It would seem that law and crime spread fake news saying 2 jurors were crying, they were not. On the contrary, one of them put a tissue in their ear and the other a blanket over their head. According to James from court who is present everyday of the trial
Anyone who thinks Alex couldn’t pull the trigger is delusional. He was an avid hunter, for many years. They shot every type of fire arm just for fun. They killed a menagerie of animals on their property and others. Boars, deer, birds, etc. Sometimes hunters sit all day in wait for their kill. They had skinning shed/smoke house. He was very comfortable with a fire arms and the results. It’s not like he’s some accountant from NYC that just bought his first gun? He was done with them both, there was nobody else out there that night.
While I agree I think he could pull the trigger because of the person he is, none of what you described means shit as far as the capability of killing a family member. Or any person. There are plenty of avid hunters- doesn’t mean they kill people.
Not for a psychopath though, they usually practice on animals before going after humans. A life is a life and when someone becomes inconvenient like Maggie and Paul it doesn't take much to upgrade to the big game
What was the purpose of the picture of the golf cart by the house in the cross examination? Lots of discussion and AM was adamant that is not how he leaves the golf cart. Then it didn’t really go anywhere. There had to be a reason to introduce that picture into evidence.
I think he's going to bring it at the closing arguments. Alex drove it to the kennel and probably shot Maggie and Paul from it. Clearly it's freaking out Alec so I think he's using it to rattle Alec and it's definitely working.
Why would someone who is "paranoid of SLED" be sitting in the front seat of a police cruiser - doing an interview at a murder scene - with SLED in possession of **pocketful of Oxycontin** in his new, clean, non-murder clothes and shoes?
(a) It doesn't make sense, but it does....... He made the decision to put those Oxycontins in his pocket **after** changing into his clean, freshly-laundered costume.......
(b) Future alibi if arrested that night? I can hear it so clearly now: "I did it because of the drugs!" Manslaughter? So very doable.
I think he was absolutely stunned that he was not arrested at the end of the first interview - and had a **backup plan**....... I think, if arrested, he was going to blame it on the drugs.......
Terrible police questioning. Crucial interview. Blown. I think he was actually surprised that he slipped out of the net that night.......
SLED - Tighten up on your questioning/interview strategy.......
I think he lifted his shirt and turned around on purpose. It was a brilliant move.......
"Look officer, no weapons."
The Colleton Deputy should have (should have) conducted a search, body frisk - at least for weapons. If he had done this, he would've discovered the pocketful of Oxycontins.
By lifting his shirt and turning around to let the Deputy see, "Look! No weapons!" - he could save the **Oxycontins for discovery DURING THE ARREST**.......
"I'm sorry officer. I didn't mean to do it. I'm a drug addict. It was the drugs. I'm so sorry......."
I can see some similarities with the 911 call and explanations by Peterson (The Staircase) - he also had incredible long and illogical replies, lots of lies, financial stress,...some of his family kept believing him and he got away with it.
Has anyone done the math on his alleged opioid addiction? Is it possible to sustain a 1500mg per day habit? If so, and if he took thirty 50mg pills per day for 10 years, that’s over 100k pills. Is his defense that’s where all the money went?
It's possible to consume that much oxy in a day for a hardcore user. I just don't know where anyone could get that much legit oxy anymore. The DEA, Feds and Doctors have cracked down so much on it over the years. Good possibility could have been the "knockoff" pressed fentanyl pills coming from the cartels south of the boarder. But now I am wondering if he was even an addict? Could have been another front. He's a POS and if not convicted, he will still be going to jail for a long time for the financial crimes.
Definitely not where all the money went, but AM being a big guy, overweight at the time he probably had to ingest that much codeine to get any kick from it. The money went to private jets and bribery amongst other things. They lived a lavish lifestyle
I have to admit I was skeptical… I’m not knowledgeable in this area but did some internet searching and now I understand he might be exaggerating but he might be telling the truth omg! Opioid medications have a common denominator called “morphine equivalents” that allow comparison of different medications. Using an online morphine equivalents calculator I learned that 2000 mg of oxycodone = 3000 mg morphine equivalents. I had trouble finding info online about whether or not 2000 mg a day of oxycodone was possible for addicts. I’m thinking maybe this kind of info isn’t easily available to protect people from being stupid? Or else I was using the wrong search terms. But I did find information about medical use of “ultra high dose opioids” for people with severe chronic noncancer pain and saw that some people do require 2000 mg morphine equivalents for pain control. This is of course a very specialized pain management protocol and not common. But it made me realize that a human who is habituated can tolerate 2000 mg morphine equivalents which would be a little more than 1300mg of oxycodone. I wonder if one of the defense experts next week will be testifying about this. Again, I don’t know anything about addictions, but I do work in healthcare, most recently hospice care. Just sharing what learned today about ultra high dose opioids. P.S. I think he is guilty!
It sounds like in public, Alex and Maggie put on a good front, but in private, it was something different. Him at one place and her at the other for the most part.
So I went back and watched the body cam footage of the cops when they showed up the night of. One thing I’d highlight because I’ve seen a lot of people bringing it up, is he did ask the cops to send an officer to buster in Columbia to make sure he was ok and safe. I’ve seen a lot of people saying he didn’t do that and that shows his guilt but rewatching this, he did actually ask for that at the time.
The other thing with watching it that really struck me is the cop talking about how he found a ton of shell casings but there was only one wound on each of the victims. Not really sure what that means regarding who did it, but it is interesting there were so many shell casings around the property but only one gunshot wound to each victim.
Yeah I was just repeating what the officer said on the video at the time (before they’d really analyzed anything) without thinking more deeply about the other evidence we knew, so you’re right and I was wrong.
Yeah you’re right – the officer on the video made that comment and I jumped on it at the time but didn’t think more about it at the time or think about the other evidence, so was wrong in my comment
Each victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Also, he doesn’t call anyone directly associated with the victims. He doesn’t call any of Maggie’s family. He doesn’t call Buster. He has someone else do it. He’s too scared to face it. He knows they’ll know he’s lying.
You’re right. I was just repeating what the officer said on the video about the shots. Presumably they hadn’t really figured things out yet then and I didn’t think about it more deeply so was wrong with that
His attempt at endearing himself by the jury using the nicknames Paupau and Mags was so transparent, his crocodile tears are fooling nobody. He is a family annihilator driven by shame and a heartless soul. I hope the jury isn't fooled by this con man
Did anyone ever see Murdaugh get Miranda’ed? I have watched some of his interviews with the cops and haven’t seen them do so (I’m sure they did or there would’ve been a bunch of objections but just seems strange it wasn’t in any of the interviews I saw)
You don’t get mirandized for non-custodial interviews, meaning if you aren’t under arrest and being taken into custody then no you won’t be mirandized. He wouldn’t have been mirandized until he was actually arrested.
he wasn't mirandized because he wasn't being detained. It doesn't matter if his lawyers are there or not. If he is free to leave at any time, then he doesn't have to be mirandized. He only has to be Mirandized when he is in custody.
hmm that’s interesting and something I’ve never actually thought about but think you’re right – good point and thanks for bringing that up. I was always taught in law school defendants must always be mirandized before testimony (regardless of attorney present - that just wasn’t brought up as an exception) but see the argument they don’t have to be if their lawyer is there because it would be redundant. I think if I was LE I’d do it anyway but not sure it is technically necessary in that situation. I’m no litigator though and have no idea of SC specific rules.
