Episode 78 - The Murdaugh Family: Part 1 of 2

0:15 Welcome to Crime Besties, we're here for another episode and another week of recording. Meg, as always, how are you? How's it been? What's been going on? Yeah, it's been, it's been a week. Yeah. Yeah, it has. It's really been a week. I've had a really lovely family getaway last weekend and stuff and getting back into things this week. It's been, yeah, it's been a hectic week. I'm actually this week 'cause it was slightly shorter for me, having had a little bit of a getaway. I'm feeling a little bit like it's fucking Friday.

0:44 When did this happen? Yeah, I. Know I feel like that and I didn't have the, you know, the extended weekend probably we need to do a bit of a shout out to pat happy birthday, Pat. Happy 80th birthday. Make sure you get the 80th. Oh yeah, sorry. She loves 80th. Yeah. Massive shout out to your mum. Absolutely. So it was a big weekend of hilarity and drinking. Wine. Yeah, I'm. Glad to hear that And beach, you know like so perfect weather. It was so good. Yeah, 'cause it wasn't too hot, but it was. Nice.

1:15 It was like you could sit on the beach all day, weather like it. Was lovely. That's perfect. Yeah, we really enjoyed it. I think all everyone enjoyed it. The kids had an absolute ball and you know they love spending time with their cousins so couldn't get them off the trampoline. Uncle Andy has to get one for his niece. Fruit for my niece. Like it's just stop. Stop being an A hole. Yeah, come on, Uncle Andy. I mean, yeah, do it for. Goodness, do it. Just do it, Trampoline. Trampoline. I love it.

1:43 So I I I didn't have quite the weekend you had, but I did wanna talk to you about something. Have you watched the Heather Gay Surviving Mormonism doco? I have watched. There's three episodes. Maybe I haven't is No, I have watched all three then and what did you? Think. It was very interesting I. Say the same thing. And like, she's not one of my favs on that. Oh, she's. One of my absolutely, I know. You love her. Yeah, I've her. I mean, I saw a different side of her in that, that I like that side of her.

2:13 That's that side of her I really do actually like and relate to. And whereas who she is in that series, sometimes I just find that she stirs shit for no reason. I mean, that's what makes us so good to be. Honest, yeah, but she but she's backstabbing and not like be upfront about it, like, you know, yeah. So I don't like that side of it. But in that note, she I think she's really, she was compassionate. She acknowledges her own flaws in the situations. You know, like that sort of stuff that I just found that really compelling.

2:41 Me too, yeah. I thought it was really well done. Yeah, I wasn't expecting to. I mean, I I wanted to watch it 'cause I really do like her. Yeah, but I wasn't expecting her to be so frank about a lot of the. No, no, that's so true. I actually feel the same way 'cause I feel like she can dodge things and not, yeah, I feel like with that whole, I know she's written a book and all these sorts of things, but I actually find sometimes I kind of go, you're not telling us everything. Yeah. But I haven't read a book, so maybe it wasn't there.

3:07 She didn't wanna put it out on the show. I get that you're trying to sell a book, but yeah, in that I found that she was very open with everything. Yeah, highly recommend if you're into it and you wanna know a bit more about like the dark side of warm and this. Is it, I mean, I, I bring it straight away together. It is like it is crime orientated in that sense. I do. It's very much so. It's like a cult and a leg. She talks about. Well, I. Mean I. Think it's not even a like a colleague? Yeah. Controversial yeah so I I think that it really get does talk a lot about though a lot of crime that yeah has been committed by the Mormon church and people within the Mormon church that and the people have acted and so yeah it's a very.

3:49 It's very, really, really enlightening. Watch if that's something that interests you at all. Yeah. And not like, and I, I just have to say, if you're not into Real Housewives, it still watch this, I think. It's not. Oh yeah, You don't have to know anything about the house. No, no, absolutely. That's just who she is on the other side of her life, I guess. But yeah, this is actually, I think who she really is. So I can watch the the activism that she wants to do. Like it's. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, sure.

4:11 The other thing that's going on at the minute of the Winter Olympics. Mm. Hmm. Favorite sport? Go. Oh, so many.

4:20 It's the curling. Isn't it? It's up there, it's up there. But I do love the one where like the knees go like the. At the moguls, OK. But there's another. One. No, it's the moguls where their knees go up and down. Yeah, but it's like. Yeah, no, I'm pretty sure that's the moguls. No, there's not. I was watching it in slow MO, the moguls, and I'm like, how the fuck are their knees not busting every time they hit one of those little bumpy things? Mm hmm. I look at that and my knees ache. But how do these people survive this shit?

4:49 I know. So what happened? Did you see the Channel 9 News reporter who did the drunk the drunk cross? I have only seen the apologies SO. You need to go and actually watch the video so. I need to. Just Danica Mason is the reporter, and what she says is that she's slurring. She is just on another. Plane on. When she's doing this cross, Oh, she was just talking about like the the weather where they are. And she's like, oh, and it's just like so and she's slurring her word. Oh, I love it. And then yeah, the the the apology, this I just thought was absolutely hilarious.

5:24 When she's like, oh, you know, it's the altitude and the cold and I. Didn't have dinner, I. Didn't have dinner and I'm like, it might have actually been the 2 bottles of wine you consume before you went live on air, I don't know. She's apologising to Karl Stefanovic, who's? Like shit, the irony. I think he said something like, ah, we've all been there, yeah. Carl's nothing if not someone to be self, you know, self deprecated. So yeah. So that's funny. But getting back to the winter sports I have, I just cannot believe how well Australia is actually doing.

5:59 Yeah, you know, you see our winter athletes practicing on, you know, mount like not even snow, but on like, you know, boards and schools. And I think, fucking hell, we're they're doing so. Well, oh absolutely. I mean, we do have some pretty good snow fields here at particular times of the. Years, yeah, but you know. Like, it's not a lot. I mean, there's like the girl who lives down in like Ocean Grove here in Victoria that I mean, you think how far away she is from a, a ski slope and she's incredible.

6:29 Amazing. That's the most obviously a natural talent there. And yeah, obviously hours and hours and hours. Intrigued throughout it though how the the commentators made many reference to it around the fact of like majority of our athletes who are at the Winter Olympics come from very wealthy families. Yeah. Well, yeah, I do, yeah. And there's there's like the odd ones where they do mention, they make sure they mention it when it happens. It's like, you know, these kids started doing this through, you know, school camps and stuff.

6:57 You know, he's come from literally not from money and he's but he's made it through, you know, something like that. But it's really interesting to see but. Yeah, but I mean, it's in Australia. It is so expensive to ski, like, it's ridiculous. It's pretty transport. Yeah, for sure. I do have some shoutouts for today as well. Yeah, we've had a busy week, had a very busy week. So we've got a few new patrons, Charmaine McNally, Rebecca Devine, Lauren and Justin Ware. And then we also had a coffee bought for us by Crystal.

7:27 So thank you to everybody for supporting us. It truly means so much. I I just can't. We say it every time. It still blows my mind whenever we get somebody, you know, pop something through. And our Patreon community is growing. Yeah. And we really appreciate that. I love the engagement over there. We get some lovely little likes and comments and we really, truly appreciate that. So thank you, everybody who supports us, even just for listening. Oh, this is it. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Absolutely.

7:52 Our listens at the moment are really escalating as well. So I think I've had a beautiful message just yesterday. I think it was not counting in a person's name and I will find it and I will mention it next week, maybe on that episode. But a really beautiful message from someone saying like how she's been telling all of her friends and family about us, which is just amazing. So I love hearing those comments. And that's the best thing you can do for us is mention this to someone else because it grows the podcast and all that helps.

8:16 So that's that is so good and it's great the way people are enjoying it. That's it. It's not just us two in a, you know, in a, in a vacuum. We love that. We love that, even though if we were in a vacuum, we'd probably still be doing this. This is the thing, I love it. It's my Friday. Friday, it's a good way to end the week. It is now we are going to be discussing the Murdoch family murders and everything that goes before and after that. Because it's such a massive, massive angle, like web of Oh my God, everything.

8:52 We've decided to split it into two parts. So this week we're going to be focusing on what happened before the I guess the family murders happened. And then next week we'll be focusing on everything that kind of happened from the family murders and onwards. I would imagine a lot of people know this story, even just having a little bit of an idea, only because the Netflix documentary or docu series about this was really, really, really popular upon its release. Yeah, because this story is fucking crazy.

9:27 It's batshit crazy. And then also, I think any story that involves really rich people is so intriguing. Yeah, don't you think? Oh, absolutely. Because, well, they everyone's intrigued by their life, you know, in, in any way. Like anyone who has access to that much money, you think, how do you live? Yeah, and they do live a very different life to the the majority. I mean, you were talking. About the other, although I wanted I do we we will get into this I reckon as we go go along. But if I had their money, yeah, I wouldn't spend it the way they spent.

9:59 It Oh my God. Well, the drugs alone. Drugs are notwithstanding, no joking, but just I think I think it says a lot about like, you know, they come from old money. Yeah. And this is a. Very. There's old money and new money are so different. Yeah, yeah, very true. Yeah. And I think I think we need to probably keep that, that kind of theme going because I think sometimes you look at things that they do or I don't know, and you think, Oh my God, but you've got so much money, why didn't you just do this instead?

10:31 But anyway. Well, I mean, as many people say, you don't become that rich without being a tired. Ass. That's it, 100%. And they, they kind of lived that life. Yeah. Yeah. So what we're talking about, so you will see their name written. It's MURDAUGH. Yeah, people pronounce it in lots of different ways. Yeah, they pronounce it Murdoch. So we are going to be pronouncing it Murdoch from here on out. Yeah, I did look up like a Scottish pronunciation website and it did also say Murdoch. You definitely hear plenty of people saying murder or and I think people 'cause I think people like the roll off the tongue of the murder, murders, murder, you know, the murder.

11:07 Murders, Murders. Like, yeah, so it's a. Bit of a tongue. A bit of a tongue. For sure. But yeah, but no, I hate they themselves. I have listened to many of police tape and all those sorts of things. They call themselves Murdoch, so I think that's what we need to go with. Yeah. The other one we probably need to mention too then is Alec. Yeah, his name is Alexander. I like it. Well, it's Richard Alexander Murdoch, but he goes by Alec, not Alex. However, everywhere you see it written, it's Alex. It's not like they write Alec.

11:39 But, well, there's not AC in his name there, isn't there? But yeah, I don't know then why it's not Alex. Yeah, it's weird, yeah, but they all call him Mr. At least of the weird things about this. So true. This family is batshit crazy. So for over 100 years we're talking. So this is set in the Deep South in South Carolina, Hampton County, South Carolina. Can you do a Southern American accent for me? Hell no. Can you? Oh, just. Come from.

12:14 The phrase actually too, yeah. So this is. Sort of the oyster. No. Can't. No. No, can't. No. No, wait, you're gonna go in that. I knew where you were going with this. We need to talk about that too. Any same. Sorry, we are talking about a family that is so well established in South Carolina, especially in Hampton County. They are over 100 years, three or more, 4 generations was it? I think they were up to the. 4 up to the four with Yeah, with all or. Alec 'cause it was 3 in who were being solicitors and then there was Alec and then Buster.

12:48 So we're coming to the 4th and 5th generation. Yeah, yeah. So the three Alec's 33 predecessors or his ancestors were what they call the county solicitor, which is the same thing in most other states in America, it's the District Attorney, but they just call it the solicitor. They. Just call it that it's. Something, it is almost in South Carolina, it is pretty much an unpaid position. It is a position of privilege. And so most solicitors will actually then have a private practice as well and that's how they have to make their money.

13:23 So they are a family who is incredibly well known within the legal community and then in the community at large because they are involved with all of like law enforcement and the legal fraternity and just within the community of Hampton County. Yeah, they are religious, I suppose. And they have lots, like most of the family units have lots of kids. And so there's lots of brothers and sisters and cousins. And, you know, it's a very large extended family. There's a point where they, they're kind of, there's a photo of like the family at where Alex's father receives an award for basically his, his service to this solicitor role.

