GUILTY SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton #39

[Gypsy Road]

Juror interview.

Thanks for posting! Interesting that 2 jurors when first polled were not guilty votes, but only 45 minutes later the evidence was clear to all. I also appreciated that Paul’s video was key to getting a guilty verdict!

 

[Luna20]

DH said “they made it about character” Well that is why he did what he did. ‘Murderers doing what they do’

 

[arielilane]

Regarding crime scene/autopsy photos, even doing a search on the internet you have to be careful if you click on "images" as you can't unsee once you scroll to pics. Made that mistake myself on another case, not Murdaugh case. Lesson learned. Never know what is there and I don't like surprises.

 

[AugustWest]

Thank you so much. it was truly horrible.

Just wanted to add that if there other photos leaked, I’m unaware of that. But I definitely know the one I saw was a screenshot of the monitor facing the Jury. It showed the white paper taped to the top of the monitor being pulled back and held by someone’s hand ( a lawyer I assume)

I hope in the future they figure out how to set up that Courtroom so the lawyers don’t have to get in that tiny space in front of the Jurybox to point things out on a monitor and demonstrate things.

JMO

I bet that courtroom has been around since before the Civil War. Updated now and then for creature comforts and new tech. It probably needs a massive upgrade. The county I practice in has had to close the courthouse for massive remodeling. We are currently holding trial in a previous schoolhouse.

ETA: yep, looks like an 1822 building.

Colleton County Courthouse

The Colleton County Courthouse is located on Hampton Street in downtown Walterboro. The original section of the courthouse was completed in 1822 after the county seat was moved from Jacksonboro. The building’s portico is attributed to renowned architect Robert Mills, who designed many South...

www.scpictureproject.org

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

They are photos of computer screens in the courtroom. It appears someone in pew behind counsel shot over the shoulders of lawyers, probably with a phone. MOO.

I've seen it now, it's from a computer screen seen on a live stream facing away from the gallery. So it'll be hard to hold someone liable for that.

 

[Chelly]

I had to turn off the defense press conference. I cannot listen to them anymore.

The defense press conference was also televised on TV cable channels. It is frustrating that many viewers may buy into those attorneys' bluster and bs.
imo

 

[arielilane]

I had to turn off the defense press conference. I cannot listen to them anymore.

Can't blame you. It was tempting ...

 

[Simply Southern]

given what seems to go on in "low country" I don't blame her for not wanting to get up there again. There are shady actors associated with AM and I would think Buster would want to get as far away as possible

What goes on in the low country?

Wonder if the shady actors were investigated? I must have missed it.

I think the family was silence out of respect for Buster.

Moo...

 

[Derph]

It's hysterical that the defense is whining about the judge letting all the other crimes in. Umm he didn't until YOU messed up and brought it up!!! He originally denied the prosecution from bringing up the other crimes!!! You messed up. It was YOUR fault not the judge's, not the prosecution's, not SLED, Not the jury, not the Oompa Lumpas, not aliens or any other entity in the universe that is either alive or dead, NO! YOU are the reason it all was entered!!! Your client did all the scumy things you mentioned and a lot more that wasn't brought into the trial, AND he openly confessed to those crimes when your client Alex testified in open court. Your client Alex dug his own grave!

I don't understand why they would even bother in appealing as he's going to jail for even more time than he got for the financial crimes!!!!! A colossal waste of time, money and resources. It's a pointless exercise and will change nothing.

 

[rescuemom]

It is my belief that someone helped AM get rid of the evidence (guns, bloody clothes, etc). The timeline really doesn't give him time to dispose of all of this between the time of the shooting and his departure to see his mother. He may have wrapped it all in the tarp and taken it to his mother's house, but it would have been unwise for a grieving husband/father to take off and dispose of evidence while planning a funeral, especially with his father's death and funeral arrangements going on. I suspect a third party retrieved the tarp and disposed of it.

As an example, someone mowing the grass and doing yardwork would not attract attention removing a tarp full of material.

Maybe there was never a tarp but just a large jacket of some kind most likely grabbed at the last minute to carry to his mothers. If he appeared at his mothers at 6:30 in the morning as Shelly testified to, and went upstairs and returned, it is my guess none of the caretakers would ever nose around the house to see what could be found.

 

[CGray123]

My fear it would hang was based on the CSI Effect that sometimes infects jurors

Studies have shown that actual juries are able to distinguish CSI and other entertainment programs from real life, once they are seated.

Thank goodness for a jury that paid attention and applied the kind of discernment reasonable people do in making important decisions for themselves. This corner of SC is a little bit better and safer with AM behind bars.

His defense attorneys are putting on the kind of cynical show AM expects of them - shamelessly attacking the judge, the jury, and the population of SC in a misguided effort to politicize their appeal.

With all the effort and expense put into a "full throated defense", the jury clearly saw through all of it in real time. They took only 3 hours to find AM guilty. SC has come up a notch in my estimation, as a result of this prosecution and verdict. MOO

 

[Weki]

Harpootlian asks, “Could he pull it off?” And answers his own question, “Apparently not!”

I don’t think Harpootlian and Griffin wanted him to take the stand. On the other hand, he had to explain the lie about being at the Kennel. But that whole comment about “could he pull it off” I’m sure was much discussed and AM thought he could and likely pushed the issue.

