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

[katydid23]

Do you think "assisted suicide" is just what they're willing to admit to right now, when the actual intention of that incident was to make it look like "killers" are still after the Murdaughs?

That's exactly what I believe.

 

[MemPat]

Hmm… Either:
1. Suicide plan was real but Cousin Eddie just couldn’t cross that line into murder. I suppose it’s possible that AM holds onto CES’ hand with gun to his own head saying “do it!” but CES yanks it away at last minute therefore causing only a graze. CES then drives off terrified and ditches gun. AM calls brothers and is a psychological mess for still being alive. Motive for $10M in life insurance is to cover all the money he embezzled. It’s not for BM to live in luxury. It’s for his whole family to get out of the mess he caused. He himself said he needs to work on rehabilitating the relationship with his family, clients, colleague… or something like that. It was his last ditch attempt to fix things for them?

OR

2. It was supposed to just be a simulated attempt on his life “see! I told you someone’s out to get me and my family!” to take the heat off of him as the double homicide investigations circled in closer. In the beginning they were adamant it WASN’T a suicide attempt (who was asking?) because they reflexively thought that made him look guilty about killing his family. Then they realized AM trying to kill himself for insurance money might put him in a better light.

Scenario 1 makes it more likely CES is not the hitman and likely AM did it himself or the double homicide is unrelated.

Scenario 2 makes it likely CES would do anything for AM and what are the chances AM has a whole ’nother shady associate he can task his dirty deeds with and trust that secrets will be kept?

I have Scenario 3 to throw at you:
LE has had the phones bugged and overheard Alex planning the "assisted suicide" with his daft Cousin Bubba who owes him big time for something.

LE has the planning on audiotape and hauls in Cousin B who gets all shook up and agrees to pretend to carry out the crime in exchange for a future favor when he's facing jail time for dealing and/or using.
They body-cam him up while having a big laugh.

Expect transcripts and video at the PC hearing, friends.

We could go on all night, right?!

 

[MassGuy]

That's exactly what I believe.

I knew he would be caught red handed for this, and I speculated that he might confess, saying something to the effect of “I didn’t think you guys were taking this seriously, so I staged it so you would focus on finding the real killers.”

You may be right, and he was smarter than to go that route, and basically admit that he was trying to throw off the investigation.

The issue is that suicide sounds better for him in that scenario, but way worse for his co-defendant, who apparently didn’t have a hell of a lot to say.

I’d expect him to refute that part.

 

[Born2BWild]

Assisted suicide -- so they think AM really tried to kill himself?? JMO.

Looks like that’s so! So Buster would receive the life insurance. I don’t know how to feel about that. As bad as his life was going, it appears, IMO, that he was giving his life to give Buster financial security. Poor poor Buster.

 

[swedeheart]

Police arrest suspect in the shooting of South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh | Daily Mail Online

Pic of Eddie!

 

[JRWoodwardMSW]

Paul and Buster are just two very different people.
Buster seems to be reliable, responsible, hard working young man, keeping a low profile.
Do you remember the things Paul said in the hospital? His crude, sick remarks, his sexist come ons to the staff, the arrogant pompous entitled attitude towards everyone. His lies about the death he caused? He was about to bring his whole family down with these upcoming lawsuits and investigations. He was an out of control, narcissistic, entitled punk.

Guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Classic big brother , kid brother syndrome.

 

[Fidobell]

SLED charges man with assisted suicide in Alex Murdaugh shooting for $10m insurance payout


https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article254249463.html

Just woken up here I Scotland . Wow ! As been said here many times , you couldn't write a better script

 

[katydid23]

The charging documents say that he did fire the gun, and did so at Alex’s direction. As such, the assisted suicide charge makes sense to me.

Both were willing participants.

“Mr. Smith followed Mr. Murdaugh to Old Salkehatchie Road and shot Mr. Murdaugh as he stood in the roadway,” one of the probable cause affidavits noted. “After shooting Mr. Murdaugh in the head, Mr. Smith drove to an unknown location where he disposed of the firearm. Mr. Murdaugh survived the shooting and was transported to the hospital for treatment.”

Murdaugh Murders Saga: First Arrest Warrants Implicate Alex Murdaugh In Roadside Shooting Conspiracy

Right. But when I read those actions of the shooter, they are exactly the same ones he would do if it was a staged shooting to make it look like the family was under attack. But once AM's attorney became aware of the evidence against AM and CES, they probably concocted this assisted suicide explanation---it is so much better for AM to be seen as the loving father, willing to die to atone his sins. Which does not fit him at all, in my opinion.

 

[Born2BWild]

Has there ever been another case as wild as this one?

What insurance company pays out on a suicide though?

His plan was to stage a murder so insurance would be paid.. Epic fail and probably much more to come, IMO. It’s either his embarrassment over the law firm theft of which he knew much more would be revealed, or worse - involvement in the murders of MM and PM that his final gesture would be to give Buster financial security. IMO.

