Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal - General Discussion

[CeeBeeGee]

On 2/23/2023 at 7:22 PM, Enero said:

I do wonder what happened to the millions of dollars he stole. He definitely didn’t spend all that money on drugs. He didn’t use it to paying bills cause apparently Maggie discovered that he wasn’t paying their bills. He didn’t use it all either to pay the guy whom he claimed to have hired to kill him. So where did the money go? Has there been an investigation to track where that money has went? Following the money will certainly provide some answers I think to many questions that have not yet been answered. 

Right?! Alex stole a boatload of money--for what purpose? Where did it all go? 

 

On 2/24/2023 at 8:30 AM, DanielleBowden said:

I appreciate Morgan's insight into the effed up family dynamics and admire her strength for walking away completely after the crash.  Even under the circumstances, that wasn't an easy task for a teen-age girl in an abusive 4 year relationship.   The story of the car crash and her being scolded by her boyfriend's mom for calling 911, all while they run around cleaning up guns and beer cans from the crash site.  What a good young man Anthony is.  He was so candid when he spoke about his history with Paul and even now, it didn't come from a place of hate (and it would be justified if it did).  He loved his friend but knew that was over.

Very difficult indeed, especially since the group was so intertwined and incestuous so that meant she was frequently in his company.

Anthony and all the young people (except for abusive POS Paul) greatly impressed me. They all just seemed so...nice. Kids trying to do the right thing. I can't decide for whom I feel the worst--Anthony lost his girlfriend, Connor was maimed and nearly framed, Morgan lost her close friend and her former boyfriend of four years, Paul who was definitely scum but he learned that abusive behavior from someone (Alex, obviously) and he certainly didn't deserve to get murdered by his own father*. I guess I feel the worst for Mallory and her family. She seemed like a lovely soul. And the way her family was ignored so completely by the police and the Murdaughs nauseates me.

*God, I can't get over that. He murdered his own son. In cold blood. He must truly be a sociopath.

[Crs97]

If I heard her correctly, Morgan had broken up with Paul and was just there because he told her all their other friends were going to be there.  I’m sure she cringes every time she sees herself referred to as his girlfriend.  I, too, was impressed by how they came across in the documentary.

[Razzberry]

CNN is showing the HBO series again today starting at 5:00 pm Pacific time.  Looking forward to seeing how this family became so powerful.  I suspect a case of Big Fish/Small Swamp had something to do with it.

[CeeBeeGee]

3 hours ago, Razzberry said:

CNN is showing the HBO series again today starting at 5:00 pm Pacific time.  Looking forward to seeing how this family became so powerful.  I suspect a case of Big Fish/Small Swamp had something to do with it.

Thanks to your post, I was able to catch most of it. Stephen's twin sister looks exactly like him. They could've played Viola and Sebastian in Twelfth Night, that's how much they look alike. I loved the sister saying she wanted an open casket "so they could see what they did to him" and I immediately thought "like Mamie Till" and then she said "the way Emmet Till's mother did."

One of the reasons I've fallen down the rabbit hole about this sordid saga is because the whole darn family has red hair. (My mother is a ginger and it runs in the family, although I don't have it.) It's like the Weasleys have gone rogue!

[emma675]

I finally binged this today and it left me with a lot of questions and thoughts.

1. Where did all of the money Alex was stealing go? I can't believe he spent millions on Oxy alone, so what was he doing with it? Paying off officials to get his family out of trouble, blackmail pay offs, what? I hope the investigation into that uncovers more. He was writing huge checks to his supposed drug dealer but I think they mentioned it was for more pills than he could have ever taken.

2. I hope Morgan and Anthony are getting good support and therapy after all of this. I know Morgan talked about trying to find a therapist that worked out for her and I hope she has. I can't imagine Paul Murdaugh being your first boyfriend and all of the shit he put her through. And he held the upper hand because of his family's money and influence and he knew it. Him trying to contact both Morgan and Anthony after the boating accident infuriated me. I'm happy they both cut ties with him completely after that. And yet they both still showed so much compassion when Paul was murdered. They are good kids.

