Murdaugh Murders Podcast - MMP Remastered #8 - Who Shot Alex Murdaugh? Part One

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Starting point is 00:00:16 The substance. This balance is not working. And the naked gun. That was awesome. Now that's a mountain of entertainment. Hey there, E.B. here. Your faithful Cup of Justice co-host. I am so excited to tell you about my new book, Anything But Bland. In this memoir, I share stories about my childhood, marked by bullying, my father's job loss, and the indomitable spirit that propelled me into the law and ultimately international recognition during the Alex Murdole murder trial. I believe in certain life principles that have helped me and helped others achieve success. From the power of organization and a sense of urgency to the importance of truth, leadership, and resilience. With vivid recollection from challenges and triumphs framing each chapter, success isn't about luck.

Starting point is 00:01:14 It's earned through skill and hard work. Please visit theericblan.com to learn more about the book, Anything But Bland is the manifesto for those seeking triumph over adversity and a guide for anyone aspiring to reach their full potential. I didn't know it at the time, but how I reported on Elek Murdoch's roadside shooting with a high level of suspicion would go on to define my journalistic chops and show the world that I was really good at this. While pretty much every other mainstream media reporter covering this story at the time was going along with the narrative that Team Murdoch was pushing, that some rando shot Elyke on the side of the road and that someone was after the Murdoch family,

Starting point is 00:01:59 I just didn't buy it. My sources, many of whom I had trusted for years at that point, were all saying the same thing, that the story Ehrlich Murdoch was telling about what happened to him on the side of the rural road on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, 2021, was not adding up and not matching evidence. At the same time, it was really hard to be one of the only media voices to question a powerful man whose wife and son were just murdered. I was called all sorts of names on the internet that week, and I started to question my instincts

Starting point is 00:02:34 since my coverage of this event was so different from everyone else's. But turns out my instincts were right, and it would not be the last time. Here is an episode that I'm really proud of, Episode 8 of MMP, Who Shot Elyke Murdoch, Part 1? A shooting in Hampton County this evening. A prominent South Carolina attorney at the center of a murder mystery found shot in the head. Alex Murdoch, whose wife and son were shot to death back in June, was shot in the head himself.

Starting point is 00:03:07 This morning, a South Carolina man whose wife and son were brutally murdered in June, now recovering after someone shot him this weekend. I don't know who shot Alec Murdoch, but I will tell you everything I know in this special breaking edition of the Murdoch Murdoch's podcast. My name is Mandy Matney, and I've been investigating the Murdoch family for more than two years now. This is The Murdoch Murders podcast. So we had another episode planned about the Stephen Smith case that we were going to publish today. But then yesterday, my news outlet broke a huge

Starting point is 00:04:00 story in this saga. Elyke Murdoch was shot on a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina on the afternoon of September 4, 2021. According to the South Carolina law enforcement division, Ehrlich Murdoch called 911 to report that he'd been shot on old Salcahatchie Road near Varnville, South Carolina at 1.34 p.m. The shooting occurred about seven miles. from Moselle, which is the family hunting lodge where Ehrlich Murdoch discovered the bodies of his 52-year-old wife, Maggie Murdoch, and their son, 22-year-old Paul Murdoch on June 7, 2021. The Hampton County Sheriff's Office, the first police agency to arrive on scene, requested that SLED, which is also known as the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, lead

Starting point is 00:04:47 the investigation. SLED is also the agency in charge of the double homicide investigation of Maggie and Paul Murdoch. After the shooting, Ehrlich Murdoch was airlifted to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, for treatment of a, quote-unquote, superficial gunshot wound to the head, according to Slet. So what is a superficial gunshot wound? To answer this question, I asked Dr. Will Owens, clinical associate professor of medicine with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Critical Care Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit for Prisma Health of the Midlands.