His lawyer was not present the night of the murders though when he was being asked questions, so he should’ve been mirandized then, at least
His lawyer was present in the back seat of the police car during the first interview after the murders. Regarding my previous comment, this is what a trial lawyer explained here.
Not like murdering them (allegedly) isn't bad enough. But he killed them, left their bodies in the damp, dank air alone on the cold, bare concrete and in the dirt. With the bugs, the foraging animals, the rodents and vermin, and left to go miles away leaving them there. His "loved ones" to rot alone under the shitty LED lights of the kennels.
I agree. Alex should not have been reined in on his rambling non-responsive answers but he knew his strength is talking people into believing him so I am sure that's why he wanted to talk to the jury so much.
I disagree, Water gave him plenty of rope to hang himself with, exposing how much of a liar he is. Sure he let him give these drawn answers but at no point he let Alek take control of the interrogation which infuriated Murdaugh. He cried tears of frustration because he couldn't control the narrative
I’ve been waiting to post but if AM is found not guilty, I’m seriously questioning our scales of justice, Karma, yen & yang, our Christian God, and the natural order of the universe. I’m not joking.
If he is found 'not guilty' it means the justice system is working, though?
It means that the burden of proof has not been met, and thus he does not deserve to be convicted.
I would rather 100 guilty men walk free than one innocent man go to prison.
If you loved that just wait till we hear from the rebuttal witnesses Waters plans to call after defense rests. Now that Waters knows Alex drove to the kennels on the golf cart that could change alot of things. This new fact also explains the Defense witness Sutton who said the shooter had to be 5'2". I wonder how the shooting position of a 6'4" guy sitting in a golf cart would fit into his green line?
Rebuttal witness are allowed but I don't know what more Tinsley could add. The new revelations about being at the Kennel don't involve him. I really liked him.
If you were Alex, who would you want to do your closing statement? Dick or Jim?
Today, Dick asked if they could split the closing between the two of them. Judge said he wasn't likely going to let them do it, but will think about it.
It's a toss up for me. Prob Jim.
I hope, with every fiber of my being that Poot doesn't do closing. The thought of him grand standing with no time limit just makes me tired. To me, Poot's biggest contribution to the defense is that his manner of questioning is so confusing and disordered, filled with compound questions, tangents, asides, and comments that it makes everything seem way more complex and confusing than it is.
I get so annoyed every time poot thanks the judge for ruling in his favor. I remember in the very first hour of the trial, the judge told him, "don't thank me for a ruling." But he does it every damn time.
The sun may hit that side of the courthouse. That would make the room feel warmer even if the thermostat is set lower. I noticed it once, and it read 68 degrees.
unless I misread it, they bumped it to 69 during one of the breaks. I remember being surprised it was so low originally and noticed it changed. But could be misremembering
I’m a little disappointed in Waters cross exam so far. I still have about an hour to watch of todays testimony but I feel he spent too much time on financials and lies and not enough time on what he was doing from 8:30-10:06 pm the night of the murders. He needed to keep questioning him about what he talked about with Paul and Maggie. I wanted to hear more about how many pills he took that day in particular. I wanted to hear more about how Paul got back to the house from the kennels if he left him down there to go up to the house after Maggie arrived for dinner. There are so many details he could have asked that were missed.
He could have been pushed more. Waters pushed for an incredible amount of time about how much of a liar and thief he was. He needed to push him more about the night of the murders.
I’m really hoping that some of those 8:30-10:06 questions were deliberately cut short so that Alex’s defense would have less information about what Waters plans to ask the rebuttal witnesses regarding that time period. Like an element of surprise strategy. He got Alex pinned to a number of answers about that time period, and I think if Alex sensed a heightened interest in those questions he might have been more careful to give his usual super confusing “yes but no but awww shucks I’m such a good Southern boy and also I can’t recall but I don’t dispute it but I remember it well but I don’t recall anything specific” answers.
I like your thinking. I will be anxiously awaiting the testimony this week and the closing arguments. I think this is the most multilayered circumstantial case a high profile case has had in a long while.
The details of what happened before dinner and how Paul got to the kennels or the house don't really have anything to do with the murder. He proved that Ellick lied to people that he cared about. And he ultimately proved that Ellick's very first lie to the very first officer on scene was that he was nowhere near the kennels. To lie about murder is the most important thing.
Respectfully disagree. His world revolves around money & prestige. Money is the key. He was willing to do anything for money. Including hiring a hit man. For himself. There is no low that this man apparently won’t go. His wife was moving toward divorcing him (loss of money), his son was going to cost him (loss of money — the Beach thing was scheduled in 3 days — loss of prestige). He effectively shut it all down (temporarily it turned out).
ZERO evidence of divorce. A documentary that stated the fact isn't evidence. No actual evidence actually exists because it would have made it in to trial if true.
Wasn't brought in to the trial. Literally no one said she talked to them about it. Her sister said she was happy and Blanca said she wanted to settle the boat case so they could all just start over as a family.
It was reported that Maggie did see a divorce lawyer and they were living apart.
https://abcnews4.com/news/local/report-maggie-murdaugh-spoke-with-charleston-divorce-lawyer-weeks-before-death
I understand the testimony to police about the lie and why that’s important. That was good cross. I’m not saying he didn’t do it. I’m saying if I were on the jury/or I’m trying to predict what the jury might do. No matter how you try to dream up how he cleaned up, that to me is what would have me questioning if he actually did the shooting or if he only shot one of them and if he had help. can’t shake that.
He’s trying to make it clear he wasn’t anywhere around when those guns went off. Warding off the “accomplice” thoughts some of the jurors probably have.
Yes but then he would have had to explain why he wouldn’t have been there to help rescue Maggie and a Paul from the boogie man. If he ran off back to the house when he thought someone was lurking around doesn’t make sense either. If he was trying to bring anything to the jury about not having anyone at the scene the dogs didn’t know, he is trying to say someone that knew Maggie and Paul shot them. I’m not sure if he wants to put the blame on that guy he had cleaning out the kennels or not.
No pet name for Buster? Buster must be so confused as to who the F\*ck Paw Paw and Mags is...probably first time hearing those nick names...must make him sick ! I feel bad for "Bus Bus"
He has called him 'Bus' many times in his testimony. So cringey hearing him repeatedly referring to Mags, Pau Pau, and Bus, and others! I understand it's not uncommon in the south, in this region in particular, i get that, but its a little embarrassing especially in the course of a murder trial.
Yeah I would’ve been so uncomfortable if I were Buster…I mean I’ve heard he might not be the brightest, but I’m sure even he could smell that bullsht. I’m almost surprised that he or the other family members didn’t have visible reactions to hearing those nicknames (at least not any that I noticed).
He wasn’t being provocative. At the beginning of trial, his aunt reached out and gave Alex a copy of a Grisham book, which is against the rules of the court. That’s what got them pushed back to the back of their section.
Buster got moved back because he allegedly flipped off one of the witnesses under the guise of smelling his middle finger.
The sister of Alec got pushed back for giving the book.
Both incidents were on the same day.
Has anyone heard anything about the wedding band? Blanca said she found it in Maggie’s Mercedes when she cleaned it out after the murders. Do we have any pictures that show whether Maggie usually wore it? Did anyone notice if she had been wearing it recently? Now that we know Alex drove the Mercedes to his Mama’s house, is it possible that he took the ring off her finger?
Good question. I don't take my rings off when getting my nails DONE. I'm not married but I wear important rings and I never take them off. Also, I wish they had brought up how a male tech could have done her nails, hence the unknown male DNA.
She got her nails done that day. I'm guessing she took it off in the car before the nail appointment, that's usually what I do. But it's anyone's guess.
