Murdaugh Murders Podcast - Means, Motive & Opportunity - Who Killed Maggie & Paul? Part Four (S01E48)

Episode Date: June 8, 2022

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh's murders. Unfortunately, there still have not been any arrests in the crime that has evolved into the most notorious murder investigation in recent South Carolina history.  However, this week we broke some important news in the double homicide.  Audio and video evidence obtained by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division shows that Alex Murdaugh was at Moselle in the moments just before the murders.  In this episode, Mandy and Liz take you through everything we know about the double homicide — the means, the motive, and opportunity.  We’ve learned in this case how important sunlight is — and you’ll hear attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter and FITSNews founding editor Will Folks talk about that.  Also in this episode, we share good news in the jailhouse phone call case.  The Murdaugh Murders Podcast is created by Mandy Matney and Luna Shark Productions. Our Executive Editor is Liz Farrell. Advertising is curated by the talented team at AdLarge Media. Find us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/MurdaughPod/ https://www.instagram.com/murdaughmurderspod/ For current and accurate updates: Twitter.com/mandymatney Support Our Podcast at: https://murdaughmurderspodcast.com/support-the-show Please consider sharing your support by leaving a review on Apple at the following link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/murdaugh-murders-podcast/id1573560247 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I don't know when we will see murder charges filed in the double homicide of Maggie and Paul Murdoch, but one year later sources told Fitznews that there is a mountain of evidence including audio and video stacked up against Ellick Murdoch in the case and we are closer than ever to getting answers. My name is Mandy Matney. I've been investigating the Murdoch family for more than three years now. This is the Murdoch Murders Podcast with David Moses and Liz Farrell. So once again, there was a lot of news and several Murdoch related stories this week.

Ellick Murdoch signed the confession of judgment in the Satterfield case and a judge approved it, meaning it's official now that he admitted to stealing $4.3 million from the Satterfield family. Also, Sled released a statement confirming that the agency has requested permission from the Satterfield family to exhume Gloria Satterfield's body and we will get into all of that in a later podcast. This week, a judge also ruled that Ellick Murdoch had violated a court order when he tried to disclaim interest in Maggie's estate, but because Ellick is in jail and does not

have access to his money, the judge decided against imposing sanctions on him. Finally, a federal judge ruled against Ellick Murdoch's attorneys in the Jailhouse phone call case. We will talk about that at the end of this podcast. So Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of Maggie and Paul Murdoch's double homicide. And unfortunately, there are still no arrests in the crime that has evolved into the most notorious murder investigation in recent South Carolina history. I was really hoping that today's podcast would be different.

I was hoping that this week would be the week where, finally, murder charges would be filed and we could finally see the end of this crazy roller coaster we've been on. It's been a really long year for a lot of people close to these cases and a painful year for the loved ones, for the family and friends of victims who still need answers. This story is messy and it's not one to be tied up in a neat bow even when the double homicide charges happen, but the show must go on and we will continue to shine sunlight on this case until every bad actor is exposed. Fitz News did break some important news in the double homicide this week.

Audio and video evidence obtained by the South Carolina law enforcement division shows that Ellick Murdoch was at Moselle in the moments before the murders. He not only saw his wife and son, he interacted with Maggie and Paul shortly before they were killed, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation. Video found on Paul Murdoch's now unlocked phone shows Ellick and Maggie apparently talking near the dog kennels on the evening of June 7th, 2021, according to multiple sources. This is an important piece of information because Ellick had told investigators he had not gone near the kennels at or around the time law enforcement believes Maggie and Paul were murdered,

according to several sources. In fact, he had said that he had not seen Maggie and Paul before leaving for Varmville that evening, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal that said, Ellick was with his father at the hospital, according to a person close to the family. He came back to Moselle, took a nap, and when he awoke, he left to check on his mother, who suffers from dementia. He did not see Maggie and Paul before he left, according to the person. Back in June, 2021, Murdoch's attorneys told Will Fulks at Fitznews similar information that supports the Wall Street Journal's account. We're told that the video was taken by happenstance, that Ellick and Maggie were in the background as Paul was taking a video of something else for a

