Michael Joe Murdaugh

Case overview

Michael Joe Murdaugh was sentenced to death on November 16, 2001.

He was convicted in connection with the murder of David Reynolds and the murder of Douglas Eggert. Murdaugh’s girlfriend was involved in both events, including driving/transporting during the Eggert killing and propositioning-related events involving Reynolds. Murdaugh disposed of Reynolds’ body in multiple ways, including severe beating, later dismemberment, and burial of body parts in separate graves.

Timeline

• June 26, 1995 — Murdaugh’s girlfriend met David Reynolds at a gas station.
• 1995 — Murdaugh decided to kill Douglas Eggert after suspecting that Eggert was stealing and intended to hurt people close to Murdaugh.
• November 16, 2001 — Sentencing: Murdaugh was sentenced to death.

The offence

Murder of Douglas Eggert

In 1995, Murdaugh was living with his girlfriend and Douglas Eggert. Murdaugh suspected that Eggert was stealing from him and that Eggert intended to hurt certain people close to Murdaugh. Murdaugh decided to kill Eggert.

Murdaugh first attempted to sedate Eggert by forcing him to drink a mixture of beer and Valium. When that attempt proved unsuccessful, Murdaugh ordered Eggert to climb into the cross-bed toolbox on Murdaugh’s truck. Murdaugh and his girlfriend drove Eggert to the Central Arizona Project Canal. At the canal, Murdaugh ordered Eggert out of the toolbox and directed him to get on his knees. Murdaugh gave a gun to his girlfriend and told her to shoot Eggert. When she refused, Murdaugh retrieved a nylon bat from his truck and used it to beat Eggert to death. Murdaugh then pushed Eggert’s body into the canal, where it was recovered several days later.

Murder of David Reynolds

Murdaugh’s girlfriend met David Reynolds at a gas station on June 26, 1995. When Murdaugh’s girlfriend returned home, she told Murdaugh that Reynolds had propositioned her. Murdaugh decided to teach Reynolds a lesson.

Murdaugh’s girlfriend paged Reynolds and invited him to Murdaugh’s home. Murdaugh left with a friend and instructed his girlfriend to page him as soon as Reynolds arrived. After receiving the page, Murdaugh returned home to confront Reynolds. Murdaugh and his friend armed themselves with a rifle and a handgun and stormed into the house.

Murdaugh began yelling at Reynolds and ordered him to empty his pockets onto the coffee table. Murdaugh continued to yell at Reynolds while his girlfriend and friend went outside to take anything of value from Reynolds’ van. After keeping Reynolds in the living room for several hours, Murdaugh decided to move him into the garage so Murdaugh could “figure things out.”

Murdaugh marched Reynolds from the house to Murdaugh’s three-bay detached garage and placed him in the trunk of a car. Reynolds remained in the trunk until the following morning.

In the meantime, Murdaugh and his friend decided to dispose of Reynolds’ van. After dumping the van, Murdaugh stopped for gas and picked up a third friend. The three returned to Murdaugh’s home and went into the detached garage to inject methamphetamine. Murdaugh heard Reynolds knocking from inside the trunk. Reynolds told Murdaugh that Reynolds had to use the restroom.

Murdaugh let Reynolds out of the trunk. When Reynolds turned his back to urinate, Murdaugh used the nylon bat and a jackhammer spike to beat Reynolds to death. Murdaugh left Reynolds’ body in the garage for the remainder of the day. Late that night, Murdaugh and his friend loaded Reynolds’ body into Murdaugh’s horse trailer. Murdaugh then left with his horses and dogs to go camping.

After arriving at his campsite, Murdaugh dismembered Reynolds’ body. Murdaugh also pulled the teeth from Reynolds’ head and cut the fingerpads from his hands. Murdaugh took Reynolds’ body into the forest and buried his torso in one grave and his head and hands in another.

Investigation

Murdaugh cut himself in the leg when he was cleaning his horse’s hooves. He went to a nearby hospital for treatment, where he was ultimately arrested.

Arrest

Murdaugh was arrested at a nearby hospital for treatment after cutting himself in the leg.

Trial

Plea

Murdaugh pled guilty to both the Eggert murder and the Reynolds murder.

Proceedings and personnel

• Presiding Judge: Sherry Hutt
• Prosecutor: Mark Barry
• Defense Counsel: Jess Lorona
• Start of Trial: Guilty Plea
• Verdict: Change of Plea-Jan 10, 2000

Handling of the death penalty request

The State agreed that it would not seek the death penalty for the Eggert murder but reserved the right to use that conviction as an aggravating factor in the Reynolds murder.

Before the sentencing hearing on the Reynolds murder, Murdaugh elected to waive mitigation. The trial judge ordered the State to present mitigation and proceeded to sentencing.

Sentencing

Sentencing date

Murdaugh was sentenced to death on November 16, 2001.

Aggravating circumstances

The trial judge found:

• Murdaugh had been convicted of another offense for which a sentence of life imprisonment or death was imposable.
• The murder was committed in a cruel, heinous, or depraved manner.

Non-statutory mitigating circumstances

The court found the following non-statutory mitigating circumstances:

1. impairment from the use of crystal methamphetamine at the time of the offense;
2. impairment from chronic drug use;
3. personality disorder;
4. paranoid thoughts;
5. impact of the combination of drug use, personality disorder, and paranoid thoughts on mental abilities;
6. cooperation with law enforcement;
7. lack of prior criminal convictions;
8. desire to spare his family and victim’s family from trial.

Statutory mitigation finding

The judge did not find any statutory mitigation.

Result of weighing mitigation

The court found that the proffered mitigation was insufficient to call for leniency and sentenced Murdaugh to death.

Appeals

Published opinions and appeal status

• Direct Appeal pending before the Arizona Supreme Court
• Arizona Supreme Court oral argument case: State of Arizona v. Michael Joe Murdaugh
• Case No.: CR-01-0421-AP

Aftermath

After Reynolds’ murder, Murdaugh dumped Reynolds’ body in a remote area. Before leaving, he severed Reynolds’ head and hands, pulled out Reynolds’ teeth and buried the body parts.

Other details

People and relationships

• Victim (Reynolds murder): David Reynolds
• Murdaugh’s girlfriend: Rebecca Rohrs
• Friend/co-defendant mentioned in Reynolds events: Jesse Dezarn
• Victim (Eggert murder): Douglas Eggert

Physical evidence and disposal details relating to Reynolds

Murdaugh placed Reynolds in the trunk of a car, beat him to death, and later dismembered him at his campsite. Murdaugh buried the torso in one grave and the head and hands in another, and pulled teeth from Reynolds’ head and cut fingerpads from Reynolds’ hands.

Sentencing aggravation and mitigation summary elements

• Aggravating circumstances summary also included: Prior conviction punishable by life imprisonment or death (15 degree murder); especially cruel, heinous and depraved.
• Mitigating circumstances summary also included: under the influence of drugs at time of offense, chronic drug abuser, personality disorder, paranoid thoughts, combination of the above may have impacted defendant’s mental abilities; cooperation with law enforcement, lack of a prior criminal record, admission of guilt, and concern for victim’s family.