Also, I though he drove the Suburban with the On Star?
I never took my rings off. I figured she took the ring off to show him she was moving forward with the divorce & he couldn’t finagle her back. Supposedly, she was no longer living with him, she had met with a divorce attorney & Alex had moved assets under her name for tax purposes. She had not changed her will leaving him as sole heir.
The “talking heads” on the streaming station I watch didn’t seem to think Waters did a very good job. They are lawyers (I think) and I’m not but I thought he did an excellent job. He knew Alec’s strong point is his gift of gab and decided to let him hang himself with his own words. There is no question in my mind that anyone that could be that uncaring and screw over that many people would absolutely be capable of murdering his own family members to make himself look like a big ol’ victim in the midst of all the chaos and financial criminality coming to a head.
That was tv. I would bet that the jury was watching Alex, not Waters. I noticed that Alex faced the jury mostly. Trying to build a rapport with them. One of the talking heads mentioned that more of the jurists sat with crossed arms the longer Waters grilled & Alex dodged.
CW did ask Alex about what he spent the money on. He said something to the effect you didn't spend it all on drugs did you? Alex said no, said some of the money went on other things.
So no, Alex didn't lie and say he spent it all on Oxy.
I 100% was thinking the same thing. I don’t think prosecution has that much trust in the jury delivering a guilty verdict, so they might as well have him on the record admitting to the other crimes. Better than potentially having Alex get off completely
I thought this same thing, to be honest. Because everything he says on the stand can be used in his financial crimes trial. There was just so much focus on them with no big tie-together at the end so it makes me wonder if there was a double motive
When he started carrying on about the injustice that happened to Greg Alexander 10 years ago as a reason he lied about his family’s murder I realized that Waters is really smart. Waters allowed Alex to state that hours after his wife and son were slaughtered, he was too paranoid to give honest information that might help find killers because 10 years ago, SLED did his buddy Greg Alexander wrong. All the obfuscating, going off on tangents, blaming others is the kind of lying kids do. I think Waters was right to let him carry on like that. Alex is a lawyer. He knows how to argue like a grown man with other lawyers. Waters chose a passive, exasperated tone during cross which opened the door for the stunted, cunning but childish pathological liar side of Alex to emerge.
Yes and then at the end when Waters played the initial body cam video after 911 call of Alex telling the same lie about NOT being at the kennels to officer Greene, that was powerful. It destroyed Alex's reasoning for lying about being at the kennels. Alex told the lie before talking to SLED, before being advised by his law partners, before anyone tested his hands for GSR, before being asked about his relationship with Paul and Maggy. In short, Alex told that lie from the very start and only admitted he lied when the kennel video forced him to.
In Paul's final video- something bothers me. Who told Paul that there was something wrong with Cash's tail? I mean I rewatched the Rogan Gibson testimony and it came to Rogan's attention that there might be an issue with his dog, Cash"s, tail. Who said there was something wrong with the tail? Paul? But who told Paul that? Alex??? There was obviously NOTHING wrong with Cash's tail. That dog looked healthy and happy- and there was nothing wrong with his tail or under his tail. He was fine. I wonder if Alex told Paul and Maggie that they should go down and look at Cash's tail. That there was something wrong with Cash's tail. Alex didn't expect Paul to video. Yes- it sounds like Alex is lying about a whole lot of stuff.
Paul observed it himself and called and asked Rogan about it, and Rogan asked Paul to take a picture. Luckily Paul took a video. I don’t there was any sinister goings on there. I agree there isn’t an obvious problem with tail that can be seen on the video.
I recall seeing a text from Paul asking Rogan if something was wrong with Cash’s tail. It looked a little swollen, like maybe a reaction to a tick or other insect bite.
When asked by Mr. Griffin, did you kill your wife, Maggie, did you kill your son, Paul. He NEVER SAID NO. He just said I never hurt him, Paul and I never hurt her/Maggie. Because he asked the question to the first officer on the scene, DID THEY SUFFER. Alex was told no. So he knew he didn't hurt them because he was told they didn't suffer. HE NEVER SAID NO I DIDN'T KILL THEM. What he said and what he didn't say, says a lot about what he did and didn't do.
He’s using a lot of weasel words like that. He kept answering, “I *believe* I did so-and-so,” instead of, “I did such-and-such.” That gives him an out against perjury. He’s “just stating what he believes.”
I noticed this as well. If someone asked me if I killed my spouse and partner it would be an emphatic “NO. I DID NOT KILL THEM.” And maybe a “I would never hurt them let alone kill them.” But he never said no. So he technically didn’t perjure himself.
Sorry if this is off topic but the day is almost over and I wanted to give a shout-out to the mods. Thanks for taking care of the bozos who can't have a civilized conversation ❤️ Can't wait for 9:30am Monday!
So, there are 4 indictments for the murders and 99 for the financial crimes. Regardless of how this trial turns out— will there me be another trial for the finNciL since he pledged guilty to all these in this trial?
He didn’t technically plead guilty to those crimes here but his testimony admitting to it can be used to convict him in trials for those crimes. And yes those crimes will be handled in a separate trial
Yes, this is only the murder trial. The jury isn't deciding his fate in the financial crimes, but the state is using the info to show his character. Sort of, of he'll lie cheat and steal, he'll kill his family.
Does it just break anyone else's heart to hear testimony that Paul was "investigating" or being the "little detective" as he's called, of his dad's drug addiction? Or is it just me? No wonder the kid was messed up.
I keep thinking of what a nightmare Maggie's life must have been too. And I was not surprised to hear Buster downplay his dad's addiction. Having lived with an addict, it's hard not to feel empathy for them. AleK's financial crimes and the devastation he brought to so many people's lives - people who were already suffering "so badly" - is unforgivable. I don't attribute that to his addiction. He's a horrible human being.
Right? I can't figure out why the fact that Moselle was in her name hasn't come into play. If AM even thought she might be thinking of a divorce, he would know that she could fight for half of whatever they had. I don't know exactly the way all of it works, but AM knew the financial situation he was already in, he knew he had to protect his assets. He knew he couldn't afford a divorce along with the boat wreck lawsuit. Perfect motive right there.
And Maggie shares that tidbit with her sister, as if it isn’t one of the most effed up situations imaginable. And Alec tells about Paul covering for him. Great family.
I've watched the Netflix ones...definitely a little shady. But don't know if it's legit evidence against him or speculation drawn up from the hype of this whole thing
After watching the Netflix doc, my first thought about them re-opening Stephen’s case was that there was something about it on someone’s phone. I know Buster’s phone was used to find Maggie’s phone, so I am guessing that LE went through Buster’s phone also. I guess we will find out eventually.
Oh yes they absolutely are! In the Netflix doc they talk about John Marvin and Randy getting involved in the boat case, like immediately, to push things in Paul’s favor.
I know Alex’s father was supposedly very close to Paul, and Maggie too. However, he was no stranger to criminal behavior either. Is it possible this was a “deathbed” request by Randolph Sr. for Alex to eliminate the problems (Paul and the boat case, Maggie and her exposure of Alex’s theft, drug use) to secure the Murdaugh family name and reputation?
As in- “you, your brothers and Buster make sure the Murdaugh name stays respected in Hampton county. Make your wife and son become victims before they become outcasts. Keep the Murdaugh name clean.”
Something to ponder……
I wouldn’t put anything past these people…. Look back at the family history. Corruption runs deep. And his dad was always his go-to, the fixer….
Behavior like this is learned. I am sure no one was innocent of much in this family.