friend. This is the latest piece of information in what sources with knowledge of the investigation have called a, quote, mountain of evidence against Ellick in the double homicide. We want to be clear, though. We are not saying Ellick did this. We also want to make sure that you guys all understand how we report stories like this. We have really good sources and a really good network of people to turn to with questions or when we need insight about information we have received. This network has taken us years to build and goes way beyond the Murdochs. Every piece of information we've reported and that we are reporting today has been vetted. In fact, most of our effort goes into vetting our information. One sentence can require a dozen texts or phone calls before we

feel good about it. So just know when we don't name sources, it does not mean we relied on what one person was telling us to be true. Also, we always check with our sources to ensure that what we are reporting does not impede the investigation. Now, whoever gets charged with killing Maggie and Paul, a jury is going to have to consider whether that person had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit these murders. So that's what we're going to look at today. But before we do, we want to replay a part of the 911 call that Alec made that night. Okay. Did you see anyone? Okay. Is he breathing at all? No. No. Is she? Okay. Do you see anything? Do you see anyone in the area?

No, ma'am. No, ma'am. What color is your house on the outside? What color is your house on the outside? It's black. You can't see it from the road. Okay. Is it a house or mobile home? It's a house. Okay. And what is your name? My name is Alec Murdoch. So we'll start with the means, which is basically the availability of tools to commit a particular crime. As y'all know, the Murdochs were avid hunters and Moselle was a 1700 acre preserve where Paul spent a lot of time outdoors. We're told he was happiest when he was in the woods. The Murdochs also did a lot of shooting on that property, both for hunting and for fun. According to multiple sources, the property had a lot of casings for multiple weapons that they

had collected on the ground over time. Unsurprisingly, according to multiple sources close to the Murdoch family, there were a lot of guns at Moselle. I've seen a video of one of the family's gun racks at Moselle. It showed a variety of easily accessible firearms hanging like garden equipment for anyone to grab. I've also been told that the Murdochs usually had guns in their vehicles. I say this because there is a lot of mystery in the double homicide, particularly around the fact the two weapons were used in these crimes. But this does not necessarily mean that there were two shooters. It could just mean that Maggie and Paul were killed separately. Maybe the killer ran out of bullets and maybe needed to grab another gun. It also doesn't necessarily mean that trained

assassins committed the crime as so many have theorized. Paul Murdoch was shot twice with a shotgun. He was shot in the chest and in the head once with a birdshot and again with buckshot, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the case. We've also been told by a friend of the Murdochs that the family was known for the way they loaded their shotguns, which was to alternate birdshot and buckshot. Maggie Murdoch was shot multiple times with a high-powered rifle, which we're told uses a fairly uncommon and expensive ammunition, ammunition that the Murdochs also owned. I've also seen a chilling video of a younger Paul Murdoch holding and pointing what looks like this particular weapon at Moselle. Investigators believe Maggie Murdoch

initially froze then ran from the gunman before falling to the ground. She received a bullet wound in the back of her head at close range while lying face down, according to multiple sources. Shortly after the murders, Fitznews exclusively reported that both Maggie and Paul were killed execution style. That initial report seems to have stemmed from the fact that both Maggie and Paul were shot in the head at close range. Fitznews was also first to report that at least one of the weapons used in the double homicide belonged to the Murdoch family. We are not sure if law enforcement has recovered those weapons, but sources say that shell casings trace Murdoch to the scene. Close range shootings like these can result in the presence of high velocity impacts batter

on anything or anyone in proximity at the time the weapon was fired. Back in January, Fitznews exclusively reported that physical evidence linked Ellic Murdoch to the murder scene at the time Maggie and Paul were killed. In April, we learned more information about physical evidence which were told is high velocity impacts batter that was found on Ellic Murdoch's clothes. I want to emphasize this because it's been incorrectly reported more times than I can count. Our sources have specifically said that high velocity impact not blood spatter was found on Ellic's clothes. This was the first piece of evidence that we reported on placing Ellic at the scene of the murders when at least one of the victims was killed. Sources close to the

