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Criminally Obsessed
"I Refuse to Be Intimidated" — Murdaugh Housekeeper Responds to Criticism
00:24:53
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- [00:00]
A
Hey, everyone, I'm Ann Emerson, and welcome to Criminally Obsessed. For years, we've watched the Murdoch family unravel from a distance.
- [00:07]
B
And in March 2023, Alec Murdoch, the southern lawyer with the blazing red hair,
- [00:13]
A
was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul. But there was someone who knew them long before they made headlines. Knew them well up close and personal. I caught up with Blanca Trubbiate Simpson. She's the former housekeeper of the Murdoch family, friend of Maggie, and New York Times best selling author of her firsthand account within the house of Murdoch amid a unique friendship. Blanca and Maggie. And even today, her feelings about the Murdoch family are strong. They're deep. And she is fiercely loyal to her friend Maggie and her faithful companion, a lab named Bubba. But it has not been an easy road for Blanca since we last talked to her in the fall. With an appeal looming in Alec Murdoch's double murder case, Blanca says there's been some strange things going on. Before I tell you more, be sure to like and subscribe and give us a five star review here at Criminally Obsessed so others can find our show. Now let's get into it.
- [01:14]
B
Blanca, it is so good to see you again. It's been a minute.
- [01:19]
C
It's good to see you. It's good to see you.
- [01:22]
B
I'm so happy to have you with me today because, you know, well, first of all, I miss seeing your pretty face. But I also wanted to talk to you about, you know, last time we met, we had a chance to sit down and have a long conversation, not just about the book that you had come out with, but about your whole experience with the Murdochs. Tell me what your experience has been like since we last met.
- [01:47]
C
For the most part, it's been positive. I basically ignore some of the negativity that. That people have, but I try to ignore that. I don't. I don't want to speak for. For those people. I don't know what place they're in in their life right now. I am in a good place. My objective was and still is to let people know who Maggie was, who the family was when I was around them. You know, not based off of third party or, you know, the weekend warriors, like I want to call them. Ultimately, while I was there during the week, they were just a normal family. And I'm not trying to make excuses for Alec. I'm just telling people who, you know, how he was, you know, the type of person that he was when he was there. You know, unfortunately, the circumstances are different. You know, what he did was horrible. But I just have to take it day by day and just not allow all that negativity to affect my life.
- [02:50]
B
Well, I mean, Blanca, when you talk about negativity, not to focus on the negative, but when. When you're talking about the negativity, what.
- [02:57]
A
What is it that you've.
- [02:59]
B
You've experienced that. That seems unkind?
- [03:03]
C
It's just certain people that I've kind of try to stay away from. People are always going to have their opinions, they're always going to have their ugly comments. I just choose not to be around that type of a vibe. I get you.
- [03:21]
B
And, And I agree with you. I think you have to be very careful to having negative people around you. I mean, the. The response to the book that you wrote within the house of Murdoch, the response to that book has got to have been overwhelming. I mean, you are still, you know, hovering around that New York Times bestseller list, right?
- [03:41]
C
Yes. To come from being ignored, to come from being basically nobody, nobody really knew who I was to becoming a New York Times bestseller has been. It's been a positive vibe for me because, you know, during. As. As you get older, you know, you feel like, what have I accomplished in my life? What have I done? Some people look down on the fact there's a. Well, you were a housekeeper. It doesn't matter what type of job you do. As long as you do it well, it doesn't matter. And I've already done plenty of other things in. Throughout my life, in my careers that I've had. This is nothing to me, and it's not beneath me, and it shouldn't be beneath anybody. I'm happy with my choices. I'm happy with all the jobs that I have done. It's had their ups and downs, but working for Maggie and Alex and the boys was. I'm just thankful. It kind of satisfied what I needed at that moment. And Maggie kind of filled in that peace in that. The friendship that I needed during the time that I really needed it the most with everything that I've been through. And people don't understand, but she understood. And she might have said other things, you know, she might have talked and so, you know, about people in. She knew what was going on throughout the community. But one thing that I know is when I told her what had affected me, my life, what I had gone through in my childhood and what I had gone through as an adult in the military, none of that. She never spoke of that. She kept that to herself. And I think that's what I appreciated about her, that she truly appreciated me and kept me. I felt like she was almost like, keeping me safe. She. She. She did in her own way, you know, in her own funny way, I should say.
- [05:56]
B
Well, blanc. I mean, she was. I. When I talk about you guys, when I talk about you, when people ask me about the interview we did, because we had thousands of comments from people overwhelmingly positive about what an incredible person you are. And the people that have watched the interviews, I think, really got a sense that you were each other's confidant, you were each other's friends, but also you were able to share those, like, really intimate conversations that gave you an insight on the. Murdoch said literally nobody else would ever have. Like, it's incredible.
