The Murdaugh Murders in South Carolina

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Leeea

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2020
3,795
5,549
136
The problem with vigilante "justice" is that it usually involves committing worse crimes than the original injustice. In other words, teenagers and a drunken boating accident are fucked up enough, but double murder and attempted murder are much more so.
Totally.

Which is why it is best to allow the gears of actual justice spin as they will.


What would have happened here? Worst case his son gets a few years in jail with some probation. Better outcome then double murder and attempted suicide.
 

maluckey1

Senior member
Mar 15, 2018
331
144
86
Totally.

Which is why it is best to allow the gears of actual justice spin as they will.


What would have happened here? Worst case his son gets a few years in jail with some probation. Better outcome then double murder and attempted suicide.

Agreed. But one of many issues is that sometimes, people just make bad decisions on top of worse decisions.

In a small border town where I used to live, there was a guy facing class C misdemeanor assault/battery in a bar room dustup with my group of friends (zero jail time likely). Afterwards he conspired with a local cop (now former cop) to intimidate witnesses with terroristic threats. He just kept digging deeper into trouble. He never showed in court, was tried in absentia and convicted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Leeea

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,189
14,114
136
Well holy crap, what a bizarre case. They just caught the guy who shot Murdaugh. The theory that Murdaugh shot himself was incorrect but not far off. He paid some guy named Curtis Smith to shoot him in the head so that his son would collect on a $10 million life insurance policy.

So far Murdaugh has not been charged but I imagine there will be something pending. Filing a false police report at a minimum. Insurance fraud, for sure.


I'm sure more sordid details will emerge in the near future.

Taking bets on how long it takes before this is a limited series on Netflix.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: pmv
Nov 17, 2019
12,259
7,377
136
Oh what a tangled web we weave ....


COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A prominent South Carolina lawyer who found the bodies of his wife and son three months ago, tried to arrange his own death earlier this month so his son would get a $10 million life insurance payment, but the planned fatal shot only grazed his head, state police said Tuesday.

The shooter, Curtis Edward Smith, was charged with assisted suicide, insurance fraud and several other counts in the Sept. 4 shooting of Alex Murdaugh on a lonely highway in Hampton County, the State Law Enforcement Division said in a statement.

Murdaugh was not charged Tuesday night, but agents said more charges were expected.

Murdaugh gave Smith the gun to kill him and he followed Murdaugh to Old Salkehatchie Road firing one shot at the lawyer as he stood in the road, an agent said in a sworn statement.

But that bullet only grazed Murdaugh's head and he was able to call 911 for help, authorities said. Murdaugh's lawyer said last week his skull was fractured by the bullet.

Murdaugh wanted Smith to kill him so his surviving son would get his $10 million life insurance policy, state agents said.

Smith drove off after the shooting and disposed of the gun, authorities said.

 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
24,222
10,877
136
It's like a bad Snapped show, except it's not for just $40,000 in life insurance.
 
Last edited:

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Jan 2, 2001
25,080
4,544
136
Jeez - is there no end to the number of deaths/attempted deaths this family is involved with?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Muse

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,189
14,114
136
Jeez - is there no end to the number of deaths/attempted deaths this family is involved with?

Yes, and I'm reading about more and more every day.


Evidently, Murdaugh's housekeeper died in his house three years ago, from an apparent slip and fall. Murdaugh was sued for wrongful death, agreed to settle for $500,000, then didn't pay the settlement.

Also, he turned himself in today because the police were seeking his arrest for the life insurance fraud.

I honestly think Murdaugh would have been a lot better off if the person he hired to kill him had better aim.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hal2kilo

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,986
3,320
126
Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and his son!! Then he set himself up to appear to have been attacked!
Alex Murdaugh is being investigated for shady business practices.......
You heard it here first --- Alex Murdaugh is one scummy dude!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Muse

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Jan 2, 2001
25,080
4,544
136
And the body count's still rising! :eek:

"About two weeks after the killings" (the wife and son), "SLED announced that, based on information gathered in the course of the investigation, it was reopening an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old whose body was found on a Hampton County road in 2015."


 
Last edited:
  • Wow
Reactions: pmv

pmv

Lifer
May 30, 2008
13,636
8,522
136
Not sure whether to be relieved I'm not a detective on this case, or whether such professionals relish a good complicated mess of a case. It's the sort of thing detectives and local journalists get to one-day publish best-selling books about.

One report said that the guy was mistaken in thinking his insurance wouldn't pay out if he committed suicide, i.e. he didn't actually need to put out a hit on himself at all.
 
Nov 17, 2019
12,259
7,377
136
This just seems like piling on now ....

Former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh indicted on 27 new crimes

www.nbcnews.com.ico
NBC News|18 minutes ago
Suspended South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was charged with 27 new crimes, the state Attorney General announced Friday.



Another article says something like 75 counts in all.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: hal2kilo

dawp

Lifer
Jul 2, 2005
11,347
2,709
136
This just seems like piling on now ....

Former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh indicted on 27 new crimes

www.nbcnews.com.ico
NBC News|18 minutes ago
Suspended South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was charged with 27 new crimes, the state Attorney General announced Friday.



Another article says something like 75 counts in all.
The embattled lawyer was previously indicted in November and December by a South Carolina grand jury for 48 counts including breach of trust with fraudulent intent, forgery, money laundering, computer crimes, and obtaining property by false pretenses.
so 48 + 27 counts total
 

Hulk

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,467
2,416
136
The prosecution lost the case when the investigator doubled down on hearing "I did him so bad" even when hearing it slowed down clearly showed he said "They."

It is obvious the defense is basing it's case on prooving that the Police had a bias to make the evidence "fit" Alex. This one example is all the jury (or at least one of them is going to need) to convince themselves of "reasonable doubt" regardless what the rest of the evidence shows.

The result will be a hung jury.
 

Lanyap

Elite Member
Dec 23, 2000
8,185
2,232
136
My wife has been keeping up wth this case in the news. It's crazy. From everything she told me this guy needs life in prison with no parol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hulk