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In a trial littered with explosive developments – and plenty of ancillary drama – the great “GoFundMe” controversy of attorney Mark Tinsley is likely to wind up as a mere footnote. Still, this is the ‘Murdaugh Murders‘ crime and corruption saga – and anything tied to it (no matter how seemingly insignificant) causes considerable churning on the interwebs.
On Thursday, attorneys representing disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh moved to strike Tinsley’s testimony because the attorney donated $1,000 to a GoFundMe page established by family members of Mushelle “Shelley” Smith.
Smith, our audience will recall, provided some significant testimony earlier this week related to Murdaugh’s movements on the night of the June 7, 2021 – when prosecutors allege he savagely murdered two of his family members on their hunting property in Colleton County, S.C. Tinsley has also provided compelling testimony in this case – giving jurors insight into the 2019 boat crash case involving Murdaugh’s family that exposed the defendant to significant personal liability.
Prosecutors have maintained the threat of Tinsley’s lawsuit helped push Murdaugh over the edge – especially considering there was a scheduled hearing in this case on June 10, 2021, one which threatened to expose the many financial crimes he is currently staring down.
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In addition to those crimes, Murdaugh stands accused of killing his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and youngest son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, on his family’s hunting property, known locally as Moselle. He pleaded not guilty to those charges and is currently standing trial in Walterboro – a town located in the Lowcountry region of the Palmetto State, a region Murdaugh’s family ran like a fiefdom for more than a century.
Smith testified on Monday of this week, telling jurors she saw Murdaugh cradling a blue tarp/ rain jacket as he walked to the upstairs of his parents’ home at Almeda, S.C. several days after the murders. A blue rain jacket was later found wadded up in an upstairs closet inside that home – coated in copious amounts of gunshot residue.
Smith’s recollection of the timeline of the night of the murders also contradicted what Murdaugh told investigators – and her testimony appears to be supported by vehicular data obtained from Murdaugh’s Chevrolet Suburban.
Smith was clearly rattled during her testimony – appearing torn between the truth and her loyalty to the Murdaugh family. She also appeared to be an extremely compelling witness based on the jury’s response to her testimony.
As for Tinsley, he bristled at the suggestion his donation was improper – accusing Murdaugh attorney Phil Barber of “pandering to the cameras.”
“The suggestion of impropriety by me donating to a GoFundMe created for a deserving, hardworking lady was just him pandering to the cameras I think,” Tinsley told me. “I hope a lot more people help her.”
Despite his vocal objection to Tinsley’s donation, Barber did not raise the issue during his brief cross-examination of Tinsley on Friday morning.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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