Murdaugh Murders Podcast - MMP Remastered #1 - 'South Carolina's Chappaquiddick'

Starting point is 00:00:00 With the RBC Avion Visa, you can book any airline, any flight, any time. So start ticking off your travel list. Grand Canyon? Grand. Great barrier reef? Great. Galapagos? Galapagos? Switch and get up to 55,000 avion points that never expire. Your idea of never missing out happens here. Conditions apply. Visit rbc.com slash avion. Hello and welcome to the Murdoch murders podcast.

Starting point is 00:00:34 As we get ready for the red carpet premiere of Hulu's original series, Murdoch Death in the Family, we selected 40 episodes from our MMP catalog to remaster and re-release over the next eight weeks, right here on the true sunlight feed. These episodes take us back to February 24, 2019, the date of the boat crash, And to June 7, 2021, the date Elyke Murdoch killed his wife Maggie and his son Paul. In July 8, 2015, the day Stephen Smith was found dead on Sandy Run Road, killed by someone who still evades justice to this day. To begin, we'll be releasing the first 10 episodes on the feed

Starting point is 00:01:19 leading up to the Hulu premiere on October 15th, and then selected episodes matched with the content of the Hulu series. Luna Shark Premium members are also getting access to a wealth of additional content matched to each series episode. We are calling it LunaVision. Our Soak Up the Sun members will get to explore the case documents, new case videos, add free video episodes, invitations to live events, and so much more. Click the link in the description to access or visit lunashark.supercast.com to learn more. If you have read my book Blood on Their Hands, you would know that on June 8, 2021, David and I were departing Puerto Rico when we saw a flurry of text messages and miss calls

Starting point is 00:02:07 stating that the family I had been reporting on since 2019 had suffered a measurable tragedy. We quickly assembled some recording equipment and we got to work. Two weeks later, we were ready to release our first podcast episode. And since we had recently watched Jason Clark and his performance as Ted Kennedy in the movie Chappaquitic, we titled our episode, South Carolina's Chappaquatic. Little did we know that Jason's role in that film in our podcast would come full circle four years later, as Jason takes the role of Elic Murdoch in Hulu's original series that I helped make as an executive producer. What's even more wild is that we got to talk with Jason

Starting point is 00:02:50 about that wild twist when we met him to record the official companion podcast. coming to Hulu, Hulu on Disney Plus, and all audio platforms. Wow, what a tangled web we weave. So, for these M&P episodes, we are going to start with a little preamble. Add some conversations with key players when appropriate and end each with some final thoughts and retrospective. We'll also have weekly Cup of Justice episodes on Tuesdays as we discuss causes and cases. plus provide all the deep dive reporting on current cases Thursdays on True Sunlight.

Starting point is 00:03:32 So here it is MMP number one. And stick around for some comments after the episode. Let's dive in. I don't know who killed Paul Murdoch. I don't know who killed Maggie Murdoch. I can't say who killed Stephen Smith. I don't know who if anyone killed Gloria Satterfield. but I think I know who killed Mallory Beach, and I know that her family will never get justice

Starting point is 00:04:01 in her case. And that keeps me up at night. My name is Mandy Matney, and this is the Murdoch murders podcast. There are five recent deaths, and I hope to get answers for each and every one of them. I have been investigating the Murdoch family for the better part of two and a half years now, and it is by far the craziest, most twisted saga I have ever written. Ever since I heard the news of the boat crash on February 24th, 2019, I just couldn't stop. Evidence suggests that 19-year-old Paul Murdoch was drunkenly driving a boat that crashed jits outside of Parris Island, South Carolina, around 2 a.m.

Starting point is 00:04:57 What bridge is? Paul, what bridge is there? Paul, what bridge is there? Paul, what bridge? emergency. Please fire any of us. Hello? We're in a boat crash on Arthur's Creek. There's six of us and one is missing.

Starting point is 00:05:20 19-year-old Mallory Beach was ejected into the dark water during the crash. Her body was found a week later. Mallory was a bright, bubbly teenager who lit up every room she walked into. She was the embodiment of a sweet southern girl. Mallory had long, blonde hair, and a stunning smile. Most of all, she was the type of person who was genuinely kind to everyone she met. She suffered a horrific death on February 24, 2019, and so many lives were forever changed by her death. Paul was charged with three felonies in that crash, but he never spent a minute in jail.