14:10 And there's a whole family photo of them, which is not long before I think that like the shit hits the fan basically with a lot of this stuff, although this is ongoing from all parts, but the stuff that we're gonna focus on. Mm hmm. And so you see that family photo and the the the amount of grandchildren is just unbelievable. Yeah. So there's three siblings like Alec is like, is he the youngest or the three or the middle? No, I think he's he's the middle. Sorry, that Yeah. So there's Randall, who's his older brother, and then the younger brother, John Marvin.

14:37 John Marvin, Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So it's, yeah, there's only three siblings there, but the three of them seem to have, I mean, I think Alec only having two kids is kind of the unusual. Yeah. The others seem to have 10,000 children. They all came out of nowhere. Yeah. There's a whole cast of characters in this story, so I thought maybe we could introduce a few of them so people kind of have a little bit of context as to who we're talking about and then. We may need, I may need to try and put a little bit of a family tree on the on the socials for everyone because it does get kind of complicated.

15:06 It does get kind of complicated. So I think we'll talk about it from Alex, starting with Alex. Yeah, he was this nuclear family's patriarch. Wow. He he was very high-powered. And when I say that the solicitor role, while it didn't carry a huge financial incentive or a huge financial gain, yeah, it certainly gave a lot of power and a lot of influence. And he absolutely used that to his advantage. Yes, he was described as a lawyer with a silver tongue, like he he had the gift of the gab and he had that sort of good old boy South Carolina charm, you know, there.

15:50 You go, thank you. But he had a very unusual voice in general, I find. Yeah, which comes into play a little bit like the fact that kind of distinct his voice is. His voice is very distinctive. Yeah, it's very kind of, it's not commanding like he would expect somebody in that kind of position to be. When you describe him as having this silver tongue, you kind of then get this, this vert this like, I don't know, this sound in your voice of like, I mean a very a southern. I think it just like can be very charming and very like, you know, whereas yes, what he said was that, but his the sound didn't kind of match I. Agree.

16:22 No, I agree. Yeah. I think what we're gonna find out, you know, about Alec as we go along is that he was actually incredibly manipulative. He was a drug user and he was addicted to opioids. And you know what that inspired We will we will be discussing over the next couple of episodes. Sure. He had a, he had a nickname Big Red because he was big and he had really, really red hair and so did both of his children. It is fire engine red. They are total Rangers. As we say in Australia, lovingly. Lovingly, lovingly.

17:07 I'm married to one, Yeah, and one of my sons has red hair. Your your family aren't obviously redheads. Though, Well, they're more Orban, I think. Yeah, yeah, but they're not fire engine red. No, not fire engine Red no. But yeah, they they were very distinctive looking, I think because of their red hair. And they sort of really stood out. And they were tall. They were really tall. As yeah, very sweet. Then Alec, then when he was at university and studying to be a lawyer he met Maggie and Maggie was also I believe she was studying law as well.

17:41 And they hit it off and they ended up getting married and having two children. So she is described as, from what I've heard from multiple sources, as being a really lovely lady, very sort of community minded, but kind of from the impression that I get, no one actually said this, but I think she might have kept to herself a bit. The reason I say that is because she was actually really good friends, almost best friends with both of her housekeepers. And I'm like that to me says that maybe she didn't go out a lot, like maybe she wasn't as involved in the community.

18:22 And then I questioned like, why was that? You know, was it because she knew what was going on and she didn't want to be out there and associated? I don't know. Because I I find her intriguing. Me too. Because we don't know a lot about her. No. But because but The thing is with her that I find the most interesting is that you just say she seemed to be a bit of a homebody in that sense of like, you know, she her best friends were her housekeepers, not outside of the home yet she had interesting relationships with her children.

18:51 Yes. And so you'd think that someone that you're describing there of like someone who's like at home wants to end friendly with the with her help basically would be someone who'd be quite hands on them with her kids. No, no, she was involved, I would say at a level. Yeah, but but not. Do you feel like maybe, yeah. Do you like maybe she was involved because she was there. It wasn't like. She was involved, I think more of a in a sense that she knew what they were doing and what was happening, sure, but didn't participate actively.

19:24 Parent. Yeah, OK, yeah, I think I think that's probably fairly fair. Yeah. People describe their home as being really warm and welcoming. Yes, in that I think she she's very house A. Host all the time, Yes. To me, what's that? To me that her role in home was hosting not. Mother parenting, yeah, I think that's really fair and we'll get into that probably as we go through this story and introduce more characters. Too, apparently she would decorate the home for any any said to say season change, you know, anything that was coming.

19:55 And, you know, I mean, they hosted a lot of things doing what they did. They would have parties for everything and anything. And she would host all these things and she would do amazing decorations and yeah, these sorts of things. And that was, you know, she had she had help to do that with, you know, with housekeepers, et cetera. But she LED all of those things. So she was. Talented in that way. Yeah. She was also described as somebody. She liked the finer things. So she liked really expensive jewellery.

20:21 She had like this particular tennis bracelet that she always wore that was like extremely expensive. She was always decked out in gold and diamonds. Yeah. And that those things, she was really they. She valued that kind of thing a lot. Which is interesting in that lifestyle she LED really in some ways. Definitely. Because they will. Yeah, again, we'll get to that in a second. But they lived, you know, in a rural like ranch kind of property where they. Which comes from where they were, where they were like, yeah, that's, that's the community they lived in.

20:49 Like, absolutely. That's what people do there. Yeah. I mean, it's if it's not, it's not for you, not for you, not for everybody kind of situation. And very different to say, a wealthy person who lives in New York or, you know, that kind of situation. But their wealth was, you know, yeah, in this ranch kind of style living of like, you know, hunting all those sorts of things that she was around, but yet she would still wear the diamond rings, but still getting a muck in and, you know, clean out, you know, dog.

21:12 Dog House. Kennels and things like that. So she it was, it's very juxtaposing, I guess. But but yeah, she could manage both, yeah. And I think she was always, like, really well dressed, really well groomed. So I think appearances to her meant a lot. Like, that was right. That was really important to her. Yeah. They then went on to have two children. So the eldest son was Buster. So his name was actually Randolph's junior, weren't? Yeah, I guess he would have been like the 5th. Yeah, but he but I think he was just like Randolph Junior.

21:45 Right. Murdoch Yeah. Because he went with the Buster nickname. Which is they named him Buster. Really. It's so bloody complicated because his great grandfather, who had passed away by this point, yeah, was also nicknamed Buster. So there's two Buster Murdochs in this story. We're not really going to be talking about the older ones, so don't worry too much about that. Because his grandfather was also Randolph, yes. Yeah, yeah. And his uncle is Randolph, yes, Yeah. There's so many of them. Yeah. I mean, choose another fucking So the He was the oldest son.

22:17 He was the golden child. Definitely to Maggie, but also to Alec. Yeah. And they pinned a lot of their hopes and dreams on this first born son of theirs. I've believed the pressure was on him from very, very early on in his life to following his father's footsteps and carry on that family tradition. That is a massive burden to and pressure to have on a person. Absolutely. But that was the expectation and you know, all of that. He actually ended up going to university to study. Law. And he was actually expelled from the program because he was found to have plagiarized several assignments or whatever, something like that.

23:06 He he will actually come into our story in the not too distant future now because of certain involvements that he had with victims that played into this story. Yeah. The next son was Paul Murdoch. Now he's the youngest son, the family's, you know, quote, UN quote, problem child. He he's much. He gives me spare, you know. Yeah. Like kind of the, the air, the spare air, kind of like vibe big time, yeah. Yeah, totally, totally. I think he marched the bit of his own drum. He didn't give a shit about the family legacy or the dynasty that he grew up from.

23:40 Well, he did to a point, is that he he liked the money and that. Oh yes. I'm not saying he didn't like the money. He certainly liked the lifestyle it afforded. Yeah, but that wasn't ever gonna be him, I don't think. Oh no, no, but I mean, but I think he was raised to almost be that. Like he was a bit like over there mate, like. Yeah, pushed aside and he so he says that as well in interviews that the police have done and then subsequent interviews after, Yeah, after some things that again we're gonna talk about soon.

24:13 He was interviewed and he actually and even his one of his ex girlfriends talks about the fact that he actually had a much closer relationship with his housekeeper. Yeah. She was more like a mother figure to him than his own mother. Yeah, I think Maggie definitely doted much more on Buster and focused all of her attention and pressure on Buster. And yeah, as you said, they kind of like swept Paul to the side and were like, well, and Gloria really took him under her wing and she loved him like her own stupid she.

24:45 Saw who he was too, I think. But she loved him anyway. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, she loved him for all these flaws, whereas I feel like maybe Maggie and Alec might have seen those flaws and they didn't love him in the same way. It wasn't unconditional. No, this is it. And I find I just, I've really struggled with that. Like, how can you do that with your your own kids? Yeah. I mean, we all have our moments with one where we're not like as happy with them, but you always love them. Oh, you know what I mean?

25:10 It's just, yeah, I've really struggled with that whole concept. They're putting my focus on on this child. And I don't know you over there. I'm not, not. I can't know how you do that. I know. It's yeah, but this whole family is fucked up like that. And I think that goes back. I think that's a generational thing. Yeah, OK. So are you saying like the first born son is like? Necessarily the first born when we get to Alec. Well, that's true too. So, I mean, I know there was rivalry really between him and his brother Randall, as much as he comes into play in some of this stuff and he has a role in all of this.

25:42 He was older than Alec, Yeah. And it, but he played second fiddle to Yeah. What went on here? And he was a lawyer, too. It's not like he wasn't a lawyer. No. But for whatever reason, yeah, Alec was chosen. You're right. I actually hadn't thought about that. Yeah. So just this, the golden child there that has been chosen. Yeah. And it may, it doesn't seem really rank in terms of birth order, didn't seem to really play into that. Yeah, there's personality traits obviously shone through that we're focused on, Yeah.

26:10 And that's how they ended up the way they ended up interesting. It's really interesting. It really psychologically and stuff. I find this all fascinating. It's so fascinating. And how this, the generation, how does it, how do you get to this? Yeah, like 'cause it doesn't start here. No, like this is. Yeah, no. So what? We're gonna talk. We're gonna actually go in chronological order today. Yeah. And the reason? So we're gonna start with something that happened before any of this came to a head. So in the context of us telling this now, it's probably worth just keeping in the back of your mind that everybody thought at these times that this family was amazing.

26:51 They were like, pillars of the community. Yeah. Yep. And they were so well respected because of the roles they held within the community. Absolutely. All right, let's start with Stephen Smith. Stephen Smith was a young 19 year old nursing student, openly gay and just the light of his mum and his sister's life. He had a twin sister, his mum's name is Sandy and I believe his sister's name Stephanie that. Sounds. Yeah, it sounds. Right, they were both S names. I know like they were all S names. He was.

27:26 On the night of the 8th of July in 2015, he was found dead in the middle of the road in rural Hampton County, South Carolina. Now it's a really fascinating situation. So his car was found 3 miles away from his body. The gas cap was off and his wallet was still inside the vehicle. When the police found his body, he had a gash on his forehead. A dislike, Really nasty. Really nasty. Like almost to the point where it deformed his. Well, it did. It deformed his face. Yeah, a dislocated shoulder. But.

28:14 And the way his body was lying was. Interesting he also had his mobile phone in his pocket. And his shoes damaged and. Yes. And his shoes were still on his feet and they were very loosely tied. They were like those old DC runners, like you, just. Everyone back in that time had those runners. Yeah. And they were like, you know, you never. The boys never tied them tight. They always wore them loose, which just I can't and I love, I cannot have a loose shoe. It has to be tied. Spent some time with my son.

