A black Suburban was towed from the Murdaugh murder scene. Documents show its owner

This story first published July 23, 2021.

The black Chevrolet Suburban towed from the Murdaugh property the morning after Paul Murdaugh and his mother, Maggie, were found shot to death is owned by the Murdaugh family law firm, according to documents released Thursday.

The SUV was among two vehicles police discovered at the Colleton County estate on June 7. Both vehicles, the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, are owned by the Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick law firm based in Hampton.

However, the Suburban appears to be the only vehicle that police investigators removed from the property, according to a copy of the computer-aided dispatch, or CAD, report released Thursday.

Police investigators have not answered why they had only one of the two vehicles removed from the scene, how it’s connected to the double homicide and whether any DNA evidence was discovered in the SUV.

The CAD report, released Thursday by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division, confirms The Island Packet’s exclusive report that the Chevrolet Suburban was among the evidence police investigators collected from the crime scene.

The newspaper is awaiting a return call from the PMPED law firm about its fleet of vehicles.

Last month, William Sherill, who owns S&S Super Lube in Walterboro, told the newspaper that the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office called his company at 6:13 a.m. June 8, asking for a vehicle to be towed.

A driver with the company arrived at the Murdaugh property, donned gloves and drove the Suburban to the tow truck, then hauled it to the Sheriff’s Office impound lot, the newspaper previously reported.

It was parked near the dog pens where the two Murdaughs were found shot to death, the newspaper reported.

The CAD report confirmed that the Sheriff’s Office called S&S Super Lube at 6:13 a.m., after unsuccessfully attempting to contact another company.

Page 12 of CAD_Report_Redacted

Contributed to DocumentCloud by Kacen Bayless (The Island Packet) • View document or read text

Police investigators escorted the vehicle — one car in front and one behind — on the way to the impound lot, the newspaper reported.

The driver from the towing company was instructed to wear rubber gloves and not to touch the vehicle, the newspaper reported.

Sherrill, the company’s owner, told the newspaper that the driver didn’t notice any blood or bullet holes on the vehicle.

SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby told the newspaper last month that investigators were getting “any and all forensics” from the crime scene. This includes “looking at vehicles.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2021 at 11:59 AM.

Kacen Bayless

The Island Packet

(843) 560-9167

A reporter for The Island Packet covering projects and investigations, Kacen Bayless is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri with an emphasis in investigative reporting. In the past, he’s worked for St. Louis Magazine, the Columbia Missourian, KBIA and the Columbia Business Times. His work has garnered Missouri and South Carolina Press Association awards for investigative, enterprise, in-depth, health, growth and government reporting. He was awarded South Carolina’s top honor for assertive journalism in 2020.