investigation have told us there is no other way Ellic could have gotten this spatter on him, noting that it could only come from one thing and we'll be right back. Let's take a look at the possible motives now. Where to start? As you guys know, things were not going great for Ellic at the time of the murders. It was becoming a real pressure cooker of a situation for him. Clearly, the boat crash case wasn't going away anytime soon. It was a huge thorn in Ellic's side. He desperately wanted to clear Paul's name. And remember, the Murdoch name is everything to this family. And obviously, he was operating from a place of Paul didn't do this. Or maybe it's more accurate to say he was operating from a place of

Paul isn't getting in trouble for this. At the time of the murders, Ellic was managing both the criminal side of the case and the civil side, which was getting gnarly. So about the criminal side, the pandemic was good for Paul in the sense that it created an even bigger backlog of cases across the state. And Dick and Jim were going to play that one out for as long as they could. From what we understand, the state AG's office wasn't going to let the case go on for too long, but we were also hearing that the Murdoch camp was calling it a five year case. In the meantime, as we've told you before, we received a lot of tips during the two years before Paul's death that Paul's behavior was getting worse. He was drinking more and boating

as if the crash hadn't happened. And basically nothing had changed for the better anyway. Even though Ellic seemed to encourage Paul's drinking and the behavior that came with it, it had to have created some amount of tension in the family, no matter how in denial they allegedly were. Paul had put the Murdoch family in a real public pickle and every day was a new day for him to make it worse. Related to the boat crash was a state grand jury investigation into Ellic and his family and what interactions and transactions they might have had with law enforcement in the aftermath of the crash. The investigation was looking into potential obstruction of justice charges and whether anyone in the Murdoch family or in law enforcement had done

something shady in service of protecting Paul. As Fitznews exclusively reported in April, the grand jury had subpoenaed for Ellic's financial records. So as we've said before, the heat was on. That subpoena, paired with the subpoena that was hanging over his head in the beach case, the one that he was avoiding because it asked him for details about his finances, meant Ellic was running out of time. The alleged thefts he had kept hidden for so long were on the fast track to getting exposed. So, motive. Let's look at this from the brainstorming perspective. Let's pretend we're Ellic Murdoch and that we have been coming up with ideas for how to get Mark Tinsley and Sled away from us and get everyone away from our dirty money and grossly

overdrawn bank accounts. Option one, we could confess LOL. We don't even know what that word means, so no. Option two, we could leave the country forever, but no one really knows us outside the 14th Circuit. And we can't take our solicitor's office privileges with us. And we're probably not all that likable among people who don't know the Murdoch name. And we're probably going to have to change that name anyway. And there's no way we're learning a new language because this one has been hard enough. So no, gotta stay here. Option three. Okay, we don't need to get into details about option three. We all know what option three is. But think of the ideal fallout from option three. Because if option three happened, people will feel bad for us. Perhaps so bad that they just

leave us alone. Option three means the AG's office has no case. No case, maybe means no obstruction of justice investigation. Option three means we can be sad and withdrawn and spacey and erratic, and no one will ask any questions. No one will challenge it. Option three means a jury might look at us. Now just a single dad in the big lonely world and be like we can't. He's simply been through too much. Option three. Now, opportunity, Elik Murdoch's favorite thing. Let's talk about these murders and the potential opportunity that existed for someone to commit them. We will start with Moselle. Moselle is extremely secluded with the nearest neighbor living about a mile away. Even if a neighbor heard gunshots that night, they wouldn't have

thought anything was out of the ordinary because Moselle is a hunting lodge in an area full of lifelong hunters. Because Moselle is so secluded, GPS on cars and phones can be a lot trickier to pinpoint. Several sources have told me that cell service cuts out often there. And as far as cameras, we know Greg Parker's private investigator said she had put a camera facing the driveway of the property, but we really haven't put too much stock into that. It's possible that whatever was on her video was helpful in the investigation, but we just haven't heard anything to that effect. I've also heard from sources that there were gang cameras on the property. However, I have not heard from any law enforcement sources that they were of any help in the investigation. In April, Fitts News reported