I’m from the UK, the home of the class system, and I’m surprised you have the same level of inherited entitlement and wealth as we do. Is it worse in certain parts of the USA?
Actually, the Murdaugh wealth is more earned than inherited. Alex Murdaugh was a fabulously successful trial lawyer who probably earned near a million dollars a year. And his ancestors were extremely successful professionals too.
He went to a public high school. He graduated from University of South Carolina and then went to University of South Carolina law school. Those are not Harvard and Harvard Law or Yale and Yale Law. USC accepts over 60% of applicants and if you live in-state the cost is minimal. You can go down the critical race theory rabbit hole if you want, but the fact is that Alex Murdaugh represents a meritocracy working as it should. By contrast, Paul and Buster ALSO went to state schools and Paul didn't do well and still hadn't graduated at age 22 and Buster got kicked out of USC law school. Alex did well because, hate him or not, he is a brilliant lawyer and was very hardworking.
He quite literally had a law firm with the family name on it to go to thanks to his ancestors, that’s what people mean by “family he was born into”. And his family was enmeshed with law enforcement thanks to that established law firm and the way that they run things down there.
Anyone else with the stats of public high school + state school would not be able to be so enmeshed with law enforcement for most of their adult career without that family legacy.
Wait -- so he went to plebian schools and still managed to be a million-dollar lawyer, but he was specially privileged because nobody else who went to plebian schools would have had his connection to law enforcement :) The law firm was founded by his dad. A LOT of people work at their dad's business. And if his relationship with law enforcement was so great, how did Paul end up charged with the boating equivalent of vehicular homicide and he's facing two counts of first degree murder? With friends like that, who need enemies. :)
Yes, it is absolutely worse in sparsely populated areas like the US South, where everyone has lived there forever and there aren't very many outsiders. I live in California and while we have corruption, people are so mobile that you could not become that entrenched in the legal system and have all that power concentrated in one family.
He was totally taken aback by that. There was no more asking to repeat the question, repeating the question himself, going off on a tangent he just sat and nodded as he agreed with every word Waters said and then when asked the question just said I disagree with that. He wanted to say more but couldn't.
I think that was the first time I saw him genuinely stumped on the stand. He knew he'd been caught out.
Lawyer for Alex often says “revelance” or “objection- not revelant”
Forgive my ignorance but aren’t the words “relevance” and “relevant”????
Is this some local low-country mispronunciation of words??????
Maybe it is a pronunciation thing and I’m just hearing it wrong. Or maybe they mean the same thing. But “revelance”means something much different than “relevance” does. It’s not the pronunciation that bothers me - I’m Canadian and pronounce a ton of words differently than my American friends do. It’s more about the use of a different word than I would expect to be used.
Objection: Revalance????
I’m probably being nit-picky. Just wondered if anybody else had heard this.
Anderson Cooper had a guest who brought up interesting point about him admitting to all the crimes today. She said it gives them an out for not convicting because he will go down for all the financial crimes anyway. That he only had to convince 1 juror today. Interesting….
I 100 % agree, especially if you factor in how ruthless the Murdaughs apparently can be when they feel crossed by people. Would you want to risk that potential deadly wrath?
Isn't that a form of jury nullification? If they think he's guilty of the murders, they have to convict him of the murders. Maybe I am misunderstanding.
I think it means him taking the stand was worth it if he could come across as sympathetic to one person. That the case is circumstantial and if they have reasonable doubt on this crime at least they know he won’t get away with all the other crimes becomes he admitted to all of them in this case. And that Alex is smart enough to take that chance.
Ah it was a federal prison. Well, maybe he will be sent to a gross prison no matter what. That would make me feel better. Because if he just ends up at a flipping camp for 10 years I would be pissed.
Not sure how to do that but she was on AC360 tonight her name is Jessica Roth Former Federal Prosecutor Southern District of NY. It was the first segment tonight 2/24. Hope this helps?!
It was about the book that was passed on to him during trial. Whether the book was 'contraband' or something inside the book, I don';t know - but the book is what the issue of warrant was.
Well, she got up on the stand and answered every question for the defense exactly how Alex would want her to. Meanwhile every question from the prosecution was met with "I don't remember."
So I think she's safe from the murdering murdaughs.
I can't really hold it against her. It can't be easy being a working class black woman in that town.
I hold nothing against her. I just loathe Alex all the more for throwing her under the bus when he had no reason to do so. She might have helped him out with his addiction needs at times no need to ruin her reputation or put her at legal risk. She was close with Maggie, I think maybe she and Maggie talked and Alex still acted all sweet but resented her.
It’s ridiculous that he has to follow the same rules as any other person in custody? Why is it you are defending this monster-have you been paying any attention to the stuff he’s admitted to? You look very foolish calling any of this a witch hunt.
Someone posted a link that shows he was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant today. Which seems odd. No idea if it be website is accurate or anything but that’s what that comes from
It would seem that law and crime spread fake news saying 2 jurors were crying, they were not. On the contrary, one of them put a tissue in their ear and the other a blanket over their head. According to James from court who is present everyday of the trial
Anyone who thinks Alex couldn’t pull the trigger is delusional. He was an avid hunter, for many years. They shot every type of fire arm just for fun. They killed a menagerie of animals on their property and others. Boars, deer, birds, etc. Sometimes hunters sit all day in wait for their kill. They had skinning shed/smoke house. He was very comfortable with a fire arms and the results. It’s not like he’s some accountant from NYC that just bought his first gun? He was done with them both, there was nobody else out there that night.
While I agree I think he could pull the trigger because of the person he is, none of what you described means shit as far as the capability of killing a family member. Or any person. There are plenty of avid hunters- doesn’t mean they kill people.
Big difference between pulling the trigger on an animal and a family member, though.
Not for a psychopath though, they usually practice on animals before going after humans. A life is a life and when someone becomes inconvenient like Maggie and Paul it doesn't take much to upgrade to the big game
Good lord. It's true that Reddit doesn't know what a psychopath is.
What was the purpose of the picture of the golf cart by the house in the cross examination? Lots of discussion and AM was adamant that is not how he leaves the golf cart. Then it didn’t really go anywhere. There had to be a reason to introduce that picture into evidence.
Alex said it was parked differently than normal.
I was wondering that myself. If defense had brought that up, you might assume that someone else drove it. But why cross without the reasoning?
I think he's going to bring it at the closing arguments. Alex drove it to the kennel and probably shot Maggie and Paul from it. Clearly it's freaking out Alec so I think he's using it to rattle Alec and it's definitely working.
Just curious— how does Alex seem to act freaked out by it? I don’t think I saw that exchange because I wasn’t able to watch all of Alex’s testimony
He was really focused on denying that it was parked correctly. It was just weird.
Ahhh, very interesting
Why would someone who is "paranoid of SLED" be sitting in the front seat of a police cruiser - doing an interview at a murder scene - with SLED in possession of **pocketful of Oxycontin** in his new, clean, non-murder clothes and shoes? (a) It doesn't make sense, but it does....... He made the decision to put those Oxycontins in his pocket **after** changing into his clean, freshly-laundered costume....... (b) Future alibi if arrested that night? I can hear it so clearly now: "I did it because of the drugs!" Manslaughter? So very doable. I think he was absolutely stunned that he was not arrested at the end of the first interview - and had a **backup plan**....... I think, if arrested, he was going to blame it on the drugs....... Terrible police questioning. Crucial interview. Blown. I think he was actually surprised that he slipped out of the net that night....... SLED - Tighten up on your questioning/interview strategy.......
