Alex Murdaugh trial: Key revelations from disgraced legal professional’s homicide case

Legal dynasty inheritor Alex Murdaugh has been discovered responsible of the brutal double homicide of his spouse and grownup son after a six-week trial in South Carolina.

Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, had been each shot useless on the household’s sprawling 1,700-acre property in Islandton, South Carolina, on the night time of seven June 2021.

Murdaugh, 54, claimed that he returned dwelling from visiting his aged mom to search out the victims’ our bodies on the canine kennels on the land.

No arrests had been made for greater than a yr, till – in July 2022 – Murdaugh was charged with their murders. Almost eight months later, Murdaugh was convicted on 2 March.

Prosecutors informed the courtroom that Murdaugh killed his spouse and son to distract from the rising variety of scandals and crimes swirling round him.

It’s a dramatic saga that now consists of homicide, a botched hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes and a collection of unexplained deaths.

The now-disbarred legal professional denied the allegations and pleaded not responsible.

After six weeks of dramatic testimony on the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, the jury took lower than three hours to return a responsible verdict. Murdaugh was then sentenced to life in jail.

Listed below are the important thing revelations from the trial:

Prosecutor’s opening assertion reveals video can be key to trial

Opening arguments kicked off the trial on 25 January, with the prosecution telling jurors that cellphone data and a video taken by Paul minutes earlier than he died are “vital” in proving Murdaugh’s guilt.

Lawyer Creighton Waters gave a timeline for the murders, saying that Paul was shot on the canine kennels first at 8.50pm and Maggie minutes later.

Cellphone data allegedly place Murdaugh on the canine kennels minutes earlier – when the suspect had “informed everybody he was by no means there”.

Mr Waters additionally described a video Paul made on the kennels minutes earlier than his homicide as he was filming a canine to ship to a pal. In keeping with the prosecution, three voices – Paul, Maggie and Murdaugh – might be heard.

Different proof the prosecution promised to point out jurors included gunshot residue present in each Murdaugh’s automobile, on him and on a raincoat that he allegedly left at his mother and father’ dwelling per week after the murders.

Defence particulars horror accidents of victims in opening assertion

Within the defence’s opening assertion, Murdaugh was seen breaking down in tears as his legal professional Dick Harpootlian described the deadly shot which killed his son Paul, saying it “exploded his mind, like a watermelon”.

Murdaugh then arrived dwelling and located his son’s brains by his toes, he mentioned.

Mr Harpootlian insisted Murdaugh is an harmless man, saying that jurors will see a Snapchat of him and Paul fortunately spending father-and-son time collectively lower than two hours earlier than the murders.

“Paul, the apple of his eye. You’ll see a video from the night time of the murders of Paul and Alex using round timber they planted, a Snapchat despatched to different folks. They had been laughing, having a superb time,” he mentioned.

He additionally argued that cellphone data from that night time are “incomplete” and that Maggie’s cellphone was thrown on the aspect of a street halfa mile from the household property on the identical time that Murdaugh was on the property.

The suspect would “should be Houdini to be in each locations”, he mentioned.

Murdaugh ‘instantly’ informed police murders had been tied to 2019 boat crash

Murdaugh “instantly” urged that his spouse and son had been murdered due to a 2019 deadly boat crash as quickly as the primary regulation enforcement officer arrived on the scene of the grisly slayings, bodycam footage performed in courtroom revealed.

The footage was taken from the bodyworn digital camera of Colleton County Sheriff’s Sgt Daniel Greene when he was the primary officer to answer the scene.

It captures the disgraced authorized dynasty inheritor pacing across the canine kennels, sobbing and wailing, and repeatedly asking: “Are they useless?”

“Has someone gone to examine ‘em? They did examine ‘em? They’re certain that they’re useless?” he says.

The very first thing Murdaugh tells the officer when he arrives is that he armed himself with a shotgun after discovering his spouse and son’s our bodies.

“Sir I wished to let you understand due to the scene I did go get a gun and convey it down right here,” he says.

Unprompted, Murdaugh then tells the officer that the murders should be linked to the 2019 deadly boat crash involving Paul.

“It is a lengthy story. My son was in a ship wreck months again. He’s been getting threats, most of it’s been benign stuf we didn’t take critical… he’s been getting pinched ,” Murdaugh says. “I do know that’s what that is.”

On the time of Paul’s dying, he was awaiting trial over the dying of 19-year-old Mallory Seashore.

Paul was allegedly drunk driving a ship of his buddies together with Seashore in 2019 when it crashed they usually had been thrown overboard. The remainder of the group survived however Seashore’s physique washed up days later.

Paul was charged with boating below the affect and confronted as much as 25 years in jail.

Murdaugh was additionally heard mentioning the boat crash within the 911 name alerting regulation enforcement to the scene and in his first interview with regulation enforcement on the night time of the murders.

Within the bodycam, Murdaugh can also be seen regaling in nice element his alleged actions that night time.

“I got here to the home first,” he says. “My mother has late stage Alzheimer’s, my dad is within the hospital. I left, I don’t know what time. I can go on my cellphone and inform you the precise occasions,” he says, earlier than instantly saying: “Did you examine?”

Suspect shed ‘no tears’ after discovering spouse and son’s our bodies

Colleton County Sheriff’s Workplace Sgt Daniel Greene testified that Murdaugh appeared to shed “no tears” after he claimed to have discovered his spouse and son’s our bodies.

Sgt Greene informed the courtroom that Murdaugh appeared “upset” and repeatedly requested if his spouse and son had been useless however didn’t seem to have any bodily tears in his eyes.

“Did you ever see any bodily tears?” the prosecutor requested.

“I didn’t,” the officer mentioned.

As bodycam footage from the night time of the murders was performed in courtroom, Murdaugh was seen breaking down in tears.

Bodycam exhibits Murdaugh’s ‘clear’ shirt after claiming to the touch bloody our bodies

Bodycam footage from the night time of the murders revealed Murdaugh carrying a “clear” white shirt after he claimed he touched his spouse and son’s bloodied our bodies on discovering them shot useless.

Within the footage, Murdaugh is wearing a white T-shirt and darkish shorts with no apparent indicators of blood.

Throughout courtroom testimony, a number of regulation enforcement officers described how Murdaugh was “clear” and didn’t seem to have any blood on him once they arrived on the scene of the murders.

But, in keeping with the 911 name made by Murdaugh and bodycam footage from his first police interview on the night time of the murders, Murdaugh claims he touched his spouse and son’s our bodies when he discovered them by the kennels.

Within the interview footage, he’s heard telling regulation enforcement twice that he “tried to show over” his son’s bloodied physique and that he had checked him and his spouse for pulses.

“I may see his mind … I ran over to Maggie, truly I believe I attempted to show Paul over first… um… you understand, I attempted to show him over, I dunno, I figured it out,” he’s heard saying.

Murdaugh mentioned that his son’s cellphone fell from his pocket when he tried to maneuver him and that he dealt with it briefly.

“His cellular phone popped out of his pocket, I began attempting to do one thing with it however I put it again down actually rapidly, after which I went to my spouse,” he says.

Detective Laura Rutland of Colleton County Sheriff’s Workplace contradicted his model of occasions as she mentioned that Murdaugh was “clear from head to toe” with no indicators of blood on his physique, shirt, shorts or footwear.

She mentioned she didn’t say the place he checked for a pulse however, in a gripping reenactment, agreed that if Murdaugh had touched pulse factors on Paul’s neck or wrists he would have been coated in blood.

As jurors have beforehand heard, the crime scene was particularly violent and bloody, with Paul’s mind shot out of his cranium and each he and Maggie mendacity in swimming pools of their very own blood.

911 name performed at trial

The unredacted 911 name positioned by Murdaugh on the night time of the murders.

Within the dramatic audio, Murdaugh cries and and sobs down the cellphone as he tells the dispatcher “it’s dangerous” and “my spouse and baby have been shot badly”.

He additionally the dispatcher concerning the 2019 boat crash involving Paul, saying that the 22-year-old had been getting threats “for months and months and months”.

The legal professional then says he’s going again to his home to get a gun “simply in case”. When officers arrived on the scene, Murdaugh had a shotgun which he handed over.

Murdaugh tells wild story about Black Panthers

Murdaugh recounted a wild story a couple of farmhand claiming to “kill radical Black Panthers” when he was interviewed by regulation enforcement on the night time of the double homicide of his spouse and son.

In footage of the interview, Murdaugh says he can’t consider anybody “overly suspicious” who could possibly be liable for the murders however suggests regulation enforcement converse to a farmhand he had just lately employed to work on the 1,700-acre property.

Murdaugh claims that the person had informed Paul a “actually bizarre” story only one week earlier than the murders.

“He informed Paul a narrative the opposite day of how when he was in highschool he bought in a combat with some Black guys and an FBI undercover groups noticed him combating these guys,” he says. “And so they put him on an undercover staff with three Navy Seals and their job was to kill radical Black Panthers.”

He provides: “Paul was so bowled over by it that he recorded it on his cellphone”.

Murdaugh tells the officers that Paul had “been working with him loads” and the story was “actually bizarre”.

Nonetheless, he provides that he doesn’t imagine the person could possibly be behind the murders, saying that it’s “such a silly” that he was “embarrassed” to even carry it up.

Hypothesis over whether or not Murdaugh unintentionally confessed

Audio from Murdaugh’s second interview with regulation enforcement was performed in courtroom on 30 January, revealing that the disgraced authorized dynasty inheritor could have unwittingly slipped up and confessed to the murders of his spouse and son.

“I did him so dangerous,” a sobbing Murdaugh appeared to say about his son in a police interview on 10 June 2021.

SLED Particular Agent Jeff Croft was requested by prosecutor Creighton Waters to make clear what he heard Murdaugh saying.

“It’s simply so dangerous. I did him so dangerous,” he responded.

Whereas prosecutors sought to counsel that the 54-year-old father and husband slipped up through the police interview, Murdaugh was seen shaking his head and showing to mouth “I didn’t say that” to his attorneys in courtroom.

Nonetheless, the audio of the interview has additionally raised doubts, being considerably unclear as as to whether Murdaugh says “I” or “they”, with some inside and out of doors courtroom believing he truly says: “They did him so dangerous.”