Starting point is 00:05:55 So who was, Paul Murdoch? To understand Paul, we have to understand his family. Paul Murdoch's grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather all served as the solicitors of the 14th Judicial Circuit from 1920 to 2006. In South Carolina, a solicitor is an elected official similar to the district attorney. They are considered by many to be the most powerful position in the South Carolina judicial system. The Murdoch family power loomed large over law enforcement and influence courtrooms in the low country for the last 100 years. They are one of the most prominent families in the state. Many people say that the Murdochs are the law in Hampton County,

Starting point is 00:06:35 one of the poorest counties in South Carolina with a depleting population in a vanishing industry. Hampton is about an hour from Hilton Head, but it feels a world away, a place where time stood still and hasn't moved much since the 1950s. Hampton County is known as a judicial hellhole due to its longtime reputation of siding with plaintiffs and rewarding an unusually high amount for damages. The Murdoch family law firm files a majority of those big money lawsuits in Hampton County. So when we talk about how the Murdoch skin power over the last century, they did this not only through their roles as prosecutors,

Starting point is 00:07:15 but also through their well-known law firm. Over the years, I have spoken with over 100 people about the Murdoch family, about the power they had over others, About the favors they did for people. About their close ties to law enforcement, about their deep pockets, about their vast tracks of land, and about the disconnect between their private and public personas. Many called the boat crash South Carolina's Chappaquittic, a story entangled in the twisted web of politics, power, money, investigative failures, and flagrant cover-ups.

Starting point is 00:07:49 But then on June 7th, the story took a wild, unexpected turn that no one's all coming. Paul Murdoch and his 52-year-old mother Maggie Murdoch were found murdered on their 1700-acre property about 60 miles west of Charleston. The property is called Moselle. It's the family's hunting lodge. The bodies were found outside. Police have released almost no official information in the double homicide, but several law enforcement sources have helped us have pieced together information and leads in the case, a murder investigation like no other.

Starting point is 00:08:25 According to our sources, Paul Murdoch was killed by two shotgun blasts, one to the chest and another through the arm and head. Maggie Murdoch died of multiple gunshot wounds by a semi-automatic rifle, according to our sources. Two weapons were used in the double homicide, which is highly unusual. They were reportedly found near the dog kennels on the property. Its new sources have confirmed that the family's dogs were not killed during the incident, which is one of many rumors swirling around this crazy story. Elic Murdoch, Paul's father and Maggie's husband, called 911 around 10.07 p.m. to report that he had just found the bodies. According to the autopsy report, Maggie and Paul Murdoch died between 9 and 9.30 p.m.

Starting point is 00:09:09 Soon after the Colleton County Sheriff's Office arrived on scene at Mosel, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, also known as SLED, took over the case. Sled took over the case for two reasons. First of all, the complexity of the case was beyond what a the Colleton County Sheriff's Office resources could handle. And two, the Colleton County Sheriff's Office had too many ties to the Murdoch family and rightfully recused itself from the case. Elyke Murdoch, a prominent local attorney, who again was Maggie's husband and Paul's father, was named a person of interest early on in the investigation, according to our sources. However, he has reportedly provided police with an iron-clad alibi, according to law enforcement

Starting point is 00:09:49 sources. Good Morning America reported that Ehrlich was taking his father to the hospital. on the day of the killings. After that, he reportedly checked in on his mother before returning to the hunting lodge, where he allegedly discovered the bodies of his wife and son. This is what appears to be the ironclad alibi that Sources told us about. Also, sources close to the Murdoch family have said that Ehrlich is not a suspect in the case and is cooperating fully with SLED investigators. These sources further claim that Elek Murdo's interview with SLED was all about closing the book on him as any sort of suspect in the case. However,

Starting point is 00:10:23 multiple sources with direct knowledge of the investigation have cautioned against accepting that interpretation. Have I mentioned that this case is so confusing and a murder investigation like no other? There are some things we do know. We do know that Ehrlich Murdoch is being looked at not only in this inquiry, but another investigation related to the 2019 boat crash. Sources told us that there is credible evidence that obstruction of justice occurred in that investigation and that the Murdoch family members are being looked at in that obstruction of justice investigation. That is a big deal. While other money managers are holding, Dynamic is hunting. Seeing past the horizon, investing

Starting point is 00:11:08 beyond the benchmark, because your money can't grow if it doesn't move. Learn more at dynamic.c.c.c.c.c.c.m. Michelle's mother, Lisa McClm. Daniel has managed to keep her past buried. You said nobody wants to believe there's a monster in their family. You think she's a monster? I don't want to. But I don't know how else you describe somebody who does those things to children. Michelle has lived in the shadow of her family's dark past for decades.

