SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #10

[Bekind89]

RBBM
I don't think they shaved much of his hair at all - at least from the photos from his initial court appearance. I will try to find it.

ETA link to photo of sides/back of AM's head at initial bond hearing. Mugshot also did not show any evidence of a wound.

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/attachments/screen-shot-2021-09-16-at-4-07-18-pm-png.312791/

SC - Paul Murdaugh, 22 and mom Margaret, 52, found shot to death, Islandton, 7 June 2021 #8

Idk about about a wig, but it seems straw-like?
His Smug-shot makes me wish for a vial of Holy Water.
Evil!
My opinions only.

 

[Bekind89]

Well, friends — I must tell you that tomorrow morning (Thursday) I am headed for Columbia, S.C., and USC, no less. I guess I won’t run into anyone we know, who I thought might have talked his way back into law school.

I will definitely keep my eyes open for the Alvin Glen detention center, the courthouse, and other things connected to this case. DH is rolling his eyes. It’s his NROTC reunion. Apparently we are having dinner with a Marine turned Texas sheriff tomorrow night. Poor man, he doesn’t know he will be dining with a passionate WebSleuth/ Forensic Files fan.

Will try to catch up each night. Don’t move too fast without me!

Our dear LetsSolvIt! We are hoping you can charm him into talking about the crime scene? Where the bodies were actually located would be wonderful to know!!
Please have a fun and safe trip!
ETA: Hopefully he is a talkative drinker! Wink, wink! Just joking.

 

[Bekind89]

Enjoyed this, CarefullyTaught! Great stuff — some plausible (IMO). All amusing!

From the size of his pupils in recent pictures, I suggest Adderall may have much to do with the recent weight loss. In my experience the possible way to lose that much weight that quickly is a sudden major medical diagnosis such as cancer, or drugs such as amphetamines, meth, cocaine, Adderall.
Weight loss surgery would have been my guess with almost anyone else, just not him. Jmo

 

[303gmf]

Idk about about a wig, but it seems straw-like?
His Smug-shot makes me wish for a vial of Holy Water.
Evil!
My opinions only.

Smug-shot!
Snorting with laughter

 

[geevee]

I think that "out shooting" was just Daily Mail blunder for he was out when the shootings occured.

I just found this while looking for that. I don't recall ever hearing this one before and it doesn't look like it was corrected?

"Investigators say they were found by Paul’s father and Maggie’s husband, Alex Murdaugh, as he returned from a walk."


SLED divers searching river near Murdaugh property as part of double-homicide investigation | WCBD News 2

I don't recall ever seeing that 'returned from a walk' statement either - boy, he was pretty busy that early evening, napping, visiting or taking his Dad to the hospital, showering, visiting his Mom, and now taking a walk before discovering the gruesome scene. Hmmmm

 

[TJW]

Well and — thinking like a mom here — some of us have our concerns about BM’s alleged reputation and integrity, but I can’t imagine the living h3ll this poor young man is dealing with right now. Mother and younger brother brutally murdered; he has legal troubles for allegedly loaning his DL, which contributed to a “drunk driving” death; his father (a man he should have been able to count on) has turned out to be a scoundrel on every level; and he’s got to know his name is smeared over the place related to SS, whether he was involved or not.

I think we can all imagine now the dysfunctional upbringing he’s had, so I doubt he has good coping skills.

He’s got a lot on his shoulders. He’s grieving and he must be so disillusioned. I agree the optics of gambling in Las Vegas seem ill advised but maybe we and the media should cut him some slack right now. Las Vegas must be a welcome distraction.

I’m trying to look at it the same way. JMM’s family seems to be looking out for him & possibly trying to keep him occupied. Thanks for expressing this.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

Smug-shot!
Snorting with laughter

Me too!

 

[worm]

He wasn't even tested as far as I know. I meant that as if that was what he told LE he was doing that night, it could be that wanted an excuse for testing positive on GSR, IF they decided to test him. Idk if they did a GSR test on AM. I know that washing ones hands with soap and water can interfere with GSR results, so even if they tested him it isn't like a killer can't manipulate the results, all just my opinions.

Finding out if they done a GSR test would be welcomed. Isn’t that pretty much a standard for somebody who finds 2 murdered people? I really don’t like the (still) silence from LE or the press about these killings. All of this other soap opera stuff is interesting but overlooks how we got here in the first place. BM being in Vegas is simply meaningless and for someone to follow them there is almost funny.