Throughout cross-examination, Griffin grilled Agent Croft as to why – if Murdaugh’s assertion raised alarm bells – he didn’t comply with up on it.

The particular agent testified that he “made a psychological observe” about Murdaugh’s remark however mentioned it was early within the investigation when officers had been in additional of an “data gathering” stage.

The audio was performed once more in courtroom – twice in actual time and as soon as at one-third pace.

When requested by Mr Griffin if he heard “they” not “I” when the recording was slowed down, Agent Croft testified that he nonetheless heard “I”.

Weapons and ammo at Murdaugh dwelling match crime scene

Bodycam footage launched by the courtroom on 30 January revealed an enormous stash of firearms contained in the Murdaugh household dwelling within the days after the murders.

SLED Particular Agent Jeff Croft informed jurors how he seized firearms and ammunition from the Murdaugh dwelling – together with weapons and ammo that matched the kind of gun and bullets used to kill Maggie and Paul.

A .300 Blackout semiautomatic rifle, 12-gauge Browning shotgun, Benelli shotgun and 12-gauge pump shotgun which had been seized from the household dwelling had been all introduced into the courtroom and proven to jurors.

The agent testified that a number of empty packing containers of ammunition had been additionally discovered throughout searches of the Murdaugh dwelling on 8 June and 13 June.

Contained in the .300 Blackout rifle was Sellier & Bellot .300 AAC BLK ammo – the identical sort of ammo that was used to kill Maggie.

Additionally seized as proof was a bank card receipt for an $1,021.10 merchandise from Gucci – the merchandise had been circled.

On 31 January, Agent Croft additionally testified that ammunition – metal shot ammo particularly Winchester DryLok – matching the deadly shot fired by means of Paul’s mind had been situated on the Murdaugh household property.

Two separate weapons – a rifle and shotgun – had been used to kill Maggie and Paul. They’ve by no means been discovered.

Defence’s two shooters’ concept

Murdaugh’s authorized staff sought to push its concept that there may have been two shooters individually liable for killing the mom and son.

Jurors had been proven pictures and diagrams of the crime scene from each the night time of the murders and a couple of month in a while 16 July, with defence legal professional Dick Harpootlian honing in on two bullet projectiles particularly – one which travelled by means of the canine home and one by means of the quail pen.

Below cross-examination of SLED particular agent Melinda Worley, Mr Harpootlian pushed the concept that, as a result of the bullet projectiles had been shot at totally different angles, it was a “affordable” chance that there was two killers.

“One affordable rationalization is there are two folks there: one with a shotgun, one with an AR. May somebody have been a lookout, they went there to kill Paul and Maggie stunned them?” Mr Harpootlian pressed.

Agent Worley admitted that the speculation is “doable” however mentioned that it’s only one “one rationalization” as to what could have taken place that fateful night time. She added that the angles may be defined as one single shooter transferring round.

Victims’ final texts and calls revealed

Jurors discovered concerning the last textual content messages and cellphone calls made by Paul and Maggie earlier than their brutal murders.

On the night time of seven June 2021, Paul positioned a name on his cellphone to pal Rogan Gibson at 8.40pm, lasting 4 minutes, adopted by a second name at 8.44pm. The second was the final incoming communication Mr Gibson obtained from Paul’s cellphone.

5 minutes later, at 8.49pm, Mr Gibson despatched Paul a textual content message: “See if you may get a superb image of it. Marion desires to ship it to a lady we all know that’s a vet. Get him to take a seat and keep. He shouldn’t transfer round an excessive amount of.”

The message – believed to be a couple of canine Paul was caring for for him – went unanswered.

From that time onward, neither Paul nor his mom Maggie responded to any messages or calls on their cellphones.

Prosecutors mentioned in opening statements that Paul was shot useless first at 8.50pm and Maggie minutes later. Their cellphones had no exercise from 8.49pm onward.

After sending the textual content message at 8.49pm and receiving no response from his pal, Mr Gibson despatched a follow-up textual content at 9.58pm, which merely learn: “Yo.”

Mr Gibson additionally tried calling Paul a number of occasions at 9.10pm, 9.29pm, 9.42pm, 9.57pm and 10.08pm.

Getting no response from his pal, jurors heard that he additionally texted Paul’s mom Maggie at 9.34pm, saying: “Inform Paul to name me.”

Shortly after, Mr Gibson had 4 missed calls from Alex Murdaugh at 10.21pm, 10.24pm, 10.25pm and 10.30pm.

Doubts forged on preservation of crime scene

Throughout a lot of his cross-examination of SLED Particular Agent Worley, Mr Harpootlian sought to select holes within the proof gathered from the bloody crime scene.

He raised doubts a couple of mark or potential footprint noticed on Maggie’s calf on the night time of the murders.

Whereas Mr Harpootlian urged it was a “footwear impression”, Agent Worley mentioned she “couldn’t say” that was what the mark was however that it “could possibly be”.

The mark was not examined on the scene and no impression of the imprint was taken, she testified.

She additionally confirmed {that a} bloody footprint discovered within the feeding room was later decided to be that of a regulation enforcement officer – one thing that supported the defence’s line of questioning that some proof was not preserved appropriately and was even “destroyed”.

“Are you aware what different proof they might have destroyed?” requested Mr Harpootlian.

“I do not know,” the agent mentioned, to which he responded: “That’s proper you don’t.”

Murdaugh’s cousin testifies he offered him weapons – matching one used to kill Maggie

On 31 January, Mr Murdaugh’s cousin John Bedingfield testified towards him, revealing how the 54-year-old purchased a number of firearms from him within the years previous to the murders – ones that match the kind used to kill Maggie.

Mr Bedingfield, who works for the Division of Pure Assets however has a aspect enterprise making and promoting firearms below a federal licence, informed the courtroom that Murdaugh approached him earlier than Christmas 2016 wanting to purchase each Paul and his surviving son rifles as presents.

He bought two subsonic 300 BlackOut rifles – one black, one tan color – for $9,188 so his sons may hunt hogs, he testified.

Two years later in April 2018, he mentioned that Murdaugh purchased a 3rd rifle from him for $875 as a result of he mentioned that Paul had misplaced his different one.

Murdaugh’s chilling textual content message to spouse after murders revealed

Murdaugh’s chilling last textual content to his spouse moments after he allegedly killed her and their son was additionally revealed in courtroom through the state’s case.

Jurors had been proven information from the cellphones of Maggie, Paul and Murdaugh on the night time of the murders.

Prosecutors say that Murdaugh shot Paul first at 8.50pm and Maggie after.

Nearly instantly after, cellphone information exhibits Murdaugh made a number of calls to Maggie and different relations.

Murdaugh first referred to as Maggie at 9.04pm – minutes after he allegedly shot her useless – and the decision went to voicemail.

He then texted her cellphone at 9.08pm, claiming he was going to go to his mom: “Going to examine on M. Be proper again.” The textual content was by no means learn.

In whole, Murdaugh referred to as his spouse 5 occasions between 9.04pm and 10.03pm after allegedly killing her. Not one of the calls had been answered.

His final textual content message to his spouse got here at 9.47pm, writing: “Name me babe.”

In addition to calling Maggie, Murdaugh’s cellphone data present he additionally made a number of calls to different numbers within the hour between the time prosecutors say the homicide passed off and he referred to as 911. Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh was in search of to construct an alibi for that night time.

Minutes after the ultimate name, Murdaugh referred to as 911 at 10.07pm claiming to have discovered Maggie and Paul’s our bodies.

Somebody was holding and transferring with Maggie’s cellphone after homicide

SLED Lt. Britt Dove, who works within the laptop crimes centre, testified that he processed the three cellphones.

Primarily based on the cellphone information, he mentioned that the final textual content Maggie learn was a message from her sister-in-law Lynn Murdaugh in a gaggle chat which she learn at 8.49pm.

After 8.49pm, she didn’t open or reply to messages or calls from a number of folks together with her husband, oldest son Buster and Murdaugh’s brother John Marvin Murdaugh.

Jurors additionally heard how the cellphone information exhibits Maggie’s cellphone orientation modified from portrait to panorama at 8.54pm after which once more at 9.06pm, indicating that it was in somebody’s arms. One minute later, at 9.07pm the display screen went on and off as if somebody tried – however failed – to unlock it.

Well being app information was additionally introduced to jurors, exhibiting that Maggie’s cellphone recorded 59 steps in two minutes after 8.53pm – after prosecutors allege Maggie and Paul had been already useless.

“It tells me somebody was holding this cellphone and took steps, and it recorded these steps,” mentioned Lt Dove.

Maggie’s cellphone was locked between 8.49pm on 7 June 2021 and 1.10pm the next day when it was discovered dumped by the aspect of a street round 1 / 4 of a mile from the Murdaugh property.

Paul’s cellphone was additionally initially locked after the murders, till US Secret Service Digital Forensic Examiner Jonathan VanHouten testified that he managed to unlock when he efficiently tried Paul’s birthday as his passcode.

Witnesses say voice in homicide scene video is Alex Murdaugh

In a dramatic day on 1 February, jurors had been proven cellphone footage taken by Paul on the canine kennels simply minutes earlier than he and Maggie had been shot useless which forged doubts on Murdaugh’s alibi.

Off-camera, three voices are heard – Paul, Maggie and a person prosecutors mentioned is Murdaugh.

In dramatic testimony, two buddies of Paul with shut ties to the household informed jurors that they’re “100 per cent certain” that the voice belongs to Murdaugh.

Cellphone information exhibits that the video was recorded for 58 seconds from 8.44.49pm to eight.45.47pm – lower than 5 minutes earlier than the murders. The disbarred legal professional has claimed he was napping on the household dwelling at the moment.

Rogan Gibson, who had recognized Paul since they had been younger and described the Murdaughs as his “second household”, testified that he was “100 per cent certain” Murdaugh is the voice within the footage. A second pal Will Loving echoed this.

Because the footage was performed in courtroom, Murdaugh appeared to rock his head up and down and cry.

Snapchat exhibits Alex Murdaugh in numerous clothes one hour earlier than murders

Jurors had been proven a Snapchat video Paul despatched to Mr Loving lower than one hour earlier than he and Maggie had been murdered.

