Crime

Prominent US Lawyer Sentenced To Life For Murdering Wife, Son

Published

2 years ago

March 4, 2023

Alex Murdaugh, a prominent South Carolina lawyer, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murders of his wife and son on their hunting estate in a case whose twists and turns drew global attention.

Judge Clifton Newman sentenced Murdaugh, scion of an elite family of judges and attorneys, to consecutive life terms without parole for the June 7, 2021 murders of his son Paul and his wife Maggie.

Dismissing Murdaugh’s claims of innocence as “not credible,” the judge told the disgraced attorney he must “see Paul and Maggie during the night times when you’re attempting to go to sleep.”

“I’m sure they come and visit you,” the judge said.

“All day and every night,” replied the lanky red-haired Murdaugh, who was dressed in a tan prison jumpsuit and wearing handcuffs and ankle shackles.

A jury in Walterboro, South Carolina, deliberated for less than three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty on Thursday after a six-week televised trial that gripped the nation.

Netflix and HBO rushed out documentaries on the case before it was even over.

Craig Moyer, a carpenter who served on the jury, told ABC News that Murdaugh came across as a “big liar” who did not show any “true remorse or any compassion.”

According to the prosecution, Murdaugh shot his wife and son after realizing his years of stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and from clients to feed his hidden opioid addiction was about to go public.

The 54-year-old Murdaugh briefly addressed the court during the sentencing in a packed courtroom that included his surviving son, Buster, who testified in his defense.

“I’m innocent. I would never hurt my wife Maggie. And I would never hurt my son Paw Paw,” he said, using his son’s nickname.

“It might not have been you,” the judge responded. “It might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills.”

Prosecutor Creighton Waters urged the judge to impose the maximum of life in prison on a man he called a “cunning manipulator.”

“The depravity, the callousness, the selfishness of these crimes, are stunning,” Waters said. “He violated the trust of so many, including his friends, his family, his partners, his profession, and most of all, Maggie and Paul.”

During the sentencing, the judge noted that Murdaugh’s family had “controlled justice in this community for over a century” and “many have received the death penalty — probably for lesser conduct” than in this case.

Key video on victim’s phone
Murdaugh’s 22-year-old son Paul was killed with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife Maggie with an assault rifle the family used to hunt wild pigs on their sprawling property.

While evidence put Murdaugh at the scene shortly before the murders, the guns were never found, and there was no bloodstained clothing or other direct evidence that could prove he was the killer.

But the jury determined the evidence was strong enough to convict Murdaugh on two counts of murder and two firearms charges.

Murdaugh testified in his own defense and described discovering the bodies of his wife and son at the dog kennels on their property known as Moselle.

Murdaugh admitted he stole and embezzled, and also lied about his drug habit, which his attorneys said cost $50,000 a week. But he said he would never lie about killing his family.

Murdaugh’s attorneys argued that investigators had failed to pursue other possible suspects, including Murdaugh’s drug suppliers and people angry over Paul’s involvement in the February 2019 boating death of a teenage girl.

Waters, the prosecutor, called Murdaugh “a master liar” who stole money from a crippled client, from the family of a former Murdaugh maid who died in a fall years earlier, and from his law partners.

Waters focused on Murdaugh’s lying to investigators on the evening of the crime that he had not been at the kennels before he discovered the bodies.

A video found on Paul’s cell phone showed Murdaugh was there an estimated five minutes before the shootings.

“Everyone who thought they knew who he was, he’s fooled them,” said Waters. “He fooled Maggie and Paul too, and they paid with their lives.”
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Crime

Nigeria Police Go Tough On LGBT, Vow to Extradite Suspects From Abroad

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2023

Editor

By Udiele Mercy

Men of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested two men in a hotel in Benin City for alleged involvement in homosexual activities in contravention of the laws of the State.

The men whose identities were given as Dele Thompson and Steve Omobeke were reportedly nabbed during a routine raid on suspected black spots of gay activities in the state.

This particular arrest the police authorities say has got some international dimensions as investigations have revealed that the duo has links with some LGBT exponents in Canada and the United States of America.

Although the police gave no details beyond mentioning one Osamudiamen Monday Aimiuwuriamwen said to be mutual sex partner with Dele Thompson and a funding source for their nefarious activities in Nigeria, they however vowed to do everything humanly possible to arrest every member of the illicit sex gang from wherever they are presently.

The police said they have material evidence in the form of pictures and videos obtained from the suspect’s phone, implicating enough for them to prosecute the suspects.

According to the police, “we have photographs and videos extracted from the suspect’s showing where the outlaws in very compromising positions indicative of their involvement.