3. I was kind of neutral on Connor. He seemed like someone who would look the other way when Paul was being a jackass or hurting one of his friends. I feel like he only cut ties with Paul when his family tried to frame Connor for driving the boat. If that hadn't happened, I could see Connor still being friends with Paul up until he died. I don't know.

4. Mallory's parents broke my heart. They were pushed aside and deliberately ignored (seriously, no one in charge called them while they were searching for Mallory?!) and I hate to think how Paul would have tried to weasel out of the charges if he made it to trial. I hope they are being supported. 

5. I have more questions than answers about Maggie Murdaugh. She's alternately described as a loving mother, community volunteer, and caring woman and also as a cold hearted bitch who favored one son over the other, covered up multiple crimes by her family, and may have murdered her housekeeper. They didn't touch on her enough, imo.

6. I think Paul was a waste of air but I also think he was raised to be. Morgan said he could be sweet and funny and loving but he obviously had his demons and they had to have come from his home life. Like someone in the documentary said, you don't drink like that because you're happy. I also don't think he deserved to be murdered either. I read an autopsy report and it was brutal. To think his own father did it is unfathomable. 

7. I still don't fully understand how Stephen Smith ties into all of this. I accidentally saw crime scene photos of his death and there is no way it was a hit and run. But I don't understand how his death is tied to the Murdaughs. Hopefully now that his case is reopened there will be some answers. 

What a complete mess. It's amazing how many lives one family ruined. And there are still so many Murdaughs left in positions of power in SC. I wouldn't be surprised if the corruption they caused goes all the way up through the levels of SC government. 

[Crs97]

Morgan is now engaged

I hope they are happy together.

[merylinkid]

43 minutes ago, emma675 said:

I have more questions than answers about Maggie Murdaugh. She's alternately described as a loving mother, community volunteer, and caring woman and also as a cold hearted bitch who favored one son over the other, covered up multiple crimes by her family, and may have murdered her housekeeper. They didn't touch on her enough, imo.

Maggie is a complete cipher.   She just kinda is THERE.   Even in her murder trial there wasn't much about her.   Her own family didn't make a victim impact statement.

 

As for Stephen Smith.   He kinda knew Buster and there were rumors about them.   Apparently the name Murdaugh shows up at least 40 times in the police file, so SOMEONE was saying SOMETHING.   Also very weirdly, Randolph showed up at the crime scene (he was not a wanna be solicitor like his brother Alex) and then someone from PMPED called Sandy Smith, Stephen's mom and said that Randolph would represent her in a wrongful death lawsuit.   Like the same day his body was found.  Not even a cause of death yet.   Which is EXTREMELY odd.   Why was Randolph so involved?   Not to disparage Stephen who seems like he was a terrific, caring young man, but its not like he was a celebrity or anything.   So why would Randolph be at the scene of some random "hit and run" or offer to help a family who didn't really seem to know who Randolph even was.

[Rlb8031]

12 hours ago, merylinkid said:

So why would Randolph be at the scene of some random "hit and run" or offer to help a family who didn't really seem to know who Randolph even was.

They knew Randolph. He was the attorney representing Steven's father in a worker's comp case. The family was suspicious because Randolph called the father from the scene and offered to represent the family for free in a civil lawsuit. After the fact, the family didn't understand 1) why Randolph was at the scene; and 2) why he believed that there was a basis for a civil case. The families were not friends, and other than the worker's comp case they didn't interact or have any direct involvement. Sandy Smith (Stephen's mom) and the sister both said that the family would not have reached out to Randolph to represent them, if they had decided to sue someone. 

So, from Randolph's side, he's got this story "They were my client in this other matter which is why I was representing them", but the family never understood why he volunteered or what he was doing at the accident scene. After everything played out they determined this was something sketchy.

[Dustbunny]

Attorneys: Report contradicts Murdaugh claim about housekeeper’s death

[DanaK]

Regarding all the money Alex was accused of stealing, he's now been indicted for it

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/24/us/alex-murdaugh-fraud-indictment/index.html

Edited May 24, 2023 by DanaK

[Salacious Kitty]

I hope his victims are finally paid. 

[merylinkid]

18 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I hope his victims are finally paid. 