28:44 Oh, that's why it drives me mad. That's why every time I see him I'm like Oh my God, can I please do a fishy laces? But I know that would drive him mad. I know he looks at every time I say no, can you tie your shoes up, please? They're not tied enough. And he's like, they're fine. No, I can't. Even. No, no, no. Come on, turn me. So the police were like 911 was called, the operator sends out police ambulance and what comes to the fore or what they decide has happened is that he's run out of petrol, left his car on the side of the road to go and find petrol.

29:22 However, there's so many issues with this story also, what they then, sorry, what they then allege is that a semi trailer, a semi trailer truck was driving past and possibly unbeknownst to the truck driver even has hit him. Yeah. And that has caused that laceration to his face and then he's fallen, dislocated his shoulder and the laceration to his head is what's actually killed him. Yeah, OK. But. There's so many, there's. So many things. So let's get into the issues for this. Yeah. The first thing is if he this was, this happened at like 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning.

29:56 Did it? Yes. Yeah, it was really. Yeah, it was. Really. Yeah. Early as hours of the morning, yeah. So the first thing is that if he was walking towards a gas station, he was actually. Walking in the wrong direction. He was walking towards home like not where the gas station is. Yeah, but he'd taken. The other thing is if you leave your car on the side of the road, you don't take your gas cap off and leave it off. If that was me, I would have put it back on, shut it. Yeah, in my wallet to go and paint the.

30:22 Car up like coping the car, Yeah. And left it in that state. Which that's where they start seeing that like that. The police did sort of say that that felt staged in some way. It's like pointing to something. It's like, oh, no, I'm out of fuel. Look, see, look here. Yeah, yeah. Whereas anyone else would have yet closed that up and locked their car up to go looking for fuel. Yep, the police did look into whether there was any mechanical issues with the car, and there weren't. No, it had actually run out of fuel.

30:47 Legitimate, legit, had run out of fuel. His sister has said too, that I mean, this is something that they did regularly in the area that they would walk home from places or whatever. And something that Steven had always said was that he would never walk along the road. He, they would cut through paddocks and stuff like that. That walking along the road like that is just something he didn't, he didn't feel comfortable doing 'cause he, he knew that. The simple fact is this was, he was an openly gay man in a, in an area that does not accept that.

31:19 Well, he is incredibly brave and I and I applaud him for being just who he was. And many people did accept him. But he knew that if he was walking along the side of the road or something and like someone saw him, that it could just be inviting trouble, you know, in that area, which just sucks. It's in disgust. That's a whole other issue. Yeah, but he always commented to his sister and how they would always walk through the paddocks and stuff like that rather than walking along the side of the road.

31:46 Sure. The other thing his mum said is that she thought that if he had actually run out of petrol and this was legit, he probably would have slept in his car and waited until morning because he he for that, for that. Reason as well. So they're both saying that him walking along the road just. Isn't. What he would do, but not only that, he was found in the middle of the road, right? So he certainly wouldn't walk in the middle of the road. There's so many other issues as well. So if things happen the way the police alleged they happened, if he got hit by the rearview mirror of a truck, yes.

32:25 And when I say truck, I don't mean pickup truck, I mean a semi trailer. Yeah. They there's no way he would have been thrown to the middle of the road. He might have been thrown away from the road. Because he was literally in the middle yeah, of the road when he was found. Yeah. The other thing that they say is if you're ever hit by a vehicle, your shoes almost always come off. It's like a something to yeah, the friction and of like your feet on the ground and then your the rest of your body being thrown forward.

32:54 Yeah, your feet literally just come out of your shoes. Yes, his shoes were on so loosely, yeah, that they would have definitely come off. He's if you think about the impact of a truck hitting you hard enough to kill you, don't you think him? And he felt the the mobile phone was under his body. So he's fallen and he's onto his mobile phone. Kind of, yeah. Under his bum sort of area that, yeah. Don't you think that would have shattered? There's 0 nothing wrong with his phone, no damage, no, but there's no also no injuries sort of lower body either really.

33:28 We're talking upper body damage. So that sort of it isn't really consistent with that kind of accident either and being thrown that he would have something lower body. Yeah. But there was also no debris from any vehicle in the area. So they scoured that area for vehicle, you know, indications of a vehicle. So they could basically go if this is a hit and run, we're going to find out who who was driving that vehicle. There was none. And they also said that they tested his clothes for microscopic paint.

33:57 So like Hardy? Glass bits and things like that to be found like because if he's hit a mirror, something would have you know, glass could have shattered anything could have like, you know like there's there was 0 debris from the vehicle on the ground or found to be on him. Yeah in any way. Yep, yeah. It's really interesting the FBI did get involved eventually, because basically the case went cold. Yeah, very, very quickly. A. Particular police officer who really looked at this thoroughly. He was, I want to say his name is Michael Smith.

34:30 I might be wrong. I don't remember. I can't. I feel like that was right. I should have written it down. I don't know why I didn't. He was, you know, this guy, he was a local cop who was looking into it. He got really deep in it and was, he knew this, just none of this added up. He followed every aspect and every lead of this. Now what's interesting about him doing that was that the more and more he looked into this, the more he felt like he was being followed and being surveilled, particularly when he went into town near where the Murdoch's lawful.

35:04 Folks. We get phone calls from them now. The other thing that happened straight after this accident was that Stevens family, his mom I believe it was answered the phone received a phone call from Randall Murdoch saying that we will represent you in this situation legally just offering that his Gen. you know, free of charge. We're going to what we will do that now, Randall Murdoch there and the law firm that he was in, absolutely they would represent people like this. But that family never reached out to them.

35:37 They had no connection. They did not have any connection specifically to him. Like why would why would they be getting that phone call from him? Very interesting. The other thing that Sandy says is that she received that phone call before she knew or had found out from law enforcement that there was potentially someone involved. So like what I'm saying is they hadn't discussed the case with her. Yeah. So Randall, when he phoned her, yeah. He knew more about her son's case, Yeah, than she even knew yet.

36:08 So this just goes to show the influence that the Murdoch family and their law firm obviously had over law enforcement. Yeah, who's working? Who's working for who? Yeah, there's definitely information passing through to people that don't shouldn't really have that information at this point in time. Like what? What what do they got to do with this? Yeah, that they have. Information. I'm sorry, why are they getting information before the mother of the victim? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That happens a lot in this unfortunately.

36:43 Unfortunately. Yeah. So there's a lot of bits and pieces with that, that this, none of this adds up. Yeah. And there's already some indications and that, you know, like why is this sort of linking back to the Murdoch's? Where is that? And so in this investigation, this police officer found that a particular name just kept coming up. So I believe the there were over 100 pages in discovery or about this case in the documentation. And in those 100 pages, now I'm talking these are statements, these are, you know, information that the police has collected.

37:21 And also this is when phone, when when members of the public phone in with information about the case. This all gets recorded, you know, in these documents 40 times the name Murdoch is comes up. Yeah, in 100 pages worth of documentation, no one else's name or no other name comes up more than once or twice. Yeah. OK, so we're starting to get a bit of an idea here. What's going on? Why is the Murdoch name coming up? And then the case kind of goes cold.

38:00 It wasn't until June of 2021, and that's significant because of what happened around the same time and why this was opened, why this case was kind of reinvestigated, which we will absolutely get to in next week's episode. Yeah. But this was reinvestigated in 2021 and it was looked at in a very different light because of other things that have happened, which we are getting to. Yeah. So the rumors were at this point, and I guess the inference is that Buster Murdoch, so Alec and Maggie's eldest son, the Golden Head child, the one who's being set up to take over this family dynasty, was having a relationship, a secret relationship with Stephen Smith.

38:55 Now, I can imagine in that family that would have been absolutely unacceptable. It would have been just humiliating to the family. It wouldn't have meant that he could carry on the legacy that his father and grandfather and great grandfather and great great grandfather had established. And so I think what what's then inferred or what the what ends up being investigated is the fact that the Murdochs have found out about this relationship and orchestrated the events that led to Stephen's death. Yeah, yeah, I have thoughts on.

39:36 Go on please. So do I, but I'm so so curious. Go tell me what I think. I mean, yeah, well, firstly, with all this information that came to them about, you know, these rumors and like there's a lot of like recordings of those, those rumors, like people who've come forward and explain what they know. Now, when in all of that though, no one is first person. They're all saying, my friend told me, my cousin knows so and so who told this story? No one says I know, I know, I've seen them together. I you know, there's no first hand weakness of this they're.

40:12 All fucking shit scared that the Murdochs are going to sue them. Exactly. They sue people for looking at them the wrong way. This is right. So I mean, I find that interesting in itself, just the fact of like, no one's willing to come up, come forward. And I, I think that's fact. I think that's very like, I understand why people do that. Oh, totally, yeah. And I think it says a lot. I mean, some people you can look at it in one way and kind of go, Oh, well, people are just, it's just rumours then it's bullshit.

40:39 But I, I think you've got a hot it's weight in it because there's too many people that say it. Yep, too many people have come forward to, you know, and I've said the same stories kind of thing that I just go nut. There's, there's, there's weight in this. It's like, you know, where there's smoke, there's fire, you know, it's like, and people have very, very similar stories and very similar accounts and it's like the world's worst kept secret. Yes, exactly. Especially amongst the younger. This is it.

41:04 All younger people that were coming forward this information, I feel like they were no one was they're not. What do they got to gain by? I mean, they shouldn't if they didn't really want anyone linking them to it. They just don't say anything. They're willing to come forward and say something and go go. Well, I've heard something. I think that those two are having a relationship. Like, I think there's more in there is plenty in it now, but I think that Buster obviously has a reputation to uphold, yes.

41:28 And so in in many ways, in many ways. So I do think that maybe he was aware that these rumours were getting bigger and so he had to do something to shut it down. Do you reckon there might have been an instance or something where maybe Alec found them together or no, I don't think so, I don't think. It got even. I don't even think it got that far. I don't think it would take even that extent. Yep, it was just the fact that there's people might be talking about something that might be happening. I think what's happened, this is my take on what I think happened.

41:58 Yep. Him, Buster and his mates were going around playing baseball with people's letter boxes. Yeah, which is evident. They know people were doing that. I think they were doing that. And I think that they have driven along and they have seen Stephen in his car, in his car, like you say. I think he was. He did run out of fuel and he was in his car. They happened to have stumbled across him and I think that then him, I think Buster and a couple of his mates or whatever have pulled him out of the car and it's gone too far because Buster's like basically taken the frustrations of, you know, like what if I fight people find out this I have to prove that I don't love him.

42:35 I don't have a relationship with him. So I think he's got hit over the head with a baseball bat and that's why the the injury across his face. It is, it is in a line, something straight they say has hit him across the face. Yeah, like a baseball bat kind of thing. I think that aligns that he's been hit with that. I think he has died from these injuries, from this brawl. I then think they have dumped the body on the road and staged it the way it is. But I think this all just came down from like, you know, wankers who think they're above the law.

43:07 Who and Buster covering his tracks of a relationship. Do you think any of the older, the next generation up of Murdoch's had anything to do with the staging of the body or the cover up? I think quite possible. I think he's obviously as they do. I think he's immediately got on the phone when this has happened or whatever and go on shit, what do I do? Yeah. And I do think then others have got involved to. Protect him? I think so too. And I think that then allegedly I, I just, I don't, I don't see a story where Alec and the rest of them.

43:44 But they don't go to Alec so. No, they go to they go to they. Go to They go to their uncles. And their and their grandfather. And their grandfather, they don't really go to Alec. So I, I think it might have not even been Alec. Who knew. Yes, necessarily, this is it. I dealt with it necessarily. But then Alec also had enough offsiders that they could have called to sort of help them. Like as in who the boys could have called to help them out as well. Exactly. Yes, Yeah. So I do. I feel like it hadn't got to the extent of like the extended family orchestrating this to the point of like the actual killing.