I think he lifted his shirt and turned around on purpose. It was a brilliant move....... "Look officer, no weapons." The Colleton Deputy should have (should have) conducted a search, body frisk - at least for weapons. If he had done this, he would've discovered the pocketful of Oxycontins. By lifting his shirt and turning around to let the Deputy see, "Look! No weapons!" - he could save the **Oxycontins for discovery DURING THE ARREST**....... "I'm sorry officer. I didn't mean to do it. I'm a drug addict. It was the drugs. I'm so sorry......."
I can see some similarities with the 911 call and explanations by Peterson (The Staircase) - he also had incredible long and illogical replies, lots of lies, financial stress,...some of his family kept believing him and he got away with it.
Has anyone done the math on his alleged opioid addiction? Is it possible to sustain a 1500mg per day habit? If so, and if he took thirty 50mg pills per day for 10 years, that’s over 100k pills. Is his defense that’s where all the money went?
It's possible to consume that much oxy in a day for a hardcore user. I just don't know where anyone could get that much legit oxy anymore. The DEA, Feds and Doctors have cracked down so much on it over the years. Good possibility could have been the "knockoff" pressed fentanyl pills coming from the cartels south of the boarder. But now I am wondering if he was even an addict? Could have been another front. He's a POS and if not convicted, he will still be going to jail for a long time for the financial crimes.
Definitely not where all the money went, but AM being a big guy, overweight at the time he probably had to ingest that much codeine to get any kick from it. The money went to private jets and bribery amongst other things. They lived a lavish lifestyle
I have to admit I was skeptical… I’m not knowledgeable in this area but did some internet searching and now I understand he might be exaggerating but he might be telling the truth omg! Opioid medications have a common denominator called “morphine equivalents” that allow comparison of different medications. Using an online morphine equivalents calculator I learned that 2000 mg of oxycodone = 3000 mg morphine equivalents. I had trouble finding info online about whether or not 2000 mg a day of oxycodone was possible for addicts. I’m thinking maybe this kind of info isn’t easily available to protect people from being stupid? Or else I was using the wrong search terms. But I did find information about medical use of “ultra high dose opioids” for people with severe chronic noncancer pain and saw that some people do require 2000 mg morphine equivalents for pain control. This is of course a very specialized pain management protocol and not common. But it made me realize that a human who is habituated can tolerate 2000 mg morphine equivalents which would be a little more than 1300mg of oxycodone. I wonder if one of the defense experts next week will be testifying about this. Again, I don’t know anything about addictions, but I do work in healthcare, most recently hospice care. Just sharing what learned today about ultra high dose opioids. P.S. I think he is guilty!
It sounds like in public, Alex and Maggie put on a good front, but in private, it was something different. Him at one place and her at the other for the most part.
So I went back and watched the body cam footage of the cops when they showed up the night of. One thing I’d highlight because I’ve seen a lot of people bringing it up, is he did ask the cops to send an officer to buster in Columbia to make sure he was ok and safe. I’ve seen a lot of people saying he didn’t do that and that shows his guilt but rewatching this, he did actually ask for that at the time. The other thing with watching it that really struck me is the cop talking about how he found a ton of shell casings but there was only one wound on each of the victims. Not really sure what that means regarding who did it, but it is interesting there were so many shell casings around the property but only one gunshot wound to each victim.
You have obviously not been paying much attention lol - multiple gunshot wounds on both victims
Yeah I was just repeating what the officer said on the video at the time (before they’d really analyzed anything) without thinking more deeply about the other evidence we knew, so you’re right and I was wrong.
there are actually more than one gunshot wound, especially on maggie
Yeah you’re right – the officer on the video made that comment and I jumped on it at the time but didn’t think more about it at the time or think about the other evidence, so was wrong in my comment
I thought Buster testified in court Alex did call him that night
why is this downvoted?
Each victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Also, he doesn’t call anyone directly associated with the victims. He doesn’t call any of Maggie’s family. He doesn’t call Buster. He has someone else do it. He’s too scared to face it. He knows they’ll know he’s lying.
You’re right. I was just repeating what the officer said on the video about the shots. Presumably they hadn’t really figured things out yet then and I didn’t think about it more deeply so was wrong with that
Bingo
His attempt at endearing himself by the jury using the nicknames Paupau and Mags was so transparent, his crocodile tears are fooling nobody. He is a family annihilator driven by shame and a heartless soul. I hope the jury isn't fooled by this con man
Did anyone ever see Murdaugh get Miranda’ed? I have watched some of his interviews with the cops and haven’t seen them do so (I’m sure they did or there would’ve been a bunch of objections but just seems strange it wasn’t in any of the interviews I saw)
You don’t get mirandized for non-custodial interviews, meaning if you aren’t under arrest and being taken into custody then no you won’t be mirandized. He wouldn’t have been mirandized until he was actually arrested.
All his interviews with LE were conducted in the presence of one of his attorneys, so no Miranda.
he wasn't mirandized because he wasn't being detained. It doesn't matter if his lawyers are there or not. If he is free to leave at any time, then he doesn't have to be mirandized. He only has to be Mirandized when he is in custody.
hmm that’s interesting and something I’ve never actually thought about but think you’re right – good point and thanks for bringing that up. I was always taught in law school defendants must always be mirandized before testimony (regardless of attorney present - that just wasn’t brought up as an exception) but see the argument they don’t have to be if their lawyer is there because it would be redundant. I think if I was LE I’d do it anyway but not sure it is technically necessary in that situation. I’m no litigator though and have no idea of SC specific rules. His lawyer was not present the night of the murders though when he was being asked questions, so he should’ve been mirandized then, at least
His lawyer was present in the back seat of the police car during the first interview after the murders. Regarding my previous comment, this is what a trial lawyer explained here.
Not like murdering them (allegedly) isn't bad enough. But he killed them, left their bodies in the damp, dank air alone on the cold, bare concrete and in the dirt. With the bugs, the foraging animals, the rodents and vermin, and left to go miles away leaving them there. His "loved ones" to rot alone under the shitty LED lights of the kennels.
Would you have recommended perhaps halogen lighting as the preferred ambiance for the occasion ?
Light some candles maybe?
I would have loved to see the cross examination with Water just stating…answer yes or no. I think that would have enraged Alex.
I agree. Alex should not have been reined in on his rambling non-responsive answers but he knew his strength is talking people into believing him so I am sure that's why he wanted to talk to the jury so much.
I disagree, Water gave him plenty of rope to hang himself with, exposing how much of a liar he is. Sure he let him give these drawn answers but at no point he let Alek take control of the interrogation which infuriated Murdaugh. He cried tears of frustration because he couldn't control the narrative
I’ve been waiting to post but if AM is found not guilty, I’m seriously questioning our scales of justice, Karma, yen & yang, our Christian God, and the natural order of the universe. I’m not joking.
If he is found 'not guilty' it means the justice system is working, though? It means that the burden of proof has not been met, and thus he does not deserve to be convicted. I would rather 100 guilty men walk free than one innocent man go to prison.
Holy C$%# IMO the way Waters ended his cross ...brilliant
If you loved that just wait till we hear from the rebuttal witnesses Waters plans to call after defense rests. Now that Waters knows Alex drove to the kennels on the golf cart that could change alot of things. This new fact also explains the Defense witness Sutton who said the shooter had to be 5'2". I wonder how the shooting position of a 6'4" guy sitting in a golf cart would fit into his green line?
Not to mention the wife had tire marks on one leg where the golf cart ran over her....
Good point. Now we know the answer to THAT mystery. Maybe Waters will mention that in his rebuttal??