That is still a long way off.   And there isn't a lot.   No one has been able -- to date -- trace the money he stole.   It's unclear what became of it.   Right now the victims fund consists of a 401K he liquidated.   Which Dick and Jim want another chunk of in order to be paid for Alex's appeal.   Otherwise, he might have to use -- horrors -- a Public Defender!!!!!!

The press release with the Indictment contains an interesting tidbit.   Cory Fleming who was indicted on myriad counts of fraud, will plead guilty to ONE count of fraud.   he so totally flipped on Alex.   Someone finally realized the Murdaugh ship is going down and does not want to be on it when it does.   Finally someone realized being friends with the Murdaughs does not protect you from consequences anymore.   Finally someone thinking of themselves and their own family rather than trying to keep on Alex's good side.   This is his BEST FRIEND since college.   And he's all -- Yeah what do you want to know in exchange for me not spending life in prison?

[Salacious Kitty]

5 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

That is still a long way off.   And there isn't a lot.   No one has been able -- to date -- trace the money he stole.   It's unclear what became of it.   Right now the victims fund consists of a 401K he liquidated.   Which Dick and Jim want another chunk of in order to be paid for Alex's appeal.   Otherwise, he might have to use -- horrors -- a Public Defender!!!!!!

The press release with the Indictment contains an interesting tidbit.   Cory Fleming who was indicted on myriad counts of fraud, will plead guilty to ONE count of fraud.   he so totally flipped on Alex.   Someone finally realized the Murdaugh ship is going down and does not want to be on it when it does.   Finally someone realized being friends with the Murdaughs does not protect you from consequences anymore.   Finally someone thinking of themselves and their own family rather than trying to keep on Alex's good side.   This is his BEST FRIEND since college.   And he's all -- Yeah what do you want to know in exchange for me not spending life in prison?

That sucks for the victims. I was hoping for some payouts to make it whole.

Edited May 24, 2023 by Salacious Kitty

[Rlb8031]

50 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

That is still a long way off.   And there isn't a lot.   No one has been able -- to date -- trace the money he stole.   It's unclear what became of it.   Right now the victims fund consists of a 401K he liquidated.   Which Dick and Jim want another chunk of in order to be paid for Alex's appeal.   Otherwise, he might have to use -- horrors -- a Public Defender!!!!!!

The press release with the Indictment contains an interesting tidbit.   Cory Fleming who was indicted on myriad counts of fraud, will plead guilty to ONE count of fraud.   he so totally flipped on Alex.   Someone finally realized the Murdaugh ship is going down and does not want to be on it when it does.   Finally someone realized being friends with the Murdaughs does not protect you from consequences anymore.   Finally someone thinking of themselves and their own family rather than trying to keep on Alex's good side.   This is his BEST FRIEND since college.   And he's all -- Yeah what do you want to know in exchange for me not spending life in prison?

There are a whole lot of people in the low country living high off the hog on that money including the Lafiettes, the Flemings, the Parkers, Dick and Jim and many others that benefitted directly or indirectly from this scheme. I wouldn't be surprised if the probate judge and some other attorneys were also getting payoffs, etc. And guess what - you are going to have to literally drag their belongings out of their homes because not a one of those families is going to give up their ill-gotten gains.

[merylinkid]

Now,now not the LaFittes.   If you listened to Susan LaFitte in the bond hearing, they lived in a vintage - at best - double wide.  

 

(while skpping over they recently sold their huge home and the kids went to private school).

[DanaK]

One of the directors talks about the series https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/murdaugh-murders-a-southern-scandal-director-interview-1235501943/

[merylinkid]

Oh bullshit.   "We uncovered a lot while making the documentary."   Not one thing hadn't already been covered by Mandy Matney.   And better.   Oh we were scared there.   Mandy lives there and is worried about driving certain places because the County Sheriff is still there and he is Alex's good buddy.   He gave John Marvin a RIDE TO MOSELLE the night of the murders.   Alex and his dad sat in the front row behind him during his corruption trial.   Where he was, surprise, surprise, found not guilty.   Right after the murders he gave that sheriff $5000 for some reason.   

