding the location of the rehab facility, or if the nature of the rehab involved drugs or alcohol."

 

[zencompass]

Statement from Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick PA (PMPED)

Alex Murdaugh resigns from law firm, enters rehab after being shot at


"The Guardian has also received the following statement from Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick PA (PMPED) law firm in Hampton:"

"On Friday, September 3, 2021, Alex Murdaugh resigned from the Law Firm. He is no longer associated with PMPED in any manner. His resignation came after the discovery by PMPED that Alex misappropriated funds in violation of PMPED standards and policies.

"A forensic accounting firm will be retained to conduct a thorough investigation. Law enforcement and the SC Bar have been notified by PMPED. This is disappointing news for all of us. Rest assured that our firm will deal with this in a straightforward manner. There’s no place in our firm for such behavior. Due to the ongoing investigations into these matters and client confidentiality, PMPED cannot comment further at this time. We encourage any client with questions to contact our offices regarding their file."

 

[zencompass]

That's a huge law firm for a town of less than 3000 people (Hampton, SC).

Their ability to bring lawsuits against companies for personal injuries in other regions amassed them millions of dollars for years and years.

https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article227456544.html


"The firm’s success stems from a quirk in S.C. law that allowed people with a grievance against a railroad to file a lawsuit in any county in the state. For years, people flocked to Hampton, where the Murdaugh name reigned supreme and, in part because of the firm’s influence with juries, large awards against railroad companies were common."

"Hampton County was known as a “site of pilgrimage” for people suing railroads, according to a story published in The State newspaper in 2000. The firm had won $5 million the year before from CSX in five different lawsuits. At that time, the firm had 15 lawsuits against CSX."

“These cases are being valued at between two and three times what they would elsewhere,” CSX attorney Jim Lady complained at the time."

"In 2004, a national public interest group named Hampton County the third biggest “judicial hellhole” for defendants in the U.S., citing the Murdaugh law firm’s success."

"In 2005, the Legislature changed the law concerning where lawsuits can be filed, sharply limiting plaintiffs from other parts of South Carolina from suing in Hampton County unless the incident happened in that county.:

"By then, the firm had raked in millions and made some of its clients, if not rich, better off then they were before."

 

[eag]

IMO
I could see why the representatives from the family firm met LE@the car and disclosed the recent development about embezzling. The firm may be trying to get ahead of this, be open with LE knowing it would become public info, and transparent as possible to regain their credibility with the community. I wonder if is the firm is perceived as shady and ‘above the law’ in their dealings. Again just my thoughts and opinions only.

 

[Betty P]

If the kennel is right next to the house, and the bodies were left in plain sight between the house and the kennel, that seems bold.

That means that there was no attempt to delay discovery of the bodies, or to buy time for the shooter to getaway? If there's one thing I've come to expect after reading about murders like this, it is that murderers usually factor in maximizing getaway time - where possible.

Since his wife and son were marched out of the house to a location where they were shot, why next to the driveway? Why not some distance away in the trees? Why not delay the discovery of the bodies? Why wasn't Alex concerned that the shooter was still in the house?

The house is quite a distance away from these buildings. It's diagonally across a large open area.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

That's a huge law firm for a town of less than 3000 people (Hampton, SC).

They are so noted for the work they do, mostly suing corporations..... The whole state comes to them!

 

[Error505]

Mr. Murdaugh’s lawyer, Jim Griffin, confirmed that Mr. Murdaugh had left the firm after being accused of misusing funds. Mr. Griffin said Mr. Murdaugh had been released from the hospital on Monday after his injury was determined to be not life-threatening and that he had immediately met with investigators from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating the double-killing and the shooting of Mr. Murdaugh.

Lawyer Shot After Wife and Son Were Killed Had Been Pushed Out of Law Firm

Paywall

 

[MerryB]

The house is quite a distance away from these buildings. It's diagonally across a large open area.

 

[girlhasnoname]

I expect to see some sort of announcement from LE/SLED soon. This case has so many eyes on it now, it's bigger than just AM.

MOO

 

[LetsSolvIt]

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 .....

I'm totally believing that he needs rehab and when one makes that decision it best to go that day, but if there are drug-world characters involved with the June murders, AM may not be safe -- rehab might also be a place to keep him safe. I can't imagine that jail would go well for him with his former line of work and who knows about walking about freely in the Lowcountry. Only a thought, OMO.

 

[Countem]

FWIW, I am a Certified Public Accountant and have taken dozens of continuing professional education courses on fraud as well as assisted on several engagements concerning fraud.

There are many ways to perpetrate fraud, so it is only pure speculation at this point as to how AM was able to embezzle millions of dollars from his firm. The exact method depends on what internal controls had to be circumvented (if any) in order to perpetrate the fraud and what role the family played in the internal accounting of the firm. I have seen firsthand cases where small practices entrust an owning member of their practice with accounting responsibilities, even though they have no accounting background, in order to avoid having to pay an outside accounting firm for accounting services other than payroll processing and annual tax return preparation.

If AM or another family member were in charge of the day-to-day accounting responsibilities with little to no oversight, it would be easy for him to circumvent controls and take millions over the course of months or years (most likely) without anyone being the wiser. Methods of fraud in these circumstance may include writing out checks to false vendors or straight to himself, if so bold; opening up a secret bank account in the firm’s name, directly depositing funds or transferring funds from the firm’s main business account to that account, and drawing on those funds for personal use; or misusing a firm-issued purchasing (or credit) card.

I really hope that the forensic accountants’ report will be made public so that we can eventually learn what happened, though I suspect that it will remain private. In many cases, fraud like this ends up being resolved outside of the criminal courts because small practices want to avoid the public scandal. Of course, this is already a public scandal, so…

All MOO.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

I can't think of any other reason for him to be life flighted or stay in the hospital for 2 days. Especially now with hospitals at maximum + capacity! They must have had a reason and IMO mental health issues may have been that reason.

If a patient has tried to hurt himself, which might be the case here, they will hospitalize since "they are a danger to themselves and others." They were probably trying to find an appropriate rehab facility with an opening, too. Spots in rehab centers are currently hard to come by. The isolation and anxiety around the pandemic has been a huge stressor for people in recovery -- there has been a lot of relapsing. It's not surprising to me at all that AM was admitted for two days.

OMO.

 

[meanmaryjean]

If a patient has tried to hurt himself, which might be the case here, they will hospitalize since "they are a danger to themselves and others." They were probably trying to find an appropriate rehab facility with an opening, too. Spots in rehab centers are currently hard to come by. The isolation and anxiety around the pandemic has been a huge stressor for people in recovery -- there has been a lot of relapsing. It's not surprising to me at all that AM was admitted for two days.

OMO.

It's entirely possible he was held in the ER for those two days while placement was arranged. It is not uncommon for patients to spend days waiting on an inpatient bed these days.

HOWEVER, I'm not convinced he was there two days for basically a scratch on the head. What if " Mr. Griffin said Mr. Murdaugh had been released from the hospital on Monday after his injury was determined to be not life-threatening" is sloppy writing and actually means that Mr. Griffin made the statement on Monday??