 

[MajorHoople]

Paywall. A worthy one at that, IMO.

Yes it is robust.

 

[MajorHoople]

Idk about about a wig, but it seems straw-like?
His Smug-shot makes me wish for a vial of Holy Water.
Evil!
My opinions only.

I have noticed that long time alcoholics sometimes develop straw-like hair texture.

 

[sunshineray]

What is the source for the caregiver confirming AM’s visit that night? I’ve not seen that.

I found this Inside Edition article with a recent interview with AM's lawyer, Jim Griffin.


"Griffin, however, says he does not believe Murdaugh killed Maggie and Paul. In fact, Murdaugh had not been home at the time of their murders, he said.

“He was sitting at the bedside of his mother at her house when the coroner says these murders happened,” Griffin said, adding that his mother, who suffers from dementia, had housekeepers in the home."


Alex Murdaugh Is a Person of Interest in Wife and Son’s Murder

 

[sunshineray]

Finding out if they done a GSR test would be welcomed. Isn’t that pretty much a standard for somebody who finds 2 murdered people? I really don’t like the (still) silence from LE or the press about these killings. All of this other soap opera stuff is interesting but overlooks how we got here in the first place. BM being in Vegas is simply meaningless and for someone to follow them there is almost funny.

I'd read somewhere that AM didn't interview with investigators until a couple or 3 days after the murders. I don't think they did an on the spot GSR test on him or his clothes...unless they did and that's one of the reason he became a POI almost immediately.

They do have the 911 person asking him to get close and probably touch the victims to see it they were breathing. Can GSR be transferred that easily?

 

[worm]

I'd read somewhere that AM didn't interview with investigators until a couple or 3 days after the murders. I don't think they did an on the spot GSR test on him or his clothes...unless they did and that's one of the reason he became a POI almost immediately.

They do have the 911 person asking him to get close and probably touch the victims to see it they were breathing. Can GSR be transferred that easily?

The agency in charge slipped my mind I guess. GSR is usually routine but given the way this seems to have been looked into, or not, it will show as a failure on LEs part if this test wasn’t done.

 

[sunshineray]

The agency in charge slipped my mind I guess. GSR is usually routine but given the way this seems to have been looked into, or not, it will show as a failure on LEs part if this test wasn’t done.

Do you know, is it something usually done onsite to the reporter of a murder? Do they have to bring that person(s) down to the police station inside somewhere to swab them?

 

[worm]

Do you know, is it something usually done onsite to the reporter of a murder? Do they have to bring that person(s) down to the police station inside somewhere to swab them?

Just from what I’ve seen with true crime docs, they can do it on the spot. That’s unlike a breath test for booze where they use a machine with a certified operator doing it.

 

[sunshineray]

Just from what I’ve seen with true crime docs, they can do it on the spot. That’s unlike a breath test for booze where they use a machine with a certified operator doing it.

Well then hopefully they did but it all might be compromised if say it only shows up on his palms or front of his shirt because he was asked by 911 to get close

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I'd read somewhere that AM didn't interview with investigators until a couple or 3 days after the murders. I don't think they did an on the spot GSR test on him or his clothes...unless they did and that's one of the reason he became a POI almost immediately.

They do have the 911 person asking him to get close and probably touch the victims to see it they were breathing. Can GSR be transferred that easily?

Wasn’t the second alibi we heard for AM shortly after the murders that he was out shooting somewhere. Maybe trying to give himself a explanation for testing positive for gsr?
The first alibi was that he was helping with his father, so they’re kinda fluid it seems.

 

[Born2BWild]

I found this Inside Edition article with a recent interview with AM's lawyer, Jim Griffin.


"Griffin, however, says he does not believe Murdaugh killed Maggie and Paul. In fact, Murdaugh had not been home at the time of their murders, he said.

“He was sitting at the bedside of his mother at her house when the coroner says these murders happened,” Griffin said, adding that his mother, who suffers from dementia, had housekeepers in the home."


Alex Murdaugh Is a Person of Interest in Wife and Son’s Murder

Thank you for finding the source for ‘sitting with his mother’. I remember watching the interview with JG and was surprised he didn’t say that he had been visiting with his father in the hospital and also stopped to see his mother.
I was wondering if his lawyer wasn’t tweaking his alibi due to new revelations. IMO.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This case is just sooooooooo frustrating. Clearly we have multiple stories, sagas going on.. But these were very very brutal murders. What is LE doing? What resources are being used?