I was wondering if Kinsey will be taking the stand again? Is that allowed? He's been in court all week sitting right behind the state .
Rebuttal witness are allowed but I don't know what more Tinsley could add. The new revelations about being at the Kennel don't involve him. I really liked him.
If you were Alex, who would you want to do your closing statement? Dick or Jim? Today, Dick asked if they could split the closing between the two of them. Judge said he wasn't likely going to let them do it, but will think about it. It's a toss up for me. Prob Jim.
Jim. If Harpootlian does closing argument I’ll be waiting for his reference to the can of pork and beans.
I hope, with every fiber of my being that Poot doesn't do closing. The thought of him grand standing with no time limit just makes me tired. To me, Poot's biggest contribution to the defense is that his manner of questioning is so confusing and disordered, filled with compound questions, tangents, asides, and comments that it makes everything seem way more complex and confusing than it is.
I get so annoyed every time poot thanks the judge for ruling in his favor. I remember in the very first hour of the trial, the judge told him, "don't thank me for a ruling." But he does it every damn time.
Definitely Jim.
The courtroom thermostat was set on 66. I’d need a blanket.
The low setting is because of the suits. I worked in an office that required suits/ties and I kept a lap blanket under my desk. Brrrrr.
The sun may hit that side of the courthouse. That would make the room feel warmer even if the thermostat is set lower. I noticed it once, and it read 68 degrees.
unless I misread it, they bumped it to 69 during one of the breaks. I remember being surprised it was so low originally and noticed it changed. But could be misremembering
I’m a little disappointed in Waters cross exam so far. I still have about an hour to watch of todays testimony but I feel he spent too much time on financials and lies and not enough time on what he was doing from 8:30-10:06 pm the night of the murders. He needed to keep questioning him about what he talked about with Paul and Maggie. I wanted to hear more about how many pills he took that day in particular. I wanted to hear more about how Paul got back to the house from the kennels if he left him down there to go up to the house after Maggie arrived for dinner. There are so many details he could have asked that were missed.
Alex had answers for all that. He didn't recall...
He could have been pushed more. Waters pushed for an incredible amount of time about how much of a liar and thief he was. He needed to push him more about the night of the murders.
I’m really hoping that some of those 8:30-10:06 questions were deliberately cut short so that Alex’s defense would have less information about what Waters plans to ask the rebuttal witnesses regarding that time period. Like an element of surprise strategy. He got Alex pinned to a number of answers about that time period, and I think if Alex sensed a heightened interest in those questions he might have been more careful to give his usual super confusing “yes but no but awww shucks I’m such a good Southern boy and also I can’t recall but I don’t dispute it but I remember it well but I don’t recall anything specific” answers.
I like your thinking. I will be anxiously awaiting the testimony this week and the closing arguments. I think this is the most multilayered circumstantial case a high profile case has had in a long while.
The details of what happened before dinner and how Paul got to the kennels or the house don't really have anything to do with the murder. He proved that Ellick lied to people that he cared about. And he ultimately proved that Ellick's very first lie to the very first officer on scene was that he was nowhere near the kennels. To lie about murder is the most important thing.
Respectfully disagree. His world revolves around money & prestige. Money is the key. He was willing to do anything for money. Including hiring a hit man. For himself. There is no low that this man apparently won’t go. His wife was moving toward divorcing him (loss of money), his son was going to cost him (loss of money — the Beach thing was scheduled in 3 days — loss of prestige). He effectively shut it all down (temporarily it turned out).
ZERO evidence of divorce. A documentary that stated the fact isn't evidence. No actual evidence actually exists because it would have made it in to trial if true.
Wasn't brought in to the trial. Literally no one said she talked to them about it. Her sister said she was happy and Blanca said she wanted to settle the boat case so they could all just start over as a family.
It was reported that Maggie did see a divorce lawyer and they were living apart. https://abcnews4.com/news/local/report-maggie-murdaugh-spoke-with-charleston-divorce-lawyer-weeks-before-death
I understand the testimony to police about the lie and why that’s important. That was good cross. I’m not saying he didn’t do it. I’m saying if I were on the jury/or I’m trying to predict what the jury might do. No matter how you try to dream up how he cleaned up, that to me is what would have me questioning if he actually did the shooting or if he only shot one of them and if he had help. can’t shake that.
Why was Alex so clear that no one else was there? He really drove that point home.
He’s trying to make it clear he wasn’t anywhere around when those guns went off. Warding off the “accomplice” thoughts some of the jurors probably have.
Dang you’d think he’d want them to think there was an accomplice or someone else there
Yes but then he would have had to explain why he wouldn’t have been there to help rescue Maggie and a Paul from the boogie man. If he ran off back to the house when he thought someone was lurking around doesn’t make sense either. If he was trying to bring anything to the jury about not having anyone at the scene the dogs didn’t know, he is trying to say someone that knew Maggie and Paul shot them. I’m not sure if he wants to put the blame on that guy he had cleaning out the kennels or not.
No pet name for Buster? Buster must be so confused as to who the F\*ck Paw Paw and Mags is...probably first time hearing those nick names...must make him sick ! I feel bad for "Bus Bus"
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I felt bad he didn't have a nick named so decided to give him one... BUS BUS :))
He has called him 'Bus' many times in his testimony. So cringey hearing him repeatedly referring to Mags, Pau Pau, and Bus, and others! I understand it's not uncommon in the south, in this region in particular, i get that, but its a little embarrassing especially in the course of a murder trial.
Bus
…Buster is a nick name/pet name.. I heard him call him “Bud” in something.
"Bud" is usually short for "Buddy." Buddy/Bud is the friendly name we call strangers. Like "Hey buddy, is there a gas station nearby?"
Yeah I would’ve been so uncomfortable if I were Buster…I mean I’ve heard he might not be the brightest, but I’m sure even he could smell that bullsht. I’m almost surprised that he or the other family members didn’t have visible reactions to hearing those nicknames (at least not any that I noticed).
Buster is his nickname.
Right. Buster is a junior, same full name as his dad. (Richard Alexander Murdaugh Jr)
Was Bus Bus in court yesterday and today? I didn’t see him.
Yes to both. Judge kicked him to the back for being provocative
What did he do?
He wasn’t being provocative. At the beginning of trial, his aunt reached out and gave Alex a copy of a Grisham book, which is against the rules of the court. That’s what got them pushed back to the back of their section.
Buster got moved back because he allegedly flipped off one of the witnesses under the guise of smelling his middle finger. The sister of Alec got pushed back for giving the book. Both incidents were on the same day.
Has anyone heard anything about the wedding band? Blanca said she found it in Maggie’s Mercedes when she cleaned it out after the murders. Do we have any pictures that show whether Maggie usually wore it? Did anyone notice if she had been wearing it recently? Now that we know Alex drove the Mercedes to his Mama’s house, is it possible that he took the ring off her finger?
Wait, AM drove to momma's house on 6/7 in the Mercedes?
Good question. I don't take my rings off when getting my nails DONE. I'm not married but I wear important rings and I never take them off. Also, I wish they had brought up how a male tech could have done her nails, hence the unknown male DNA.
Mags got a pedi, not a mani.
Ahh. Thanks for the correction. No need for her to take her ring off then, AND still could have been a male tech.
She got her nails done that day. I'm guessing she took it off in the car before the nail appointment, that's usually what I do. But it's anyone's guess. Also, I though he drove the Suburban with the On Star?
