Murdaughs

The Murdaugh Saga: Loose Ends

Will we ever know the truth? Will there ever be real accountability?

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After dominating the media cycle in South Carolina (and beyond) for several years, things finally got quiet in the ‘Murdaugh Murders‘ crime and corruption saga in 2024. Over the past five months, the once-incessant updates regarding various court filings and investigative updates finally ground to a halt (at least prior to last week, when a sudden influx of new developments hit the news again).

As we dove back into the story we broke – and drove – for the better part of three years, it felt important to update our audience on several of its “loose ends.”

Convicted of murder, fraud and theft, 55-year-old Alex Murdaugh – the once untouchable scion of one of South Carolina’s most prominent legal and political dynasties – became one of America’s most notorious killers when he was found guilty of murdering his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and younger son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, on June 7, 2021 at Moselle, the family’s hunting property. 

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Three generations of Murdaughs – including Alex’s late father, Randolph Murdaugh III – held the post of S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor between 1920-2006. Murdaugh himself was a badge-carrying assistant solicitor – and an attorney at his family’s powerful law firm – at the time of his spectacular unraveling in 2021.

Despite having closure on multiple fronts related to this expansive criminal saga, all is not resolved. There are numerous loose ends – and multiple unanswered questions tied to key components of this incomplete, unfinished narrative.

Books about Murdaugh are dropping left and right … but will these loose ends ever get tied up?

Will critical truths ever be uncovered?

Will still-hidden secrets ever be revealed?

Will the real story ever be told?

Here, in expansive detail, are the loose ends our media outlet is continuing to track related to Murdaugh – the man at the center of one of history’s most complicated, convoluted, chaotic true crime dramas.

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THE APPEALS

On Thursday, March 9, 2023 – one week after he was found guilty of killing his wife and son – Murdaugh’s attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin served the state of South Carolina with notice of their intention to appeal his convictions on murder and weapons charges.

While most believed Murdaugh’s appeal would focus on the controversial admissibility of evidence related to his financial crimes – which it still could – speculation surrounding such issues came to a screeching halt on September 5, 2023 when Harpootlian and Griffin filed a motion to suspend the appeal.

The reason? A bombshell filing which demanded a new trial on the basis of alleged jury tampering by former Colleton County clerk of court Becky Hill.

On November 16, 2023, S.C. circuit court judge Clifton Newman voluntarily recused himself from hearing further motions tied to the case. Over a month later, S.C. chief justice Donald Beatty tapped his predecessor – retired chief justice Jean Toal – to oversee Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial.

Following an evidentiary hearing on January 29, 2024, Toal decisively shot down Murdaugh’s new trial request. Ruling from the bench, she found improper contact had been made by Hill – but controversially determined this contact did not rise to the level of necessitating a new trial for Murdaugh.

All remained quiet regarding the appeal until Wednesday (July 10, 2024), when Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion for certification (.pdf) with the South Carolina supreme court asking its justices to weigh in on Toal’s controversial decision.

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RELATED | MURDAUGH APPEAL: ATTORNEYS DROP BOMBSHELL MOTION

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Prosecutors in the office of attorney general Alan Wilson have ten days to file their response to Murdaugh’s motion. In reviewing similar motions filed with the supreme court, the time it takes to rule on such a motion can vary depending on several factors, including the complexity of the case and the court’s docket. Generally, the process involves the court reviewing the lower court’s decision and the specific circumstances prompting the request for certification.

According to Murdaugh’s attorneys, the case is of significant public interest and features a legal principle of major importance – two thresholds for certification being granted.

The issue of significant public interest is “whether the verdict returned after Mr. Murdaugh’s internationally televised murder trial should be overturned due to unprecedented jury tampering by a state official, the former Colleton County clerk of court.”

The legal principle of major importance is “whether it is presumptively prejudicial for a state official to secretly advocate for a guilty verdict through ex parte contacts with jurors during trial, or whether a defendant, having proven the contacts occurred, must also somehow prove the verdict would have been different at a hypothetical trial in which the surreptitious advocacy did not occur.”

While we await word on the latest chess moves regarding Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial, another loose end we are following involves the ongoing investigation into the official who tampered with the jury …

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BECKY HILL

In the months that followed last September’s bombshell motion from Murdaugh’s defense team, the reputation of Becky Hill – the once-respected clerk of court in Colleton County – collapsed amid reports of an ongoing investigation by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). This investigation focused on allegations of eavesdropping from within the county administration’s technology department by Hill’s son, former county information technology director Jeffrey “Colt” Hill.

Colt Hill was arrested on November 21, 2023 by deputies of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) on a wiretapping charge. He and his mother have also been linked to allegations of obstruction tied to that ongoing investigation.