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by merylinkid

[Adgirl]

Watching this and thinking about how everyone promotes living in a small town as enviable to us city dwellers. Not in your wildest dreams. There's corruption in big cities but the way the Murdaughs were allowed to run city gov't as if by right is despicable.

[Joan of Argh]

Season 2 on Netflix Sept. 20

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/08/netflixs-murdaugh-murders-is-officially-returning-for-season-2-exclusive

[Salacious Kitty]

Murdagh's lawyers are filing for another trial, based on "discovered evidence." They will file tomorrow with much fanfare 

https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/alex-murdaugh/alex-murdaughs-attorneys-are-filing-for-a-new-murder-trial-based-on-discovered-evidence/

Edited September 4, 2023 by Salacious Kitty

[Joan of Argh]

 

[Salacious Kitty]

Can't wait for Emily D Baker's take on this. What are the chances they're granted a new trial? 

[Dustbunny]

Just now, Salacious Kitty said:

Can't wait for Emily D Baker's take on this. What are the chances they're granted a new trial? 

I was just about to ask the same question 😉

From what I heard it sounds like the "dozen eggs" juror who was replaced during trial is the source of most of the complaints, I remember her mentioning her ex-husband to the judge and something about her ex posting on facebook about her.... the judge said her removal had nothing to do with that and only concerned her speaking to other people about the trial when she was sworn not to discuss the trial with anyone.

It does make me worry though that the Clerk of the Court immediately wrote a book about the trial.

[Salacious Kitty]

If the allegations are true, the Clerk could be facing jail time. They have multiple alleged incidents of her tampering with the jury. 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Salacious Kitty

[emma675]

Has anyone watched Buster's interview on Fox Nation? I flat out refuse to watch that network but I am curious what he has to say.

[Dustbunny]

Interestingly Buster admits that based on all the lying and conniving his dad fits the profile of a psychopath.

But he says there's two sides to every story and he feels the case was rigged against his dad and he didn't get a fair trial.

 

[Crs97]

When Buster says he’s not a liar like his dad, did the interviewer follow up by asking why he was kicked out of law school for plagiarism?

[Vivigirl10]

I watched because I don't think I had ever heard Buster speak and I was curious about him.  And yet, I still didn't get much of a feel for him as a person.  There were a few times speaking when he showed a bit of emotion, like when he described showing up at Moselle right after the murders and his Dad giving him a hug.  But it was very controlled.  I don't know, he definitely gives off that uppercrust, privileged air.  

On 9/11/2023 at 1:07 AM, Dustbunny said:

Interestingly Buster admits that based on all the lying and conniving his dad fits the profile of a psychopath.

But he says there's two sides to every story and he feels the case was rigged against his dad and he didn't get a fair trial.

This was a bit surprising.  Although he maintains his Dad's innocence in the murders, he does admit to all of his other wrongdoing. 

On 9/11/2023 at 5:41 AM, Crs97 said:

When Buster says he’s not a liar like his dad, did the interviewer follow up by asking why he was kicked out of law school for plagiarism?

Nope.  I feel like this is an example showing that Buster's just like the rest of the family.

Even if you find Fox repugnant, I would recommend watching this.  I felt like there was a lot that I hadn't seen in any of the other documentaries.  It was well done.  

[Joan of Argh]

Season 2 trailer

[Sailorgirl26]

Has anybody watched season 2? Parts were interesting and parts were just weird filler. They computer-generated reenactment of the crime was educational (not sure what word to use that doesn't sound morbid) and gave a very good visual of how it happened. 

When they played the video of Paul with the dog and then Alex's voice in the background--that was chilling. 

Paul was such an arrogant entitled little shit--two years after the boating incident, still under age, he gets busted in a boat with alcohol? But according to his friend, he was sorry for Mallory's death? Give me a break. 

And the whole auction scene was just--bizarre--especially the vacuum cleaner lady. A bag full of their vacuum lint is eerie? WTF is wrong with you lady? Trying to imply that somehow there might be some evidence or clues in there amd you're now a part of this story? Okay crazy. 

