SC - Paul Murdaugh & mom Margaret Found Shot To Death - Alex Murdaugh Accused - Islandton *Guilty* #41

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I disagree with his politics, but agree his office did a good job on this case, and he personally was effective in his direct exam of Kinsey.
I was surprised when I just looked up AG Wilson's beliefs, heartbroken really of course. I'd of not thought that. He did do a great job and yes, effective in this case. Thankful for that!
 
<modsnip: quoted post removed> Perhaps as the State continues to investigate the volume and movement of AM’s stolen funds, it will become clearer where to look for potential life insurance policies. The members of this family have built wealth looking for leverage into the deep pockets of insurance companies over generations and it is almost impossible to believe AM would have passed on such an opportunity if he knew (as he did) that PM and MM would die soon.

I’ve found and others here have reported finding some LLC’s listing Alex Murdaugh as principal or registered agent, and one listing MM as principal or registered agent (likely the gift shop shared by LM and MM at one time). I also wouldn’t be surprised if Alex might set up LLC’s using friends or listing friends as principals or registered agents. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he’d do so without their knowledge.

I don’t know, but assume he could also have carried some kind of key man life policy on either PM or MM through an LLC listing them as officers, perhaps even offshore.
 
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It's the way it's done in most of California too. And many other places. Tons of studies over the past 25 years on a fast track jury process.

We have fewer successful appeals now and more convictions. We're able to keep moving cases quickly (average length of trial is now 3-8 days even in major felony cases). I've seen criminal defense attorneys, employees of LE agencies (but not uniformed officers), professors in fields such as alcohol/drug studies or criminal justice get seated in cases dealing with alcohol or drugs. On and on. Wives of LE, etc., all seated.

And the key thing is that jurors need to be honest on the questionnaire (which asks about such things as jury nullification and whether one has read a lot about the crime in question). But even saying one believes in jury nullification doesn't mean a person will be booted - it depends on the trial and the lawyers involved. It's crucial that jurors agree that they will be just. Some people say "No, I can't." And the judge dismisses them (neither side has to give up one of their challenges). Any version of "No, I can't" such as "I always believe what police say; I think police are always right if it's to the point where someone has been arrested" results in being removed (and it's fairly uncommon).

At any rate, my county got a federal grant to experiment with this system about 20 years ago. Now, the results from that grant (which was given to many different counties in many states) are well known. A commitment to justice is more important than who your relatives may be, in selecting jurors.

And I'll reiterate that we've had some high profile cases (that were appealed), but so far, not one murder conviction has been overturned. The woman who killed her two little boys to get even with her physician husband for having affairs (which isn't clear that he did) is still in prison for life. The woman who killed her abusive husband and lied and said it was a stranger who broke in and did it, and then switched to a self-defense defense has gotten 25 years to life and is still in prison (her little boy, now basically an orphan, is still orchestrating appeals - he's now 20 years old). She has served 12 years already.

The judges I've interviewed about these changes say that, for them, it means fewer trials because defendants plead out. Many (about half) of plea bargains take place after jury selection, with many of those on the same day as the jury is seated. Judges say the psychological impact of seeing 12 of one's peers actually staring at them across the courtroom, ready to pass judgment is huge. While many criminals avoid being around "regular citizens," they now see that they are about to be adjudicated by people who are not all their own age, their own sex, their own ethnicity, their own socioeconomic class.

IMO and IME.
In NJ, NY and PA if your family member is a Lawyer, the Court does not want you to serve. As the family member of a Murder victim, I do not have to serve either. The Prosecution and Defense do question and weed out potential Jurors, as well, in big cases either/both sides sometimes hire behavior analysts, experts in Jury selection. Until this case, I'd never heard it done the way SC does. Seems strange to me. MOO
 
Yes -- it was during AM's recorded roadside confession in the presence of his attorneys, I also previously posted about DH interrupting AM when he brought up the Life Insurance. Shutting AM up, DH interjected that AM [a successful attorney] did not understand either the suicide or exclusions clauses of the Life policy and why he sought Eddie to shoot him!
 
The defense was still claiming he had life insurance during the trial. Alex even testified to it. It was never challenged by the prosecution.

Alex was charged for insurance fraud at the time. It seems they are sticking with that charge and don't want to contradict it in any way so are accepting that he had insurance.

Nobody has ever presented proof of that insurance though. He didn't know what the life insurance company was when questioned about it at the time.
 
Chad McDowell (sp) testified early on in the trial. He is the brother of James. James disclosed this was asked later and said that his brother does very well separating his work from private life.Brother came home to say there was a double homicide and saw the scene. That is very interesting for sure. He testified on body cam. Most screening of jurors took place in chambers for more questions.
CD's testimony was very limited given SLED took over the investigation very soon. Most of the testimony by CCSO was by Sgt Greene and Jason Chapman.