that Maggie Murdoch was reportedly lured to Moselle that evening. And I want to talk about that for a minute. Multiple sources close to the investigation have confirmed to Fitts News that prior to June 7th and at the time of her death, Maggie Murdoch was living apart from her husband and alone at her Edisto Beach home. She had recently finished renovating the beach home and was now turning her attention to making Moselle more homey. We have been unable to independently confirm reports that Maggie met with a divorce attorney prior to the murders. However, a meeting like this is consistent with what multiple sources have described as the strained status of their relationship, in part because of a rumored affair Alec was reportedly having with another attorney.

On the evening of June 7th, Maggie drove to Moselle, which is about an hour and 15 minutes from their Edisto Beach house, because Alec had asked her to meet him there, according to sources close to the investigation. In other words, Maggie, who otherwise did not have plans to go to Moselle that night, was only going to what would become the site of her murder because she was asked to be there that evening, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. These same sources say Maggie had expressed her hesitancy to meet with her estranged husband to at least three other people in her life, but ultimately decided it was the right thing to do. Let's go back for a minute to the alibi. There are different versions of this, but at some point before the

murders Alec took his father back to the hospital in Savannah. Let's go back for a minute to the alibi. There are different versions of this, but at some point before the murders Alec took his father back to the hospital in Savannah, but Maggie wasn't going to be at Moselle until that evening. How exactly was she going to visit with Randolph, who was now in the hospital? Were they going to drive together to go there that night? Did plans change and no one updated Maggie? Opportunity also needs to include Alec's completely founded expectation that everything was just going to shake out in his favor. Could Alec Murdoch rely on Colleton County Sheriff's Office, the coroners and Duffy Stone's team of investigators to fall in line, take anything he

said as fact and not ask too many questions? We'd argue yes. We'd also argue that maybe it was a little surprising that Sled took over the case. Maybe there's some history there where a Murdoch says keep it local and everyone says yep we'll keep it local. Speaking of Duffy's investigators in the 14th circuit, they were at the murder scene for days when several sources have told us that because of that they basically left prosecutors high and dry. Their field trip to Moselle not only complicated the investigation, they did nothing to improve an already outrageous backlog of cases here. By the way, when we say investigator, we're not talking about Harry Bosch. These guys aren't burning the midnight oil feeling angsty about how to save the 14th circuit. Their jobs

are important, but their jobs are to interview witnesses and shore up the facts of a case. They are there to support prosecutors and help win cases. They are not there to run their own operations or hang out. Now, Duffy Stone might beg to differ with that characterization, but that's because he seems to like having what locals in the know call Duffy's little army or Duffy's goon squad. Suffice to say, if Elec was in a position where he had to make a bet on who would be at Moselle in the event of a tragedy like this one, he'd be smart to put his money or the money he allegedly stole on those people being friendly to the cause. And we'll be right back. Now for the question we all have. Why aren't there any charges? Neither sled nor the South Carolina

Attorney General's office would comment on the latest revelation that audio and video evidence contradicts Murdoch's early statements about his whereabouts on June 7th, 2021. But we are not at all surprised by this. However, we have heard that charges are still coming in the near future. We've been hearing that specifically since January. But the thing that really gets me, the thing that really concerns us most when we're thinking about this entire case, is what we heard at the beginning about Duffy Stone's office. Remember, his team of investigators, including JoJo Woodward, who is currently running for sheriff of Beaufort County, were collecting evidence at the murder scene, despite the fact that a clear conflict of interest existed in the

case. And I point out JoJo Woodward, because his involvement in this case concerns me personally as someone who lives in Beaufort County. I keep hearing JoJo Woodward supporters saying things like he was just doing his job and he was just following Duffy's orders. And that is the problem. A sheriff is supposed to be a leader in a person of impeccable integrity. This mass corruption has spread throughout our system in South Carolina because of good people quote just doing their jobs. Even though they knew they were doing the wrong thing. As a former deputy, JoJo Woodward should have known that he should not have been on that scene. And he should have walked away. If he wants to lead law enforcement in this county, my county, then he should have stood up to Duffy Stone