The video, despatched at 7.56pm on 7 June 2021, exhibits Murdaugh on the grounds of the household property.

Within the footage, Murdaugh, 54, is seen wearing trousers, loafers and a blue button-down shirt – clothes that doesn’t match what he’s seen carrying in police bodycam footage within the aftermath of the murders.

Within the bodycam footage, proven in courtroom final week, the disgraced legal professional is wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts.

Questions had already raised about this outfit as a number of regulation enforcement officers have testified that Murdaugh and his clothes had been “clear from head to toe” – regardless of his claims he had touched the bloody our bodies of his spouse and son.

It’s not but clear if investigators ever situated or seized the second outfit Murdaugh is seen carrying within the Snapchat video and jurors are but to listen to a proof from the defence.

Lower than one hour on from the 7.56pm Snapchat, Paul and Maggie had been shot useless at round 8.50pm.

Homicide timeframe narrowed right down to eight-second window

Prosecutors declare that Paul was shot useless first at round 8.50pm, adopted by Maggie – with cellphone information getting used to slim down the murders to a exact eight-second window.

SLED Lt. Britt Dove testified that Paul’s final cellphone exercise was at 8.48.59pm and Maggie’s was at 8.49.27pm.

Eight seconds later at 8.49.35pm, Paul obtained a textual content message but it surely went unread. Neither Maggie nor Paul used their telephones after that point.

Calls Murdaugh made to spouse on night time of murders ‘deleted’

In dramatic courtroom testimony, jurors heard that calls Murdaugh made to his spouse on the night time of the murders had been mysteriously later “deleted” from his name log.

Lt Dove testified that Mr Murdaugh had referred to as Maggie 5 occasions between 9.04pm and 10.03pm on the night time of seven June 2021 after he had allegedly killed her and Paul. Not one of the calls had been answered.

However, in keeping with the decision go browsing his cellphone, Murdaugh didn’t place or obtain any calls between 4.35pm on 4 June and 10.25pm on 7 June.

Lt Dove, who processed the three cellphones belonging to Murdaugh, Maggie and Paul, testified that the trove of cellphone calls Mr Murdaugh made to his spouse’s cellphone after he allegedly shot the victims useless was lacking from his name log.

The one rationalization for the lacking information is that the decision logs had been manually and deliberately deleted by somebody between the 7 June 2021 murders and his cellphone being seized by authorities in September 2021, he mentioned.

Defence casts doubt on concept Murdaugh took Maggie’s cellphone

Below cross-examination, the defence forged doubt on the speculation that it may have been Murdaugh who threw Maggie’s cellphone alongside the aspect of Moselle Highway.

Lt Dove admitted that cellphone information urged Maggie and Murdaugh’s telephones weren’t in the identical place on the identical time at 9.06pm because the step information didn’t match.

This was essential as a result of 9.06pm is when the ultimate orientation change – or motion – was recorded on Maggie’s cellphone.

Lt Dove testified that this motion may have been because it was being thrown from a car to the place it was found the following day, with the defence contending that Murdaugh was on the household property strolling together with his cellphone at the moment.

Nonetheless, below redirect, prosecutors forged doubt on the defence’s timeframe for when the cellphone was tossed down Moselle Lane, as Lt Dove testified that an orientation change can solely happen when the cellphone display screen is on.

The SLED agent testified that the display screen on Maggie’s cellphone was off between 9.07pm and 9.31pm so if the cellphone was thrown from a automobile throughout that point, there would have been no orientation change recorded.

Shadow trial hears proof of Murdaugh’s alleged multi-million-dollar fraud

In courtroom on 2 and three February, a number of witnesses testified with out the jury current because the choose weighed whether or not to permit proof of Murdaugh’s alleged monetary crimes to be introduced at trial.

Prosecutors claimed that Murdaugh’s alleged monetary crimes are key to proving the motive whereas the defence requested the choose to throw the proof out of the trial.

On 7 February, the choose dominated within the state’s favour that proof about Murdaugh’s monetary crimes is admissible in courtroom – dealing a blow to the defence and main the state to recall the monetary witnesses to redeliver their testimony within the presence of the jury.

On the time of the murders, Murdaugh’s regulation agency PMPED was closing in on his alleged multi-million-dollar fraud scheme with a colleague confronting him about it on the morning of the killings.

His funds had been additionally coming below intense scrutiny in a lawsuit introduced by the household of Mallory Seashore – a 19-year-old girl who died in a 2019 crash within the Murdaugh household boat. A listening to for the boat crash lawsuit was additionally scheduled for the week of the murders. It was postponed following Maggie and Paul’s murders.

Now, separate from his homicide trial, Murdaugh is at the moment going through round 100 expenses for stealing virtually $8.5m from regulation agency purchasers courting again to 2011. The legal professional, who has since been disbarred, represented the purchasers in wrongful dying lawsuits earlier than allegedly pocketing the settlement cash for himself.

Murdaugh’s greatest pal sobs as he reveals how suspect stole cash

Murdaugh’s former greatest pal of 40 years broke down in tears in courtroom as he described the second that he discovered the disgraced legal professional had stolen hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from his regulation agency purchasers – and $192,000 from himself.

Chris Wilson choked up with emotion as he mentioned the betrayal “knocked me down” and revealed that “I don’t know find out how to suppose any extra” concerning the man he had recognized and “beloved” for many of his life.

Mr Wilson testified that the 2 attorneys labored on a case collectively the place Murdaugh made a $792,000 reduce.

At Murdaugh’s request, Mr Wilson made the examine payable on to him as a substitute of PMPED. Then, in July 2021 – one month on from the murders – Mr Wilson mentioned that his pal bought in contact saying he had been unable to construction the charges as deliberate and wanted to pay the cash again and have it paid on to PMPED.

Murdaugh solely had $600,000 to pay it again, with Mr Wilson saying that he coated the extra $192,000, on the idea that Murdaugh would pay him again.

On 3 September 2021 – three months on from the murders – Mr Wilson mentioned he lastly discovered his pal had been scamming him and lots of different folks. He confronted him the following day.

Choking again tears, Mr Wilson revealed that his longtime pal broke down and confessed to stealing the cash to fund a secret 20-year opioid dependancy.

“He broke down crying,” he mentioned. “I used to be so mad. I had beloved the man for thus lengthy, and I in all probability nonetheless beloved him just a little bit, however I used to be so mad, and I don’t bear in mind the way it ended. How did I not know these items or see these items?”

Legislation agency CFO confronted Murdaugh about lacking cash on day of murders

Jeanne Seckinger, the CFO at PMPED, revealed she had confronted Murdaugh over lacking funds on the day of Maggie and Paul’s murders.

She informed the courtroom that by 7 June 2021 the regulation agency companions had seen $792,000 price of authorized charges lacking from the case he labored with Mr Wilson.

When she approached Murdaugh to ask him about it that morning she mentioned he gave her a “soiled look” – one thing that she mentioned she had “ever obtained from him earlier than”.

Hours later, Maggie and Paul had been shot useless.

Over the approaching months, the regulation agency companions uncovered an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud scheme the place he had stolen hundreds of thousands from their purchasers and pocketed it himself – reaching a head with the confrontation and resignation on 3 September.

The day after he was pressured to resign, Murdaugh was shot within the head in what turned out to be a botched hitman plot.

Son of housekeeper accuses Murdaugh of stealing $4m after her thriller dying

Murdaugh was accused of stealing a $4m settlement from his late housekeeper’s household, the place prosecutors additionally raised questions on her thriller dying.

Gloria Satterfield labored because the Murdaugh household’s housekeeper and nanny for greater than 20 years, earlier than she died in a mysterious journey and fall on the household dwelling in 2018.

Her son Tony Satterfield informed the courtroom how Murdaugh allegedly swindled virtually $4m in a wrongful dying lawsuit payout from the household within the aftermath of her dying.

The courtroom was proven proof of two separate settlements within the wrongful dying go well with – one for $505,000 and one for $3.8m. Mr Satterfield testified that Murdaugh didn’t inform him concerning the settlements and that he didn’t obtain “one cent” of the cash.

In June 2021 – the identical month that Maggie and Paul had been shot useless – there have been studies within the media a couple of settlement and Mr Satterfield mentioned he chased Murdaugh concerning the progress of the case.

Unbeknown to him, Murdaugh had already allegedly obtained payouts and pocketed them for himself.

Now, Murdaugh is charged with virtually 30 felony expenses over the Satterfield settlement.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters additionally hinted on the ongoing uncertainty concerning the nature of her dying.

“Was she capable of say how she fell?” he requested.

“No she was not,” Mr Satterfied replied.

On the time, Satterfield’s dying was considered an unintentional fall – nevertheless her dying certificates cited her method of dying as “pure”.

In September 2021, SLED introduced that it was reopening an investigation into her dying and, in early 2022, officers introduced plans to exhume her physique. The investigation continues to be ongoing and her physique is but to be exhumed.

Boat crash legal professional says ‘fuse was lit’ to reveal Murdaugh’s monetary crimes

Lawyer Mark Tinsley testified with out the jury current concerning the lawsuit he introduced towards Murdaugh on behalf of the household of Mallory Seashore and the way it was placing his funds below elevated scrutiny on the time of the murders.

Mr Tinsley informed the courtroom the Murdaugh claimed he was broke and couldn’t pay the settlement he was asking for his purchasers.

He didn’t imagine this – so he filed a movement compelling Murdaugh to disclose his funds.

A listening to for the go well with had been scheduled to happen on 10 June 2021 and Mr Tinsley testified that he anticipated to take the lawsuit to trial within the late summer time of 2021. However, the proceedings had been derailed due to the murders.

He mentioned that the “fuse had been lit” to reveal Murdaugh’s slew of alleged monetary crimes – however that his issues would possible “be over” if the household was the “sufferer of an unspeakable tragedy”.

“Fairly rapidly, I recognised that the case towards Alex, if he had been in truth the sufferer of some vigilante, can be over,” he mentioned.

If the disgraced legal professional was the “sufferer of an unspeakable tragedy” then no jury would aspect towards him within the case, Mr Tinsley mentioned.

He later testified: “There wouldn’t have been an explosion June 10. However the fuse was lit the second that data turned obtainable on this case.”

