The double homicide trial of Murdaugh started Monday, Jan. 23, with the . Maggie Murdaugh, the wife of embattled South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, left her property to him in her will before she and their son were mysteriously killed in June . South Carolina law enforcement has only confirmed that they are leading an investigation into a double homicide that took place in Colleton county last night, FITSNews reported. Murdaugh, who is part of a prominent local family in the South Carolina Lowcountry, is accused of killing his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, at their home on June 7, 2021. Legal Statement. Waters said that Murdaugh only admitted to lying to investigators about his whereabouts at the time of the killings because witnesses testified that his voice could be heard on the video. The prosecution's star crime scene expert said there isn't enough evidence to definitely say whether there were one or two shooters at the kennels. After interviewing several sources who knew the Murdaugh brothers, SCHP detective Todd Proctor made some significant assessments of the family. Murdaughs former law partner Ronnie Crosby testified for a second time about Murdaugh repeatedly lying and deceiving clients that he later stole from, then added that the accused, disbarred lawyer had been known for using emotion in his closing arguments to win over or possibly manipulate a jury into giving the verdict he wanted. Murdaugh, 54, has pleaded not guilty to two counts . Paul Murdaughs case was pending at the time of his death and hadnt changed since his bond was modified to allow him to travel in July 2019, The Island Packet reported. Give us a moment please., The Island Packet reported that a Murdaugh relative on the porch of a home near the crime scene had just been notified and commented, Nows not a good time, as you can imagine.. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted. As all these pressures were mounting, the defendant killed Maggie and Paul," Waters said. The disgraced South Carolina legal scion is charged with murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, near dog kennels on their family hunting estate called Moselle June 7, 2021, in what prosecutors . (Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool). "The pressures on this man were unbearable. She currently lives on Hilton Head Island where she enjoys beach life. He described Murdaugh as having a very theatrical presence in the courtroom. The prosecution rested its case Feb. 17, and Murdaugh took the witness stand Thursday for cross-examination in the Walterboro, South Carolina, Colleton County Courthouse. Paul Murdaugh, Mother Found Shot to Death Near South Carolina Home. Contributing: Michael DeWitt, Jr., Greenville News, Contact Breaking News Reporter N'dea Yancey-Bragg at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg. Embezzlement allegations against Alex began mounting in the spring and summer of 2021. Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said he expects to wrap up the reply by Tuesday afternoon, although Murdaugh attorney Richard Harpootlian said he was skeptical of such a quick time estimate given the States pattern of presenting lengthy testimony during the five previous weeks of the trial. On January 23, 2023, Alex Murdaugh's trial for Paul and Maggie's homicide went underway. The night 19-year-old Mallory Beach died in a boat crash near Beaufort, South Carolina, investigators arrived at the hospital to interview two teens suspected of driving the boat while drunk. But Paul allegedly refused and accelerated the boat . Industry Insight. Paul never had to stand trial for the death of Mallory Beach, but barring a settlement his brother Buster and father Alex will likely face a jury in the civil case. In addition to disputing scientific testimony from Murdaughs expert witnesses, these final State witnesses served to hammer home and reinforce a point prosecutors have made time and again throughout the trial: Murdaugh, after demonstrating a pattern of deceit, lies, manipulation and callous disregard for others during a decade-long crime spree, also lied to police early and often throughout this criminal investigation and prosecution. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources recently released his blood alcohol content, which was allegedly .286 percent three times the legal limit for motor vehicle drivers at the . He also received a traffic ticket in May 2020 for driving more than 15mph over the speed limit. On Feb. 24, 2019, a boat allegedly driven by then-19-year-old Paul Murdaugh crashed into the Archer's Creek Bridge near Parris . The 911 call by Richard Alexander Murdaugh, son of a third-generation 14th Circuit Solicitor, reporting the shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, would propel a scandal-plagued South Carolina family into the national spotlight. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships., The two were shot execution style in a premeditated very ugly scene, FITSNews reported. Paul was awaiting a court date at the time of his death on three felony charges of boating under the influence for a 2019 crash that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. SCHP detectives noted that the gas cap was unscrewed and hanging outside of the gas cap door. Officials at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), the lead investigating agency in the crash, have saidconfusion in determining who was drivingdelayed the investigation from the get-go. His right shoulder was partially dislocated. . On June 7, 2021, agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division responded to a late-night 911 call saying that two people were dead at a residence in Islandton . Just before 8:45 p.m, a video was recorded on Paul's phone that captured Murdaugh's voice, which Waters said placedhim "at the scene of crime when the murders occurred.". Paul Murdaugh facing charges in fatal 2019 boat crash. Murdaughtook the stand in his own defense last week andrepeatedly denied killing his family,butadmitted to lying to investigators,citinghis distrust for local law enforcement and paranoia induced by drug addiction. The Murdaugh family (/ m r d k / MUR-dok) is an American legal family in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina.From 1920 to 2006, three members of the family consecutively served as solicitor (i.e., district attorney), in charge of prosecuting all criminal cases in the state's 14th circuit district, leading locals to call the five-county district, "Murdaugh Country". (Defense exhibit). The Why? John Marvin told the court that he last saw Paul on 7 June 2021 - the day of the murders - when his nephew stopped by his house in Beaufort, South Carolina, and borrowed his vehicle. Regardless of the outcome of this trial, Murdaugh remains jailed on $7 million bond onthe other charges he faces. He also described a close-knit family, saying he spoke with his mom "every day" and frequently spoke with his dad and brother, too. He was awarded South Carolina's top honor for assertive journalism in 2020. Murdaugh then testified that he had talked to several sheriffs, including the Hampton County Sheriff, and got permission to install the blue lights. 