12:12 P.M. — ANOTHER OFFICER TAKES THE STAND

Next up, Waters calls Chad McDowell to the stand. McDowell is an officer with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and was one of officers who responded to the murder scene on June 7, 2021.

Waters asks McDowell a series of questions about his handling of the crime scene — an attempt to show the jury that the scene was properly preserved.
 
CD's testimony was very limited given SLED took over the investigation very soon. Most of the testimony by CCSO was by Sgt Greene and Jason Chapman.
limited or not I find that a pretty close connection and I think in many cases his brother would not have been seated on the jury.
 
CD's testimony was very limited given SLED took over the investigation very soon. Most of the testimony by CCSO was by Sgt Greene and Jason Chapman.
I read that the jurors brother's role was very limited that night so I wonder if they called him to the stand for that reason? Maybe to be transparent in the event this info was public and then wild stories could be said about how involved this officer was and his brother was a juror?
 
limited or not I find that a pretty close connection and I think in many cases his brother would not have been seated on the jury.
I think we can all agree that if this were a normal case a lot of things would have been done differently.
IMO, AM was pulling the strings for his entire defense team and took a gamble by allowing the trial to not be moved and allowing this particular juror to remain.
AM thought he could continue to manipulate, intimidate and lie and that his status would carry him to an acquital by using the 'good ol' boy' system that he was use to.
 
The defense had a chance to kick him off and didn't, so there is no legal issue here at all.
I think since Alex seemed to have buddies with the sheriff's department, I wonder if the defense thought this little connection could be in their favor vs to their detriment?

I don't think the connection has any impact on this case. The juror seems very credible and nothing about what he's said in interviews gives me any reason to question how he came to his decision.
 
I read that the jurors brother's role was very limited that night so I wonder if they called him to the stand for that reason? Maybe to be transparent in the event this info was public and then wild stories could be said about how involved this officer was and his brother was a juror?
I hope that wasn't why he was called on the first day of trial when his brother (JM) was only an alternate and no expectation we'd ever know his name on the date he testified!
 
BBM



One of Alex Murdaugh’s brothers recently broke his silence to say that he believes the ex-attorney and convicted double murderer is still lying about what happened to his slain wife and son.

Speaking with the New York Times, Randy Murdaugh said he is certain that his brother is a liar and a thief but he still struggles with believing he is a double murderer.

Unlike his brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, Randy did not testify during the high-profile trial which ended with Alex receiving two consecutive life sentences.

“He knows more than what he’s saying,” Randy told the New York Times. “He’s not telling the truth, in my opinion, about everything there.”

Randy also told the news outlet that three months after the murders, he and other law partners confronted Alex about missing funds from the firm.
 

Alex Murdaugh's Brother Says Convicted Murderer 'Knows More Than What He's Saying' About Killings​

"He knows more than what he's saying," Randy Murdaugh told The New York Times. "He's not telling the truth, in my opinion, about everything there"​


After Alex Murdaugh's double murder conviction last week, his older brother and former business partner, Randy Murdaugh, is speaking out.


In an interview with The New York Times at his South Carolina hunting property, Randy acknowledged that his brother Alex has lied and stolen from his former clients — which Alex, 54, admitted to on the stand during his trial. But despite his conviction, Randy is still unsure if Alex committed the brutal 2021 murders of his 52-year-old wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul.


"He knows more than what he's saying," Randy told The New York Times. "He's not telling the truth, in my opinion, about everything there."


"He knows more than what he's saying," Randy told The New York Times. "He's not telling the tru
 

I'm back in the office after six weeks, and I keep thinking about how proud I am of our prosecution and law enforcement team for how they handled the Murdaugh trial. Your position, power, and station in life don't matter. In South Carolina, no one is above the law. (1/3)

Justice was served for Maggie and Paul last week. And we're not finished. I want to remind everyone that the people Alex Murdaugh hurt are not characters in some saga. They're real people who are dealing with the very real effects his crimes. (2/3)

This case has caught national attention, and I've heard documentaries and even movies are being made. In the midst of all that, I urge you to remember the victims and their voices. All of Alex's life has been about him. Don't let that continue. (3/3)
 
I hope that wasn't why he was called on the first day of trial when his brother (JM) was only an alternate and no expectation we'd ever know his name on the date he testified!
I am listening now to his brothers testimony and he was involved a bit with the initial marking of some shell casings and he helped do something in the feed room so I understand now that he is saying he didn't kick anything, move anything, or disturb any evidence.
 
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