He added that Murdaugh “knew it was going to unravel” and that “the fuse was lit when he began stealing cash”.

Below redirect, the witness testified that if the listening to had taken place on 10 June it will have set in movement the method that wouldn’t have stopped till Murdaugh both settled the case or disclosed his funds.

Caretaker says ‘fidgety’ Murdaugh lied about alibi – and supplied her cash

Muschelle “Shelly” Smith, who labored as a caregiver to Murdaugh’s mom Libby from October 2019, informed jurors about Mr Murdaugh’s uncommon behaviour each on the night time of the murders and within the days that adopted.

She testified {that a} “fidgety” Murdaugh confirmed up at his sick mom’s home between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on the night time of seven June 2021 – then left 20 minutes later.

She testified that it was “uncommon” for him to go to at night time and he was “fidgety”.

A number of days after the murders, she testified that Murdaugh spoke to her about his go to that night time, telling her to inform authorities that he had stayed at his mother and father’ home for double the size of time that he had.

“I used to be right here 30 to 40 minutes,” she mentioned he informed her.

The dialog left her feeling “nervous”, she mentioned – a lot in order that she referred to as her brother who’s a police officer to relay what he had mentioned to her.

Days after that preliminary dialog, Murdaugh spoke to her once more – this time providing “to assist her out” with paying for her upcoming wedding ceremony and placing in a superb phrase for her along with her different job.

Ms Smith broke down in tears describing Murdaugh and his household as a “good household” and informed jurors below cross-examination that she believes his provides had been merely him being a “good particular person”.

Blue tarp or blue raincoat?

Days after Murdaugh’s supply with wedding ceremony bills, Ms Smith testified that Murdaugh confirmed up at his mom’s home at 6.30am within the morning cradling a “blue one thing”.

She mentioned he took it upstairs and left it earlier than leaving once more.

She additionally seen for the primary time that he had a reduce or bruise on his brow.

He returned someday later that day driving a white truck, which he then left on the property and switched to a black truck.

Prosecutors mentioned that regulation enforcement discovered a blue tarp and a blue rainjacket in a search of the house. The state says that gunshot residue was discovered on the jacket.

Below cross-examination, Ms Smith insisted that the merchandise she noticed him carrying was a “blue tarp” and never a blue rainjacket.

Nonetheless, below redirect she was proven a photograph of a “bundled up blue merchandise” and requested if that was what she had seen. She confirmed it was.

Mr Waters mentioned that was the rainjacket bundled up.

The choose denied a movement from the defence to strike the raincoat as proof.

Gunshot residue discovered throughout blue raincoat

Gunshot residue was discovered all around the thriller blue raincoat that Murdaugh allegedly hid in his mother and father’ dwelling within the days after the murders.

SLED forensic scientist Megan Fletcher testified that not less than 38 gunshot residue (GSR) particles had been discovered on the within of the jacket – a “vital” quantity which might be in line with a recently-fired gun being wrapped up contained in the jacket.

She added that she “stopped counting” after reaching 38 however contended that she may have gone on to search out extra.

A smaller quantity was discovered on the surface.

The 2 firearms used to kill Maggie and Paul – an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun – have by no means been discovered.

Murdaugh’s arms, his shirt and shorts and the seatbelt buckle of his automobile additionally had smaller numbers of GSR particles on them. On his footwear, no gunshot residue was discovered.

Buddy testifies that Murdaugh lied to him about being at kennels

Ronnie Crosby, PMPED associate and Murdaugh’s pal of 25 years, revealed that the accused killer lied to him about going to the canine kennels that night time, as he turned the third state witness to say he’s “100 per cent” certain that the voice captured in Paul’s cellphone video belongs toMurdaugh.

Mr Crosby testified that he rushed to Moselle as quickly as he discovered concerning the murders and stayed with Murdaugh till round 3.30am the next morning.

Throughout that point, he had “a number of conversations” together with his pal about his actions that night time together with the place Murdaugh informed him personally that he had by no means gone right down to the kennels that night time.

“That got here up in one of many conversations, and he particularly mentioned that he didn’t,” he testified.

As an alternative, Murdaugh gave him the identical alibi story that he gave to regulation enforcement – that he was napping on the household dwelling, awoke and drove to his mother and father’ dwelling to go to his sick mom.

Mr Crosby additionally testified how he discovered that Murdaugh had been stealing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from PMPED purchasers – and the way the probe into lacking funds was placed on maintain due to the murders.

Automotive information suggests holes in alibi

Information taken from Murdaugh’s automobile has supplied a possible timeline for his actions on the night time of the murders – and suggests holes within the alibi he gave to his mom’s caregiver.

FBI electronics engineer Dwight Falkofske testified that he extracted information from the onboard laptop system of Murdaugh’s 2021 Chevrolet Suburban, together with name logs, contact lists, some location information and the “state” of the car by way of when it was turned on, when it was out and in of park mode, and when the doorways had been opened.

The info provides jurors a timeline for the car’s actions – and subsequently its driver Murdaugh’s actions – on the night time of seven June 2021 when his spouse Maggie and son Paul had been shot useless on the household’s 1,700-acre property in Islandton.

The info signifies that Murdaugh did depart his household dwelling and drove to go to his sick mom at round 9.06pm, arriving at 9.22pm.

Nonetheless, it additionally signifies that he solely stayed at his mother and father’ dwelling for 21 minutes – and never the 30 to 40 minutes he informed Ms Smith to inform authorities – leaving once more at 9.43pm.

The data present him arriving at Moselle at round 10pm. He referred to as 911 at 10.07pm.

Murdaugh’s rehab textual content revealed

Annette Griswold, who labored as a paralegal at PMPED, additionally revealed how she discovered that he had been stealing cash from the agency.

Days after his fraud scheme got here to gentle and he was ousted from PMPED, Murdaugh checked into rehab.

Ms Griswold testified that she obtained a textual content from Murdaugh in late September 2021 apologising for what he had achieved. He additionally despatched the textual content to a different colleague.

“Hey, it’s Alex. I’m lastly feeling just a little bit higher every day,” the textual content message mentioned.

“I’m over the worst however nonetheless really feel like i’ve the flu. Actual weak. I’m have been fearful about y’all and I’m sorry I didn’t get to inform y’all myself. I do know each of you’ve been harm badly by me. I do know it sounds hole, however I’m actually sorry.

“The higher I get, the extra guilt I’ve. I’ve an terrible lot to attempt to make proper once I get out of right here. The worst half is understanding I did probably the most injury to these I like probably the most. I’m undecided how I let myself get the place I did. I’m dedicated to getting higher and hope to fix as many relationships as I can.

“You each are particular folks and essential to me. Please know the way sorry I’m to have made you a part of my misdeeds. I hope you might be doing in addition to doable. I like you very a lot.”

Murdaugh textual content pal after time of murders

When he testified for a second time – this time within the presence of jurors – Mr Wilson informed the courtroom that he had spoken with Murdaugh on the night time of Maggie and Paul’s murders.

Data present that Murdaugh referred to as him at 9.11pm on the night time of seven June. He mentioned he requested Mr Murdaugh if he may name him again in a bit as he was busy.

Murdaugh appeared regular on the time, he mentioned.

Name data present Mr Wilson referred to as him again at 9.20pm and Murdaugh mentioned he was simply attending to his mom’s home.

At 9.52pm, Murdaugh despatched him a textual content saying: “Name me when you up”.

Mr Wilson mentioned he referred to as him immediately. The primary time there was no reply so he referred to as a second time and Murdaugh answered they usually had a short chat about Murdaugh’s mom.

Prosecutors say that Murdaugh killed his spouse and son at round 8.50pm.

Murdaugh requested housekeeper to scrub dwelling hours after murders

Murdaugh requested his housekeeper to scrub the household dwelling on the morning after the murders of his spouse and son – after which tried to get their tales straight about what garments he was carrying earlier than the killings.

Blanca Simpson, who labored because the Murdaugh household housekeeper for a number of years, revealed that Murdaugh had requested her to come back to Moselle on 8 June 2021 – hours after the murders – to make the home “the best way Maggie favored”.

When she went to the home, she mentioned she seen a number of “very uncommon” issues together with pots being within the fridge as a substitute of on the range or sink and Maggie’s pyjamas and underwear mendacity “neatly in the midst of the doorway” of the laundry room.

She mentioned it was “very uncommon”, saying: “It simply didn’t look proper to me” as a result of Maggie “didn’t put on underwear along with her pyjamas” and the “underwear gave the impression to be clear not soiled”.

Within the bathe room, she mentioned she additionally seen a light-weight puddle of water, a towel and a pair of khaki pants. (On the morning of seven June, she informed the courtroom she had seen Murdaugh carrying a pair of khaki pants.)

She testified that she then put the pants within the wash.

Ms Simpson additionally testified concerning the full outfit she noticed Murdaugh carrying on the morning of the murders – the khaki pants, a seafoam polo shirt, a blue sports activities coat and a few home footwear.

As the one that cleaned all of the Murdaugh household’s clothes and the home, she revealed that she “by no means” noticed the seafoam colored shirt or the home footwear once more after that day.

Murdaugh tried to get tales straight with housekeeper

Two months after the murders – in August 2021 – she testified that Murdaugh introduced up what shirt he was carrying on the morning of the murders.

The 2 of them had been at one of many Murdaugh’s properties and he mentioned to her: “I would like to speak to you, come right here sit down.”

She did and Murdaugh, whereas pacing, mentioned: “I bought a foul feeling … one thing’s not proper.”

Murdaugh talked about to her that “there’s a video” and mentioned “you bear in mind the Vinnie Vine shirt… I used to be carrying that shirt that day”, she testified.

Ms Simpson mentioned that she believed he was attempting to be sure that she informed regulation enforcement the identical story about he was carrying that fateful day.

Murdaugh insisted Maggie and Paul come dwelling on night time of murders

Jurors additionally heard about cellphone calls and textual content messages between Ms Simpson and Maggie – revealing that Murdaugh had insisted each Maggie and Paul come to the property at Moselle on the day of the murders.

Ms Simpson informed the courtroom that Maggie texted her saying: “Alex desires me to come back dwelling.”

Maggie favored being on the household seaside home in Edisto and had been making ready to host an enormous July 4 gathering there, she mentioned.