- [06:33]
C
The one thing that. That I do appreciate about it is now I can see where she was coming from. I can see when she would tell me, she said, I can't. I don't feel that I can go to church and be my true self because I'm afraid that people are going to say, oh, she's just, you know, playing it around because of the situation she's in and she's playing with God and she's doing this. She said, it kind of makes me feel, she said, empty inside, that I. That I can't even feel comfortable going to church without people criticizing me. So that's where the religious part came in. You know, she was always interested in what I was doing with my women's ministry or, you know, at church or. And I used to always tell her, if not. If she just felt overwhelmed that day, she would call me and ask me, you know, what. What. What can I do? What can I read? And those are things that people did not expect about her. But it's because she would not show that side to other people, whereas she was comfortable asking me, you know, certain things or certain questions, because the fear of people talking about you, the fear of people saying, you know, turning things around. When you're trying to do something positive for yourself, then you have people that are like, oh, she's just doing it because, you know, and that's how she felt that the criticism and. And there's been a few times where I've come to her defense. I just had a book signing in Hilton Head. You know, the same thing. Young lady approached us and said, made a. About, you know, Buster. And I said, you need to. You need to actually look into things before you start accusing or making, you know, allegations against. Against him. I said, he's not involved in this. Y' all need to Just keep him out, you know, read up on everything. Read up the evidence, I said. And don't go on gossip and rumor. I said, he is a good person. And read up on what exactly happened instead of basing how you feel about them without actually knowing who he is. Because he is a good kid and he's been through a lot, despite the fact that we are not, you know, speaking. I do come to his defense because he doesn't deserve this. He. He doesn't. He deserves to live his life like he wants to. And it kind of does offend me when people say ugly things, you know, about him, because he's the only one that that's left. He doesn't deserve that. He does not deserve that, regardless of how people feel.
- [09:18]
B
Do you just not speak because there's no reason, like, you're not working for the Murdoch family anymore, or is there a specific reason you could share that you just don't speak with Buster.
- [09:29]
C
I think he had a lot of influence from other people. I think that there was that influence in the coming to his dad's defense.
- [09:37]
D
He was destroyed. He was heartbroken. I walked in the door and saw him and gave him a hug and just. Just broken down.
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B
Could he speak?
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D
Not really. Is he crying? Yes, sir.
- [09:52]
C
When I went to court that day, when I testified in court, I was not gonna lie or sugarcoat anything. I was gonna tell people how and what the things that, you know, Maggie had said. I guess that must have been a topic of. Of, you know, that some of the things that they didn't appreciate or like. I. I really don't know. I just. I kind of knew when I testified that day that. That that relationship was gonna cease, you know, at that moment. And I just hope, like I said, as long as he's happy and he's doing well, I'm fine with it. I. I'm. I'm fine with it. And I hope he finds that peace that he needs, you know, and. And that stability.
- [10:42]
B
And, you know, one thing that I did find when we talked, there was a lot of questions you had about what was not investigated.
- [10:55]
A
Were they questions, or were they red flags about the investigation? I want to stop you here and make sure you've seen episodes with Blanca. They've received millions of views and thousands of comments from viewers. We'll have them linked below. Remember, Blanca was at that house at Moselle all the time. She knew when things were not where they were supposed to be. And that's what we're talking about.
- [11:17]
B
And I've been wondering ever since you came out with your, with your book, since the conversations we've had, has anyone come to you now from the state, from the prosecution, investigators, attorneys? Has anyone come to you to give you any answers to your questions that we talked about?
- [11:37]
C
No, but I would talk to you. Nobody, Nobody has said anything. I've heard things said that some of the things that I've said are plausible, but they, without evidence, they can't investigate. I assume because of the time that has already gone by, you know, they're not able to investigate certain things, and that could be a possibility. I'll stand by what I've said. I do feel that they had some things wrong and I think some, some people went into this case with blinders and they, they weren't looking either way. And power of privilege 101 at its best when it came to this case, and I can say it now where, where I didn't feel comfortable saying it before, I can say it now because that, that is exactly what I saw during the time that they were investigating. There's many journalists and many reporters that have, that have made mention of that as well. I do agree with that, that there, that there is a lot of, there's more attention depending on who you are and where you come from. You know, there tends to be more attention to that than what the actual crimes are. What is going on. It needs to be equal among the, the judicial system, where it's not. There's been similar crimes to what happened, but because they were simply nobodies, you didn't see all that attention. And I think it needs to be equal. You know, it, it shouldn't matter who you are, it should be equal. You know, justice for everybody. And they need to focus more on that.
- [13:39]
B
I mean, blanket. You were very specific with me about, like the questions you had. So that's why I was wondering if anyone was able to answer some of those.
- [13:49]
C
They don't even want to touch the subject. If they were literally come to me and asked me why, why do you think this was out of place? Or why do you think this. They could make their own narrative or they can make do their own investigation by simply asking me why. Certain things out of place, certain things that were not in the proper, you know, facing in the proper direction, or you sitting in the proper spot, even dealing with her clothing. Right. 14, 15 people in that house that night. And you mean to tell me nobody
- [14:23]
A
noticed the night of the murder? Alec called friends and family and they came to Moselle. Remember, that's the Murdoch family. Hunting estate that's in the low country of South Carolina. It's in the middle of nowhere. Investigators secured the kennel area where Paul and Maggie were found dead, but not the house. The family and friends gathered inside that home. And Blanca says when she arrived the next day to help get ready for more company, she noticed Maggie's car wasn't parked where she always parked it. Maggie's pajamas were laid out on the floor of the laundry room. A beach towel and one of Alex's T shirts were missing from the laundry room. And Alex's pants and a wet towel were left on the bathroom floor.