I do assume that there are significant other crimes that are being investigated an will be exposed........... but really. WHAT is being done about the murders.....

 

[Lux et Veritas]

MOO highly speculative hypothetical potential alternative theories not accusations

Apologies if this theory has been floated before, but hypothetical possibilities may include that AM was running a kind of Ponzi scheme to get “investments”/advances from family members (or perhaps was doing some laundry) and the $300K was spun as some kind of earned profit/interest return from the prior investment/advance/loan/laundry — so many possibilities.

Another theory as to a hypothetical reason DH & JG may have recently subtly fazed out mentioning prior ironclad alibi version involving AM’s pap may be the low bar of previewing a potential reasonable doubt strategy.

Hypothetically speaking, say a version of alleged events may be this: AM, despondent, goes to hand wrench at dad’s bedside about how MM’s talked to a divorce lawyer and has begun to snoop into the shady financial shellgame afoot that AM (and possibly by this possible theory pap)’s been up to. MM it might be implied had threatened to expose AM (and also possibly pap) and bring down the Mighty House of Murdaugh (and/or the distinguished legacy/reputation/coffers of PMPED). The defense may suggest that pap in fact was the trigger man or contracted therefor, to protect the Murdaugh Men & the legacy of his forbears. Pap also did it to (try to) save/protect AM from prosecution and all his family (other than MM & hers) from financial injury. Worst case scenario and pap was found out, he’d be dead by then — either from the cancer or by his own hand (assuming no one else had a hand in that) the theory may go — so no Murdaugh could be convicted or held liable as pap would be dead and so far gone from the cancer and end-of-life pain and meds not in his right mind or capable of culpable mental state. Just a spagetti-at-the-wall kind of im/pastable kind of defense theory. Pap needn’t worry about negative impact of any of that on his wife in such as defense theory scenario because of the dementia situation.

Speaking of which, if this hasn’t been floated previously either, BOLO for a second-to-die life insurance policy for AM’s dad & mom’s estate. Crummey Trusts used to be very common for high value estates as part of a tax minimization tool before significant changes were made to the tax code. If AM possibly got himself a DIY POA for his dad like the kind he got from Boulware shortly before B’s death, it’s possible AM may have already moved to decant such a policy in order to cash out or change beneficiaries or be planning on doing so (or arranged for someone else to “execute” on this) once mama crosses over (if not before).

As to the curious case of the AM pace in search of a $20 cell phone call at the ER or ICU, I apologize if someone already covered this, but I wonder if the Samaritan who drove AM to the pick up spot for the helo was someone DH or JG adjacent or another member of the <ahem> bar.

We know Team AM has been gushing over the alleged years of lovey dovey texts between AM & MM they’ve personally reviewed on AM’s cell phone. (Never mentioned which years were those “years of texts”) We also know AM though allegedly temporarily blind and basically hemorrhaging from staged trauma was able to personally call 911. From his own phone? Whenever he passed off his phone to someone who wound up either being or handing it off to DH to review all those years of loving texts — it seems like that happened before AM got into the helicopter or presumably law enforcement might have seized it as evidence or he could have been using his own dang phone in the hospital.

Just sayin’

As for AM’s mom sitter, does anyone know whether perhaps that person may have been a family member? Have there been any whispers about any stepping out on MM by AM?

Defense team for AM in one of the interviews where DH and/or JG made themselves fact witnesses, they mentioned AM had been to detox several times before but no one knew because he just claimed to be going on vacation or a trip or something and never stayed for rehab.

Does anyone wonder if one of those trips post June 2021 might have been for gastric bypass surgery or something? He looks so very thin at bond hearing on the insurance fraud alleged assisted attempted suicide filing a false police report charges.

In the AM bond hearing re the GS insurance settlement misappropriation charges, imo his hair looked like he had someone try to cut it to try to retroactively make it appear he might previously have had some part of his head shorn near the purported superficial gun shot wound.

Just a stab at this — like a run flat tire.

MOO highly speculative hypothetical potential alternative theories not accusations

Thought provoking post, Taught! Great points.

Appears that duplicitous AM is finally getting lost in the toxic labyrinth he has so carefully constructed over the decades.