In a cellphone dialog, Maggie additionally talked about that Murdaugh wished her to come back to Moselle that day and he or she appeared a bit “dissatisfied”, she mentioned.

“She seemed like she didn’t wish to come dwelling… she seemed like she was just a little dissatisfied,” she mentioned.

Murdaugh had additionally requested Paul to come back dwelling too as a result of he wished his son to “repair” one thing on the property, Ms Simpson testified.

Maggie was involved about cash and husband’s truthfulness

Previous to her homicide, Maggie had confided in Ms Simpson about issues with the household’s funds – and issues that Murdaugh was not being truthful along with her concerning the extent of their state of affairs, she mentioned.

She mentioned that Maggie had requested to talk to her they usually went in a room within the dwelling collectively the place Maggie broke down crying.

“She was involved concerning the amount of cash they had been requesting on the lawsuit – $30m is what she informed me,” she mentioned.

Maggie informed her that she felt “Alex was not being truthful to her concerning the lawsuit… she mentioned ‘he doesn’t inform me every thing’,” testified Ms Simpson.

Below cross-examination, Ms Simpson informed the courtroom that she bought the impression Murdaugh “adored” his spouse.

Nonetheless, Ms Simpson damningly turned the fourth witness to determine Murdaugh because the voice within the video on the canine kennels moments earlier than the murders.

No blood discovered on Murdaugh’s shirt

South Carolina Legislation Enforcement Division Agent Sara Zapata mentioned that no blood was confirmed on the white shirt that Murdaugh was carrying on the night time of the murders.

Nonetheless the damaging end result could possibly be on account of a number of the exams carried out. Preliminary exams had discovered possible blood stains.

Previous to the trial, studies mentioned that blood spatter was discovered on Murdaugh’s clothes however prosecutors seem to have deserted this argument.

As an alternative, they’re arguing he modified his clothes after the murders as he claimed to have moved the our bodies, however no blood was discovered within the white t-shirt.

Blood was discovered on the steering wheel of Murdaugh’s SUV, jurors heard.

Paul was going through killer when he was shot, says pathologist

Forensic pathologist Dr Ellen Riemer testified concerning the extent of the accidents suffered by Maggie and Paul.

Dr Riemer, who carried out the autopsies, revealed that Paul was possible standing together with his face tilted in direction of his killer when he was shot.

The primary bullet – to the chest – possible left him standing however the second bullet blew the within of his head, leaving virtually all his mind matter indifferent from his physique.

Dr Reimer mentioned that stippling was discovered on Paul’s chest wound, indicating the shot was fired from inside three toes, however not nearer than six inches. There was no soot, which might point out a better shot.

Maggie was additionally going through her killer when she was first shot, the knowledgeable mentioned.

She first suffered a gunshot wound to her left breast, and the bullet travelled upward to the left aspect of her face. The second shot went by means of her kidney, which in all probability brought on her to bend over and whereas in that place, she was shot within the chest and to the again of her head, Dr Riemer mentioned.

Cameras within the courtroom had been requested to not present the graphic post-mortem photos whereas Murdaugh wept in courtroom.

Maggie’s sister says Murdaugh informed her killer had deliberate murders ‘for very long time’

Maggie’s sister Marian Proctor took the stand on 14 February the place she revealed her brother-in-law’s odd feedback within the aftermath of the murders.

She recalled one dialog the place she mentioned he reassured her that his spouse and son didn’t endure of their brutal murders.

“Now I don’t know that that’s true,” Ms Proctor informed prosecutors by means of tears.

At a later time, she mentioned she requested him if he had “any concept” who was accountable.

Her brother-in-law responded by telling her the killer had deliberate the murders “for a very long time”.

“[He said] that he didn’t know who it was however that whoever did it had thought of it for a very long time,” she mentioned.

Ms Proctor mentioned Murdaugh additionally appeared extra desperate to clear Paul’s identify within the boat crash than he was about discovering the killer.

“[Murdaugh] mentioned that his primary aim was clearing Paul’s identify. And I believed that was so unusual as a result of my primary aim was discovering out who killed my sister and Paul … I don’t know the way he may have thought of the rest,” she mentioned.

“We by no means talked about it. We by no means talked about discovering the particular person, who may have achieved it. It was simply odd. We had been type of dwelling in worry as a result of we thought this horrible particular person was on the market,” Ms Proctor mentioned.

“We had been principally afraid for Alex and Buster however we didn’t know the motive behind the killings. We thought it in all probability had one thing to do with the boat case. And we thought that up till September. After which issues began to alter just a little bit.”

Sister-in-law reveals affair years earlier than murders

Ms Procter additionally testified a couple of time when Maggie found her husband was having an affair.

Within the absence of the jury, Ms Proctor claimed that though the affair had occurred 15 years in the past they usually had been capable of work by means of it, it was nonetheless a sore level within the marriage and Maggie had introduced up once more across the time of the murders.

“She didn’t suppose anybody was nonetheless occurring, it simply bothered her,” Ms Proctor mentioned, additionally saying that Maggie made her husband depart the home years in the past when she first turned suspicious.

The defence denied the affair and requested the choose to ignore the testimony – one thing the choose agreed to.

Mr Murdaugh’s sister-in-law additionally revealed, within the presence of the jury, that the household knew about his opioid abuse.

Maggie even nicknamed Paul the “Little Detective” as he stored a watch on his father’s behaviour and opioid use.

Canine caretaker reveals uncommon state of kennels

Dale Davis, who cared for the Murdaugh’s canine on the kennels, mentioned that puddles of water weren’t the place they need to have been, the hose had clearly been used and the canine had been within the fallacious kennels when police arrived on the scene of the murders.

Prosecutors have urged that Murdaugh cleaned up himself and the crime scene after the murders earlier than constructing an alibi for that night time.

Below cross examination, Mr Davis confirmed that the hose was already in a special place to the place he had left it within the cellphone video captured by Paul.

He additionally recounted a time when Murdaugh couldn’t carry himself to place down a canine.

Police interview footage reveals wild inconsistencies in alibi

Footage from an 11 August 2021 police interview with Murdaugh was performed in courtroom.

Within the interview, which has by no means been seen earlier than, SLED Particular Agent David Owen confronted Murdaugh about wild inconsistencies in his alibi in a police interview two months on from the murders.

Among the many inconsistencies had been: how lengthy Murdaugh spent at his mom’s dwelling that night time; whether or not or not he went to the canine kennels; the totally different garments he was carrying; the timeline of when he was at his regulation agency; and the rationale Maggie had gone to the household property that day.

Murdaugh denied that his voice is in Paul’s cellphone video – one thing a number of witnesses have testified is Murdaugh.

The police interview additionally revealed Murdaugh claiming he had spent 45 minutes to an hour at his sick mom’s home that night time – a timeline that has been refuted by each automobile information and testimony from his mom’s carer.

The accused killer additionally claimed that he wasn’t anticipating his spouse dwelling however later discovered she had come to the property as a result of she was fearful about him. Ms Simpson testified he had informed Maggie and Paul to come back to the house that night time.

“It wasn’t one inconsistency. It was a number of inconsistencies inside a time frame that had been repeated,” Agent Owen testified in courtroom, including that Murdaugh was “the one recognized suspect at the moment”.

The footage additionally confirmed Murdaugh’s obvious lack of shock when he was informed for the primary time that his spouse and son had been murdered by the household’s personal weapons.

Video exhibits second police ask Murdaugh if he killed spouse and son

Close to the top of the police interview, the agent is seen telling Murdaugh that he has “a couple of extra questions”.

Then, in a bombshell second, the officer requested Murdaugh for the primary time if he had killed his spouse and son.

“Did you kill Maggie?” he requested.

Murdaugh replied: “No… Did I kill my spouse? No, David.” When the agent requested if he is aware of who did, Murdaugh mentioned: “No, I have no idea who did.”

“Did you kill Paul?” Agent Owen continued.

“No, I didn’t kill Paul,” Murdaugh mentioned.

Agent Owen mentioned he had “to go the place the proof and the info take me” as he informed him: “I don’t have something that factors to anyone else at the moment”.

At that second, Murdaugh realised for the primary time that he was the prime suspect within the case.

“So does that imply that I’m a suspect?” Murdaugh requested.

Murdaugh spent $50,000 per week on medicine

Murdaugh spent a staggering $50,000 per week on medicine which he was shopping for from Curtis Edward Smith, defence legal professional Jim Griffin informed the courtroom.

Throughout cross-examination of Agent Owen, Mr Griffin claimed that Mr Smith – Murdaugh’s alleged drug vendor, distant cousin, former regulation agency shopper and accused co-conspirator in a weird September 2021 botched hitman plot – in flip owed cash to an area “cowboys gang,” mentioned Mr Griffin.

The defence legal professional grilled Agent Owen about why the members of this unidentified gang had been by no means handled as suspects and why their DNA was not examined towards proof taken from the crime scene.

The particular agent testified earlier that, by August 2021, Murdaugh was the one and solely suspect within the brutal slayings.

The cross-examination considerably backfired, because it led the choose to reverse a ruling, permitting jurors to listen to testimony concerning the botched hitman plot – and doubtlessly from Mr Smith, infamously often called “Cousin Eddie”, himself.

On 4 September 2021 – three months on from the murders – the disgraced legal professional was ambushed in what he initially claimed was a drive-by taking pictures alongside a street in Hampton County. He checked into rehab the next day, asserting that he was combating a 20-year opioid dependancy and that he had resigned from his regulation agency PMPED.

However, Murdaugh’s story concerning the roadside taking pictures quickly unravelled and he confessed to regulation enforcement that he had orchestrated the saga, paying Mr Smith to shoot and kill him in an assisted suicide plot in order that his surviving son Buster may get a $10m life insurance coverage windfall.

Each Mr Smith and Murdaugh had been then arrested and charged over the incident.

Killer allegedly ambushed Paul and shot Maggie on knees as she fled

Dr Kenny Kinsey, an Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy and crime scene knowledgeable, gave graphic testimony strolling jurors by means of the victims’ last terrifying moments together with every of the gunshots they suffered and the place the gunman stood whereas firing every shot.