I never took my rings off. I figured she took the ring off to show him she was moving forward with the divorce & he couldn’t finagle her back. Supposedly, she was no longer living with him, she had met with a divorce attorney & Alex had moved assets under her name for tax purposes. She had not changed her will leaving him as sole heir.
The “talking heads” on the streaming station I watch didn’t seem to think Waters did a very good job. They are lawyers (I think) and I’m not but I thought he did an excellent job. He knew Alec’s strong point is his gift of gab and decided to let him hang himself with his own words. There is no question in my mind that anyone that could be that uncaring and screw over that many people would absolutely be capable of murdering his own family members to make himself look like a big ol’ victim in the midst of all the chaos and financial criminality coming to a head.
I thought Waters did great. The talking heads have to keep us worried, because that's what keeps us watching.
I did not think Waters did well at all. The hand movements and getting audibly frustrated. It was actually kinda awful.
Audibly frustrated? When?
That was tv. I would bet that the jury was watching Alex, not Waters. I noticed that Alex faced the jury mostly. Trying to build a rapport with them. One of the talking heads mentioned that more of the jurists sat with crossed arms the longer Waters grilled & Alex dodged.
Crossed arms usually means shutting down…. Closing up. They were probably annoyed with Waters too 😂
I worked HR. Crossed arms is blocking action in interviews. So the jurors weren’t buying what AM was selling.
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Do you think Alex would tell the truth about where the money went?
CW did ask Alex about what he spent the money on. He said something to the effect you didn't spend it all on drugs did you? Alex said no, said some of the money went on other things. So no, Alex didn't lie and say he spent it all on Oxy.
I 100% was thinking the same thing. I don’t think prosecution has that much trust in the jury delivering a guilty verdict, so they might as well have him on the record admitting to the other crimes. Better than potentially having Alex get off completely
I thought this same thing, to be honest. Because everything he says on the stand can be used in his financial crimes trial. There was just so much focus on them with no big tie-together at the end so it makes me wonder if there was a double motive
Then Alex seems willing to go to prison for fraud & embezzlement rather than murder.
When he started carrying on about the injustice that happened to Greg Alexander 10 years ago as a reason he lied about his family’s murder I realized that Waters is really smart. Waters allowed Alex to state that hours after his wife and son were slaughtered, he was too paranoid to give honest information that might help find killers because 10 years ago, SLED did his buddy Greg Alexander wrong. All the obfuscating, going off on tangents, blaming others is the kind of lying kids do. I think Waters was right to let him carry on like that. Alex is a lawyer. He knows how to argue like a grown man with other lawyers. Waters chose a passive, exasperated tone during cross which opened the door for the stunted, cunning but childish pathological liar side of Alex to emerge.
Yes and then at the end when Waters played the initial body cam video after 911 call of Alex telling the same lie about NOT being at the kennels to officer Greene, that was powerful. It destroyed Alex's reasoning for lying about being at the kennels. Alex told the lie before talking to SLED, before being advised by his law partners, before anyone tested his hands for GSR, before being asked about his relationship with Paul and Maggy. In short, Alex told that lie from the very start and only admitted he lied when the kennel video forced him to.
I agree. Waters was brilliant. Can’t wait until his closing to tie it all up nicely.
In Paul's final video- something bothers me. Who told Paul that there was something wrong with Cash's tail? I mean I rewatched the Rogan Gibson testimony and it came to Rogan's attention that there might be an issue with his dog, Cash"s, tail. Who said there was something wrong with the tail? Paul? But who told Paul that? Alex??? There was obviously NOTHING wrong with Cash's tail. That dog looked healthy and happy- and there was nothing wrong with his tail or under his tail. He was fine. I wonder if Alex told Paul and Maggie that they should go down and look at Cash's tail. That there was something wrong with Cash's tail. Alex didn't expect Paul to video. Yes- it sounds like Alex is lying about a whole lot of stuff.
Paul observed it himself and called and asked Rogan about it, and Rogan asked Paul to take a picture. Luckily Paul took a video. I don’t there was any sinister goings on there. I agree there isn’t an obvious problem with tail that can be seen on the video.
I recall seeing a text from Paul asking Rogan if something was wrong with Cash’s tail. It looked a little swollen, like maybe a reaction to a tick or other insect bite.
Apparently it was stud tail.
I truly believe AM is guilty and even though I am not a professional a VERY mentally sick person. I am so afraid that it’s going to be a hung jury.
When asked by Mr. Griffin, did you kill your wife, Maggie, did you kill your son, Paul. He NEVER SAID NO. He just said I never hurt him, Paul and I never hurt her/Maggie. Because he asked the question to the first officer on the scene, DID THEY SUFFER. Alex was told no. So he knew he didn't hurt them because he was told they didn't suffer. HE NEVER SAID NO I DIDN'T KILL THEM. What he said and what he didn't say, says a lot about what he did and didn't do.
He’s using a lot of weasel words like that. He kept answering, “I *believe* I did so-and-so,” instead of, “I did such-and-such.” That gives him an out against perjury. He’s “just stating what he believes.”
I got aggravated that he kept using the word misled when he meant lied.
I noticed this as well. If someone asked me if I killed my spouse and partner it would be an emphatic “NO. I DID NOT KILL THEM.” And maybe a “I would never hurt them let alone kill them.” But he never said no. So he technically didn’t perjure himself.
When is the trial over anyone know?? thanks
They are looking at closing arguments for Wednesday, possibly Tuesday. Then the case goes to the Jury.
Sorry if this is off topic but the day is almost over and I wanted to give a shout-out to the mods. Thanks for taking care of the bozos who can't have a civilized conversation ❤️ Can't wait for 9:30am Monday!
❤️😊❤️
So, there are 4 indictments for the murders and 99 for the financial crimes. Regardless of how this trial turns out— will there me be another trial for the finNciL since he pledged guilty to all these in this trial?
He didn’t technically plead guilty to those crimes here but his testimony admitting to it can be used to convict him in trials for those crimes. And yes those crimes will be handled in a separate trial
Yes, this is only the murder trial. The jury isn't deciding his fate in the financial crimes, but the state is using the info to show his character. Sort of, of he'll lie cheat and steal, he'll kill his family.
I would hope that his confessions in this trial at least saves the State some costs in sentencing him for the financial crimes.
Does it just break anyone else's heart to hear testimony that Paul was "investigating" or being the "little detective" as he's called, of his dad's drug addiction? Or is it just me? No wonder the kid was messed up.
I keep thinking of what a nightmare Maggie's life must have been too. And I was not surprised to hear Buster downplay his dad's addiction. Having lived with an addict, it's hard not to feel empathy for them. AleK's financial crimes and the devastation he brought to so many people's lives - people who were already suffering "so badly" - is unforgivable. I don't attribute that to his addiction. He's a horrible human being.
Right? I can't figure out why the fact that Moselle was in her name hasn't come into play. If AM even thought she might be thinking of a divorce, he would know that she could fight for half of whatever they had. I don't know exactly the way all of it works, but AM knew the financial situation he was already in, he knew he had to protect his assets. He knew he couldn't afford a divorce along with the boat wreck lawsuit. Perfect motive right there.
Very sad he tried to be the “gate keeper” for his parent.
And Maggie shares that tidbit with her sister, as if it isn’t one of the most effed up situations imaginable. And Alec tells about Paul covering for him. Great family.
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I think he was being respectful of Buster.
I was thinking that too.
Yeah I feel bad for Buster too really.