 

[Born2BWild]

Right. But when I read those actions of the shooter, they are exactly the same ones he would do if it was a staged shooting to make it look like the family was under attack. But once AM's attorney became aware of the evidence against AM and CES, they probably concocted this assisted suicide explanation---it is so much better for AM to be seen as the loving father, willing to die to atone his sins. Which does not fit him at all, in my opinion.

Hadn’t thought of that. That’s cold. Poor Buster.

 

[Beren]

Looks like that’s so! So Buster would receive the life insurance. I don’t know how to feel about that. As bad as his life was going, it appears, IMO, that he was giving his life to give Buster financial security. Poor poor Buster.

Well, AM had absconded with millions, if not $10M, of the firm’s money it seems, so AM’s estate would have a lot of creditors coming after it. It wouldn’t have been a gesture of kindness for BM so much as trying to make things a little less hard than it will be without it to pay back all the money he took. Even if the firm had insurance to cover things like this, insurance would sue and get it back from the estate. Poor BM indeed.

 

[Born2BWild]

It’s entirely possible. The issue however is both victims being shot by two different weapons.

Two guns usually means two shooters, and I would argue that two shooters means more than one intended victim.

You always keep it real and it provides a needed reality check.

 

[otto]

AM is a lawyer, so he probably knows a lot about this stuff. If I recall correctly, he claims to have a substance abuse addiction issue, so the fact he has this issue could possibly mean his insurance company would have fought off a pay off if he committed suicide. Besides, why not commit suicide without a 3rd party involved? Why did he need someone else to shoot him? He could have shot himself or used drugs to do the job. I have a feeling he just botched a diversion tactic. His original story was probably his intent, but LE probably pressured him to come clean. Just my opinion for now. It all seems hinky, which is why we are all discussing it.

Here is some info on insurance and suicide:
The truth about suicide & life insurance | Coverage.com

Diminished ability due to prescription drug abuse/addiction? That might buy him a comfortable prison environment, but it doesn't work with murder for insurance money.

I think that embezzlement charges would be held against Alex's estate, including property belonging to Margaret (transferred in 2016). The wrongful death suit was $5 million, embezzlement looks like 3+ million? Perhaps Alex is looking at $10 million in debt when you include the "accidental" death of the 25 year nanny/housekeeper.

Alex(c) wanted a shooting involving him as victim to appear as an attempted murder. That didn't work with investigators. Then he tried hired suicide ... but my relative missed. That didn't work either.

 

[Born2BWild]

AM has attempted to manipulate and control everything for a very long time.....

And it’s certainly not a stretch to know why MM would be more than ready to divorce. IMO. TRAGIC.

 

[katydid23]

Just woken up here I Scotland . Wow ! As been said here many times , you couldn't write a better script

Time to start the screenplay. There will be a lot of them being pitched to Paramount, Netflix, Warner Bros and Independent studios.

 

[distracted]

Paul and Buster are just two very different people.
Buster seems to be reliable, responsible, hard working young man, keeping a low profile.
Do you remember the things Paul said in the hospital? His crude, sick remarks, his sexist come ons to the staff, the arrogant pompous entitled attitude towards everyone. His lies about the death he caused? He was about to bring his whole family down with these upcoming lawsuits and investigations. He was an out of control, narcissistic, entitled punk.

Guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

How do you reconcile the fact that he allowed his underage brother to use his ID to buy liquor?

Yes, he does keep a lower profile but I can't speak to his character based on what we know.

 

[Jessthinkin]

That's exactly what I believe.

Yeah, me too...

 

[katydid23]

How do you reconcile the fact that he allowed his underage brother to use his ID to buy liquor?

Yes, he does keep a lower profile but I can't speak to his character based on what we know.

I don't think that is that big of a deal. I did the same for my younger brother......It doesn't usually mean they are going to kill someone and endanger everyone in a speed boat. Usually it means they are going to play beer pong at a party and try to pick up someone.

I don't know that much about his character. But it didn't seem to create the same kind of chaos and mayhem around himself as his little bro did.

 

[Born2BWild]

Would Alex’s insurance pay out differently for suicide versus murdered?

No pay out for suicide.

 

[otto]

How do you reconcile the fact that he allowed his underage brother to use his ID to buy liquor?

Yes, he does keep a lower profile but I can't speak to his character based on what we know.

That's easily rationalized a few ways. It's been posted that ordering two backup IDs is not uncommon in some underage drinking communities. Buster could have had his ID with him while Paul was using a copy for illegal alcohol purchases. Buster could have looked the other way while Paul was using copies of his ID.

At such a young age, could Buster have anticipated that his little brother would become a blotto psycho alcoholic? The parents, Alex and Margaret, surely would have seen Timmy first. Paul's friends had seen Paul/Timmy that out of control more than once. Surely his parents saw it first. Why didn't Alex and Margaret intervene before Paul recklessly ploughed their boat into a bridge, wearing underpants and carelessly killing peers?

Drunk boating changed everything. Paul was looking at life in prison and Alex was watching Paul and his mom deplete the family fortune to keep Paul out of jail. Perhaps that why Margaret requested the family audit - she wanted to legally support Paul, and Alex wanted to reduce costs?