He revealed that the killer ambushed Paul within the feeding room of the canine kennels leaving him with no time to defend himself.

The primary shot, which struck Paul within the chest and arm, was not deadly.

The 22-year-old remained standing for a number of moments after which moved “slowly” in direction of the door of the feeding room – and in direction of his killer. As he reached the door body, he was shot a second time within the shoulder and mind and fell ahead touchdown outdoors the feeding room.

After killing Paul, the gunman then left the feeding room space and approached Maggie outdoors.

In her last terrifying moments, she confronted her killer and backed away, knocking into the household’s ATV earlier than being gunned down by her killer.

She was struck twice earlier than falling to her knees, at which level the killer shot her twice within the head.

Jurors had been proven a photograph of a tire impression on the again of Maggie’s calf – which the knowledgeable mentioned was from the tire of the ATV below the hanger subsequent to Maggie’s physique.

Second Murdaugh confessed to botched hitman plot

Following the choose’s reversal of a ruling, jurors lastly heard proof of the botched hitman plot as SLED Senior Particular Agent Ryan Kelly was referred to as to the stand.

Jurors heard Murdaugh declare – first within the 911 name after which in a police interview in hospital – he was ambushed in a drive-by taking pictures by a “nice-looking” white male, aged 30-40 with facial hair and close-cropped hair.

Mr Kelly testified about how a sketch artist was referred to as in to assist seize Murdaugh’s description of the non-existent man, with the sketch being introduced in courtroom.

Jurors then heard audio of a name Murdaugh and his legal professionals made to Agent Kelly on 13 September 2021 – 9 days after the taking pictures – the place he confessed to orchestrating your entire plot with Mr Smith.

Within the name, which had by no means been heard earlier than, Murdaugh informed the agent he had believed his household can be “higher off with out him” as a result of he knew his ousting from his regulation agency and his string of monetary crimes had been about to come back out.

“I used to be in a really dangerous place,” he mentioned. “I believed it will be higher for me to not be right here anymore. I believed that it will make it simpler on my household for me to be useless.”

He insisted that he didn’t pay Mr Smith to kill him, one thing the agent informed him “doesn’t make any sense to me”.

Within the audio he additionally admitted he had spent as much as $60,000 per week shopping for medicine from Mr Smith – utilizing “unwell gotten” cash – however dismissed any connection between his drug abuse and the murders of Maggie and Paul.

Prosecutors declare that the roadside taking pictures saga was a part of Murdaugh’s sample of making violence to get away with issues – with the taking pictures coming simply in the future after he was confronted by PMPED for stealing hundreds of thousands from purchasers.

Automotive information locations Murdaugh at spot the place Maggie’s cellphone was dumped

Newly-obtained automobile information has positioned Murdaugh on the spot the place his spouse’s cellphone was later discovered dumped – earlier than he rapidly sped away from the scene.

Basic Motors had contacted regulation enforcement at hand over a trove of information from Murdaugh’s 2021 Chevy Suburban, together with never-before-seen pace and GPS information, days after an agent testified about information from the automobile.

It exhibits the disgraced authorized dynasty inheritor left the household dwelling in his 2021 Chevy Suburban at 9.07pm on the night time of seven June 2021 – simply minutes after he allegedly shot and killed Maggie and Paul.

One minute later, whereas driving at a pace of 42 mph, his automobile handed the very spot alongside Moselle street the place Maggie’s cellphone was recovered from the shrubbery the following day.

After passing that spot, his automobile then picked up pace, reaching 52mph only one minute later at 9.09pm and persevering with to go at a excessive pace all the best way to his mom’s home.

“After passing that location, the defendant’s car accelerates,” SLED Agent Peter Rudofski testified.

Simply 17 seconds handed between arrival at kennels and 911 name

In one other bombshell second, the info revealed that lower than 20 seconds handed between the second Murdaugh’s automobile arrived on the canine kennels and the beginning of his 911 name the place he claimed he discovered Maggie and Paul’s our bodies.

Through the 911 name – and in interviews Murdaugh gave within the aftermath of the murders – he claimed he had touched each his spouse and son’s our bodies to examine for indicators of life earlier than calling 911.

He additionally claimed that when he moved Paul, his cellphone “popped out of his pocket”. He mentioned he picked it up however then put it again down on his son.

The info exhibits that Murdaugh’s automobile arrived on the kennels at 10.05.57pm, he mentioned.

Murdaugh made the 911 name 10.06.14pm – simply 17 seconds after his automobile pulled into the kennels.

The info additionally confirmed a drastic change in pace from Murdaugh’s driving on the day of the murders – to his driving to and from his mom’s home within the aftermath.

Maggie and Paul discovered ‘luggage of drugs’ month earlier than murders

A bombshell voicemail message has revealed that Maggie and son Paul discovered “luggage of drugs” within the accused killer’s bag only one month earlier than their murders.

The message, on 6 Could 2021, exhibits Paul confronting his father concerning the discovery of the medicine – at a time when the disgraced legal professional claims he was spending as much as $60,000 per week to feed a 20-year opioid dependancy.

“I’m nonetheless in EB as a result of whenever you get right here we’ve got to speak. Mother discovered a number of luggage of drugs in your laptop bag,” it says, referring to Edisto Seashore, the Murdaugh household’s seaside dwelling.

It’s not clear whether or not Murdaugh responded to the message left by his son or if the relations confronted him concerning the medicine in particular person.

Days in a while 26 Could 2021 – 12 days previous to her homicide – Maggie then carried out a number of web searches in search of to determine several types of drugs.

Then, on 3 June 2021 – 4 days earlier than he allegedly killed his spouse and son – Murdaugh despatched a voicemail to then-Palmetto State Financial institution CEO Russell Laffitte asking him for cash.

“I would like to increase farm credit score line one other 600k. My dad will signal additionally if wanted. How a lot turnaround will that take?” he requested.

Buster says his father was ‘destroyed’ by murders

Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster took the stand in his father’s defence for the murders of his mom and brother.

The 26-year-old mentioned that his father had been “destroyed” and “heartbroken” after the murders.

In what marks the primary time he has ever spoken out publicly concerning the murders, he recounted the second that he discovered that his mom and brother had been useless.

Buster mentioned that Murdaugh referred to as him that night time and requested him if he was sitting down.

“He sounded odd after which he informed me that my mother and brother had been shot,” he recalled.

He headed to the household dwelling and located his father “heartbroken” and barely capable of converse.

“He was destroyed, he was heartbroken. I walked within the door and noticed him and gave him a hug… simply broke down,” he mentioned.

Throughout calm, managed testimony, Buster appeared to water down – however not refute – some key factors within the prosecution’s case, together with his father’s behaviour on the day of the murders, the garments he was carrying and the police interview the place he appeared to unwittingly confess to killing his spouse and son.

Defence witness claims shooter is 5’2”

Mike Sutton, a forensic engineer who specialises in exterior ballistics, took the witness stand for the defence and urged that Maggie was gunned down by a 5’2” shooter.

Primarily based on the projection of one of many bullets on the crime scene, Mr Sutton informed the courtroom that he believes the assailant who shot Maggie with an AR-15-style rifle needed to be 5’2” to five’4”.

Murdaugh is 6’4” tall.

“In my view, it’s impossible that he fired that shot,” he testified.

“You would need to be bending over and have your taking pictures hand down at or beneath your kneecap. It simply makes it impossible {that a} tall particular person made that shot.”

Jurors had been proven 3D animations of the realm across the canine kennels and pictures of nameless shooters.

Throughout a tense cross-examination, the prosecution sought to forged doubts on Mr Sutton’s credibility – questioning his lack of coaching and gunshot experience, mockingly referring to the defence’s alleged assailant as an 11 or 12-year-old baby and suggesting his testimony was little greater than “guesswork”.

‘Baseball-sized’ piece of Paul’s cranium left at crime scene

Jurors heard {that a} piece of his son’s cranium “the scale of a baseball” was left behind on the crime scene by South Carolina investigators.

Murdaugh’s former regulation agency associate at PMPED Mark Ball described a chaotic crime scene on each the night time of the murders and the following day – with proof unnoticed within the components or left behind altogether.

Mr Ball, who knew Murdaugh for 3 many years and was near the household, mentioned that SLED had launched the crime scene again to the Murdaugh household by the morning of 8 June 2021 – simply hours on from the murders.

He mentioned he went right down to the canine kennels of the household’s Moselle property in Islandton and made a grim discovery.

“A bit of Paul’s cranium the scale of a baseball was there,” he mentioned.

“It actually infuriated me,” he mentioned, including that “it was nonetheless a reasonably uncooked scene”.

The defence’s case has repeatedly sought to forged doubts on the preservation and assortment of proof from the crime scene – indicating that the investigation into the murders could have been botched from the get go.

On the night time of the murders, Mr Ball testified that the realm wasn’t taped off and regulation enforcement officers, family and friends had been strolling all around the crime scene.

The defence witness appeared to do a favour for the prosecution when he mentioned he now has “little question” that the third voice within the kennel video is Murdaugh’s.

He mentioned that he had not seen the kennel video till a couple of month a go however, now that he has, he is aware of his pal lied to him about not being on the scene that night time.

Murdaugh confesses to mendacity about alibi on night time of murders

In a dramatic day in courtroom on 23 February, Murdaugh took the stand in his personal homicide trial and confessed that he had lied about his alibi on the night time of the murders.

Firstly of testimoy, the disgraced legal professional admitted that he had lied about not going to the canine kennels with Maggie and Paul on the night time of seven June 2021.

He blamed his opioids dependancy for giving him “paranoid considering” and his mistrust of SLED which collectively led him to mislead regulation enforcement brokers, relations and buddies on a number of events and for the previous 20 months.

“On June 7, I wasn’t considering clearly. I don’t suppose I used to be able to motive. And I lied about being down there. And I’m so sorry that I did,” he mentioned, his eyes brimming up with tears.

“Oh what a tangled net we weave. As soon as I informed the lie, and I informed my household, I needed to preserve mendacity,” he testified.

That is the primary time that Murdaugh has ever confessed publicly or to regulation enforcement that he had lied.

This confession comes after jurors have seen Paul’s damning cellphone video which locations him on the scene of the murders – with a number of witnesses figuring out his voice within the footage.