Those turtle lamps were tacky as hell, and the literal wall of rifles and shotguns reflected a whole other host of issues with this family. Just because you can have them doesn't mean you should, and what is the need for all of that? That one wall could have been a commercial for responsible gun control. 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Sailorgirl26

[emma675]

I just started watching season 2. I'm not thrilled Nancy Grace's face was front and center fairly early on. She needs to crawl back under the rock she slithered out from. 

I've watched all three episodes now and I'm not sure if it revealed anything new for me. Well, nothing new facts-wise.

The auction of the contents of Moselle was horrifying to me. I get that it's probably fascinating to get a peek inside the lives of a prominent, terrible family, but the glee some of the attendees had was disgusting. A woman and her son were brutally murdered and people were posing on her couch for pics like it was some kind of roadside attraction. It was gross to me. And do not get me started on the lunatic who bought the vacuum cleaner and thought it was the end all be all that it was still full of dirt from the house. That bitch was crazy.

I had actually seen the digital crime scene reenactment, so that was not new for me (I swear, reddit has a treasure trove of Murdaugh info). It was still chilling to watch again, Alex shot them like animals. It is crazy to me that Paul survived the first shot and to realize he lived long enough to see his dad's face and knew what he did. I'm not absolving Paul of anything, he was an arrogant, spoiled rotten little shit (and I'm convinced he was an alcoholic), but no one deserves to have their brains blown out by a person they loved and trusted. 

I really felt the most for the housekeeper Blanca and the caregiver Miss Shelley. They were terrified of Alex but they did the right thing and told the truth. Alex thought he could pressure and manipulate them like he did everyone else and they didn't allow him to do it. 

Alex still leaves me puzzled. Nothing about him seems genuine or real. Not his personality or reactions or his business dealings or anything about him. I truly wonder if there's some kind of personality disorder, he seems so disassociated with everything and everyone. I feel like his anger was real but nothing else was. 

Edited September 21, 2023 by emma675

[Guest]

7 hours ago, emma675 said:

That bitch was crazy.

She identified herself as a "Murdaugh enthusiast" so I would say your assessment is wholly appropriate. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Becky the court clerk got herself up in front of the cameras. No mention of her book though. 

[emma675]

42 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Becky the court clerk got herself up in front of the cameras. No mention of her book though. 

And apparently Becky and her little book may cause Murdaugh to get a new trial. What a mess.

[Salacious Kitty]

1 minute ago, emma675 said:

And apparently Becky and her little book may cause Murdaugh to get a new trial. What a mess.

Yup. No mention of how friendly she was with the jurors either. I wonder how she found production? I doubt they solicited her. 

[Dustbunny]

26 minutes ago, Enero said:

 

Indeed. I’d not seen the video before. It sent a chill down my spine. And Alex’s only response was “oh what a tangled web we weave when we lie and deceive.”  WTF type of answer was that? Then he goes on to say when he tells one lie he can’t stop lying. Why lie in the first place if he’s innocent as he claims. His wife and son have been brutally murdered. That was no time for lies. 

I still question why he committed the murders? Could it really be about the sh*tstorm coming with the Mallory Beach civil case? If so, why kill Maggie? Was she just collateral damage?

Cousin Eddie is a mess but he was lying about having no idea what the errands he was running for Alex were about. Of course if he admitted anything on camera he would be admitting to criminal activity himself.

I finished the 2nd season. There was nothing new really. I think everything presented was already out there for consumption save for the interview with the housekeeper, caregiver for Alex’s mom and Cousin Eddie. 

 

I watched the entire trial and Alex explained why he lied about not being at the kennel, unfortunately they didn't show that in the Season 2 documentary.

He blames his addiction and paranoid thoughts.

Of course he's full of shit and the jury saw right through it.

As far as why he killed them the best I can come up with is that his entire world was going to crash and burn, he'd been juggling his finances for years, stealing from clients in the millions of dollars and that very day the CFO of the law firm had confronted him about it and wanted answers, he knew the game was over, the chickens were coming home to roost, he was going to lose everything, the Moselle property, the beach house, the fancy cars, the boats, the toys, the vacations AND his family name would be MUD, he'd be going to jail for a very long time and Maggie knew nothing about it but she was about to lose everything she held dear, her lifestyle and her family, the status of being a Murdaugh.. maybe he thought he was sparing her from the horror about to come, as far as Paul goes I think he was pissed at Paul and probably blamed it all on him because of the Mallory Beach boat accident because that's what started the ball rolling and got people looking into Alex's finances to make sure he wasn't hiding money from the Beach family attorneys. They had no idea that it was a much bigger mess than anyone could possibly imagine and had been going on for years.