Colt Hill was released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond. Following his first court appearance on January 26, 2024 – at which he was represented by notable criminal defense attorney, Jack Swerling – there has been little movement on his case.

His charges remain pending in Colleton County.

Becky Hill also became the focus of multiple ethics and criminal inquiries. Several of them were tied to her book, ‘Behind The Doors of Justice,‘ which was intended to provide readers with a inside view of South Carolina’s ‘Trial of the Century.’ Instead, the book became an alleged motive for tampering with the jury that found Murdaugh guilty.

“Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame,” Murdaugh’s attorneys claimed.

In December – following an exclusive report from John Monk of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper – Hill’s book was pulled from shelves amid allegations of plagiarism.

In addition to the plagiarism allegations, the S.C. State Ethics Commission (SCSEC) received multiple complaints related to Hill. One complaint accused her of “unethically and potentially unlawfully” using her office to enrich herself by obtaining and releasing confidential information – some of which later appeared in her book. The second complaint accused her of misappropriating public funds from multiple accounts – and then allegedly misrepresenting those misappropriations to county officials.

At the time, Hill’s insisted she “never used her office to promote her book” and “never misallocated funds.” Allegations to the contrary were dismissed as “unfounded, uncorroborated and unproven misinformation from a disgruntled former employee.”

Nonetheless, after an initial round of subpoenas from ethics investigators, both cases were referred for criminal investigation.

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Three-and-a-half months ago – at a press conference held on the steps of the Colleton County courthouse – Hill resigned from office with nearly a year left to go on her term (and nearly a year after she presided over the Palmetto State’s ‘Trial of the Century’). At the time, her attorney Justin Bamberg was adamant the announcement was not related to any looming criminal inquiry.

According to Hill, her decision to step down was based on a desire to spend more time with her husband, children and grandchildren.

Last week – following months of speculation – the attorney general tapped S.C. eleventh circuit solicitor Rick Hubbard to “assist” his office regarding prosecutorial decisions related to Hill. In a letter to Hubbard (.pdf) obtained by this media outlet, Wilson tapped Hubbard and his chief deputy at the eleventh circuit – Suzanne Mayes – to assist his office in the Hill case. However, the letter made it expressly clear the attorney general’s top aides – chief deputy Jeff Young and deputy Don Zelenka – “will remain involved in any decisions.”

It also made it abundantly clear that lead Murdaugh prosecutor Creighton Waters would remain intimately involved in the process – something this media outlet has repeatedly criticized as a conflict of interest.

Curiously, the “referral” announcement came just one day after the Murdaugh juror controversially removed from the panel on the day of the verdicts asked the state to release any and all sealed documents related to her role in this saga. As we exclusively reported last week, the state is refusing to do so.

“Alex Murdaugh’s defense team of course was present and participated in the sealed chambers hearing,” a statement from Wilson’s office noted. “Anything judicially sealed can only be unsealed by the judge, but because of ongoing matters the state cannot consent to unsealing at this time.”

The office declined to specify these “ongoing matters,” which are clearly among the most pressing “loose ends” related to this saga.

Of interest? The juror in question has written a book – slated for release in August – entitled ‘Because Enough is Enough.’ Only time will tell what revelations this new volume brings, but sources familiar with the draft indicate it could contain some explosive new information.

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COUSIN EDDIE

Years before the Murdaugh name became internationally known, alleged family “fixer” Curtis ‘Eddie’ Smith was reportedly serving as Alex Murdaugh’s alleged personal drug dealer/check casher. On September 4, 2021, a bizarre roadside shooting incident involving the two men changed everything.

The shooting took place on Old Salkehatchie Road near Varnville, S.C. Murdaugh’s attorneys initially claimed he was shot by a passerby while trying to change one of the ‘run-flat’ tires on the Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle he was driving. This narrative began falling apart almost immediately, however, thanks to shifting, conflicting stories provided to members of the mainstream media.

And our coverage, of course …

On September 14, 2021, agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) issued an arrest warrant for Smith which alleged that Murdaugh “provided (him) with a firearm and directed (him) to shoot him in the head for the purpose of causing Mr. Murdaugh’s death and allowing for the payment of a stated death benefit to a beneficiary of the insured.”

Smith has also been accused of cashing more than 400 checks totaling at least $2.4 million at the behest of Murdaugh – funds which prosecutors claim supported “a myriad (of) unlawful activities” between 2013 and 2021. Smith is further staring down a slew of drug trafficking charges tied to Murdaugh – which were filed in an indictment in June of 2022.

The biggest headlines involving Smith, though, were generated in October of 2022 when Murdaugh’s attorneys accused him of being the murderer of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh based on a failed polygraph examination. Smith’s attorney flatly refuted that allegation – and challenged investigators to test his DNA with evidence found at the crime scene.

