Alex Murdaugh ‘enthusiast’ shows off vacuum from auction after murder trial – and delights at dirty contents
Dawn Martin also purchased the Murdaugh’s family camera which contained images of “happier times”
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A self-proclaimed Alex Murdaugh “enthusiast” brought a wacky moment to the latest Netflix series on the murder case as she proudly unveiled a full vacuum that used to belong to the prominent South Carolina family.
Episode two of the Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’s second season revealed the auction of the Murdaugh family belongings that took place two years after Murdaugh killed his wife Maggie and son Paul.
Over 700 people registered to bid for hundreds of items recovered from their $4m Moselle estate in Colleton County resulting in the largest turnout Liberty Auction in Georgia had ever seen.
Items available to bid on included kitchen dishes, decorations, books, furniture and Maggie’s extensive collection of turtle shells which she turned into lamps.
One woman named Dawn Martin shared her haul with Netflix filmmakers, revealing Liberty Auction had allowed her to browse the merchandise a day before the sale officially opened.
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“One of the more eerie things that I purchased was a vacuum cleaner,” she said.
Ms Martin appeared most excited not by the appliance itself - but by the dirt it had sucked up.
“The vaccum cleaner was about $50 but eerily it comes with an original vacuum bag that is very full. I’ve been tempted to open it to see the contents but I have not yet,” she said as she excitedly patted the full pouch.
Ms Martin also snagged a Murdaugh family camera with a surprise inside.
“At the time of the auction, the auctioneer held up a camera bag, started the bidding and I just kept my card up and never knew until the end that 704 was the winner of this camera bag,” she said.
“It wasn’t until later that I took the memory card and their camera and started to see the images were actually on there of vacations and parties at home.”
The images on the camera roll are of “happier times” she said. “It’s hard to imagine, for anyone, that a husband would murder his wife and sons in such a brutal way. I’ll be honest, I found it hard to believe myself, especially after seeing the photos.”
Also appearing in episode two was Morgan Doughty, the former girlfriend of Paul, who said, “Miss Maggie new how to decorate, she put so much thought behind it, it broke my heart to see it just sold.”
This also comes as the new series revealed Curtis Eddie Smith – Murdaugh’s alleged co-conspirator in the bizarre hitman plot – making a bombshell claim.
When he asked Murdaugh why he wanted him to fatally shoot him, Mr Smith claims he told him: “Because they’re going to be able to prove that I’m responsible for Maggie and Paul.”
The show also hears from Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill – who is now at the centre of jury tampering accusations brought by Murdaugh’s attorneys in their bid for a new murder trial.
On Thursday 21 September, Mr Murdaugh reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors on a string of financial fraud charges – admitting that he stole millions of dollars from law firm clients.
Following an agreement made with prosecutors on 18 September, he pleaded guilty to 22 federal charges including wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.
His appearance in court marked the first time he has ever admitted to a crime.