Meanwhile what's Paul doing? Same as usual loading up a boat with a bunch of underage friends and BOOZE, ready to head out for another booze soaked party on the water, he hadn't learned a damn thing or realized the position he'd put his parents in or cared.

Alex was like a trapped rat, I don't think he could stand the thought of Maggie finding out who he really was and that she wasn't going to have her posh lifestyle anymore, Maggie loved her lifestyle, her Mercedes Benz, her beach house, vacations, box seats at sporting events, the Murdaugh name etc... would all be gone.

I think Alex snapped and if Buster is correct his dad has all the characteristics of a psychopath.

JMO of course.

 

[Dustbunny]

The other thing that really disturbed me was when Maggies sister was testifying she said she asked Alex who could have done this (the murders)  “He said that he did not know who it was, but he felt like whoever did it had thought about it for a long time”

what a strange answer.... unless he's describing himself then it makes perfect sense, he's been lying, sneaking, stealing, conniving for YEARS which is a long time and he knew that if he ever got caught he might have to do something drastic.

 

[emma675]

1 hour ago, Enero said:

I still question why he committed the murders? Could it really be about the sh*tstorm coming with the Mallory Beach civil case? If so, why kill Maggie? Was she just collateral damage?

I read somewhere that it was rumored Maggie was preparing to file for divorce and that's why Alex killed her, too. The two people whose actions could reveal Alex's financial shenanigans were the two he killed. But I also heard he asked Buster to come to Moselle that night, but he was out of town or unavailable, so he could have been a potential victim, too. I don't think Alex cares for anyone but himself and he mows down anyone who stands in his way, family included.

[Joan of Argh]

51 minutes ago, Dustbunny said:

 

I watched the entire trial and Alex explained why he lied about not being at the kennel, unfortunately they didn't show that in the Season 2 documentary.

He blames his addiction and paranoid thoughts.

Of course he's full of shit and the jury saw right through it.

As far as why he killed them the best I can come up with is that his entire world was going to crash and burn, he'd been juggling his finances for years, stealing from clients in the millions of dollars and that very day the CFO of the law firm had confronted him about it and wanted answers, he knew the game was over, the chickens were coming home to roost, he was going to lose everything, the Moselle property, the beach house, the fancy cars, the boats, the toys, the vacations AND his family name would be MUD, he'd be going to jail for a very long time and Maggie knew nothing about it but she was about to lose everything she held dear, her lifestyle and her family, the status of being a Murdaugh.. maybe he thought he was sparing her from the horror about to come, as far as Paul goes I think he was pissed at Paul and probably blamed it all on him because of the Mallory Beach boat accident because that's what started the ball rolling and got people looking into Alex's finances to make sure he wasn't hiding money from the Beach family attorneys. They had no idea that it was a much bigger mess than anyone could possibly imagine and had been going on for years.

Meanwhile what's Paul doing? Same as usual loading up a boat with a bunch of underage friends and BOOZE, ready to head out for another booze soaked party on the water, he hadn't learned a damn thing or realized the position he'd put his parents in or cared.

Alex was like a trapped rat, I don't think he could stand the thought of Maggie finding out who he really was and that she wasn't going to have her posh lifestyle anymore, Maggie loved her lifestyle, her Mercedes Benz, her beach house, vacations, box seats at sporting events, the Murdaugh name etc... would all be gone.

I think Alex snapped and if Buster is correct his dad has all the characteristics of a psychopath.

JMO of course.

 

I agree, I also think people don’t realize the seriousness of the situation he was facing.