 

[Cindizzi]

LOL
DH saying that they can’t file their appeal until they get the entire trial transcript which could take months ( which I already knew) reminded me of when he made a big deal of having to pay some “Yankees “ to get a transcript of Shelley testimony.

They were arguing about whether she said tarp or raincoat and DH wanted the Judge to provide a transcript and Judge told him Court staff didn’t have time for that during trial. This was the next day :

https://twitter.com/x/status/1623046995865640962

 

[arielilane]

Live: Alex Murdaugh murder trial sentencing livestream - March 3 - WARNING: Graphic​

 

[LetsSolvIt]

that was bad. guess they agreed to get the ball rolling...the SC site has a roadmap for appeals...each step...it takes time just to get in line.

How will they and Alec even have time for this with 99 financial charges?

This angers me no end -- what a waste of resources both for SC and the M family. I think this is a huge mistake for JG -- can't imagine why he would want to tarnish his reputation. DH is already over the hill "I'm old." They can't be doing this for the $$.

I am absolutely dumbfounded. The SCOTUS?

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

JG says that the family has come away after 6 weeks of the trial more convinced than ever that Alex is innocent.

 

[wary]

Yes, after being muzzled for the entire trial - I’d be talking to EVERYONE & ANYONE and I’d probably be talking about it in my sleep!

You’d need to be prepared for being misquoted in ways that’d give you nightmares for the rest of your life.

MOO

 

[Diddian]

1. Alex was alone at the kennels with MM and PM at 8:44-8:45 (OPPORTUNITY). His voice was overheard by Rogan who was speaking on phone with PM. AM had requested the presence of PM and MM at Moselle that night.
2. MM and PM were dead at 8:50, 33 minutes after MM arrived at Moselle and unplugged her cellphone from her vehicle. They were both killed with Murdaugh guns that have since disappeared (MEANS; CONCEALMENT OF & DISPOSAL OF EVIDENCE).
3. Alex lied to LE about being at the kennels at 8:44-8:45 (CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT, LYING TO LE) and he continued lying about it until LE managed to extract the video from PM's phone proving Alex was at the kennels.
4. Alex attempted to expand the time of his alibi by influencing his mother's caretaker's recall of how long he had spent at his mother's house after the murders that night. (CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT; TAMPERING WITH A WITNESS).
5. Clothing Alex had been wearing* shortly before MM's arrival to Moselle at 8:17 has disappeared and Alex has not since produced it for LE (CONCEALMENT OF & DISPOSAL OF EVIDENCE)

* As evidenced by the Snapchat video taken by PM near the floppy tree.

GUILTY. All the rest is about motive, which the State was not required to prove; however, through the presentation of evidence about his substantial thefts and cheating of friends, family, and partners, the State did demonstrate Alex uniquely capable of self-serving malice toward those close to him to whom he owed special duty. His demeanor and behavior on the stand demonstrated his capacity for lying and playing the role of victim to elicit sympathy for his cause.

ETA: As others have said, the Defense "opened the door" to the allowance of testimony about the thefts, lying, cheating, and orchestrating extraordinary events to elicit sympathy. This judge was just determined NOT to allow his courtroom to become yet another venue where Alex plied his craft (through his attorneys and his testimony) without allowing the State a response. So, there!

 

[Pruddennce]

It's hysterical that the defense is whining about the judge letting all the other crimes in. Umm he didn't until YOU messed up and brought it up!!! He originally denied the prosecution from bringing up the other crimes!!! You messed up. It was YOUR fault not the judge's, not the prosecution's, not SLED, Not the jury, not the Oompa Lumpas, not aliens or any other entity in the universe that is either alive or dead, NO! YOU are the reason it all was entered!!! Your client did all the scumy things you mentioned and a lot more that wasn't brought into the trial, AND he openly confessed to those crimes when your client Alex testified in open court. Your client Alex dug his own grave!

I don't understand why they would even bother in appealing as he's going to jail for even more time than he got for the financial crimes!!!!! A colossal waste of time, money and resources. It's a pointless exercise and will change nothing.

media is lame. they had the opportunity to say exactly what you said....DEFENSE OPENED THE DOOR. the defense needs to spin for awhile. they will go away its inevitable. he should have stuck with his opening statement to the press, Im not going to make a statement.

 

[Kudzuu]

Being a lawyer did him in. While addiction isn't an excuse for crime it can be an explanation of sorts. If he'd plead guilty and thrown himself on the mercy of the court he might have avoided 2 consecutive life sentences. Judge Newman told it when he said something to the effect that another Alex may have done the crime. I always thought that too. Opiods can make people violent and crazy. My nephew is an example. On oxycontin he got into a fight club situation and he was so good at it he almost killed a guy.

What blows my mind is AM had to have the last word of saying he would never hurt Maggie or Paw Paw. Maybe not but he did murder Margaret and Paul. You won't have a successful appeal on both charges. Hopefully neither of them.

The look in his eyes was creepy. Stare down the judge? How stupid is that. I won't go into the racial implication.......

Scottish clans are still alive and well. Both JMM and BM supported his lies. How clannish is that?

My hat is off to the websleuthers who predicted AM couldn't stay off the stand. He should have rehearsed in front of a mirror (probably illegal in jail) because it was very transparent how he could smack his lips and make up another lie. In. Real. Time.

I felt sorry for Buster until he got on the stand and lied for Pa Pa. Then the congratulatory pat on the posterior. Good boy Bus. How sick.

And I thought my family was dysfunctional!