44:15 I think that's happened in AI. Don't know rage fueled dickheads. Just go with blankets. Drinking beer, you know, doing this and they've stumbled across him and this is what's happened. And then it's gone way too. Far He was such a gorgeous young man, wasn't he? Oh my God. He just seemed like the life of the party kind of right. Really great fun, lovely guy. Fun. He was a twin. His sister's just devastated, of course, but to be a twin, you know, he was a nursing. Student, he had these goals of like, yeah, you know, Jesus, it breaks my heart what he was like hoping to do and go overseas and things and help children and yeah.

44:54 He wanted to work in remote communities and yeah, help people, yes. Help people. And so the world missed out on that because of these fucking motherfuckers. Although no one's been convicted of any of this, you know, So this is all allegedly, allegedly, allegedly. Yeah, that's my take on what happened. That's what I think's happening. And I honestly think that from listening to particularly that police officer I was talking to, talking about he, he very much, I think he believes that too. He doesn't he typical police officer kind of thing.

45:24 He doesn't layout what he thinks happened, but he infers things of what what is his investigation has taken him to. And I think that that's what I honestly think that's what's happened here. And Buster knows what happened and so do many others in the Murdoch family know what happened. And I do think there are some other outside. I think there's some other kids who know what happened on. That oh definitely I fully agree with yeah, I. Definitely shut up and paid off or whatever. I really do believe that.

45:49 Yeah, same. Yeah. I mean, they were just as implicit. So it's, you know, of course they want to keep quiet as well because, yeah, they were involved. Yeah, and that's the thing they've they hold it over them of like, you know, I mean, I could honestly say I reckon if anyone of them wanted to talk, they go to police officers and they would probably get a bit more of a slap on the wrist sort of situation, like get less of a. Well, they could, probably. Come up with a deal, they would come up with a deal.

46:12 Want to be sorting this shit out? That's right. Something that was provable and known, yeah. But they have definitely shut them up somehow, Which when we get to other cases here of what's gone on, there's precedent for this occurring that we know what happened. You know, absolutely people have come forward and talked about, Yep, I think the same thing happened. With this, I think you're right. I I agree. I fully fully agree. And it worked, this one. It worked with Steven. Yes, yes it did. But maybe didn't work so much.

46:40 Well, it worked till now because I think there's still a reward out. Yes, a financial reward. I think it's not a lot though. I feel like it's like. Maybe $50,000 like it's it's a that's nothing. It's not enough to. Talk at this point, no. Not with what? Not with where their webs go like. And I, I think they actually, there was a GoFundMe set up at one point to exhume his body to, in order for the police to in like that would then, you know, I guess mean that the police had to then do a, another autopsy and look at the body again.

47:15 I actually don't know if that ever happened. Do you know if that happened? Heard of that? OK, no. I I, I my, my gut feeling because I haven't read anything about it. I feel like maybe that never came. So I feel like that never eventually. The next one, we're gonna talk. About yeah, it did, yeah, But that was. Not that wasn't about Steven. No, no. Yeah, OK. Let's get to the next one. Yeah. OK, so the next victim of this family, she was a woman by the name of Gloria Satterfield. Now, Gloria was the Murdoch's housekeeper and nanny for over 20 years.

47:55 Her son. So she had two sons of her own and she was a widow, I believe. A widow, Yeah, Yeah. And. She raised her boys on her own. Yeah, she raised the boys on her own and worked for the Murdochs throughout their entire sort of childhood. And yeah. Lesson well she actually works for them and for some other families as well because she she needed income for to raise her boys on her own like that that she worked her asshole she was. Such a hard worker. Yeah, such a hard worker. Her son Tony says that he loved the Murdoch's, that he really felt welcomed by them and included by them.

48:30 And her sister, she had a sister named Ginger, who is actually very outspoken. And if I know if you want to look up a lot more about Gloria, you can. And most of the family spokesmanship comes through Ginger. Yeah. Gloria also. Gloria also had two brothers, but they just kind of sit in the background while Ginger kind of, you know, gives their opinion or gives their opinion to everyone. Oh, hi, everyone. I actually really rate her because she's like a dog with a bone. And she has not let any of this go to her absolute credit.

49:04 Yeah. You know, I think Gloria's sons were too young to have to take all of this on. And so she has really stepped up for them and really advocated for Gloria. Gloria in all of this. Yeah. Amazing. Gloria loved tennis. She was a an avid tennis player when she had, you know, the the small amount of time off that she had. Yeah. She loved the colour purple. And yeah, as I said, she was, she was always up at the cracker Dawn at her first job, finish that one off, go to the next job. She would often, Maggie would often ring Gloria and say, oh, I'm not gonna be able to cook dinner tonight.

49:41 Can you pop dinner on? She'd go back, She'd get dinner ready for them. Apparently she was an incredible cook. Mac and cheese was her absolute specialty. And the kids. Love, loved it. The kids absolutely loved it. Yeah, I'd love a recipe because sometimes I find Mac and cheese can be a little here. Oh, I. Just find that we don't know how to do that really here in Australia. As grade I mean. I think the key is grating your own cheese. You can't use pre grated cheese. I've definitely pre grated cheese.

50:07 Disgusting. It's the powder. Yeah, the powder in US No. So you need to grate your own cheese, but I don't know. But anyway, so that was that was her little her little claim to fame. I Yeah, so the relationship between Paul and Gloria especially apparently was very they were very bonded. And as we were talking about a little bit earlier, she saw Paul and all of his flaws, but she loved him anyway and she would do anything for him. And he obviously felt very supported by her because his Paul's ex-girlfriend says that he had a photo of Gloria in his wallet of no one else, just a little photo of.

50:52 Gloria, it says a lot. It says a. Lot it kind of kind of that really, that almost endears him to me a little. Bit that's about the only thing. That knows. Oh, there's not. There's not anything else even. Gloria bowed up that ex-girlfriend and said to her, no, maybe date him, maybe move on. He's not a good guy. Yeah, I love him, but yeah. He's not a good partner. No. Yeah, move on. And she was such a she was a lovely girl. Totally. And and in a lucky. Story. We'll get my heart breaks for her too, God, but I just think she was so she didn't know what she.

51:27 Didn't know I was a youngest girl. Innocent. Yeah, absolutely. And she didn't see things for what they were because that's not how they were presented to her. No. Yep. Anyway, so this accident. Virgin commerce accident. So the property, the property where the Murdochs lived was called Mozel, Mozel, Mozel. I didn't do a really good job here. I. Suck at it though. Oh God it's not easy. Do an accent. I feel like you were better at the South African accent that we were talking about in our Patreon. But anyway, so we're not going to do any more accents we.

52:04 Suck at it, that's fine. We good at everything. Almost everything, which is not absolutely everything. So the this accident in inverted commas happened at the property at Mozel. Yeah. Now the reason we are naming the properties is because the Murdoch's also had so many properties not just in South Carolina, but all around the country. Yeah. So on in February of 2018, A911 call comes through and you can hear the recording of this literally anywhere. Just Google it, you can hear it. A woman who is later than identified as Maggie Murdoch reported that Gloria had fallen back down 8 brick steps at the front of their home.

52:58 Now, apparently on this particular day, Gloria was going over to Moselle to pick up her check her her pay. And they weren't they didn't necessarily know. They knew she was coming that day. They didn't necessarily know when when Maggie rings 911. Do you find that phone call really confusing? Very because she doesn't actually So to me, right If I was ringing 911 because anyone had fallen at my house. Now, apparently Gloria there was bleeding. She gave no really amazing information about the state of Gloria.

53:36 Nope. The the operator asks is she conscious? And she's like, yeah, maybe. And then she's like, oh, not really. I'm like, you're either fucking conscious or you're unconscious. I don't know that there's much in between there. No, she gives no detail. She's like, I think, I think she. I think Maggie. No. Then Paul gets on the phone. You. Hear Paul like so. He's definitely. There, He's definitely there. He gets on the phone, yeah. And he says to the 911 operator, I think she's tripped on the dogs now when and they basically the 911 operator's like, Yep, we're sending somebody out there, we're sending AMS or whatever out there, no.

54:11 Panic in an ear? No. Panic I. Wouldn't say that. Like, yeah, she's. Got. And then what Paul says is like, she's bleeding out of her ear. Yes. And that to me would be like, fuck in hell, fuck. But he's like, oh, she's bleeding out of her ear. And they're like, yeah, OK, well, we'll get someone over there. Yeah. There's not like. Will you hurry please? Like nothing like that from like, from like this is where I kind of go Like Paul was so connected with this woman, yet he was very yes, like she's fallen.

54:41 No, you know, get help now. Oh my God, this is like someone who means so much to me is injured and hurt and could. Be even. It doesn't even doesn't matter if they mean something. No, no, at your house has blood coming out of their ear and from the back of the head. Yeah, but he's a cold person, I think in many ways, but I just kind of this is particularly a person that I thought he might have that that's so true thought that thought about and that's and he doesn't. And I'm like, oh God, this makes really worse with him.

55:06 When the EMS get there, and I believe law enforcement also went on the scene, what they find is Gloria's body on the stairs. Still, her legs are up. Yeah, on a on like the highest. Step or something further and she's her. Her head's on the ground like her body's on the ground. Yeah. It looks like they have not really made an attempt at first aid, which again, I also find interesting. Like why wasn't the 911 operator telling them to provide first aid? Yeah, yeah. I assume that's they do that in America.

55:37 I would have assumed so. Yeah, so that I find really odd as well, like. But then I listen to the and I'm like, maybe the severity did what happened didn't really get over because the 911 operator does say to Paul when he's on the phone, has she ever had a stroke? And he goes, I don't know why you're asking me all these questions. Just get somebody here. And she's like, I've got someone on the way. I need to ask these questions. And he never answers. I think, he says. I don't think she's ever had a stroke.

56:05 But then they need to know more information that is then not forthcoming. No, but that's where I get though I think that they didn't know stuff about her as much as they had a relationship with her. Well. They, they don't know her. Yeah. The operator asks Maggie how old is she? And she goes, oh, I don't, I don't know. I guess she's about 50 something. Yeah. And I thought, well, for someone who you're so close with and that there is a lot of information to make, you know that. Yeah. That she raised your children, you know, basically and all these things that I got two years.

56:31 Wow. You've known and think even Alec, in one interview I heard of him saying they asked him how long had she been working with you? And he kind of did the whole or guess it'd be maybe around 20 years. He couldn't even not pinpoint how long she'd worked there, which I find that interesting of someone who he employs people like he's got, you know, a big law firm, like kind of thing. I don't know, someone like that. You know how long they've been working with you for 'cause you'd be like, well, we nearly came up for 20 years, Gloria, we should do something special.

56:58 You've been with us for so long. I don't know, like, wouldn't you? Definitely. Yeah, actually. Because like in that in that setting, that's a quite an intimate, you know, she's picking up their underwear off the. Floor I mean and wouldn't you know if she's raised your kids like that you know well Paul was 2 when she came on that's right you know what I mean at this age yes. So therefore she is, she's been with us that. Long, but no, they didn't care enough to. No. To think about. It they didn't think other people like that and themselves.

57:23 It was all very self-centered. I feel like as much as yeah, oh, they're just interesting fucking people, really interesting. So. Interesting. So at this point, Gloria is in a really critical condition and she is, I believe they airlift her to a hospital in a nearby town because I think in, in Hampton County there's no like ternary hospitals or anything like that. So they've, they've airlifted her to the next, the closest facility, I think it was in Georgia or something anyway. And she was in hospital for two weeks.

57:57 And the decision was eventually made by her two sons to stop her life support. Her injuries and her subsequent like the brain injury meant that you know her, her state was incompatible with life ongoing so. But her death certificate says she died of natural causes. Yeah, that's interesting, isn't it? What's that? Well, I don't know that falling down the stairs is a natural cause, No. Because what they said is basically in hospital, she then had like a heart attack, yes. And then so I've heard some people sort of say, well, OK, maybe if she died, even dying from a heart attack is not natural causes.

