Live updates Monday: Murdaugh friend says ‘justice will be served’ in SC; state, police mum
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Murdaugh murders in Colleton County
Two members of a powerhouse legal family were shot and killed June 7 in Colleton County, SC. Read more of our coverage.
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This story was first published June 14, 2021.
Across the country, eyes are on South Carolina one week after the June 7 double homicide investigation of two Murdaughs, a powerhouse legal family in the Palmetto State. No arrests have been made in the fatal shooting of Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother Maggie, 52 — a case that has captured the attention of national news outlets.
The recent killings have also revived interest in and discussion of the 2019 fatal boat crash in Beaufort County, in which Paul Murdaugh was facing three felony charges. The state Attorney General’s Office has said those charges would be dismissed because of his death, but that the criminal investigation would remain open.
Those with information regarding this double homicide, can contact Crime Stoppers at 888-CRIMESC (888-274-6372).
BOAT CRASH INVESTIGATION WILL STAY OPEN
Even though all three felony charges in the fatal 2019 Beaufort County boat crash against Paul Murdaugh are being dismissed because of his death, the criminal investigation will remain open leaving the public wondering about what happened.
A spokesperson with the SC Attorney General’s Office cited the ongoing investigation for why the agency will not release the case file and declined to comment further.
The refusal raises questions about whether the Attorney General’s office is still investigating the crash itself or what happened after the crash.
“We had every intention of moving forward with Paul Murdaugh’s prosecution,” spokesperson Robert Kittle wrote in an email Monday. “While the charges against him will be dismissed, the case has not been closed because the investigation is not finished.”
The last movement in Murdaugh’s charges was in July 2020, when his bond was modified to allow him to travel.
- Lana Ferguson
NATIONAL OUTLETS WATCHING SC
Monday afternoon: As news continues to spread about the Murdaugh double homicide and Paul Murdaugh’s indictment in the fatal 2019 Beaufort County boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach, national and international outlets have begun publishing their own stories.
A friend of the Murdaughs said the family is “confident justice will be served” in the double homicide during an interview on national television Monday.
In the brief interview with Fox News, Tangie Peeples Ohmer said she’d recently spoken with a member of the Murdaugh family.
“Do they know who might have done this?” the Fox reporter asked.
“When I talked with (the family) yesterday, (they) felt confident that justice will be served,” Ohmer said, adding that the family cannot share too much information because the investigation is ongoing.
The New York Post published a story Sunday about Paul Murdaugh’s alleged drunken alter ego. The information in the story was from June 2020 court filings in a Hampton County civil case. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Renee Beach, Mallory Beach’s mother, against members of the Murdaugh family and Parkers 55. Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were never named in the case.
In the depositions, the boat passenger who was interviewed about Paul’s nickname said he believes the name was first coined at Moselle. Moselle is the name of the hunting lodge owned by the Murdaughs where Paul and Maggie were killed.
- Lana Ferguson
CORONER DISCUSSES MURDAUGH AUTOPSIES
Monday, 11 a.m.: Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey tells The Island Packet that Paul and Maggie Murdaugh both suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsies were performed Thursday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
He confirmed the time of death for both victims to be between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Harvey declined to release any other details, including anything about two weapons being used, as sources have told McClatchy reporters.
“SLED is handling all other information,” he said.
S.C. Law Enforcement Division spokesperson Tommy Crosby declined to comment on specific details of the case.
- Lana Ferguson
ONE WEEK SINCE DOUBLE HOMICIDE
Monday: One week ago, Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were found shot to death outside their home in Colleton County. Sources have said Alex Murdaugh, Paul’s dad and Maggie’s husband, was the person who discovered the bodies.
Other than confirming they are investigating a double homicide at the Moselle hunting lodge, law enforcement officials have remained tightlipped about the investigation. The S.C. Law Enforcement Division is leading the case by request from the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are pursuing all leads, and the investigation is continuing,” The state’s top law enforcement officer, SLED Chief Mark Keel, told The Island Packet on Wednesday.
Autopsies were performed on the bodies Thursday, and a joint funeral service was held Friday in Hampton.
No arrests or suspects have been announced.
Interested in a more in-depth timeline of what’s happened in the last week? Read this.
- Lana Ferguson
MURDAUGH PATRIARCH CELEBRATED
Sunday, 2 p.m.: More than 200 people attend a celebration of life service for the late Randolph Murdaugh III, a prominent South Carolina lawyer who died Thursday at the age of 81. He served as 14th Circuit Solicitor upon his father’s retirement in 1986 until his own retirement in 2005.
“For 87 consecutive years, three generations of the Murdaugh family served as Solicitor of the 14th Circuit,” his funeral program said. “This 87 years of service in one office, by the same family, is the longest in the history of the United States.”
Family was important to Murdaugh, Perry Buckner, a retired 14th Circuit judge, shared at the service.
“I do not know anyone in my life who loved their family more than Randolph Murdaugh,” he said.
Buckner told those attending that Murdaugh taught him he didn’t have to be a pitbull in the courtroom to be successful — and to never assume he was smarter than a jury.
“I can’t tell you how many lawyers I’ve seen in my courtroom that have made these mistakes, and everyday I’m grateful for the lessons Randolph has taught me.”
Murdaugh’s funeral was two days after the funeral for his grandson Paul Murdaugh and daughter-in-law Maggie Murdaugh.
- Lana Ferguson
You can follow our previous coverage here.
This story was originally published June 14, 2021 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Live updates Monday: Murdaugh friend says ‘justice will be served’ in SC; state, police mum."