“We are surprised that despite efforts by the force and other security agencies to stamp out LGBT practices in the state, many are still indulging in the unholy behavior.”

The command has communicated with the Force Headquarters to activate its extradition agreement with the Interpol to extradite members of the syndicate outside the shores of Nigeria,” said Chidi Nwabuzor, PPRO Edo State Police Command.

Besides the Nigerian State prohibiting same sex relationship through the enactment of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013, the Nigerian society frowns seriously at it to the extent of mobbing suspected LGBT exponents to death when caught in the act.

The law that prescribed 14 years for convicts is considered too lenient by citizens who often prefer to take the laws into their hands.

Crime

Suspected Gay Men In Trouble As Tradition, Police Hunt Them

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2023

Editor

A young man identified as Festus Igbineweka is in serious trouble over his alleged participation in a gay party that went sour at his father’s house on 14 Oguola Road, off Siluko Road Benin City, resulting in his being beatien up along side his partners in crime, causing bodily injuries.

Festus and Osarugue it were allegedly caught in the act kissing and expressing love towards each other, with others including Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli, John Opakunle and Felix Obasuyi who were also having similar fun in their separate room in the same apartment, doing the same thing and later began to have sex on June 30, 2023.

Eye witness account said that Festus Igbineweka reportedly got entangled with an old gay lover Osarugue Austine Edobor,now at large in an after party sex rump in Oguola, the traditional puritan enclave of the legendary Benin tradition which forbids same sex relationship.

The abominable secret meeting came to the open when Festus’ next-door neighbor Benard Akpata was knocking at the door because he was to drive out of the compound and Festus’s car was blocking the drive way. It was learnt that the renegades behaving to type had put on some loud music in the house to mask the pleasurable sounds from within.

Having knocked severally with no response, the said neighbour Bernard reportedly walked in and saw what was happening and promptly raised an alarm that drew the attention of distraught neighbours who descended on them with clubs and other dangerous weapons and repeatedly shouting, abomination!!!.

The alarm caused confusion and rage as more persons got attracted to the crime scene and joined in the beating.

The suspects Festus Igbineweka, Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli,Felix Obasuyi and John Opakunle, after the mob attack were handed over to the police by the vigilante group in the area while the rest suspects Osarugue Austine Edobor and Darlington Itoya managed to escape.

The duo of Osarugue and Darlington who
managed to escape the mob attack, took advantage of the power outage that left the house in total darkness.

Festus and his co travellers including Osarugue,Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli and John Opakunle are also wanted by the Edions (elders) of the area to perform some rituals meant to cleanse the land of the abominable act which can have dire consequences on innocent people if not exorcised.

The gay love birds including those on the run and those arrested are expected to present the atonement items which include, a live spotless white cow, 1000 cowrie shells, seven bottles of red palm oil, 100 pieces of kolanuts, 14 cloves of alligator pepper etc, while the host Fedtus Igbineweka and others arrested are also in the battle of Police prosecution.

Meanwhile, the gay exponents are unable to report the gang beating they suffered in the hand of the natives to the police because their involvement in same sex relationship, is a practice that has been criminalized in Nigeria under the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013.

According to our crime reporter who visited the Ogida Divisional Police Headquarters,the suspects denied involvement in the alleged same-sex practice.

Crime

Police Declare Man Wanted Over Homos*xual Act

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2023

Editor

A 50-years old man, Edo Omusi, has been declared wanted by the police in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, for disappearing after being ‘caught’ in a same s*x act in Ogiso community.

A source close to the police in the state, told our correspondent that the suspect, and one of his male friends, whose name was not given, were sighted at an undisclosed location by some youths as they were comitting the act.

Under Nigerian Laws, any person caught in the gay act is liable to 14 years in prison and if found by the community could be killed.

The duo were said to have been deeply engrossed in the act when they were found but before the person who saw them in the , “sinful and abominable act”, went for back up, they had escaped the location.

The incident which occurred on 25/4/23 at Ogiso area of the town almost threw the community into a turmoil as irate youths welding sticks and cudgels rampaged the community in search of the duo to lynch them.

It was also learnt that worried by the trend the youths in the community had to set up a surveillance team to monitor his movements. It was on one of the surveillance trips that he was reportedly caught on the fateful day, with the unidentified male partner.

It was gathered since the community reported the incident to the police, the whereabouts of the suspect, Edo Omusi has since remained unknown by all and sundry.

Speaking on the development, a top Police official confirmed the matter and explained that the Crime Investigation Department of the command is working round the clock to arrest the suspect, having declared him a wanted person.