Starting point is 00:05:24 So to be clear here, Dr. Owens is talking in general and not specifically about this case. There's no textbook definition, but in general, and particularly with a head wound, the idea of a superficial wound would be one that involves the skin and soft tissue, but doesn't involve the skull, or, for example, the eyes or the oral cavity, or any other series of penetrating injuries. So an example, the superficial gunshot wound might be a bullet, that raises the scalp and causes some bleeding, a bullet that hits the ear, but doesn't penetrate into the ear canal, a bullet that strikes the face but doesn't involve the eyes or the structure

Starting point is 00:06:06 around the eyes or the patient's mouth, you know, et cetera. Dr. Owens told me that superficial wounds are usually non-life-threatening injuries. He said that head wounds in general bleed a lot and it's hard to tell on scene how deep a bullet went. So typically with a gunshot wound to the head, you will be airlifted to a trauma sitter. If you're in a rural location like Hampton County, South Carolina. SLED agents processed the scene for a long time, and they didn't leave until early Sunday morning. As a part of their investigation, SLED officials interviewed potential witnesses and took Murdox vehicle, which was a new Mercedes-Benz SUV into custody.

Starting point is 00:06:51 As of Sunday afternoon, SLED said that they have not made any arrest in the shooting. So that's pretty much all of the official information that we know about the shooting. SLED did not release any information about what Ehrlich Murdoch said he was doing at the time of the shooting or where he was going at the time of the shooting or why he was on that road. However, a powerful attorney named Jim Griffin who works for the Murdoch family told the Hilton Head Island packet that Ehrlich Murdox stopped on the side of the road after experiencing car trouble while traveling to Charleston from his home in Islington, which is also known as Moselle. But here's what's weird. The location of the shooting is out of the way from the direct route

Starting point is 00:07:33 to Charleston from Eilenton. While the Murdox attorney made it look like this was a drive-by shooting, it's telling to me that SLED did not include that narrative in its release. Nor did they include any information about the alleged suspect feature. vehicle. Also, they never called Alec Murdoch a victim in their news release. And that same attorney told several news outlets that Ehrlich was taken to a hospital in Charleston, and that appears to be incorrect information. How could he get that wrong? That's very basic information about his client that shouldn't have been released to reporters if he wasn't positive about it. And if he was wrong about that, what else was he wrong about? A spokesperson for the family issued a statement

Starting point is 00:08:15 Saturday night and said that Elyke Murdoch was expected to recover from his gunshot wound. Quote, we expect Alec to recover and ask for your privacy while he recovers, end quote. So while we don't know much about the shooting, the timing is noteworthy, as recent headlines have not favored Alec Murdoch at all. A few weeks ago, news broke that solicitor Duffy Stone, who has a long list of conflicts of interest in connection to the Murdoch family, quietly recused himself in the double homicide. Stone's recusal made a lot of people believe that the investigation was pointing toward Ellick. Before Stone recused himself, he basically said it was because there were no suspects named in the case. And then when he suddenly recused himself and didn't

Starting point is 00:09:02 tell any media about it for weeks, Stone cited developments in Sled's investigation that made him step away. He did not say what those developments were, but many people speculated that the developments pointed toward Ehrlich. Now I will be clear here, Duffy Stone should have recused himself at the beginning. Recusing yourself three months after a crime means that you should have recused yourself earlier. And Duffy Stone's involvement in this investigation was troubling. I live in his district and I have talked to dozens of sources who all lost respect for Duffy due to his decision and not recusing himself for months in this investigation. He compromised his own integrity and the integrity of the investigation by staying in so long.

Starting point is 00:09:51 Earlier this summer, local media published a shocking report where sources alleged that Stone had consistently attempted to steer investigators away from any theory that might implicate members of the Murdoch family. Just a few days after the double homicide, Stone's investigators were even caught on camera, chatting with a Murdoch family member at the crime scene, which appears to be a hugely controversial breach of prosecutorial ethics and etiquette. There were also reports that Stone and his investigators were running a quote-unquote shadow investigation and an effort to hold sled quote-unquote accountable for the results of its investigation.

Starting point is 00:10:33 This is not normal. Stone's office also has a six-year backlog for cases. He had no business being anywhere near this investigation, yet he held on for months. which makes one wonder why. So the day after news broke on Stone's recusal, a source close to the investigation said that Elyke Murdoch was still considered a person of interest in the investigation.