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C
All.
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A
All things that appeared suspicious to her.
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C
And sometimes I feel like they don't want to bring that up because they were there. So there's just so many questions that I still have with regarding that, simply because I don't have the amount of education that some of these folks had when they were in the home. Common sense should have said, hey, we don't need to be in here. We need to go. But it didn't happen. And once again, power and privilege, you know, in. But yet I'm the dummy. You know, I'm. I'm. I'm the one beneath, you know, on the bottom of the totem pole, per se. If that's the way they want to look at me, that's. That's fine. I think I've grown a lot in the last few years. I'm tired of the intimidation. I'm tired of having to deal with people following me, even though if you would ask, they probably would say, oh, no, nobody's doing that. Yes, it has happened. I've been followed because I'm still dealing with part of Alex, you know, one of his clients. I'm still dealing with that.
- [16:20]
B
Okay.
- [16:21]
C
But I'm. I'm. I'm at a point in my life right now where I am not. I. I refuse to be intimidated or, you know, bullied. I refuse to be bullied simply because I did not go along with a narrative that they wanted me to go through. And I'm. I'm at that point now where I just refuse. Refuse to be bullied, basically, by anybody. I am who I am, whether you like it or not. And I had a good friend, whether you accept it or not. She was a good person, Maggie, at least to me.
- [17:00]
B
Yeah.
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C
And. And I will always say that, you know, and I will defend that. Yes. No, none of us are perfect. We all have our ways. We all can be snippy at times, but that's okay. That's we're all in different individuals. And that's why I always tell people, you know, find out about who they were, truly, before you start criticizing. I, I, I tell my children that all the time. And, and I, and I, and I want people to know that, that I am who I am, whether they appreciate it or not. You know, it's okay. I'm okay with that. I spoke the truth. I tried to tell people when I noticed things that were out of place the day after the murders.
- [17:51]
B
Blanca, you know, when you say that you've been followed and intimidated, that's very concerning. That's very concerning that, that is it
- [18:01]
C
still going on while I'm dealing with this situation that I'm still dealing with, you know, some of Alex's aftermath, that if I say I'm going to a certain place or if I go shopping, that can see it all. I know, as I can tell you, the last time I went shopping, I called my husband and I said, hey, A lady approached me and said that I had two guys following me at the store, and one snapped a picture, and the other one was kind of standing off at a distance. This person that was there shopping actually came up to me and said, honey, you're being followed. And so it wasn't me. Somebody else noticed it. She actually walked me out to my vehicle. Because of that, I'm okay. I don't. Like I said, I refuse to be intimidated, and I'm not going to be bullied. I'm done with that. I spoke my truth. I stand by the client that I'm helping, because I'm not going to be. I was not going to be coerced into a situation that later on I could have been thrown under the bus for, basically. And I stand by that. I grew up. My father always told me, if you're ever in a situation where you see somebody that needs help or the language barrier, you always help, and I've always done that, and I stand by that. Unfortunately, some people don't like hearing the truth. When you say, when you speak the truth, they want to change the narrative or change the version. And, and when you refuse, you know, that's when things, when the bullying, you know, and the intimidation and all that, and I just simply refuse.
- [19:55]
B
And you don't have to tell me the specifics of this. I just want to ask because you're, you're talking about a client that you're helping and this level of, like, being followed and that sort of thing. I guess my question is, is, are these things tied together and Is this client a client of Murdoch's that you're helping? Can you give me any information on that?
- [20:18]
C
Or is that something I'm still litigation with? I'm still in litigation with that. It's just a real hassle dealing with that. And unfortunately, it's still not over yet. Hopefully, it will be soon. I am a loyal person, and I have integrity. And one thing that I've always stood by is that simply because I do not have the education that people around me have does not make me less of a person, less of a woman than anybody. I am who I am, and that's. That's it. And it's taking me a long time to. To say this because I've always stayed quiet and in the background, and I. And I haven't. And it. I think it's time for me to actually start speaking out more and saying, you know, I have to speak out.
- [21:16]
A
Well, you found your voice for sure.
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B
100.
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C
I have to speak out. And women or others, you know, in situations like that, you have to speak out.
- [21:28]
A
Blanca is a force to be reckoned with. I said it in my first interview with her. The biggest mistake investigators made was underestimating Blanca. She found her voice. She's gonna use it. We'll pick up our conversation with Blanca
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B
in part two, where we'll get to
- [21:42]
A
her thoughts on Alec Murdoch's appeal. And you have to hear what she says if that conviction is overturned and charges are dismissed. And in our next episode, we talk about the cleaners and about what happened at the kennels. If you know, you know. And if you don't, you've got to make sure to go back and watch our first interviews with Blanca to hear all about it, because she has thoughts. Until then, be sure to like and subscribe so you don't miss an episode.