Starting point is 00:11:39 But now she's ready to bring it into the light. Neither one of those children were suffering because of a disease. Season 6 of Nobody Should Believe Me is out. Now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. So all of this is inextricably tied to the double homicide investigation. As the investigation into the Murdoch murders moves forward, we have to look back at the three other Mysterious deaths with connections to the wealthy, powerful Murdoch family. We have to go back to 2015 to the shocking, horrific death of Stephen Smith.

Starting point is 00:12:18 I will be clear here. The Murdox were never named as suspects in Stephen's death. But like the 2019 boat crash, the 2015 investigation into Stephen's death was chaotic from the beginning, clouded by jurisdictional confusion and suspicions of investigative interference. Smith was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road in Hampton County around 4 a.m. On July 8, 2015, he was 19 years old at the time of his death. Prime scene photos are horrific. Stephen's face was covered in blood. There was a seven-inch gaping hole on the right side of his forehead.

Starting point is 00:12:56 His head was mischapen by blunt force. Officially, Stephen's death was classified as a hit and run, and that decision skewed the entire investigation off-force. The theory was that Stephen got hit by a truck mirror, which is hard for anyone to believe, especially those who know Stephen. Also, there was no evidence at the scene, that would lead anybody to believe that a vehicle did this to deepen. Police found virtually no evidence at the scene.

Starting point is 00:13:23 No tire marks, no debris from a vehicle, nothing. In the aftermath of his death, investigators with the South Carolina Highway Patrol received multiple tips, linking Stephen's case to the Murdoch family. I'm not saying that the Murdoch boy did it, because I don't know yet. Right, right. But if we're going to start throwing out names, I'm not withholding his name because of who he...

Starting point is 00:13:44 His name's going to be out there just like anybody else's name. that is on my radar. According to the investigation file, Paul's older brother Buster was rumored to have been linked to Stephen intimately, but detectives never proved this connection. Stephen's death has shaken many family and friends in Hampton. Stephen was an openly gay young man in a small town, which wasn't always easy, but he made the best of it,

Starting point is 00:14:09 according to those who loved him. Stephen was bright and determined to make a better life for himself. He was in school for nursing at the time of his death. The case went cold less than a year after Stephen's death, and his mother is still wrestling without answers or justice. And that brings us to Gloria Satterfield's death. In December 2018, just a few months before the fatal boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach,

Starting point is 00:14:39 Paul's father, Elyke Murdoch, settled a separate wrongful death claim. In that case, 57-year-old Uncle, Gloria Satterfield died after a trip and fall in Hampton County on February 26, 2018, according to court documents. Documents do not say where Gloria fell or how she knew the Murdochs, but several sources close to the case have said that she's the Murdoch family housekeeper. Gloria left behind two sons. She liked tennis, loved kids, and her favorite color was purple, her obituary said. Most of all, she will be remembered for her laughter and her outgoing person. personality. There has been a lot of speculation about Stephen, Gloria, and Mallory's death,

Starting point is 00:15:22 and we will get to all of that in later episodes. In the last two weeks, I've seen national media swarm in on this saga, and many of them are just not getting it. This is just not a case where you can parachute in and get right. Like I said, it's twisted, and every turn takes you down a very dark rabbit hole. You don't know who to trust, you don't know who you can talk to, and the rumors are just as crazy as the truth. Which brings me back to the double homicide investigation. What media isn't focusing on is that prosecutor Deffey Stone, who has a long, long list of conflicts of interest in the case, is still not recused himself. I say conflicts of interest because there are many. One of those is that Ehrlich Murdoch, one of the original persons of

Starting point is 00:16:13 interests carries a badge for the solicitor's office. He is a volunteer for the solicitor's office and has been working for their office for many, many years. Another one of those conflicts of interest is that Duffy Stone was handpicked according to many, many sources by the Murdoch family to continue the line of prosecutors in the 14th Circuit. So Duffy Stone took after Paul's grandfather Randolph Murdoch the 3rd in 2006. And everybody that I've talked to in a low country says that the Murdoch family

Starting point is 00:16:56 handpicked him for the job and fully supported him with their money and their power. This is one of the many angles I will be digging into on this podcast. So where are we in the investigation? In one of the biggest developments of this entire saga, today, June 22nd, SLED made a big announcement. The agency has opened an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith. Sandy Smith called me today to tell me the news, and it was one of the most emotional phone calls of my entire career.