58:36 But are there natural causes like after effects that that's why it? Looks I can understand like maybe if she'd had a stroke and fallen due to the stroke. OK, but then you still need to do a brain scan to confirm that she I guess. But then wouldn't she have died of stroke? Not. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's true. So what? What happens, though, when you put natural causes on a death certificate is there's no. Autopsy and no. Investigation. It never gets flagged with the coroner and there's no further investigation.

59:09 Nothing to see here people. Don't you think that's really interesting? Well. Because the other very interesting thing is that then Alec is in interviewed at a point in all of this. Yeah, because he says she fell down the stairs and that he spoke to because no one, no one, they say, oh, they all say they didn't witness her fall down the stairs. No. No one claimed. They all claimed they were inside and they didn't see what happened outside. They came out and found her, right? But in an interview, Alex says he spoke to her as they were putting her into the ambulance.

59:38 Yes. Now the paramedics that were on the scene and all those sorts of people say Alec wasn't even there. He wasn't there. She also wasn't verbal. Apparently she was like like making noises but she. Wasn't communicating sense of what you know, wouldn't make sense of what she said or anything. But he claimed that she told him that the dogs had tripped him up. Tripped her up. He wasn't even there. He. Wasn't even there. Interesting. The other interesting thing is that one month before Gloria died, Yep, Alex took out Alec.

1:00:13 Sorry, fuck him, but Alec took out an insurance policy on Moselle. Yeah, commercial insurance policy. Yep, to the tune of I think it was $5 million. 4 point something, I think it was 4.3 or something or 4.6 something like that, yeah. Oh, no, it's 4.3. I've got it written down. Yeah, $4.3 million. Yeah. OK. When? After Gloria died, pretty much at the funeral. I believe it was. I believe it was at the funeral Alec approached her two sons who were I think 1 was 21, was 18. Yeah, 18 and 20 I think. At the time, at the top of my head, yeah.

1:00:49 Something around that, yeah. Something around that? Yeah. Not older, not young, like, yeah, but in that bracket of like old enough to, yeah, manage this, but in the same time too young to know how to do it on their own. Yeah, that makes sense. Oh. Totally. Yeah. So he grows up to them and he says we really want to look after you. We're so sorry this happened. What I'm gonna do, I'm gonna give you a lawyer. I'm gonna put you in touch with a lawyer, and I want you to sue my homeowner's insurance. And so the boy's like, oh, no, no, Mr. Murdoch, no, we would never do that.

1:01:23 And he goes, no, no, you need to be taken care of. I insist that you need to do this. I will provide. I will put you in touch with a really good lawyer, and we'll go from there. So the boys do that. They are put in contact with a lawyer. Was this lawyer impartial? Meg Let. Me. Think about that. No fucking way. No, he was. Randolph's best friend. So Alex Brothers best friend and college roommate I believe. OK. They're good old boys. They're good old boys. So what happened? This guy was named Corey Fleming.

1:02:04 That's right. So they go down the path this now by the way, this took fucking years as well. They were fucking around back and forth. I think they were trying to, well, they were clearly trying to pull the wool over the young. Boys, I don't know if the actual process of it happening Tookie is, I think that happened very easily, yes. And but the boys, glorious boys, were just not informed of it here. They were informed though. They were just informed the wrong thing. They were like, oh, they. Were doing bits and pieces when they wanted them.

1:02:35 To It'll be another four months. We've got another hearing. Yeah, but you don't have to be there. Don't worry, we'll take care of. All the we'll take care of you guys don't need to worry about this. You don't need to worry at all. No, what eventuates is that the So Corey and Alex, Yeah, sued Alex's home insurance, This commercial insurance, Yeah, for the full $4.3 million. But they had told the boys, right, the two sons, that the settlement, it'll be, it'll take care of you guys because we'll probably got to get about $500,000, exactly 500,000.

1:03:08 That's what they were sort of thinking, that this is a ballpark figure that boys were expecting to get out of it. Yeah. Which they were like very, very happy to receive if that's what this would happen. Yeah, out of this, that they would receive that money that would really help them out. Yep. And that's a lot of money. Yeah, Nah, Nah. Turns out for three, $3,000,000, Alex and Fleming stole the entire amount. Mm Hmm. The boys have never, never received anything. A cent, not a cent. No, and it wasn't until later events that occur, which we'll get to next week, that that gets flagged with them.

1:03:48 Yeah, that that they didn't even know. They had no idea. What a sack of shit. What of? Both of. Them. Oh, all of them. Like all of them. Like it's. Just what a fucking piece of shit. Yep. Yeah, what? A what Fucking. Piece and as I mean one guy comes at him again, we'll get into it more next week, but he is 1 particular police officer. I think it was an FBI agent sort of said well this kind of been the first one because you don't start these things with a $4.3 million job. So how much of people's money did these sacks of shit steal?

1:04:23 I believe it is untold. Yeah. As in, I think, I mean, skipping ahead here, but I think it's pretty fucking obvious. All this shit catches up to Alec eventually. And his financial crimes alone, he was jailed for 40 years. That's on his financial crimes alone, let alone all the other things that we're yet to talk about. And part of that 40 years was this fraud against glorious sons Brian and Tony. What a fucking asshole. He is just awful. But, and The thing is, OK, so this one here with Gloria, there's the financial shit of this, which that I mean, OK, there's one way of looking at this that Gloria had an accident and Alex has taken advantage of that.

1:05:14 Or did Gloria know too much? Gloria knows something that he didn't want her to know or you know, and did he take out that life, that insurance, that that commercial insurance policy, knowing what he was planning on doing? So did. He Yeah. What? What came first? Yeah, My gut feeling, I think the timing of the insurance, the insurance policy being taken out might be a bit of a red herring. The reason I say that is because he wasn't present when she fell. So I don't know how he could have orchestrated that.

1:05:53 I I don't know. Yeah, right. I think, I think he's taken advantage of a very awful situation. So do you think she genuinely felt? I don't. I don't actually know. I don't, I don't know I would. I can't imagine Maggie would have done anything. No, but I can certainly say think Paul would, but. What would his motivation have been or do you think on advice of his father? No, because I don't think they had that kind of relationship. Very same. I honestly believe that. Well, we know. What we do know is that Gloria knew about Alex drug taking.

1:06:33 Yes, she'd found a stash there. We know that Paul knew. Well, Gloria had told Paul, yeah. So Gloria and Paul knew this information about their dad. I, I do think that what's happened that morning is Gloria has maybe said, well, Paul, if you're not going to speak to your mom about this, like Maggie's there, say, and I'm going to tell your mom and you know, we need to get help for your dad or, you know, all the, I think this has been what the conversation is. And I think that what's happened is Paul's got, I don't think he's gone.

1:07:06 I'm going to kill her, but I think it's got gotten out of hand and I do think that she's fallen down the stairs with an assistance of a fall. Like I think there's been a push or something's gone in that that argument somehow. So yeah, I think there's more involvement there. OK, I, I, I can see that being a situation. My challenge to that is, though, what do you why do you think Paul wouldn't have wanted Maggie to know? Because I think she knew she knew he was an opioid abuser. I think that I think that's absolutely part of it in that they they knew these things, they just didn't want other people knowing these things.

1:07:45 OK. And so I so. You're saying Gloria knew too much and Paul was trying to protect, so it was almost like an untold, an unspoken thing within the family. Yeah, this drug, I think we don't talk about this shit. Why are you talking about it? Why are you bringing it up? I think that's the kind of attitude you have to it. OK. I think that he would have been like, stop talking about it, sharp about it, you know, what's it to you being nasty to her and said, you know, I think that he would have just been in a foul mood.

1:08:12 I think, you know, kind of shit. I don't. Really weird that she took it to him. I do too. I do too. So what What Gloria found, she was making a bed one day, and she found a massive bag of opioid pills taped under the bed frame. Yeah, and that's what she disclosed to Paul that she'd found. She didn't tell Maggie. Because The thing is. He was supposedly her. Friend, The thing is, I don't. Absolutely. Alec was a drug taker, yes, right, abuser, abuser. But I think there's more to it in the drug self.

1:08:44 OK. I do think there was connections there with other people like dealers, etcetera. Yes, that there was definitely. So there was. I think there was the element of Alec taking the drugs which wasn't acceptable and knowledge for people to know, Sure. But I do think there was more illegal shit connected to that, right. That that was the worst stuff. That was the stuff that maybe was the stuff they really more likely didn't want being known. OK, Yep. Does that. Yeah. No, I I get that. I think we'll talk more about that in next week's episode.

1:09:13 Yeah. You can give us your full theory then. Yeah, so I don't. Think if I have a full constructed 1 yet. Oh, I know, because there's so much. We don't know what we don't know either. And this family has done a really, really great job at hiding a lot of shit. Oh, there's so much you can do when you have money. Yeah, so many people you can buy out. Power. Yeah, power is incredible. Their power was so far reaching. Yeah. And well, again, actually in the next person we're talking about, the power of this family is really.

1:09:44 Evident. It becomes really evident in this, this one, I think because so many people were willing to come out and talk, you know, and, and voice what happened to you and because a lot of it's on body Cam footage and things. Too. Yeah, that's true. Discovered. Yeah, just really quickly before we finish up with Gloria's story. Yeah, her family, in the wake of her death, set up a Gloria's Gifts Foundation. Lovely. And they give Christmas presents to needy kids and they wanted to make sure that her name was associated with kind and lovely things, which is what she was in life and not associated with the Murdoch name at all.

1:10:19 So that's why they they set that up. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, what a what a it. Sucks that, you know, yeah, there's they've great things that come out of these shitty situations, but it sucks we have to be there. Yeah, at this point for that to happen. Now this next victim of the Murdoch family is. This whole story is a big one. This one kind of is the catalyst I reckon, for this coming out publicly to be honest. 100% I think if this hadn't happened we would. We wouldn't even know who the fuck they were.

1:10:50 We wouldn't know who Gloria Satterfield was. We didn't know who Stephen Smith was, like, you know, at all. But like, because from this case, literally after this, 19 lawsuits get filed against the Murdochs. Yeah, from this point, yeah. So this just blows everything. Up and we're not even talking like little civil cases. No, I'm talking massive things. Massive. Things, yeah. 19 massive lawsuits, yeah. Yeah. OK, so the next victim we're talking about is Mallory Beach. Now Mallory was a friend of Paul Murdoch's.

1:11:26 Now there was kind of like a three couples who would hang around. Now Paul and Morgan were on again. Off again. For four years. Yeah, for four years. They've been together a while. Yeah, Anthony and Mallory were like young childhood sweethearts. I think they'd known each other for a very long time. Hadn't been together that. No, they hadn't. And this is like they, they'd been, yeah, friends for so long. Family friends, Yeah, but only in the most of the last 12 months each or something. OK. They'd, they'd had a moment where they were like, no, actually, I think it was.

1:12:02 He came out and sort of said, no, I really, really like you. And she reciprocated. And they decided, yes, that we want to date. To date, like, you know, Yeah. I really rate him in the documentary. So do you think he's? So lovely. Beautiful. He's such a lovely boy. And so mad. She was such a lovely girl. Gorgeous, I mean. Yeah, just really, they really suited one another. Yeah. Just really love, you know, young love. Genuinely, like people who knew them and everything had commented how they were like the couple.

1:12:29 Yeah, They were gonna be. They were gonna be together. Yeah. And I mean, I think to this day, he's single. Yeah. He just has no interest in meeting anyone I don't think after losing her which I hope he can move forward and have a life but and I know like she would want that for him but. Definitely. I mean this when you think about it, this only happened in 20/19. It was 7, what, 6-7 years ago? Yeah. I just, I don't know, I you'd never get over. It no, no. So and then the other couple were, again, I don't know that these two were necessarily together at the time, but there was Connor and Miley.

1:13:02 They are now together. Oh yeah, they were. Together. Then they were together then, OK, yeah, they're still together. Well, when the documentary was filmed anyway, they were still together. Yeah, so Miley and Armour and sorry, Miley and Mallory were best friends and had been since they were small children. Charlie Glue to each other's pretty much since kindergarten, I think. Yeah, Genuine, like besties. Yes. And then Morgan had arrived in the town later, so she had moved. She'd moved into the the area and gone to their school and they'd met each other.