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RELATED | WHO ARE ALEX MURDAUGH’S ‘TOMBSTONE FRIENDS?’

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In August of 2022, Smith found himself in front of S.C. circuit court judge Clifton Newman after prosecutors filed a motion to revoke his bond due to multiple violations of the conditions of his release. After the hearing, Smith found himself behind bars until April 3, 2023 when his lawyers – Aimee Zmroczek and Jarrett Bouchette – successfully argued to have his bond reinstated.

At that hearing, assistant attorney general John Meadors – who delivered the state’s closing argument against Murdaugh – argued in support of the motion to reinstate bond. According to Meadors, such a move was appropriate in light of Smith having “cooperated completely” with prosecutors during Murdaugh’s double homicide trial in Walterboro, S.C.

“We wouldn’t be back here for no reason,” Meadors told Newman, crediting Smith with spending “numerous hours” with prosecutors.

“He fully cooperated with us throughout this process,” the veteran prosecutor said.

The nature of Smith’s cooperation was not disclosed, although Meadors made it clear the state promised him nothing in exchange for his assistance.

“I didn’t promise him anything except that I would take his cooperation under consideration,” Meadors said.

Smith was subpoenaed to testify at Murdaugh’s murder trial but was never called to the stand. Had he testified, he was widely expected to assert that Murdaugh confessed to the murders of his wife and son during the roadside shooting incident.

Why didn’t he take the stand?

Since having his bond reinstated, Smith has maintained a relatively low profile. According to his legal team, there have been no updates involving his case in recent months. There is also no timeframe as to when a potential trial will be scheduled – and no indication a plea deal is imminent.

He remains out on bond … in limbo. Another “loose end.”

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THE MONEY

As the depth and breadth of Alex Murdaugh’s criminal activity began to become widely known, many sources – including his defense team – compared the unraveling saga to “an episode of Ozark.” Or an “Ozark situation.” Those are references to the hit Netflix series in which a financial advisor from Chicago (portrayed by Jason Bateman) drags his family against its will to rural Missouri where they become key cogs in a massive money laundering operation at the behest of a Mexican drug cartel.

Given the information uncovered and the indictments that followed, the comparison seems appropriate — but despite over $10 million in stolen money that defense attorneys claim was utilized to fund Murdaugh’s narcotic habit, most of the cash remains unaccounted for.

Murdaugh was certainly spending boatloads of cash – including significant amounts of money on his apparent addiction to oxycodone. But the mathematics of his profligacy and dependency were seemingly irreconcilable with the sums he stole.

Indeed, Murdaugh was widely (and rightfully) mocked for attempting to explain away all of the missing money as a consequence of his addiction. On the stand at his double homicide trial, the ruse was clearly up as he tried unsuccessfully to convince jurors – and the court of public opinion – that he had singlehandedly consumed more than $50,000 a week of oxycodone.

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RELATED | MURDAUGH’S MISSING MILLIONS

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Court-appointed receivers for Murdaugh spent months searching for his loot and couldn’t find it. Attorneys representing his former firm have also reportedly tried and failed to locate the cash.

Rumors regarding the ultimate disposition of Murdaugh’s assets have dominated discussion in the small South Carolina community of Hampton – from cash being stuffed into PVC pipes and buried around the family’s former Colleton County hunting property (known locally as Moselle) to gold bars being buried in the yard of an accomplice.

Others suspect offshore accounts, cryptocurrency or a sophisticated laundering operation.

Murdaugh obviously lived well beyond his means – and the theory behind the graphic double homicide that made him infamous is that it all eventually caught up with him. According to prosecutors, Murdaugh put himself behind the eight ball after making bad real estate investments during the mid-2000s real estate bubble. This put him in a hole he never got out of – forcing him to maintain an ever-escalating “velocity of cash” as his purportedly lavish lifestyle careened past the point of sustainability.

Like updates regarding Cousin Eddie, updates related to Murdaugh’s missing money are elusive. Following his federal plea deal, Murdaugh was ordered by the U.S. district court to pay restitution in the amount of $8.7 million – including payments to his former law firm ($4.5 million), an insurance company ($3.8 million), a bank ($329,913.27) and a former client ($13,088.46). The district court also granted the government’s motion for forfeiture in the amount of just over $10 million

Will Murdaugh’s millions ever be found? Will his victims ever be made whole?

Or will this missing money remain the costliest “loose end” of our story.

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THE DRUGS

In addition to allegations that Eddie Smith was supplying Murdaugh with the drugs that fueled his opioid addiction, in August of 2022 two additional defendants were indicted in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation tied to Murdaugh.