I’ve heard people say “He had some financial difficulties but people don’t kill their family over financial difficulties”

Alex didn’t just have have “financial difficulties” 🙄 plus he’s an attorney himself and knew exactly what he was facing, a lot more than most people would realize, he was looking at prison and for a very long time because of the shit he’d been doing for years, stealing from clients, money laundering and he knew they’d lose everything, homes, cars, boats, prestige which was very important to them all including Paul who went around town like Richie Rich.

Alex buddy was just sentenced last week and he got 20 yrs in state prison for doing a fraction of what Alex has done.

When I was in university I remember reading about a student in the states somewhere who killed his parents because they were about to find out that he hadn’t been attending classes and was about to fail miserably, he spent everything they gave him on partying and drugs…. Kind of like Alex… and the student was later diagnosed as a psychopath.

People kill for all kinds of reasons that don’t always make sense to the rest of us. 
We really can’t judge our actions against that of a psychopath like Alex so when people say “He wouldn’t kill his own child” I just shake my head…. People kill their own kids, wives, husbands, parents, siblings etc every day of the week, I’ve watched tons of shows where family members kill family members… it’s not that rare.

[Crs97]

I’ve always thought he planned to kill Paul as the black sheep whose screw ups were about to ruin his life and lifestyle (because Alex always sees himself as a victim).  I’ve been unsure whether he killed Maggie because she ran back after hearing the shots and would have been a witness against him or if he knew she was planning a divorce and wanted forensic accounting.

[Joan of Argh]

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

I’ve always thought he planned to kill Paul as the black sheep whose screw ups were about to ruin his life and lifestyle (because Alex always sees himself as a victim).  I’ve been unsure whether he killed Maggie because she ran back after hearing the shots and would have been a witness against him or if he knew she was planning a divorce and wanted forensic accounting.

We’ll probably never know for sure but at his trial it came out from more than one witness that Alec told Maggie to come to Moselle,  she was at their beach house and had no intention of going back to Moselle that day.

So I doubt he killed her because she ran back and witnessed him killing Paul since she wouldn’t have been there at all if Alec hadn’t insisted that she come home.

I think he also made sure they both went to the kennel that night since he was obviously with them, unlike his first story that had him back at the house napping on the couch.

Several people who knew Maggie said it wasn’t like her to go to the kennels at night, she normally went there in the daytime.

I think he intended to kill both of them that night just like he did, whether it was because of hatred, a divorce or anything else who knows. 🤷‍♀️

[emma675]

4 minutes ago, Joan of Argh said:

Several people who knew Maggie said it wasn’t like her to go to the kennels at night, she normally went there in the daytime.

Yeah, Blanca their housekeeper even said Maggie was never totally comfortable at Moselle. She would check all of the doors and windows and make Paul sleep in the room next to hers if Alex wasn't there. She mentioned how incredibly dark it got at night there, in the middle of nowhere. It's sad to think she was right about not feeling safe there but the threat wasn't what she probably expected it to be.

[Joan of Argh]

2 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I’ve always thought he planned to kill Paul as the black sheep whose screw ups were about to ruin his life and lifestyle (because Alex always sees himself as a victim).  I’ve been unsure whether he killed Maggie because she ran back after hearing the shots and would have been a witness against him or if he knew she was planning a divorce and wanted forensic accounting.

You make a good point with your observation that Alec always sees himself as the victim.

He might think what he did was necessary and the only option he had, Alex more than Maggie or Paul knew how much trouble Paul was actually in this time, other times Alex and his dad smoothed things over for Paul like when he was driving drunk and rolled his truck with his girlfriend and her friend onboard, Alex, Maggie and Grampa came rushing to the scene gave the girls hell for calling 911 and then quickly removed all empty booze bottles and guns from the truck before emergency services arrived.

This time it was different, none of grampas money or Alex’s influence could cover up the boat crash no matter how hard they tried, this time Paul was arrested, charged and very likely faced prison time if found guilty and there was nothing Alex could do to make it go away and Alex had enough on his plate, he couldn’t afford an expensive trial or the investigation into his finances.

Alex might think he did Maggie and Paul a favour because he couldn’t protect them from what he knew was coming, Maggie was going to lose her fancy lifestyle and Paul was probably going to prison for the death of Mallory Beach.