Murdaugh sobs as he describes discovering homicide scene – and insists innocence

Whereas confessing to mendacity, he continued to insist his innocence of the murders.

“I didn’t shoot my spouse or my son any time, ever,” he informed his legal professional Mr Griffin.

Murdaugh spoke fondly of his spouse and son – who he repeatedly known as “Paw Paw” – as he confronted jurors head on and broke down in tears on a number of events.

“My boy was mendacity face down… I may see his mind laying on the sidewalk. I didn’t know what to do,” he mentioned of Paul’s physique.

He dismissed the importance key elements of the prosecution’s case – similar to his change in clothes and his alleged makes an attempt to get his story straight together with his mom’s carer and his housekeeper.

Murdaugh confesses to monetary crimes and roadside taking pictures

Murdaugh additionally confessed to stealing cash from his regulation agency and to orchestrating a weird botched hitman plot – however continued to disclaim killing his spouse and son.

Murdaugh blamed his alleged monetary crimes on a 20-year opioid dependancy, which he mentioned he had spent years battling.

“I’m not fairly certain the way it bought the best way it bought however I used to be battling dependancy for thus a few years. I used to be spending a lot cash on drugs,” he mentioned.

He claimed that he developed his dependancy after injuring his knee in school, and his dependancy simply escalated after that.

When requested how lengthy he had been clear of medicine, he smiled on the jury and mentioned: “535 days and “I’m very happy with that.”

In a transfer that sought to undermine the prosecution’s concept of a motive, Murdaugh insisted that he was not involved that his monetary crimes had been getting ready to publicity on the day of the murders.

His regulation agency was asking questions on lacking funds – together with his CFO confronting him about $792,000 on the day of the murders – and a listening to within the 2019 deadly boat crash lawsuit was scheduled for that week.

He additionally sought to dismiss the importance of a voicemail message he despatched to former Palmetto State Financial institution CEO Russell Laffitte 4 days earlier than the murders – and urged that the deaths of Maggie and Paul couldn’t have benefited him financially.

Murdaugh insisted that there was $7m fairness in Moselle dwelling and that the house was absolutely in Maggie’s identify.

“All the Moselle property was one hundred pc in Maggie’s identify,” he mentioned, so her dying truly made it tougher to entry his funds.

On the botched hitman plot, Murdaugh informed the courtroom that believed it will be higher for him to be useless.

“I knew all this was coming to a head. I knew how humiliating it will be for my son… I’d been by means of a lot,” he mentioned.

“On the time… I believed it was the higher factor to do.”

Murdaugh accused of carrying solicitor to attempt to affect boat crash victims

Murdaugh snapped throughout a tense cross-examination about his household’s prominence within the low nation, his alleged abuse of energy, and the string of authorized purchasers who he stole hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from.

The disgraced authorized dynasty inheritor was confronted by prosecutor Creighton Waters on Thursday, who reeled off a listing of “actual folks” who had suffered intensive accidents or losses – and had been then swindled by the now-disbarred legal professional.

In a single case, Murdaugh stole $6m from Hakeem Pinckney, a person who turned a quadruplegic after a automobile crash.

The cross grew more and more heated as Mr Waters delved into the monetary crimes with Murdaugh repeatedly returning to what the prosecutor mentioned was a rehearsed line.

“What number of occasions did you apply that reply earlier than your testimony at this time?” he requested.

Murdaugh fired again: “I’ve by no means practiced that reply.”

He additionally sparred with the prosecutor over the prominence of the Murdaugh household in Hampton County with Murdaugh admitting that individuals possible noticed him as a profitable lawyer and that he and his household had been outstanding within the native authorized circles.

They’d “numerous buddies in regulation enforcement,” he mentioned.

He additionally admitted that he “could” have used his solicitor’s badge to curry favour with regulation enforcement – together with on the night time of the boat crash.

The courtroom was proven a surveillance picture of Murdaugh on the hospital the place the opposite youngsters had been taken. He’s carrying his soliticor’s badge hanging out of his pocket within the picture.

Murdaugh denied telling the survivors to not cooperate with regulation enforcement and mentioned he wasn’t certain why he had his badge on him – however “could” have achieved so to get a “hotter” response from police.

“I by no means informed anyone to not cooperate with regulation enforcement,” he insisted.

“Did I pull my badge out once I went within the room with these youngsters? I do know I didn’t try this.”

The jury additionally discovered how he fitted blue police lights in his car – regardless that he was by no means a member of regulation enforcement.

Murdaugh can’t bear in mind final dialog with spouse and son

Throughout a testy cross-examination on 24 February, Murdaugh claimed he can’t bear in mind the final dialog he ever had together with his spouse Maggie and son Paul – simply minutes earlier than they had been gunned down on the household’s looking property.

The disgraced legal professional was confronted by Mr Waters about his “new story” the place he admits to being on the kennels together with his spouse and son.

When requested what he did on the kennels, he mentioned that he was “speaking to Mags”.

But, he was unable to recall what their last dialog was about.

“I don’t bear in mind the precise particulars of what we talked about,” he mentioned.

Below additional prompting from the prosecutor, Murdaugh mentioned that Maggie was “very involved” about Paul and so he believes they might have spoken about that. He additionally mentioned he believes he spoke to Paul was undecided what about.

Murdaugh is accused of fixing alibi to suit proof

The testy change got here as Mr Waters confronted the accused killer about his “new story” about being on the canine kennels – which got here after 20 months of mendacity to officers, family and friends members.

The prosecutor identified that this confession solely got here after jurors noticed Paul’s damning cellphone video which locations him on the scene of the murders together with his spouse and son at 8.44pm and after a number of witnesses had recognized his voice within the footage.

“You, like you’ve achieved so many occasions in your life, needed to again up and make a brand new story to suit with the info of your life,” Mr Waters mentioned.

Murdaugh denied this and as a substitute sought in charge the prosecution for his lies rumbling on till his trial testimony, claiming that he tried to inform the reality – however that the state wouldn’t converse to him.

In a dramatic second – laced with objections from the defence – Mr Waters identified that Murdaugh’s personal attorneys weren’t apparently conscious of his change in story both.

Jurors heard how – at a time when Murdaugh claims he wished to come back clear – his attorneys did a nationwide TV interview in November final yr “repeating your individual lies” about his alibi.

Murdaugh: Nobody else at kennels that night time

In one other bombshell remark, Murdaugh insisted that there was nobody else within the neighborhood of the kennels when he was there – or the household’s canine would have reacted.

“There was no person round that the canine didn’t know,” he mentioned.

Pressed concerning the particular time that he left, Murdaugh estimated that he possible left round 8.47pm.

With the drive again as much as the home within the golf cart taking a few minutes, Mr Waters identified that he would have gotten there at round 8.49pm.

Information signifies that Maggie and Paul final used their cellphones at 8.49pm and had been shot useless round 8.50pm.

Murdaugh testified that he didn’t hear any gunshots after arriving again on the home.

The accused killer was grilled about his cellphone information which didn’t file any steps between 8.09pm and 9.02pm.

Murdaugh claimed he will need to have left his cellphone on the home whereas on the kennels – although he claims to have been again for aroudn 12 minutes by that time.

In a four-minute interval between 9.02 and 9.06pm, Murdaugh’s cellphone then recorded 283 steps – motion Murdaugh struggled to clarify apart from saying he was “preparing” to go to his mom’s dwelling.

Murdaugh’s timeline of touching our bodies disputed

Murdaugh was grilled about discrepancies round when he allegedly touched the bloody our bodies of his spouse and son.

In direct questioning, Murdaugh once more claimed to the touch each vicitms – however appeared to alter the timing, saying he did it whereas on the cellphone to the 911 dispatcher.

Mr Waters confronted him about this saying that he had repeatedly informed regulation enforcement that he had touched each Maggie and Paul previous to the 911 name.

“I do know I checked them however I don’t suppose I checked them earlier than calling 911,” Murdaugh mentioned.

Within the 911 name, Murdaugh does say he has “already” touched them however it’s unclear if this was earlier within the name or previous to the decision being positioned.

Nonetheless, Mr Waters urged that this was one other try by Murdaugh to amend his story to attempt to match the irrefutable proof.

Information from the accused killer’s SUV has beforehand revealed that lower than 20 seconds handed between his automobile arriving on the scene and him inserting the 911 name – a short time that casts doubt on him touching the our bodies beforehand.

Murdaugh claims boat wreck is motive for murders

Murdaugh has claimed that he nonetheless believes his spouse and son had been murdered by unknown assailants due to the 2019 deadly boat wreck.

“The social media response that got here from that was vile. The issues that had been mentioned about what they might do to PawPaw, they had been so excessive,” he mentioned.

“I believed then and I imagine at this time that the fallacious particular person noticed and browse that as a result of – I can inform you for a incontrovertible fact that the particular person or individuals who did what I noticed on June 7 – they hated Paul Murdaugh they usually had anger of their coronary heart.”

Breaking down in tears once more, he mentioned: “And that’s the solely, solely motive that someone could possibly be mad at PawPaw like that and hate him like that.”

Prosecutor Creighton Waters scoffed at Murdaugh’s concept of a “random vigilante” performing over the boat wreck – citing the defence’s earlier concept that the shooter was simply 5’2”.

He additionally identified that there was no proof to assist the accused killer’s concept.

“So what you’re telling this jury is it’s a random vigilante, the 12 year-old 5’2” people who simply occur to know that Paul and Maggie had been each at Moselle on June 7, that knew they’d be on the kennels alone on June 7, knew that you wouldn’t be there however solely between the occasions of 8.49pm and 9.02pm,” he mentioned.

“That they present up and not using a weapon assuming they’re going to search out weapons and ammunition there. That they commit this crime throughout that quick time window after which they journey the identical actual route that you simply do across the identical time to Almeda?”

Murdaugh accused of mendacity on stand – about motive for alibi

After an hours-long cross, a bombshell second unfolded when Murdaugh was accused of mendacity on the stand – about why he had lied over his alibi on the night time of the murders.

Murdaugh had testified that he had lied for the previous 20 months as a result of he was “paranoid” over his suspicions of SLED, warnings from his regulation agency companions about at all times have a lawyer current when talking to the police and investigators having swabbed his arms for gunshot residue.