Starting point is 00:17:33 She thanked me for all of my reporting, and honestly, she said she couldn't even cry yet. she was just so overwhelmed with joy. All she wants in all of this is a fair and accurate investigation. And I hope now she's going to get it. Another big part of that was what SLED told me was that they reopened the investigation based on information gathered during the course of the double homicide murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdoch. We don't know exactly what that means at this point, but it is a big deal that they said that

Starting point is 00:18:09 and we're going to try to find answers. On Thursday, June 17th, SLED officials were searching a swamp about two miles from the Murdoch property. We still don't really know what they were doing there, but there were a lot of rumors surrounding that search. On Monday, June 21st, SLEDD released a stack of heavily redacted supplemental reports

Starting point is 00:18:30 from the initial investigation of the double homicide. Unfortunately, the reports didn't say much, other than the fact that police seized a vehicle, from the crime scene. SLED appears to be casting a wide net as it is apparently working to exclude individuals who might have had a motive in this double homicide. According to our sources, all of the boat crash survivors and Beaches family members have voluntarily submitted to questioning and volunteered to provide their DNA as a part of

Starting point is 00:19:00 the double homicide investigation. A source close to the family also told me that the beaches have not been questioned again since providing their statements in DNA. National media really seem to be focusing in on boat crash victims as potential suspects. But the truth is, we have no evidence to see them as anything besides victims at this point. Something that the world outside of South Carolina

Starting point is 00:19:23 just doesn't seem to understand about this case is how fearful people are of talking about this family. When I first started investigating this case two years ago, sources wouldn't even speak to me on the phone. were so scared. They wanted to meet in person to talk. Everyone knows who the Mardox are in the low country. They know how powerful this family is. They know all of their ties to law enforcement. And they also are very much aware that murdering two of their family members would be one of the most high-risk crimes you could even think of. And again, the baseless theories

Starting point is 00:20:01 floating around that are implying this was a crime of revenge just only revictimizes the victims in this case. There are still no official suspects in the case and there's still a lot of unanswered questions about the weapons, about the crime scene, about where the bodies were. We're not sure where this podcast is going, which is produced by my fiance who has been sitting with me at our kitchen table all through the weekend, nights and weekends, and we don't know where the investigation is going. But every week, we're going to publish an episode on this saga, not only about the double homicide investigation, but about Stevens case, and about Mallory's case, and about Gloria's case. We want to find answers for all of these. I don't know how many voices I will be able to

Starting point is 00:20:56 bring to this story because so many people, frankly, are just terrified to speak about this. But I will speak for my sources and I will protect them. This podcast isn't going to be like the others that are simply bumming off other people's reporting. I have worked hard to report every fact that I'm speaking about in this case. This story is not a southern cliche. It's far worse. And I want to tell it in my own words, straight to you, the listener.

Starting point is 00:21:26 For the best breaking news updates on this case throughout the week, visit Murdochmurterspodcast.com for the latest updates. I promise you, we will not let you down. We will be the best. We will be the fastest. If you believe in our mission, in our reporting, and in this story, and would like to learn more about partnership or sponsorship opportunities, email info at Murdochmurterspodcast.com. That's M-U-R-D-A-U-G-H-Murterspodcast.com. And if you could leave a review, preferably a five-star. We would really appreciate that. So for the latest developments on this case, follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com

Starting point is 00:22:17 slash Mandy M-A-N-D-Y-M-A-T-N-E-Y. And don't forget to leave a five-star review unless you're going to be nasty and talk about my vocal fright. The Murdoch Martyrs podcast is created by me, Mandy Matney, and my fiancé, David Moses. The Murdoch Murders podcast is produced to improve our world. Few events in my life. have topped the moment when we finally hit publish on episode one of the Murdoch murders podcast. This episode is a compilation of more than two years of investigative work

Starting point is 00:23:07 on my own time, on top of more than 60 hours spent writing, recording, and re-recording this episode. It felt like every moment I spent in newsrooms for terrible pay led up to this one, where I finally was free to tell the story the way that I wanted to. Truthfully, accurately, and with the victims at the center. Honestly, looking back, I wouldn't change a thing about this episode. I love that my voice is shaking and exhausted. I love that I sound like I'm a journalist figuring out how to podcast. I love that you can hear how much I care about this story through the passion in my voice.

Starting point is 00:23:47 I love that young reporters can be listening to this episode, hear themselves in my voice, and think, maybe I can do this too. I love that this episode sends a message. Always speak truth to power when you can. Tell the story that people need to hear, even when your voice shakes, even when you're exhausted, even when you're terrified, especially when you're terrified. Just a little bit of courage can change your entire life and countless others. If only, I knew the phrase stay pesky back then.

Starting point is 00:24:24 Thank you.

Murdaugh Murders Podcast - MMP Remastered #1 - 'South Carolina's Chappaquiddick'

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