Blanca the housekeeper said that Maggie was depressed and at her wits end over the boat crash, she told Blanca that they were being sued for 30 million dollars and they didn’t have that kind of money!!!

and once again while Alex is stressed out and Maggie is freaking out about everything where’s Paul?… oh ya he’s on the boat with underage kids and a bunch of booze, totally oblivious!

This is what happens when you spoil a child and they never have to take responsibility for anything, it starts out with small things, then bigger things and eventually you’ve got a kid like Paul who is responsible for killing a young woman but still doesn’t think he’ll have to pay the price because his powerful rich family will just make it go away.

[MamaR]

19 hours ago, emma675 said:

I read somewhere that it was rumored Maggie was preparing to file for divorce and that's why Alex killed her, too. The two people whose actions could reveal Alex's financial shenanigans were the two he killed. But I also heard he asked Buster to come to Moselle that night, but he was out of town or unavailable, so he could have been a potential victim, too. I don't think Alex cares for anyone but himself and he mows down anyone who stands in his way, family included.

I wonder if Alex was planning a murder-suicide if it's true that he asked Buster to go to Moselle that night.

[dsteele]

I've now finished both seasons and one thing bugs the crap out of me. It's a small thing and I haven't read this entire thread to see if it's been answered, but -

What the hell is the correct pronunciation? I've heard:

• Mur-dah
• Mur-daw
• Mur-dock
• Also heard Alex and Alec

I think I heard Alex himself say Mur-dah while testifying but the sound wan't great on my TV and neither is my hearing. But I was surprised to hear so many variations from people who actually live in that area.

[Dustbunny]

7 hours ago, dsteele said:

I've now finished both seasons and one thing bugs the crap out of me. It's a small thing and I haven't read this entire thread to see if it's been answered, but -

What the hell is the correct pronunciation? I've heard:

• Mur-dah
• Mur-daw
• Mur-dock
• Also heard Alex and Alec

I think I heard Alex himself say Mur-dah while testifying but the sound wan't great on my TV and neither is my hearing. But I was surprised to hear so many variations from people who actually live in that area.

I think part of the problem is Alec/Alex has an accent so his pronunciation is a bit off.

I've heard Alec say MurrDog and MurrDock he even said what sounded like MurrDick a couple times. 

He refers to himself as Alec and pronounces it Ellick

It looks like people in general are confused by the various pronunciations. 😉

 

[Stevie Nicks]

That video that Paul took at the kennel was chilling.

Alex is a murdering psycho. Anyone who could kill his wife and child in cold blood is a psycho. And while Paul was a asshole, he didn't deserve the fate he got. And poor Maggie seeing her husband kill her child and then come for her. *shudder* 

[Joan of Argh]

The new movie with Bill Pullman as Alec

 

 

[merylinkid]

On 9/28/2023 at 12:15 PM, Stevie Nicks said:

And while Paul was a asshole, he didn't deserve the fate he got.

Someone on Twitter said after the trial, the last thing Paul ever saw was his father holding a gun on him.

That has stayed with me.  

I strongly believe that Paul had undiagnosed mental health issues and was self-medicating with alcohol.   His family was more than happy to cover things up for him rather than get him the help he needs.   Until he got in trouble in a county they don't control.   Then it all fell apart.    Then rather than face the consequences, Alex killed him to avoid being caught in his lies/fraud.

[Dustbunny]

13 hours ago, merylinkid said:

Someone on Twitter said after the trial, the last thing Paul ever saw was his father holding a gun on him.

That has stayed with me.  

I strongly believe that Paul had undiagnosed mental health issues and was self-medicating with alcohol.   His family was more than happy to cover things up for him rather than get him the help he needs.   Until he got in trouble in a county they don't control.   Then it all fell apart.    Then rather than face the consequences, Alex killed him to avoid being caught in his lies/fraud.

I've wondered about that as well, Paul wasn't a social drinker, he drank until he was falling down drunk, that's not normal.

Plus what was going on with his feet?

He wouldn't go see a doctor and Maggie was worried sick because he could barely walk and his feet were swollen like balloons... wth? That doesn't seem normal for a healthy 20 yr old.