However, in a dramatic second, Mr Waters poured chilly water on this testimony as he performed a clip from bodycam footage from the primary officer to answer the scene.

Within the video, Colleton County Sheriff’s Sgt Daniel Greene requested Murdaugh when he final noticed Maggie and Paul.

“It was earlier tonight. I don’t know the precise time,” he mentioned.

“I used to be in all probability gone about an hour and a half to my mother’s and I noticed them about 45 minutes earlier than that.”

Mr Waters identified that not one of the elements Murdaugh claimed prompted his “paranoid” fuelled lies had been current at the moment.

“However you continue to informed the identical lie,” Mr Waters confronted him. “And all these causes you simply gave this jury about an important a part of your testimony was a lie, too. Isn’t that true, Mr Murdaugh?”

Murdaugh responded: “I disagree with that.”

The prosecutor mentioned he had “nothing additional” leaving Mr Murdaugh, wanting considerably dejected and defeated by what had simply taken place.

Defence witnesses say Paul was shot in head at level clean vary

Two defence consultants gave grotesque testimony detailing how Paul was shot at the back of the pinnacle at level clean vary.

Forensic pathologist Dr Jonathan Eisenstat and crime scene analyst Tim Palmbach had been referred to as as witnesses for Murdaugh’s defence staff, the place they each forged doubts on the prosecution’s concept of how the murders unfolded.

Each consultants testified that the killer held a shotgun to the again of Paul’s head and pulled the set off, with the power inflicting the 22-year-old’s mind to “explode” out of his cranium.

“This explosive nature… you by no means see that until you’ve a high-energy supply contact wound,” testified Mr Palmbach.

The crime scene analyst and knowledgeable in blood spatter evaluation mentioned that “seeing that head within the place it was, that may be a contact wound from an excessive vitality supply weapon” like a shotgun.

As a result of the shot was fired at level clean vary – that means the killer would even have needed to be near the 22-year-old once they pulled the set off – the assailant would have been coated within the sufferer’s blood and different bodily substances, he mentioned.

The contact wound concept disputes the testimony of Dr Ellen Riemer who carried out autopsies on the our bodies of the 2 victims. Dr Reimer mentioned that the shooter fired from outdoors the feed room and the second, deadly shot had entered his shoulder and neck first, earlier than travelling as much as Paul’s mind.

On Maggie’s wounds, Dr Eisenstat testified that he believes one of many 5 pictures travelled within the reverse technique to Dr Reimer. He testified that the killer fired a bullet down into Maggie’s head as she leaned ahead whereas going through her killer. The bullet then travelled into her chest, he mentioned.

Mr Palmbach additionally testified that – primarily based on the proof – it was possible that there have been two shooters.

Murdaugh’s brother describes cleansing up ‘what was left of Paul’

Murdaugh’s youthful brother broke down in tears as he revealed how he cleaned up “what was left” of his nephew Paul the morning after the grotesque murders.

John Marvin Murdaugh, the youngest of the Murdaugh siblings, turned the ultimate witness within the defence’s case, telling jurors how he cleaned up his nephew’s “blood, mind matter and cranium fragments” from the crime scene the morning after the murders.

John Marvin – who informed jurors he had at all times had a “very particular relationship” with the 22-year-old sufferer – mentioned he had gone right down to the canine kennels on 8 June 2021 and will see Paul’s blood, mind matter and items of his cranium left all around the feed room.

By then – simply hours on from the murders – SLED had already launched the scene again to the Murdaugh household.

“It had not been cleaned up. I noticed blood, I noticed brains, I noticed items of cranium… I don’t know what I used to be seeing,” he mentioned.

John Marvin testified that he set to work cleansing up “what was left of Paul” whereas he cried “incontrollably”.

“I promise you no mom, father, aunt or uncle ought to ever should see and do what I did that day. I’m not blaming anyone. However I used to be simply so overwhelmed,” he mentioned.

John Marvin testified that – as he cleaned up what was left of Paul – he made him a promise to “discover out who did this to him” – one thing he mentioned he has not but achieved.

He mentioned that his brother had a “nice relationship” together with his spouse and son.

Officers informed household about false blood spatter proof

Moreover the dearth of clean-up of the crime scene, John Marvin additionally gave different testimony vital of the investigation together with what he described as a “baffling” assertion launched by regulation enforcement, an obvious lack of urgency to find Maggie’s cellphone and proof regulation enforcement shared with him that turned out to be inaccurate.

John Marvin testified that he met with investigators loads over the course of the investigation and had been proven proof that officers had connecting his brother to the murders. He informed the courtroom how he later discovered that a number of the proof was not correct.

He recalled in the future the place he was requested a couple of blue raincoat which had been discovered throughout a search of an upstairs bed room at their mother and father’ dwelling in Almeda.

John Marvin mentioned he, his brother and sister had been later proven the coat and he mentioned he had by no means seen it earlier than. Nonetheless, he mentioned he discovered that it had been present in a closet in his mother and father’ dwelling that was usually used to retailer “junk”.

A SLED agent additionally informed him that they knew his brother was liable for the murders due to blood spatter proof discovered on the white t-shirt he was carrying the night time of the murders.

“They made reference to the shirt Alex was carrying that it was coated in blood,” he mentioned.

“They went to date to inform me on the police bodycam he takes his shirt and wipes his face… and that that’s how they knew that he was on the scene. That he was the one.”

Previous to his indictment, a Colleton County grand jury was informed that Murdaugh’s shirt was coated in blood spatter – proof that he was subsequent to one of many victims once they had been shot.

This later turned out to be false, with forensic exams discovering no human blood on the shirt.

Nonetheless, prosecutors allege that Murdaugh truly modified his clothes and showered after the murders.

Pathologist refutes defence consultants’ claims about murders

Through the prosecution’s rebuttal, Dr Ellen Riemer returned to the stand to push again towards the 2 defence witnesses who argued Paul had been shot within the head at level clean vary.

The forensic pathologist who carried out the autopsies on the our bodies stood by her conclusions concerning the victims’ brutal wounds – and mentioned that “there isn’t a approach” Paul’s accidents are in line with a contact shotgun wound to the pinnacle.

“The injury to his head wounds can be a lot worse,” she mentioned, saying that Paul’s total head would have been blown off – with each his total face and cranium exploded by the blast.

As an alternative, she mentioned his face was largely intact and his cranium had a big gap in it.

The pathologist, who mentioned that she has carried out round 5,500 autopsies over time, testified that she additionally discovered no proof of soot or stippling on Paul’s head through the post-mortem – one thing that might be in line with a contact wound.

She additionally disputed the defence consultants’ testimony on Maggie’s deadly damage saying that the doorway wound in Maggie’s cranium may solely have come from beneath.

A number of rebuttal witnesses contradict Murdaugh’s testimony

Through the rebuttal case, the prosecution additionally sought to point out jurors how Murdaugh had continued to lie when he took the stand in his personal defence final week – with two of the accused killer’s buddies and colleagues, and a regulation enforcement officer disputing key points of his testimony.

Mark Ball returned to the stand to dispute Murdaugh’s declare that he distrusted regulation enforcement – the rationale he gave for why he had lied about his alibi.

“I by no means heard Alex say he distrusted regulation enforcement and believed he had a superb relationship with regulation enforcement,” he mentioned.

Mr Ball and Ronnie Crosby – each of whom went to Moselle the night time of the murders – each additionally disputed Murdaugh’s testimony about when he touched Maggie’s and Paul’s our bodies.

His two former buddies mentioned that he clearly informed them after the murders that he touched the our bodies previous to calling 911.

Former Hampton County Sheriff T. C. Smalls, the one rebuttal witness who had by no means earlier than taken the stand, additionally contradicted Murdaugh’s testimony that he had given him permission to suit blue lights in his car.

“I by no means had any data that he had blue lights within the car,” mentioned Mr Smalls, who retired in December after 39 years in regulation enforcement and has recognized Murdaugh for a few years.

Crime scene knowledgeable rubbishes theories on 5’2” shooter and Paul’s accidents

Crime scene knowledgeable Dr Kenny Kinsey returned to the witness stand as the ultimate rebuttal witness the place he rubbished the “preposterous” and “unscientific” defence theories that Maggie was killed by a 5’2” shooter and Paul was shot within the head at level clean vary.

In a graphic demonstration within the courtroom, Dr Kinsey and South Carolina Lawyer Basic Alan Wilson acted out the defence’s model of how Paul was murdered – with the killer taking pictures him at the back of the pinnacle at level clean vary.

Dr Kinsey testified that the state of the crime scene was inconsistent with the defence’s concept, saying that this wouldn’t have brought on blood, mind and different organic matter to hit the doorframe of the feed room.

“To suppose that the strain from flesh and bone will trigger that pellet ….these metal pellets… They are going to flip round due to that strain and return the other way, a 180 diploma path at sufficient velocity to hit an exterior and embed within the doorframe that doesn’t occur, that doesn’t occur in my view,” he mentioned.

Dr Kinsey mentioned that Paul’s wounds had been additionally inconsistent with the accidents he has seen on round three dozen people shot at level clean vary within the head saying that “typically the eyes will come out,” the “facial bones will transfer spherical” and items of pellet collect within the pores and skin.

The crime scene knowledgeable additionally tore aside testimony from defence witness Mr Sutton who had claimed that Maggie was murdered by a 5’2” shooter – and never her 6’4” husband.

Dr Kinsey mentioned Mr Sutton’s conclusion about each the angle of the bullet trajectories and the shooter’s peak was “unscientific” and that he disagreed “wholeheartedly” that it will even be doable to come back to find out this data.

“The notion of with the ability to take a look at this proof and say that… it’s unscientific,” he mentioned. “It’s an unknown. There so many variables,” he mentioned.

Dr Kinsey testified that the killer “may have been a 5’4”, a 6’4” or a 7’4”.”

Murdaugh is convicted after lower than three hours

On 2 March, the jury heard the final arguments from either side and was despatched out to deliberate.

They returned lower than three hours later with a responsible verdict.

As the decision was learn out in courtroom, Murdaugh’s face went pale as each he and Buster confirmed no discernable emotion.

Outdoors the courtroom, prosecutors greeted cheering crowds to hail the decision.