back then and said the solicitor's office presence on that scene was troublesome. Think about it. If your co-worker's wife and son were murdered, it would make your office look really bad if your co-worker was charged in that double homicide. Should you be tasked with a very important job of collecting initial evidence that could land your co-worker in jail and your office in hot water? And on top of that, that co-worker's father, grandfather, and great grandfather also happened to run your office for nearly a century. And their legacy is obviously important to the integrity of your work. The answer is no, absolutely not. You should not be there. And the fact that there were pictures of Duffy's investigators on scene with John Marvin Murdock apparently touching

evidence in the case is baffling. And then we heard from multiple sources that Stone's office was running a shadow investigation and attempted to steer investigators away from any theory that might implicate members of the Murdock family. Of course, when Duffy Stone finally recused himself after months of receiving backlash due to his clear conflict of interest, those following the case took this as a clear indication that all signs were pointing to Ellick in the investigation. Stone also failed to offer the public any sort of reasonable explanation for why it took him so long to duck out of the investigation that his office clearly shouldn't have been anywhere near. And in a joint statement with Sled Chief Mark Keel, Duffy Stone blamed the media for this bad PR

and called the claims about his office's inappropriate involvement unfounded. That gaslighting statement claiming that there was no wrongdoing and essentially nothing to see here did not sit well with the public. But now, as there are still no charges in this investigation, we really have to wonder if Duffy Stone and his investigators involvement in the case impeded the investigation in any way. Considering there are no charges one year later and apparently lots of evidence stacked up against Ellick Murdock, we have to ask these questions, especially given the fact that people like Duffy Stone were involved when they should not have been. When you recused yourself two months after the fact, you should have recused yourself earlier.

It was knowable from the beginning. The public deserves answers, real answers backed by documents and charges showing what they're saying is true that the solicitor's office involvement did not interfere with the investigation. We have been told so many times that officials are dotting their eyes and crossing their T's in the investigation to make sure everything is perfect considering the lawyers that the prosecution would be up against. There are three things I want to say about that. Number one, an investigation does not end when charges are filed. We're likely years away from a trial anyways. They have lots of time to make sure the case is airtight before it's presented to a jury. Number two, Liz and I have both seen people charged with murder on a

lot less evidence. Why does it matter who the defense lawyers are? If probable cause exists, then it exists, right? And if it is enough to arrest a man who can afford a high price state senator attorney, then it should be enough to arrest the man who can afford the high price state senator attorney. And finally, number three, we have seen Dick and Jim's lawyering skills in the past year. If the state is afraid of going up against them, we have much bigger problems to worry about here in South Carolina. We understand that this investigation takes time and it seems like everything is backed up right now. But we have to realize that the longer they wait to charge someone, the longer it will take for the case to go to trial. And delays are almost always

better for the defense. In the meantime, we're not going to stop shining the light on this case until we get answers. That is the whole point of this podcast. And unlike so many true crime TV shows and podcasts, we are not here for your entertainment, although Liz does have some pretty good jokes. We are here to keep systems in check. We are here to hold people accountable. We are here to remind public officials that we are watching them because we all know what happens when the lights go out. Last week, attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter sat down with Fitzsnews to talk about the Murdoch case. I highly recommend y'all listening to this one hour interview and we'll post the link in the description. I want to play one part of the interview because