1:13:33 Yes. So I think Paul and Anthony were best friends. Yes, and. Connor and Anthony were cousins. Yes, our cousins. And so Morgan kind of started dating Paul and kind of got into this. This group. This group. That's exactly right. Yeah. The three M names. Oh my God. So we've got Mallory, Morgan and Miley. And when I, when I go to say their names, I've had to actually like highlight the names. And I'm like, this is the one that did this. This is the one that did that. Yes. All very attractive, gorgeous young people.

1:14:04 Maybe not all of them. Just thinking Paul don't get that. And then I don't get that either because Morgan is gorgeous. Just do you know who she reminds me of? Who? Shirley Woodley. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Eventually, because I've left the room for a minute right when I was watching some of the doco and I left the room and went and I could hear it from the other room and I'm going why is Shelly Woodley on my screen? Like what? What? And then I walked back in and went, no, yeah, she sounds like her. And even just demeanor she just if they ever do a movie like.

1:14:34 She's your gal. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they did do. A Well, the house, yeah, yeah, that's. Patricia Arquette played. Maggie. Maggie. Yeah, I do love Patricia. Arquette. I do in that she's like so not attractive, like kind of like she's she. Plays it well. She does. She does. Plays it very. Very well, yeah. Although look, if you, I mean, it's, it's very entertaining. If you want to go and watch it, it's not. I think they leave out some really key details. But I also understand my issues are fine with it.

1:15:07 Though, Yeah, definitely I. Didn't want to watch it for this again because I'm like, it's not factual. It's not factual enough to like, actually. Yeah, I'm getting from quite a while ago. Yeah. It's it's worth a watch. Yeah. It's it's entertaining. Yes. Yeah. So basically on the night of the 23rd of February, so this the tragedy happened after midnight. So it's reported as the 24th, but on the night of the 23rd in 2019, these 6 underage. And when we say underage, we're talking under 21. Yeah, the legal age of drinking.

1:15:37 These six friends are hanging out together. Well, they're heading off to a an oyster roast. Yes. Now did you have to look up what an oyster? Roast I most certainly did, because in my, I mean, you know me, I don't really eat oysters. Fucking love oysters. Love an oyster when my family do love oysters and I was like yeah cook em do you like? Oh, so to me the thought of a cooked oyster makes me want to vomit. Because even I had to ask my brothers about this because like, OK, so there's Kilpatrick oysters Kilpatrick, which they are warmed, heated.

1:16:07 They're not warmed warmed. They're not even like I was saying to them like they're not cooked. They're not either. They're like, no, no, you don't cook them. No, no. And I'm like, right. Because in my mind I'm like, they're kind of warm. Like no, they're just warmed. They're not cooked. Even so, that's I'm like, we're still not at a roast. So what I saw is they basically catch. One then like 'cause I can't eat them raw. Oh but I just feel like they'd be robbery. So. So they tip. They basically BBQ shelled oysters so they have to.

1:16:35 They would have. Been girl UPS stuck over them and like so yeah, steam Steam I don't even. Know it just to me. Can you imagine the smell? Well, that guys, for those of you not watching on YouTube, that was a genuine A genuine gag. Her eyes are watering now.

1:17:02 OK, let's not talk about the smell of oysters anymore, OK? I'm sorry. I'm really sorry I did that to you, but Oh my God. So anyway, these kids have decided to go to this oyster roast. Now, they a couple of things. First thing is they had heard because these oyster roasts attract a lot of young people in the county, they often police will be out and about doing roadside checks and sobriety tests and that kind of thing. Yeah, they so they decided to actually go via boat. So Paul's dad, Alec, had a boat.

1:17:38 Now when I say boat, it's more like it's bigger than a dinghy, but it's not massive. Like the six people barely fit on it. It was a runabout, kind of, yeah. It was for the little canals. Yeah, around South Carolina, Yeah, around Hampton County. And before they got on the boat, though. Oh, actually, yes, it was before they got on the boat they decided to go to. What's the name of the shop? I've. Just oh, that we've forgotten it without buying booze. Where they were buying booze, Yeah. Anyway, they went to the shop.

1:18:09 Begins with an RI. Just can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. It doesn't, it doesn't really matter, but they, it comes into play a little bit later. Yeah, they Paul goes in and he's got his brother Buster's ID cause Buster is over 21. And they do look alike. They do look similar, although Buster's bigger, but you wouldn't be able to sell that on ID. Photo. Facebook ID Photo. He'd probably get away with it. Pretty. I reckon he could. Yeah, I, I, I agree. And then he also had his mum Maggie's credit.

1:18:38 Card. Yeah, that's right. So he goes into the shop, buys 2-6 packs of beer. And you know, he had like slabs. Oh, was it slabs? Yeah, I feel like though it was more than well. Because but he lifts them up like this, he does look. Up but I don't know they do like big. I don't know how they sell them in America because to me they felt like the cube packs of like not 6. Packs, Yeah. OK, so maybe it was more than a six. Yeah, we sell him. Packs of beer that he was carrying. Sell them, we always say. We sell them in one per hour a day.

1:19:03 Like the 24 packs. I don't know what Americans sell them in. Like I don't know whether they sell them in dozen lots and stuff. Or maybe maybe it was because I feel like otherwise how would you lift them up? Because what we're saying is after he's bought them, he's walking back to their truck and he's like, yeah, I got him. Like, you know, because as you would because you've just, you know, as a 19 year old bought beer. So I find that fun as a 19 year old I do. That's like what we do at 16. Yeah, don't tell our children.

1:19:30 Don't tell my mom. I think she knows. No. And if she doesn't? So basically, they've gotten on the boat, they've had all their beers, and I think they were drinking the beers on the way to these oyster roasts. So Paul was driving the boat. It's his boat or his dad's boat. Yeah. They get to the oyster roast and they're there for quite some time. And they were imbibing the entire time. So apparently there were shots, there was beer, there were kegs, there was spirits, and they were all really, really drunk.

1:20:09 Yeah. I think by the time it got to the point where they're like a rat, it's kind of time to go. It was about 1:00 in the morning. Now, Connor and Anthony, I believe it was actually Anthony suggested instead of driving the boat home because they were all tanked, that maybe they should get an Uber. Yeah. And Paul was like, no, I'm not leaving my boat here. Yeah, we're going back on my boat. It's fine. I'm fine. I'll be able to do it anyway. I want to go to this other bar up the river, up the Creek, River, River.

1:20:40 Yeah. And. And they're all like, oh, oh, no, we just kind of want to go home. Like. Yeah, right. So they all kind of reluctantly agree to go back in the boat. This is where, like, I mean, before being in situations like this as, you know, younger people doing things that are silly, Yeah. I mean, this is, if this is anything comes out of this, this is where I hope people hear this story, young people and go, yeah, don't get in that vehicle, whenever that vehicle. Is you should get in an Uber, You should get in an Uber, Yeah.

1:21:08 And you don't have enough money to pay for that Uber. Call your mom or your dad or your cousin or your sister or your mom's best friend. Yeah, they will pay for renew before you. Yeah, that or they'll come and. Pick up or they'll come and get you. I would rather a 2:00 AM phone call from my kid saying come get me and me managing that than maybe getting a phone call from a hospital police officer because something else has. Happened 1,000,000 times. There is no Yeah, you make the phone call to your.

1:21:39 Parent you make that call. And there is no, you're safe. You won't get in trouble for how drunk you are at that point. Yeah, I just would rather that. Phone call. I feel like the hangover would be enough. Exactly they. Yeah, the punishments. Will come in another way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's exactly right yes. So the kids, the kids, the three, the 619 year olds, ish, they're all ish get back in the boat and they go. I think it was like literally 5 minutes down the river to a river to a pub that was a bar that was on the river.

1:22:12 Yeah. So they've docked the boat and basically the everyone bar Paul and Connor stay in the boat because they are. Two of them walk, I think Mallory and and Connor go like for a walk. Mallory and Anthony, Anthony, sorry. Oh my God. Melanie and Anthony go, Anthony go for a walk along the pier kind of thing. On the along the dock, I mean, 'cause you can see them on CCTV. True that they whereas I know Morgan and and Miley. Miley stay in the boat. Yeah and yeah, and the other two go into the bar. Yeah, so Connor and Paul go into the bar.

1:22:44 Apparently they are there for like 7 minutes. Mm Hmm. They have two shots each. And then they go back out to the boat because I think everyone just wanted to get home. And so the fact that Paul even wanted to stop was pissing everyone off. Yeah. So what what they say happens next is there is a bit of contention, but I think it's been proven now what actually happened through the 6th. And no, no contention anymore. Yeah, accident reconstruction and whatever. Yeah, in the boat we have Connor and Paul at the steering wheel, but Paul is definitely behind the steering wheel.

1:23:22 Connor is to the side of that. Yeah, in the back of the boat, behind them, sitting on the floor of the boat is Anthony and Mallory. Now Mallory is sitting on Anthony's lap. She's scared. They're both scared. They're worried. They're holding on for dear life because Paul is. They're worried about him. He's he. He can. We should, I should sort of say to you, like, I mean, they were all drinking all particularly. Absolutely. Yeah. But Paul particularly was more drunk than everyone else. Yes, he was.

1:23:52 They called him Timmy. When he got to this point, he had a different persona. He was alter ego. An alter ego, yeah, that he would pull out. All know people who when they, you know, there's all lovely when people are fun drunks, but we all know people who are not a not a fun drunk. And Paul was not, yeah, fun drunk. He got really nasty and stupid. Belligerent. Yeah. And combative. Yeah, because I mean the other guys in the boat did say let us drive. They felt that they were in more of a level to be able to drive, probably even themselves didn't want to with how much they drunk, but knew that they could manage it better than Paul could and would be take it slower and easier.

1:24:32 Yeah, whereas Paul was doing loops around he was he? Well. Apparently he started off from from this dock. So after they'd been and had these couple of shots, he started off quite slow. And so because in the front of the boat was Morgan and Miley, they were just sitting on a cooler. Yeah, that they'd had the beers in previously. So apparently at the start he was driving quite slowly and everyone was like, OK. Like this is this is. Good. Like you're happy with this And then there was some argument or something happened between him and Connor.

1:25:04 Yeah, well, I think Connor was saying. Do you think maybe I should? Drive. Yeah. Oh, is that what it was? I think it was, I think. OK, yeah. And Paul's like fuck this shit. And he's just done a Timmy and he's like fuck this. And he's just put it full throttle, put the boat full throttle. But one point in this too. He slapped his girlfriend. He slapped Morgan. As well, Yes. Hit her and said to her something like, you know, it's just, it's really shit how your dad can't provide for your family.

1:25:30 Timmy, shut the fuck up. Yeah, shut the fuck up. What? The fuck? I think because her mum was a really, it was a good, really good high level nurse and so she might have maybe earned a bit more than her dad like than her dad did. Oh my God. Like, so he's a whole rich family looking down on her. What a Dick. What a fucking Dick. Better family, We're far better than hers. Well, you look at yeah, because I think her mum is a nurse at a prison. Yeah, a nurse, a really high level nurse. Like kind of like hardcore nurse.

1:25:57 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, really amazing. Yeah. So, yeah. So basically, Paul Timmy is now driving incredibly fast and very radically. Now, two things to note here. The first thing to note is that the light on the boat was broken. The second thing to note is that. So what I'm saying is they couldn't see where they were going. No. And these canals get more and more narrow the closer they get to the house or to where they dock the boat permanently. Yeah. And so, OK, fine, maybe if he was speeding back at the start of where they were, it was a really big wide body of water.

