Buster Murdaugh provides first TV interview denying involvement in Smith murder
Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh is demanding a brand new trial for the murders of his spouse and son on the premise that Colleton County Clerk of Court docket Rebecca Hill allegedly pressured jurors on the case to return a responsible verdict towards him.
The disgraced authorized scion’s attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin filed the movement Tuesday alleging the clerk tampered with the jury as a result of she was pushed by fame and a need to safe a ebook deal.
Particularly, they declare she instructed jurors to not be “misled” by proof offered by the defence and advised them to not be “fooled by” Murdaugh’s testimony when he took the stand.
The event comes one week after the convicted killer misplaced a few of his inmate privileges after he fed info to Fox Nation documentary “The Fall of the Home of Murdaugh” with out permission from officers.
Within the documentary, his son Buster broke his silence as he insisted that he nonetheless believes his father is harmless however admitted that he could also be a psychopath.
Murdaugh is behind bars on the McCormick Correctional Establishment the place he’s serving two life sentences for the 7 June 2021 murders of his spouse Maggie and son Paul.
Murdaugh has misplaced jail privileges over recorded cellphone name for documentary
The disgraced authorized scion misplaced a few of his jail privileges after he fed info to a Fox Nation documentary titled “The Fall of the Home of Murdaugh.”
Throughout a jailhouse cellphone name on 10 June, Murdaugh’s lawyer Jim Griffin recorded him studying aloud entries from the journal he had saved throughout his double homicide trial.
Jail coverage prohibits inmates from speaking to the media with out permission as a result of the company “believes that victims of crime mustn’t must see or hear the one that victimized them or their member of the family on the information,” state prisons spokesperson Chrysti Shain mentioned in an announcement.
In consequence, Murdaugh has had his cellphone privileges revoked and his jail pill laptop confiscated. He additionally misplaced his means to purchase gadgets within the jail canteen for a month.
He’ll now must get permission from jail officers to get one other pill, which can be utilized to make monitored cellphone calls, watch authorised leisure, learn books or take video courses, the jail spokesperson mentioned.
Andrea Cavallier6 September 2023 07:00
Who’re Murdaugh’s attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian?
Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian spoke to the media on Tuesday after submitting a movement requesting a brand new trial for the convicted killer on the grounds of jury tampering.
Dick Harpootlian, 74, was considered one of Murdaugh’s lead defence attorneys in his homicide trial.
Previous to representing Murdaugh, he has had a protracted profession as a prosecutor.
He has prosecuted a number of high-profile instances together with the corruption trial of former College of South Carolina President Jim Holderman and the homicide trial of serial killer Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins.
In addition to being a distinguished lawyer, Mr Harpootlian can also be a state senator, representing South Carolina’s twentieth district.
Jim Griffin, 60, was Murdaugh’s different lead defence attorneys in his homicide trial.
Mr Griffin has additionally had a protracted profession targeted predominantly on working as defence lawyer in white-collar crime instances.
In addition to the homicide case, each Mr Harpootlian and Mr Griffin are representing Murdaugh in his slew of different fees together with his monetary fraud trial.
The duo – who like Murdaugh attended College of South Carolina Faculty of Legislation – was additionally beforehand employed to characterize Paul within the boat crash case.
Andrea Cavallier6 September 2023 05:00
Buster Murdaugh breaks his silence
The one surviving son of Alex Murdaugh has damaged his silence to disclaim any involvement within the mysterious killing of homosexual teenager Stephen Smith – and demand that he nonetheless believes his father is harmless of the murders of his mom and brother.
He spoke out in his first TV interview since his household was propelled to nationwide consideration, for the brand new three-part FOX Nation documentary “The Fall of the Home of Murdaugh”.
Within the interview, Buster slammed rumours that he too may have been concerned in a heinous homicide – that of 19-year-old Smith in July 2015 – and supplied an alibi for his whereabouts on the night time {the teenager} was killed.
He additionally doubled down on his father’s innocence within the murders of Maggie and Paul, however didn’t deny that his father could also be a psychopath.
Andrea Cavallier6 September 2023 03:00
South Carolina Clerk of Court docket Rebecca Hill wrote a tell-all about Murdaugh trial
Ms Hill and co-author Neil R. Gordon printed a tell-all ebook final month titled “Behind the Doorways of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders” that has revealed particulars from Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile trial.
The clerk is being accused by Murdaugh’s group of improperly influencing the jury and betraying her oath of workplace for cash and fame.
They’ve filed a movement requesting a brand new trial on the grounds of jury tampering.
Ms Hill wrote about how she was caught off guard when the jury completed their deliberations after simply three hours.
“This was uncommon. Most homicide trials take a while for the jury to succeed in a choice, however apparently the jurors had been glad they’d be returning to the courtroom shortly with a verdict,” she wrote. “I used to be caught a bit off guard.”
She additionally wrote about how she knew Murdaugh in knowledgeable context for years.
“No matter guilt or innocence, for me, reconciling Alex’s diametrically reverse roles was troublesome however not one thing I might enable to intrude with my sworn duties as clerk,” she wrote within the ebook.
“Though I used to be conflicted about understanding the Murdaugh household, and about having so many individuals watching and listening to me as I learn the decision, I used to be principally involved about Alex being discovered harmless after I knew in my coronary heart he was responsible.”
Andrea Cavallier6 September 2023 01:00
Alex Murdaugh has a brand new sufferer story. We must be paying consideration
The convicted killer is as soon as once more claiming to be a sufferer in considered one of America’s most explosive homicide instances.