I think it's important. All of us on the right side of this case, the attorneys included, have realized how important public pressure is when corruption is involved. I think if there wasn't sunlight on this case, like Ronnie said, it would have played out. It would have been quietly handled. I think Dick would have done his dizzle and his dance and gotten a great result because he's one of the state's best lawyers. I think he would have gotten it in front of the right judge. But because it blew up so quickly and that I challenged Sled early on that they weren't doing their job, that I get it that they're focused on the murder cases, but here's Black and White, Alex stealing $3.4 million of the $4.3 million settlement. Here's the checks coming in, here's

gone to Forge, here they're in Alex's account. What more do you need? And I challenged Chief Keele to the point that he called me on the phone and asked me, please stop, you know, your tirade against us and Sled in the press. It's not helping. But that's following Sunday. It was the 27th of September. He actually spoke in the state paper and said, we're opening a criminal investigation into the money that was stolen from Gloria Satterfield and another separate criminal investigation for the circumstances surrounding her death. And that's basically only the only statements that Keele has made. And up until that point in time, there was very little reporting that you guys could do that would be factual, it would be opinion-based, but nobody was releasing anything

to you guys. And I think that's what turned it when Sled finally said, we're starting these investigations. But Sled followed the sunlight. That is true. And that's not a criticism of Sled. Don't know what would have happened otherwise, but we only know the way it actually transpired. Now we want to share some good news. Last week, a federal judge ruled against Ellick Murdock and his bulldog attorneys in the jailhouse phone call case. Specifically, the judge wrote a scathing order denying Dick Harputlian and Jim Griffin's request for a preliminary injunction to stop the release of the jailhouse phone calls. And that is a big deal. The good news is that Judge Curry said what we have been saying all along in this podcast.

The Dick and Jim failed to prove that releasing the calls would be a violation of the Federal Wiretapping Act. And really, the jailhouse call case exposed Dick and Jim in a way that the public hadn't seen before. When you peeled back the layers of power, privilege, and media praise, propping Dick and Jim up on a pedestal, their lawyering work on this case was at best sloppy. And at worst, just a colossal waste of the court's time. They are not wowing us in the courtroom. Remember, they sued the wrong person in this case. They spelled that person's name wrong. They subpoenaed the wrong company. They failed to follow jail protocol to have their calls protected from monitoring under attorney client privilege. And ultimately, they failed to get what they

wanted all along, an injunction from the federal court to block the release of Ellick Murdoch's phone calls. I wish that meant we open our mailbox today to find dozens of CDs. Yes, they come in CD form of jailhouse phone calls. But unfortunately, like everything in this case, it's not that simple. The order essentially gives Richland County officials the green light to do the right thing here and release the tapes. In the order Judge Curry did mention that the calls might be exempt from release under state law, which in part allows for the nondisclosure of law enforcement information that could deny a person their right to a fair trial. But remember, Ellick's lawyers have admitted to their client's guilt in both the financial

crimes and the roadside shooting. Ellick has already admitted to stealing $4.3 million from the Satterfield family. The release of the jailhouse tapes should not sway public opinion any more than his own lawyers admitting on national television that he stole millions from clients. At the heart of this case is the need for public transparency. We believe at Fitznews and the Murdoch Murders podcast that the release of these phone calls is essential for holding the state's justice system to account. Here is Will Folk's founding editor of Fitznews who has spent his career exposing corruption in South Carolina. Accountability cannot happen without transparency and public trust cannot be achieved unless we have both. This is a critical early

test of our state's commitment to transparency and the people are watching. Richland County needs to do the right thing and they need to do it now. And the thing about these phone calls is that they are about so much more than just the cases themselves. It's about exposing public officials for their lies and holding them to account. Remember, Dick Harputlian is a state senator and Ellick Murdoch was a bad carrying member of Duffy Stone's office up until his arrest last fall. The jailhouse phone calls are absolutely newsworthy and absolutely the business of the public. This is a case of public corruption where the public has a right to keep its system in check. And that means we as the press, as agents of public interest, are entitled by statute,

by case law, and by duty to hold agencies accountable for the public good. We believe now more than ever that sunlight is essential for getting justice for the victims in this case. And we will keep shining that sunlight until the systems change for the better. Thank you for listening to the Murdoch Murders podcast and stay tuned. The Murdoch Murders podcast is created by me, Mandy Matney, and my fiance, David Moses. Our executive editor is Liz Farrell, produced by Luna Shark Productions.