Timeline of Events in the Murdaugh Shooting Case Raises Questions About Feasibility
On the night of June 7, 2021, a tragic and gruesome double homicide rocked the Murdaugh family and the small community of Islandton, South Carolina. Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, were found shot to death on their family estate. Paul, a college student with a history of legal troubles, including charges related to a fatal boating accident, was discovered near the property’s feed room, while Maggie was found about 30 feet away from the hangar door. The Murdaugh family, a prominent legal dynasty in the area, became the center of intense public scrutiny as investigators sought to unravel the mystery behind the killings. The case took a dramatic turn with the arrest of Alex Murdaugh, Paul’s father and Maggie’s husband, who faced allegations of orchestrating the murders amid a web of financial crimes and family turmoil. The shocking events have left the community searching for answers and grappling with the devastating impact of the loss.
Here we unravel the timing it took for Maggie’s shooter, if it was Alex, to perform said actions. Neither the prosecution nor the defense brought this timing up. I encourage any crime scene reconstruction expert to dissect my timings and tell a different story using the exact same times.
Key Points:
- Paul Murdaugh put his phone in his back pocket around 8:49:01 pm.
- Maggie’s phone was locked at 8:49:31 pm, exactly 30 seconds later.
- Forensic evidence indicates the shooter was 3-5 feet away from Maggie due to stippling, (gun shot residue).
Distances Involved:
- Maggie was found approximately 30 feet from the hangar door.
- The feed room door, where Paul was shot, is also about 30 feet away at an angle of 41 degrees.
Movement Speeds:
- Average Walking Speed: 3-4 mph, taking 5-7 seconds to cover 30 feet.
- Average Running Speed: 6-8 mph, taking 2.5-3.5 seconds to cover 30 feet.
- For this analysis, we assume 5 seconds for Maggie to run from the hangar door to where she was found.
Shooter’s Actions:
-
Shooting Paul Murdaugh (PM):
- First shot: The shooter fires at PM.
- Second shot: The shooter walks by and behind PM to take the second shot, taking approximately 2-3 seconds.
-
Dropping the Shotgun and Picking up the .300 Blackout:
- If the .300 Blackout was outside the feed room, transitioning weapons might take around 3-5 seconds.
-
Moving to Maggie’s Location:
- Running 30 feet at a 41-degree angle could take about 4-5 seconds, factoring in an average speed.
-
Aiming and Shooting Maggie Murdaugh (MM):
- Aiming and firing from 3-5 feet away might take an additional 2-3 seconds.
Estimated Timeline:
- Shooting PM: 2-3 seconds
- Transitioning Weapons: 3-5 seconds
- Running to Maggie: 4-5 seconds
- Aiming and Firing at Maggie: 2-3 seconds
Total Estimated Time: 11-16 seconds
Given the timeline, it would take approximately 11 to 16 seconds for the shooter to shoot Paul, drop the shotgun, pick up the .300 Blackout, run to Maggie’s location, and shoot her. This raises questions, as Maggie would be dead within 5 to possibly 8 seconds, making it challenging for anyone to perform these actions in such a short time frame. The feasibility of Alex Murdaugh, given his physical condition (300+ lbs, bad knees, on opioids), performing these actions faster than Maggie could walk or run remains highly questionable.
You can call Alex Murdaugh the killer of Paul and Maggie all day, but you cannot dispute the facts and the timing of this.