1:26:39 Yeah. As it gets to the point where this happens, the the, the accident happens. It's not an accident really when you're you know, anyway, it's not. The canals are slowly. Narrow. It's not only that it's narrow, it's actually the fact that because it's a bridge, there's pylons. Yeah. So you to get through between the pylons? It was narrow, yeah. So and he's still. Going to river itself was still quite wide there OK well wide enough obviously that what needed a bridge like kind of stuff but like yeah it wasn't that narrow at this point but yeah the narrow it was narrow to get through the.

1:27:12 Pipe OK, yeah, but what happened was because he was going so fast, we don't know if he didn't see the bridge in time or whether he just didn't give a shit and he just thought, oh, you. Kept telling me I know these roof. This roof, Yeah. Like the back of my hand don't know how to navigate clearly. No, because he actually crashed into a pylon. Now with that, with the force of that everyone bar pole was thrown. Connor and Connor were thrown from the. Boat, I think actually only no. So only only Anthony and Mallory ended up in the water and the others remained in the boat but injured.

1:27:49 So I think, oh, maybe Morgan might have come out of the think. Morgan came out of the boat as. Well, yeah, so because Connor fell and This is why they can prove that he wasn't driving. Yeah. He fell forward and onto some things on the front there where he he ended up injured in the mouth and he like he's dislocated his jaw. So the way he fell onto some equipment and the debt, the equipment got damaged in the boat as well. How he forced full forward. Yeah. But obviously with the impact from the front, the boats like tipped from the at the back and thrown Mallory and Anthony out.

1:28:19 Yeah. So Anthony said he heard Mallory scream as they've both taken off in into the water. But that's the last he heard from her. Morgan injured her hand, like actually her fingers were degloved basically. I think so. He the boat crushed. Yeah. So she was holding onto the outside of the boat. Yeah. Holding on for dear life, obviously. And the boat, actually. Her hand was crushed between the boat and the and the concrete pylon. That's right, Yeah. Unfortunately, Dick Fabrine's Paul, who was driving, barely had much of an injury.

1:28:54 He didn't even have barely had a scratch on her. Yeah, I. Can't remember what injuries Miley had, but she was. Definitely had anything too significant. No, it wasn't too. I think she was pretty right. Yeah, but yeah, I mean, God. So they immediately are like Anthony comes up from out of the waters, like calling Mallory, they can't find her. I mean, you listen to the 911 call it. Is oh, you can just hear everyone but Paul screaming for Mallory and you, you can tell they're so desperate. That's so desperate.

1:29:23 Anthony doesn't get out of the water. He stays in the water looking for her. Connor is the one who calls the police. Yeah, he calls 911 on the bank. And is begging people to come and explaining where they are and you can hear fuckstick Paul in the background. Well, he's saying to Paul, what bridge is this, Where are we? What bridge is it? And. Arches Archers Creek Bridge, which they say there's only one bridge in Arches Creek. We're under the bridge. We're under the bridge like it's awful. Awful because.

1:29:51 You can hear the other three in the water. Screaming. Screaming for Mallory? Oh my. God. When the the basically the police and ambulance and everyone arrives on the scene to help, to help look, et cetera, this is where things just turn real strange. Don't they real quick? Don't they? It's just so interesting and there's body Cam footage to back all this Of what? Happened. It's all on video. It's very, very, very interesting. Yeah. So many things. The biggest one that just gets me at this scene is finally Anthony's sort of out of the water because there's other people searching.

1:30:30 I think they actually dragged him out. He wouldn't get out. He wouldn't stop looking. But eventually he does get brought in to get checked himself for injuries. And he's, he's there and there's fucking Paul, barely got clothes on, right? Well, he'd he'd gotten himself a bit naked back at the at the at the. Actual bar, like he, he's just like Dick head wandering around. And at a point, Anthony says to one of the cops, you hear and go, you see that guy over there, He's got, he got, he's half naked or whatever.

1:30:58 You know who he is. That's Alec Murdoch's son. Yeah. Good luck. Yeah. Good luck. He knew that. He was like, he was basically saying he's done this, he's my girlfriend's lost, most likely dead. He he's realizing that. He knew that. And then he knew that it was Paul's fault and there was never going to be any. Any justice, I I agree with you. That is such a such a an important moment in this. Yeah. The other thing that happens on this night that makes me go, oh, my fucking Lord. So Anthony calls his mom and dad.

1:31:36 Yeah. And asks them to come down. Of course, they're there as soon as they can get there. Yeah. Paul's asking for a phone the minute he gets on the bank, he's trying to fight, 'cause he's lost his phone, he's lost. His phone. Yeah, fucking yeah. Yeah, he needs his. Phone that was his, that was really important to him to get a. Phone needed a phone, yeah, because someone's got to clean up his mess. But Anthony is able to get in contact with his mum and dad now. Anthony. There's body Cam footage of Anthony's mum and she says has anyone told has?

1:32:08 Anyone contacted? Family and the police officers say no. Well, actually, what the police. Says is fucked. Up fucked up he's like, oh, we don't want to you know get them all worried yet and have them come up here and we don't know how they're going to act when they get here we. Don't want them here to cause issues, yeah. To cause issues now, she says. So Anthony's mum says I'm not going to tell them. It is not even close to being her place to have to do that now. She is very close friends with them but that.

1:32:38 Is, oh, she did exactly what any I would do. I'd be like, so who? I don't want to make that call to that family, like to tell her, Oh my God, someone has to tell them. So eventually, eventually, Mallory's family are told. But well after all the rest. Well after they then come to the scene and Mallory's mum. So Mallory's mum and dad are divorced, but they both come. Mallory's mum, all she wants is to go down to the scene and have a look. OK. So she and the police officers are not letting her. They're like, no, ma'am, it's an active scene.

1:33:10 You cannot go down there. We cannot have anyone down there with that. Maggie Murdoch and I believe it was John Marvin, arrived in a black SUV and they are allowed to drive down. Go get the boat. They went and collected the boat. Yep. You mean the murder? Hold on, hold on a minute. Sorry. What? Yeah. Yeah. The the boat that's got everyone's blood evidence the windscreens shattered or cracked at least. They're allowed to go. Sorry, what? Get out of the water and take it. Yep. This active scene. That parent couldn't go and even look at.

1:33:53 Yep. Now this active scene, right is how do we put this tampered with

1:34:03 by a powerful family whose son was at the helm? OK However, however. However. The remaining the five remaining teenagers were taken to the local hospital. Yep, OK. They had to. To get Paul into an ambulance was a nightmare. Timmy. Timmy. Yeah, totally Timmy. He was being a total Dick. An absolute Dick. Belligerent. Yeah, little fucker. They had to like, strap him in. Like he had to be like, restrained because he was that much of a Dick. They didn't take a alcohol test at the scene. He did eventually get a phone and he was able to call.

1:34:43 Who'd he call he? Called or he tried. He tried calling Alec first, apparently, and he didn't answer. So I don't know about that I. Don't know. I I did hear that. And then he called Grandpa Grandpa. Grandpa has then mobilized the troops. He's contacted Randall, he's contacted John, Marvin and Alec got them all. And so by the time, you know, they get to the hospital with little Timmy. And the other and the and the rest. Of them Yep in walks Alec with Randall you know with his dad as well as I think I think because I think John Marvin and the has been elsewhere and Maggie and Rand and Randall June.

1:35:21 Oh God. Junior's scene, you've got it gets hard. Yeah. The uncle of Paul. Yeah, the other uncle, yeah. So the two uncles and Maggie's sort of been been deployed to the scene, whereas I think and then Alec and grandpa have gone to the hospital. Now this I just find this absolutely just. I can't even. Absolutely. Honestly the most disgusting thing ever to think that they could walk in Yep to that scene and behave the way they did with 0 ramifications. Also, like, where's the privacy? Oh, how the fuck did they know?

1:35:51 Yeah, that even that those other kids were at that hospital, honestly, that should not have been known information to them, the fact that they went into their rooms like they. Were literally doing surgery on Morgan at the time and he just walked in going Oh no, I'm her lawyer don't talk to anyone. Morgan like trying to tell her what to do and she's well, she's having serious surgery on her hand. What the? Having just probably witnessed her best friend's death, yeah. Yeah, and her boyfriend has is the one who's culprit for this.

1:36:19 I mean, how buddy distressing is all of it, All of it. And then he has the the balls to walk in there and dictate and tell people what to do. But what he was trying to. Nurse apparently totally told him to fuck off. That's. Good on her. Yeah, but apparently what he told them all was Ohh, Connor was driving, right? Connor was driving. You tell them that Connor was driving and I'll take care of the rest. But there's there is video footage of Cam, body Cam footage at the scene where it's spoken about by all of them, all the kids that I say kids like.

1:36:49 19 years old, yeah. But on the all those that are on the boat commenting about, you know, Paul being the driver, Yeah. So it's like this is just. This is fog on mate. Fog on you think you think you're being clever container. You're an absolute fuck wit. But then the fact that he goes into like Connor and he says to him in the hospital who he is got he's got 4. It's bad, bad. It was you can see it's got scars to this day on his on his jaw. His jaw was dislocated. He was in pain. So he he goes into him and says to him to he tells him to say that he was the driver and don't worry, we'll take care of you.

1:37:23 Well, you're not taking care of him because you're telling him to lie. Yep. But that's how they weasel their way out of his hook. They are so so fucked up. It's so disgusting. It's so fucked up. I mean. It's just, it is kind of. Kid, this on some other young kid is just absolutely disgusting. Yeah. So while they're at the hospital, because Timmy was so belligerent, yeah, and so uncooperative, Yeah, Thankfully the hospital took a blood alcohol blood sample. Yes, and it was analysed at being three times the legal limit .24.

1:37:59 Now, he shouldn't have been drinking at all. He wasn't of legal drinking at all. He shouldn't have been operating a boat. So even if he was old enough, he was not 3. That's right, he was three times the legal limit to be operating that boat. Yeah, it's just disgusting. Yeah. It's really, really horrific. Yeah. That so they're back at the scene, though they they still don't find Mallory. I mean, I think it takes them about a. Seven, literally I think it was on the 8th day so it was like 7 days of searching.

1:38:26 They finally found to find her body, which is just so distressing that it takes that long for them to find her. I mean, in that time, I can just imagine as a family that they're thinking, you know, trying to stay hopeful that she's going to be OK, but you just know that that's not possible to. Did you find it really interesting in the documentary where her mum is interviewed and she's like, you know, you know, it didn't really occur to us at the time, but like, why didn't they ping her Apple Watch?

1:38:52 Like there were things. That find my Apple Watch or something could have been a thing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And she said, you know, there are things that I look back on now. And of course, you can't think critically when your daughter's like, that wasn't on her to think about that. No, I'm like, you just think about that situation. I think to myself, Gee, I wonder whether someone was like, let's ping her Apple Watch. Yeah. And that was maybe what's the word, poo pooed like as in did someone go Oh no.

1:39:21 But I guess at that point it wouldn't have mattered. No, but, but, but, Alex says at the hospital, yeah, he's overheard by a security guard on the phone and he says to someone, don't worry, she's not that. She still hasn't been found. So I think he was hoping. That. She would never be found. I mean, she's going to turn up. What is I mean, they do turn up. This is The thing is. He hoping that he'd find it first. Oh God, I don't know. Do you know? What I mean? Do you get what you mean? I thought of it in that way.

1:39:56 Because if with if there's no body like, I don't know, would they then be able to spin some other kind of? I don't I don't maybe they would gone like. A bit of reasonable doubt in there or something. Maybe without a body I don't know what the law is in. Well, that's what I'm thinking. Like, kind of like, yeah. Is there is there a legal field where you can't charge him with murder if there's no body maybe? There's something in that, I think I really actually think that. But anyway, so they haven't found her body in for seven days, but thankfully some I think it was actually volunteers who found her body because I. Mean they found once they did find her body, they that had her injuries, she was immediately hit her head as she exited the boat which so she was unconscious when she hit the water, which meant that she then drowned.