Spencer Anwan Roberts, 36, of Walterboro, S.C., pleaded guilty to fraudulent collection of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and COVID-related unemployment payments. Roberts has confessed to creating one fictional company (an insurance business) to take advantage of the PPP loans and creating another fictional company (a car wash) to file for unemployment benefits.

Roberts’ indictments in these previous cases garnered significant media attention after prosecutors linked him to Murdaugh. At Roberts’ bond hearing in August of 2022, prosecutors alluded to Robert’s involvement in “the case of the century” – saying he had been the recipient of checks written by Murdaugh

Roberts’ attorney, Mark Peper, claimed his client had “never met Alex in his life.”

Peper also disputed allegations regarding his client’s alleged affiliation with a gang purportedly tied to Murdaugh, saying Roberts “swears he’s not and never has been (a member of the Cowboys).”

Roberts faced two additional criminal indictments for allegedly distributing narcotics and laundering money February 7, 2024. One indictment accused him of distributing narcotics – oxycodone – in multiple counties from March 1, 2019, through on or about September 3, 2021. The second indictment charged him with money laundering from August 6, 2020 to May 25, 2021.

According to prosecutors, Roberts cashed 32 checks totaling more than $160,000 within that time frame.

According to prosecutors, in addition to Roberts, Murdaugh also wrote $90,000 in checks to Jerry Rivers – another alleged gang member who pleaded guilty to obstruction after swiping Roberts’ cell phone during the execution of a search warrant at a Lowcountry gambling den. Rivers also pleaded guilty to multiple fraudulent schemes including receiving money from state and federal programs established during the COVID crisis.

At his plea hearing in August 2023, Rivers said he began selling oxycodone to Murdaugh during COVID.

Rivers was sentenced to seven years confinement at the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) with a projected release date of June of 2029. He is not eligible for parole.

Roberts was sentenced to eight years for the crimes he was initially charged with and is currently serving his sentence with SCDC. His projected release date is February 2028 and he is eligible for parole in August of 2025. The February charges against him are still pending.

Despite suspicion that Murdaugh was involved in larger-scale drug trafficking operations, the only individuals who have faced charges related to his drug use are Smith, Roberts, Rivers … and Murdaugh himself.

Will we ever know the truth about Murdaugh’s drug ties? How deep they went? Or will this remain another “loose end?”

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THE BROADER WEB OF CORRUPTION

Despite Murdaugh’s crimes and addiction spanning more than a decade, there has been scant attention paid to investigations into the broader web of corruption which facilitated his crimes.

As our founding editor Will Folks pointed out last summer, “there has been precious little accountability on the corruption side of the ledger.”

What about the judges who enabled Murdaugh’s fleecings? Judges who, in many cases, signed off on bogus agreements. Judges who – at a bare minimum – looked the other way when they were handed transparently fraudulent settlement documents for review

“We are still waiting for the accountability on that corruption side,” I said, specifically calling out circuit court judges Carmen Mullen and Perry Buckner. “A lot of these judges who were thick as thieves with the Murdaughs – we need to continue to keep the heat on that side of this investigation.”

In December of 2021, our media outlet filed the first report on what at the time was a joint state-federal investigation into “alleged public corruption” tied to the Murdaugh saga. This inquiry – which was purportedly led by state law enforcement assets – was “focused on allegations of judicial misconduct as well as alleged misconduct by various law enforcement and prosecutorial entities in the South Carolina Lowcountry.”

The existence of such an investigation surprised no one seeing as this outlet had reported extensively on all the background judicial corruption – as well as the nervousness of the Palmetto State’s legal community in response to the unraveling Murdaugh drama.

Subsequently, we learned a federal investigation was also underway.

What happened to those inquiries? Last summer, we were told federal investigators had made “significant progress in their probe of multiple South Carolina judges” – and back in December we reported that one former circuit court judge had recently been grilled by the feds.

More than six months later, though, crickets …

“We have said from the beginning of this scandal – (it’s) crime and corruption,” our founding editor noted in an episode of our Week In Review program last summer. “There was crime but there’s underlying system abuse of this system – and we have not seen the accountability for that.”

Will we?

While holding Alex Murdaugh accountable for his crimes was vital to restoring some semblance of public confidence in South Carolina’s justice system (assuming the verdicts against him stand), the job is not done. Far from it.

Alex Murdaugh’s fleecings didn’t occur in a vacuum. Others conspired with him. Accommodated him. Enabled him. Empowered him. Even worse, some may have leveraged or controlled him as they undertook even darker, more sinister conspiracies. Do we dare dive into those deep waters? Or will the lack of accountability on the “corruption” side of this ledger become the lasting legacy of Alex Murdaugh … the ultimate “loose end” to this story.

Only time will tell … but count on this reporter (and this media outlet) to continue pursuing every angle of this story, no matter where it leads.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Jenn Wood (Provided)

Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.

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