Whereas the 65-year-old disgraced authorized dynasty inheritor sits behind bars for the brutal June 2021 slayings of his spouse Maggie and son Paul – his defence group is demanding a brand new trial on the grounds of alleged jury tampering.
Murdaugh’s attorneys held a press convention on Tuesday to unveil damning allegations towards Colleton County Clerk of Court docket Rebecca Hill, who they declare pressured jurors to convict him.
The attorneys gave a glimpse of Murdaugh’s response to the proof outlined within the movement, saying: “He was astonished, he was shaking, he was in disbelief.”
That is hardly the primary time we’ve seen Murdaugh tackle a sufferer position.
Andrea Cavallier6 September 2023 00:00
Court docket clerk allegedly advised juror ‘every little thing Murdaugh has mentioned has been lies’
Following the prosecution’s closing argument within the Murdaugh trial, Clerk of Court docket Rebecca Hill allegedly requested juror 785 what her verdict could be, a movement filed on Tuesday reads.
The juror mentioned she thought prosecutor Creighton Waters’ closing was good however that she had questions as a result of the homicide weapons have by no means been discovered.
Ms Hill allegedly advised her “that every little thing Mr Murdaugh has mentioned has been lies and that I ought to neglect in regards to the weapons, they are going to by no means be seen once more”.
The juror mentioned that round 10 minutes later, she was dismissed from the jury. Throughout her dismissal, she was accused of getting spoken to at the very least three folks in regards to the case.
The movement claimed it was not the primary time Ms Hill had approached the juror about her verdict.
She allegedly confronted the juror after claiming that she had seen a put up in native Fb group “Walterboro Phrase of Mouth” from juror 785’s former husband Tim Stone.
The put up purportedly claimed that the juror was consuming along with her ex-husband and, when she turned drunk, she expressed her views on whether or not Murdaugh was harmless or responsible.
A follow-up put up from an account known as Timothy Stone apologised for the put up saying that he was pushed by “Devil”.
When Ms Hill confronted the juror in regards to the posts, the juror mentioned she hadn’t seen her ex-husband in 10 years, the movement states.
Ms Hill allegedly advised the juror that SLED and Colleton County Sheriff’s Workplace personnel had gone to Mr Stone’s home and that he had confirmed he made the put up.
She then allegedly requested juror 785 whether or not she was inclined to vote responsible or not responsible – to which she mentioned she had not made up her thoughts.
Murdaugh’s attorneys declare that the unique put up was “fictitous” and {that a} obtain of Mr Stone’s Fb reveals he didn’t make both put up.
Andrea Cavallier5 September 2023 23:00
Murdaugh accuses ‘fame looking for’ courtroom clerk of jury tampering at his homicide trial
The convicted killer has accused a South Carolina courtroom clerk of tampering with the jury at his high-profile double homicide trial – as a result of she was pushed by fame and a need to safe a ebook deal.
His group filed a movement Tuesday requesting a brand new trial on the premise that Colleton County Clerk of Court docket Rebecca Hill allegedly pressured jurors on the case to return a responsible verdict towards him.
The movement additionally claims that Ms Hill had frequent non-public conversations with the jury foreperson – with the pair usually disappearing to personal rooms for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
“Throughout the trial, Ms Hill requested jurors for his or her opinions about Mr Murdaugh’s guilt or innocence,” the movement reads.
“Ms Hill pressured the jurors to succeed in a fast verdict, telling them from the outset of their deliberations that it ‘shouldn’t take them lengthy.’”
Andrea Cavallier5 September 2023 22:00
Defence lawyer says ‘there isn’t a selection’ however for the courtroom to ‘grant a brand new trial’ for Murdaugh
Alex Murdaugh’s defence lawyer Jim Griffin mentioned that they’re “very optimistic” that Murdaugh will likely be granted a brand new trial however that it was a matter of time.
“I’m very optimistic that in the end we’ll get a brand new trial. How lengthy that can take, I don’t know,” he mentioned.
The movement claims Colleton County Clerk of Court docket Rebecca Hill instructed jurors to not be “misled” by proof offered by the defence and to not be “fooled by” Murdaugh’s testimony when he took the stand.
Mr Griffin mentioned that if this sworn testimony is true, “which we’ve each purpose to imagine that it’s,” then ‘there isn’t a selection’ however for the courtroom to ‘grant a brand new trial’ for Murdaugh.
They mentioned the clerk’s actions violated “Murdaugh’s constitutional proper to a good and neutral jury” and that the decide should grant a brand new trial.
Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys demand new trial over allegations of jury tampering
Andrea Cavallier5 September 2023 21:29
Attorneys need investigation into ‘violation’ of Alex Murdaugh’s civil rights
Murdaugh’s attorneys mentioned they’ve despatched a request to the South Carolina US Lawyer to open a federal investigation into the alleged violation of Murdaugh’s civil rights.
The proof within the movement “speaks for themselves,” Mr Harpootlian mentioned.
He additionally mentioned that they had been calling for SLED – the company which led the investigation into the murders of Maggie and Paul – to face down on any investigation into the allegations towards the clerk of courtroom as a result of the company is heavily-invested in Murdaugh’s conviction.
When requested in the event that they suppose the courtroom clerk must be hit with felony fees, Mr Harpootlian shortly dismissed the query. “No remark,” he fired again.
Andrea Cavallier5 September 2023 20:22
Murdaugh attorneys had been met with a ‘zone of silence’ from jurors till clerk of courtroom printed tell-all ebook
Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin say they had been met with a “zone of silence” from jurors after Alex Murdaugh’s responsible verdict.
However after Ms Hill printed her tell-all ebook, jurors who had been sad with what was written got here ahead.
Andrea Cavallier5 September 2023 20:04