1:40:40 So like there was no no matter whether they found her 5 seconds after she'd gone in or not, unfortunately. She wouldn't. She wouldn't have. Survived so that that's the only comfort you can take in this of like not finding her sooner is that it wouldn't have mattered. Unfortunately like that's awful. But yeah, not nice to you. Would have wanted to found her immediately. Just 100% yeah. Oh, it's just so. It's so incredibly sad and I can't imagine how her family has gotten through it. No, really, don't.

1:41:13 The thing with this then is like that's the the night of this occurring is such a fucking shit show. It's you know, and to I think blind Freddie, you know, someone is liable for this and he should be charged. You'd think, right? Yep, no so long goes by. He's not even interviewed. No, as the driver of the vessel, he's not even interviewed. This, it just, yeah, this just highlighted so much of how their influence and power and power had over law enforcement and all these things. It was just horrific.

1:41:49 Yeah. And I, I applaud the the young people involved in this, the other four people who survived. Yeah. They have not backed down and they have come forward and spoken. They haven't covered up for him and they haven't done what Alec told them to do. They were in, you know, had a complete conviction to be like, no, that's not what happened. And I'm not letting my friend Anthony now go down or kind of to go down for this, you know, and all these things. They all loved Mallory, like she was beautiful person and they knew she was.

1:42:20 She. This was tragic that that happened. To then have these assholes come into this and go we're going to change the narrative of her death is so wrong. Yeah, and I'm glad they all stuck to their guns on that. And we're like, Nah, fuck off, we're not falling for you. Your bullshit. Yeah. Thank, thank. Yeah. The other thing that I think we were talking about Morgan's relationship with. Paul. And I think there were several instances that happened. And she says in the documentary that she was young, she didn't really know that that wasn't right.

1:42:57 She said. She said words that I think anyone who's been in an abusive relationship lives for and clings to is that she said the good times were good. Yeah, there were bad times that weren't so bad, weren't so good, and they were pretty bad when they were bad. But the good stuff was really good. And so she was convinced by those good moments that those bad things would go away, you know, and that they weren't they weren't as important. But unfortunately how, how you can have more good times and bad times.

1:43:26 But if those bad times, what they what was going on? That's not healthy. That's not OK. There were so many instances, but I like they were just sort of a couple that I thought I would bring up. So on the night of Buster's graduation, I think it was his high school graduation. Not because obviously he never actually graduated. Graduated from university. Yeah.

1:43:53 Paul was really, really drunk and he choked her and she kind of fought back. And then apparently he sucker punched her so hard in her knee. I don't know what damage was done, but damage was done. Like it was so violent. Her telling these stories on that doco just break me. Yep, the the other one, this other one. And this is like where I'm like, Oh, yes, the family have got a lot of practice in covering shit up. In 2017, Paul and Morgan were in a car. Yes, and or in Paul's pickup truck. Yeah. And he drove the truck into a ditch.

1:44:33 He was drunk as fuck when Morgan tried to call 911. Well. She no, she did. Was Yeah, she called 9. One did it actually connected it? Yeah. Paul basically slapped the phone out of her hand, didn't he? And then he hung up. Yes. Actually, no, you're right. It did connect because he then hung up the 911 call. Yeah. And he used that phone to call his grandfather, Grandpa. Grandpa then contacted Alex and Maggie and they all showed up to clear out, literally, Morgan says. It was like a swift operation.

1:45:10 They got in there, they cleared out all the beer cans and the guns that were in his truck. Yeah. And moved them all. Move them all along. And told her off for calling. Oh yeah, she got into trouble for calling 911. Why did you do that? She got a real scolding for doing that. Because we were in an accident, yeah. I mean. Our truck was in a ditch, like what the fuck else we were meant to do? Like that was the right thing to do. Yeah, Morgan actually has said that the only good thing to come out of Mallory's death is that and because Mallory and Miley were all over her saying she needs to break up with Paul.

1:45:45 Yeah, this is so awful. But like she says that Mallory saved her life and I absolutely believe it. I. Fully do as well. That Mallory's death hurt. The what that did was that it showed that she needed to get out of that relationship and she has stuck to it and gone out of it. Yeah, he begged her he after. He tried and tried to get. Back so hard to get back to her. Yeah. I. Just that just kills me. It's. Horrific. But it just goes like I think this incident with the truck in the ditch, not only the hubris of him drinking and driving with his girlfriend in the car is, yeah, that's one thing.

1:46:21 The fact that his family then swooping to save the day. It all up, there's no consequences, so enabled like. This young, young man. Well, she said that she, you know, her family would have a drink and things like that, but she said she'd never seen drinking, even just in general, until she was in their family home. She said it was just there was always wine on the table. There was always. Yeah. The kids participating were encouraged to drink with that. Yeah. She was. She was, you know, handed a glass of wine when she'd arrived, you know, underage, etcetera.

1:46:49 And she'd never experienced that before. It would just be really. Yeah. I mean, she was in a whole different world to what she was she'd grown up in. Yeah. You know, not to say that they would. They were very welcoming to her. But at the same time, I think they were trying to groom her to be, you know. Yeah, potentially, I guess Paul's future partner for life, that she had to fall in the line then with certain things. But they all knew, too, that Paul was not a good guy because back when he was a kid, he used to kill animals.

1:47:18 Yes, Red flag, number one. Tick. Tick. Yeah, very. I mean, I mean, they, they were hunters as well, but we're. Talking about no, but he would, yeah. This is actually like not shooting animals for sport, which I just can't even anyway. No, but this is like, actually causing, you know, harm to animals that they weren't hunting. Yeah. Yeah. And the family, Yeah, again, knew about it and allowed it. Yeah. The only person I think that knew it and allowed it, but at the same time, at least warned, was Gloria.

1:47:57 Gloria at least had the foresight. She did say to Morgan, you know, he's not a good guy. Yeah. And she told him, told her about these things when he was a kid of how he would do these things to animals and stuff. And she said, you know, like, I just don't think that he's someone you should date. Yeah, yeah. Very, very good advice. Yeah. So the other thing then is that eventually Paul was charged? He is, yes. So he was charged for two. Oh, I've got it written down somewhere, but he was charged for, I think, 2 counts of operating of a BUI.

1:48:30 So boating under the influence resulting in grievous bodily harm. Yeah. And one count of operating a boat under the influence causing death, yes. So the the hand injury and the Connor's jaw injury with a grievous bodily harm, Yeah. And then obviously, Mallory's death. Yes, now. That court hearing was a little bit interesting. Though, wasn't it? Do you want to talk about that? Well, the interesting thing of it was that if anyone else was charged with those things, they might have been charged and like held in remand.

1:49:07 In custody, They're in custody. Whereas he that never happened for him. He rocked in in his shirt and tie and sat down and did the what he needed to do sign the paperwork of like what his plea was kind of thing of like what they were going to move forward to next and then walked out and back home again and his shirt and tie. No anyone else. I think bail was something like 5 grand like it. Was, I think it was 70 grand, right? It was nothing. Nothing for that family. Absolutely. That was. It was probably the equivalent if it was 5.

1:49:37 Grand for us, you know it was. The equivalent of what was pittance in terms of like a bail? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was a joke, an absolute. Joke. His bail should have been 2 million minimum. Apparently as he was arrested right for the first interview that he actually eventually did, which was years later. I think it was 2 years later. Yeah, it was 2 years later. Yeah, apparently as he was walking out, like after he'd been been arrested. Yeah, Alex says to him, We're going to be all right. Just keep your mouth shut and tell them you don't know who was driving.

1:50:11 Oh.

1:50:14 My God. Sorry, at what point are you going to make your 19, now 21 year old son, Yeah, accountable for his actions? You know, I'm it, I'm all for protecting our kids. I think as a parent, that's your natural instinct. But there comes a point where you cannot do that. They have to understand the consequences of their actions. And I assume that Paul has never had to deal with the consequence of any action, any negative action that he's ever, you know, perpetrated before. God, no, well, I mean, even on that documentary that you see like where the others who now they don't have any relationship with him and like they were like best best friends and they're like, I can't, I cannot with you.

1:50:55 He was very much Paul was like, oh, we just carry on like, you know, but they were no, can't. I can't. I'm really pissed at you. I think it was really I don't know. It gets me a bit where I think it was Anthony who said like, I'll always love him. He was, he was my best mate. But I just can't. Yeah, like, and I get that entirely. Like Paul just moved on to like another group of people who wanted to drink with him and be in chat. Of him like drinking the same way he was drinking. Like, there's absolutely no like, hey, maybe I need to make some changes in my life.

1:51:22 And I think that's where like Anthony was kind of getting at this point of like, if he had seen Paul take accountability and seeing Paul make changes in his life, he could have supported that. Yep. But he can't support a Dick who just literally has no accountability for his actions still. It's disgusting, yeah. And that's a product of his upbringing. Like he's never had to change his behaviour before. So it probably never even occurred to him that he. Needed to change, no. And this, I mean, we'll get into probably this bit a bit more next next week.

1:51:50 But like there is so much in that in terms of generationally where this has come from. I mean, I don't know if you read about the the now it must have been his grandfather. Something occurred and he put in a in a an. Obituary for his wife. Oh, yeah. Libby. Yeah. She wasn't dead. She wasn't dead. And someone that was a threat of, like, what to come, what will happen to that? She was at, like, at a shop or something the next day. And someone's like, I saw an obituary for you in the paper this morning.

1:52:19 'Cause that was based, I mean, back in the day when that was like where everyone looked. For yeah, that's it. And she was like, well, I'm clearly not dead, but I probably need to be worried. This.

1:52:30 Yeah. So this is a, as you said, this is a generational thing. They are. They think they're above the law. They think they can. I mean, you can't threaten your fucking wife who does that? Who does that? Who fucking does that and then stays with a piece of shit and lives with him and Oh my God. Because I mean, I think it was, you know, earlyish days of them being married. I don't know. I can't remember what year it was that happened. Oh, I think it was. I think they had some young kids. They had Young.

1:52:57 Jewels. Yeah, I think so. It was just, Oh my God, not get out. Oh my God, that piece of shit will kill you. Yeah, and it'll cover it up. Yeah. Well, she didn't. I mean, she was still around. Oh, she was there. Well, up till, you know, the next bit we're gonna talk about, she was, she was alive then. So, yeah. But Oh my God. Yeah, but that was just a little warning. To her, 100% it's a threat even more than a warning. It's a full blown. Threat. He would have seen it as a warning. Oh, you know. Oh God.

1:53:27 So just in Mallary's honor, she was 19 years old. She loved rescue dogs. She had her whole life ahead of her, and she was such a beautiful human being. I think there was a video of her on one of the documentaries that I watched from when she was a little girl, and she said she wanted to be a vet. But I think, you know, she was looking into, you know, other different, other careers. And you know how unfair this is, how unfair. But guys, never get into a car where someone's been drinking, a car, a boat, any vehicle where a person's been drinking.

1:54:06 All you got. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. And I bet you those, the remaining 4 at least, really regret. Oh absolutely. I just absolutely imagine living with that for the rest of your life. This is it. That's it. I mean, that's the thing. I mean, I don't know what's worse, to be honest. Like the fact I mean, well, yeah, losing someone's life is disgust is just absolutely horrendous. But living through that and living with that knowledge of that occurrence would just be hell as well. So it's.

1:54:32 You don't want to be either part in that. No, no, no. I think this is probably a good point to leave it. Yeah. And we'll come back next week and tie. Well, there's so much more to discuss and then we can actually tie it all all together. Literally only halfway through this. Yeah, literally. Like there is more to this story which just is so fucked up. So fucked up. All right, well, please come back next week. We would love to have you for the conclusion of this batshit crazy story. Yeah. And thank you for joining us again today.

1:55:05 We really appreciate. Absolutely. Just a quick reminder that we are not on Tiktok anymore. We've been banned. Come join us over on Instagram and have a chat over there about what our first week of this episode, this story of the Murdoch's has brought and what you think of what we've spoken about so far before we get into Part 2 next week. Mm hmm. Stay curious, crime besties. Bye.