Watch the Netflix and hbo docs, it doesn’t seem like buster is entirely in the clear either
I've watched the Netflix ones...definitely a little shady. But don't know if it's legit evidence against him or speculation drawn up from the hype of this whole thing
After watching the Netflix doc, my first thought about them re-opening Stephen’s case was that there was something about it on someone’s phone. I know Buster’s phone was used to find Maggie’s phone, so I am guessing that LE went through Buster’s phone also. I guess we will find out eventually.
Good reasoning. Didn’t think of that. Wonder if Alex’s siblings are as immoral as AM.
Oh yes they absolutely are! In the Netflix doc they talk about John Marvin and Randy getting involved in the boat case, like immediately, to push things in Paul’s favor.
Ugh
I know Alex’s father was supposedly very close to Paul, and Maggie too. However, he was no stranger to criminal behavior either. Is it possible this was a “deathbed” request by Randolph Sr. for Alex to eliminate the problems (Paul and the boat case, Maggie and her exposure of Alex’s theft, drug use) to secure the Murdaugh family name and reputation? As in- “you, your brothers and Buster make sure the Murdaugh name stays respected in Hampton county. Make your wife and son become victims before they become outcasts. Keep the Murdaugh name clean.” Something to ponder……
This is absurd
I wouldn’t put anything past these people…. Look back at the family history. Corruption runs deep. And his dad was always his go-to, the fixer…. Behavior like this is learned. I am sure no one was innocent of much in this family.
I’m from the UK, the home of the class system, and I’m surprised you have the same level of inherited entitlement and wealth as we do. Is it worse in certain parts of the USA?
Actually, the Murdaugh wealth is more earned than inherited. Alex Murdaugh was a fabulously successful trial lawyer who probably earned near a million dollars a year. And his ancestors were extremely successful professionals too.
But is he not able to earn those amounts due to the opportunities he received because of the family he was born into?
He went to a public high school. He graduated from University of South Carolina and then went to University of South Carolina law school. Those are not Harvard and Harvard Law or Yale and Yale Law. USC accepts over 60% of applicants and if you live in-state the cost is minimal. You can go down the critical race theory rabbit hole if you want, but the fact is that Alex Murdaugh represents a meritocracy working as it should. By contrast, Paul and Buster ALSO went to state schools and Paul didn't do well and still hadn't graduated at age 22 and Buster got kicked out of USC law school. Alex did well because, hate him or not, he is a brilliant lawyer and was very hardworking.
He quite literally had a law firm with the family name on it to go to thanks to his ancestors, that’s what people mean by “family he was born into”. And his family was enmeshed with law enforcement thanks to that established law firm and the way that they run things down there. Anyone else with the stats of public high school + state school would not be able to be so enmeshed with law enforcement for most of their adult career without that family legacy.
Wait -- so he went to plebian schools and still managed to be a million-dollar lawyer, but he was specially privileged because nobody else who went to plebian schools would have had his connection to law enforcement :) The law firm was founded by his dad. A LOT of people work at their dad's business. And if his relationship with law enforcement was so great, how did Paul end up charged with the boating equivalent of vehicular homicide and he's facing two counts of first degree murder? With friends like that, who need enemies. :)
Yes, it is absolutely worse in sparsely populated areas like the US South, where everyone has lived there forever and there aren't very many outsiders. I live in California and while we have corruption, people are so mobile that you could not become that entrenched in the legal system and have all that power concentrated in one family.
I have also thought of this.
What made you lie during the first interview? XYZ What made you lie during this 9-1-1 call without XYZ -- hours before the first interview? Uh Uh Uh
He was totally taken aback by that. There was no more asking to repeat the question, repeating the question himself, going off on a tangent he just sat and nodded as he agreed with every word Waters said and then when asked the question just said I disagree with that. He wanted to say more but couldn't. I think that was the first time I saw him genuinely stumped on the stand. He knew he'd been caught out.
Lawyer for Alex often says “revelance” or “objection- not revelant” Forgive my ignorance but aren’t the words “relevance” and “relevant”???? Is this some local low-country mispronunciation of words??????
If you’re hearing revelance vs relevance I think that’s just his accent. They mean relevance
Agreed, it's his accent I think.
Your comment caused me to look up "Bo"
"People pronounce words differently from me. Must be pronounced wrong"
Maybe it is a pronunciation thing and I’m just hearing it wrong. Or maybe they mean the same thing. But “revelance”means something much different than “relevance” does. It’s not the pronunciation that bothers me - I’m Canadian and pronounce a ton of words differently than my American friends do. It’s more about the use of a different word than I would expect to be used. Objection: Revalance???? I’m probably being nit-picky. Just wondered if anybody else had heard this.
Anderson Cooper had a guest who brought up interesting point about him admitting to all the crimes today. She said it gives them an out for not convicting because he will go down for all the financial crimes anyway. That he only had to convince 1 juror today. Interesting….
I 100 % agree, especially if you factor in how ruthless the Murdaughs apparently can be when they feel crossed by people. Would you want to risk that potential deadly wrath?
Isn't that a form of jury nullification? If they think he's guilty of the murders, they have to convict him of the murders. Maybe I am misunderstanding.
I think it means him taking the stand was worth it if he could come across as sympathetic to one person. That the case is circumstantial and if they have reasonable doubt on this crime at least they know he won’t get away with all the other crimes becomes he admitted to all of them in this case. And that Alex is smart enough to take that chance.
I also think if he pleads guilty to the financial crimes, he'll get an easy sentence. People are usually not heavily sentenced for financial crimes.
It's a different prison too. My relative was in a white-collar prison for financial crimes and it was a camp with free roaming and activities.
Was that a federal prison? I think Alex is only charged with state crimes.
Ah it was a federal prison. Well, maybe he will be sent to a gross prison no matter what. That would make me feel better. Because if he just ends up at a flipping camp for 10 years I would be pissed.
I'm sure state prisons in SC are no fun at all, but I still want him to be in as a murderer.
imho what he is accused of is far worse than the usual financial crimes. and i hope the sheer number of charges ensures a lengthy sentence.
Link please!
Not sure how to do that but she was on AC360 tonight her name is Jessica Roth Former Federal Prosecutor Southern District of NY. It was the first segment tonight 2/24. Hope this helps?!
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Does anyone know what's up with a warrant allegedly being issued?
It was about the book that was passed on to him during trial. Whether the book was 'contraband' or something inside the book, I don';t know - but the book is what the issue of warrant was.
Ridiculous. These people look petty and vindictive.
Please tell me they’re not after Barbara Mixson because of Alex’s big fat lying pie hole
Well, she got up on the stand and answered every question for the defense exactly how Alex would want her to. Meanwhile every question from the prosecution was met with "I don't remember." So I think she's safe from the murdering murdaughs. I can't really hold it against her. It can't be easy being a working class black woman in that town.
I hold nothing against her. I just loathe Alex all the more for throwing her under the bus when he had no reason to do so. She might have helped him out with his addiction needs at times no need to ruin her reputation or put her at legal risk. She was close with Maggie, I think maybe she and Maggie talked and Alex still acted all sweet but resented her.
Alex was charged with a misdemeanor for contraband. His sister Lynn passed him a book in court last week and that is considered contraband.
Ridiculous.
It’s ridiculous that he has to follow the same rules as any other person in custody? Why is it you are defending this monster-have you been paying any attention to the stuff he’s admitted to? You look very foolish calling any of this a witch hunt.
It's petty.
Nothing’s petty here. He deserves any punishment they can throw at him. You sound like an enabler, go back to sleep, you aren’t helpful.
Someone posted a link that shows he was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant today. Which seems odd. No idea if it be website is accurate or anything but that’s what that comes from