Starting point is 00:10:57 Another source specifically said that Ehrlich Murdoch had not been excluded from the investigation into the double homicide of Maggie and Paul Murdoch. It's safe to say that none of this looks good for Ehrlich Murdoch. 20th Century Studios presents a legendary movie of that Springsteen, Deliver Me from Nowhere

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Starting point is 00:11:33 I think we got that. Yeah, we got that one. Springsteen, Deliver Me from Now. Only in theaters, October 24th. Get tickets now. When I look back my younger self, I remember the feeling of being bullied and disrespected. I remember hating that feeling, and I remember the day that I resolved that it would never happen again. When I founded

Starting point is 00:11:55 Blan Richter with my partner Ronnie Richter, we committed to build a firm that demanded respect that would fight for the powerful on behalf of the clients who felt powerless. Since forming Blan Richter, we've stood tall against the largest law firms in the state, in the country, and in the world, and we've remained true to the commitment not to be pushed around to give tenacious representation with proven results. Tenacious representation, proven results, Bland Richter. Learn more about what we do and who we are by visiting blan-rictor.com. That's B-L-A-N-D-R-I-C-H-E-R-com. We have recently obtained Paul Murdoch's death certificate, which confirmed that he was killed by two shotgun wounds to the head and chest. We have not yet obtained a death certificate from Maggie Burdock, but she was reportedly shot and killed by a semi-automatic rifle.

Starting point is 00:13:08 That means two different weapons for use in this double homicide. So while law enforcement has released little information about its investigation and has sought actively to plug leaks, here is what we know about evidence found on the scene. At least one of the weapons used in the double homicide belonged to the Murdoch family, according to our sources. Law enforcement impounded a 2021 Chevy Suburban that was registered to the Murdoch family law firm. Deputies found shell casings at the scene. Sled agents requested.

Starting point is 00:13:41 that deputies searched the area for surveillance footage on the morning after the murders. On June 16th, sled agents were collecting evidence in a swampy area near Moselle. We still don't know what evidence they were collecting there. A Maggie Murdoch's cell phone was found along a rural road just outside of the Moselle property on the day after the murder. So about two weeks after the double homicide, a public relations firm hired by the Murdoch family released a statement announcing a $100,000 reward to anyone providing tips that lead to arrest by law enforcement. But the weird thing about this reward is that tips must be submitted before September 30, 2021, to qualify for the reward.

Starting point is 00:14:28 In between June 25th, when they announced the reward, and yesterday, when Ellick Murdoch was shot, the family has not made any public statements. They haven't made any pleas with the public seeking justice in the murder. of Maggie and Paul. They've said nothing until Alec was shot. And I'll be clear here again, no arrests have been made into double homicide. Stay tuned for the latest updates in this unbelievable saga. And please subscribe. Your subscriptions, support our investigative reporting in this case. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and a special thanks to Caitlin Lee of Caitlin Doeslocal.com, a Hilton Head Islander who designed our beautiful cover art.

Starting point is 00:15:10 you to James, Diane, Linda, Elizabeth, Margaret, Sean, Tyler, and Ralph for your support. Thank you to the group of South Carolina women who gave us a lucky rooster gift card. We loved that. Thank you to every person who has left a five-star review. Every tiny piece of support helps us, and we can't thank you enough. You all keep us going. To support this podcast, visit Murdochmurterspodcast.com. Thank you all, and we will be back soon with another episode. Stay tuned. And don't forget to leave a five-star review, unless you're going to be nasty. The Murdoch Murder's podcast is created by me, Mandy Matney, and my fiancé, David Moses.

Starting point is 00:15:56 Our executive editor is Liz Farrell. Produced by Luna Shark Productions. When we first released this episode back in 2021, the world was just beginning to understand how deep the Murdoch story went. At the time, legacy media organizations were all asking the same question, who shot Elyke Murdoch? But I was asking, was Elyke Murdoch actually shot? I was questioning the narrative that was spoon-fed to eager reporters. Three years later, we all know the truth. Ellick staged that roadside shooting as a part of a failed and fake insurance fraud scheme. What we didn't know then and what we couldn't have imagined was just how far the web of lies,

Starting point is 00:16:48 deceit, theft, and manipulation extended. This episode marks a turning point in our reporting. The moment the world began to see that Ellick Murdoch's life was built on a foundation of manipulation and privilege, protected for generations by a system designed to serve power instead of justice. Looking back now, it's very clear. Uncomfortable questions really mattered. Following the facts mattered. And shining sunlight, even when it put a target on our backs,

Starting point is 00:17:21 mattered most of all. And all of a sudden, getting to 10 episodes was no longer the problem.

Murdaugh Murders Podcast - MMP Remastered #8 - Who Shot Alex Murdaugh? Part One

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