173 Shares Tweet. If anyone reading this report has any information about this case, call SCHP at (843)-953-6010 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. On July 14, the police . Alex Murdaugh's theft of millions of dollars was about to be revealed so he killed his wife and son to buy time to figure a way out, a prosecutor said Wednesday during closing arguments in thedisgraced former South Carolina attorney'smurder trial. RELATED | Boat Crash Lawsuit: Murdaughs Refuse To Settle, Withhold Financial Records From Victims Family. Updated: 9:00 AM EST February 27, 2023. Alex represents injured persons in all areas of personal injury law, including trucking cases, products liability and wrongful death. Alex Murdaugh double murder trial: Closing arguments begin Wednesday. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her 22-year-old son Paul Murdaugh were found shot to death on June 7 at the family's . No they dont they care about protecting themselves.. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Two murders and an indictment. On Tuesday, the State plans to call no more than five witnesses in reply, or rebuttal, of testimony and evidence presented by the defense in the, Murdaugh lawyers long known for dramatic courtroom scenes. She also posted pictures of previous family trips to Moselle, including quail hunting excursions. Waters then outlined the forensic timeline of the family's movements the day of the alleged murders based on cellphone records to show Murdaugh had the opportunity to kill his family. The boat involved in this incident, a 2008 Scout boat, was not the same as the vessel involved in the fatal 2019 crash, which was a 2006 Sea Hunt. I have lost a child before and I knew all the answers, Stephens death is different because I dont know anything: The Who? The former lawyer admitted on direct examination Thursday he repeatedly lied to investigators, friends and family, claiming he was never at the Moselle dog kennels June 7, 2021, the night of the slayings. Mandy Matneyis the news director at FITSNews. Dr. Anthony Fauci Responds to COVID . NFL's Zac Stacy Sentenced After Attacking Ex-Girlfriend. Her family has called on anyone with information on the murder to come forward. Still, Waters said there is enough evidence to link the killings to the financial crimes and to Alex Murdaugh being the only person with the means and opportunity to kill his wife and son. Its also unclear if the MAIT team ever examined Stephens phone, which was tossed between agencies before it was finally unlocked by the FBI several years after his death. The defense is expected to deliverits closing argument Thursday morning, likely with a heavy emphasis on casting reasonable doubt and circumstantial evidence. #murdaugh #stephensmith #murdaughmurders #truecrime [email protected]. WALTERBORO, S.C. The defense for disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh could wrap up their case as early as today as the trial appears to be . Alex is also facing 99 counts of financial crimes stemming from 19 separate indictments. Further information on the ticket is not yet available. It is mostly likely that the jury will have the case for deliberation by sometime early Thursday. On July 14, 2022, Murdaugh family patriarch Alex was formally indicted for the murders of his wife and youngest son. The division has released little information on the deaths with no motive or suspect identified. Alex Murdaugh Charged With Killing His Wife And Son The indictments indicate he acted alone Paul Terry Murdaugh April 14, 1999 - June 7, 2021 Moselle, South Carolina - Paul Terry Murdaugh, 22, of Hampton, South Carolina, entered into eternal rest alongside his loving mother, Margaret Branstetter Murdaugh (Maggie). Early in the trial, prosecutors disputed claims that Murdaugh checked for signs of life on both victims, his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, because he did not have any blood on his hands, clothes, or shoes and he called 911 less than 20 seconds after arriving at the scene. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison if he is convicted of either murder count. The 19-year-old's body was found seven days after the tragic incident. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Alex Murdaugh has taken over the courtroom: Phil Holloway. Days before Pauls murder, a lengthy, court-ordered mediation session failed to resolve the civil suit brought by Beachs family, the Charlotte Observer reports. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Myth? The trial was interrupted that Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m., prompting an evacuation and extended lunch break as authorities responded to the threat. Despite what his obituary says, Paul Murdaugh who was described to FITSNews by several sources as an entitled sociopath with a short fuse had a history that goes much deeper than the 2019 boat crash when he first caught the attention of the media. Once final arguments are complete, Newman will charge the jury with instructions on the law and their duties, and the jury will begin to deliberate. Waters argued Murdaugh had the means to kill his wife and son because "family weapons were used to commit this crime." Officials still dont know who or what killed 19-year-old Stephen Smith six years ago but his death has been widely associated with the Murdaugh family. Court officials say that these witnesses could include Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey, and Murdaughs former law partners Ronnie Crosby and Mark Ball, who all previously testified. Buster Murdaugh, left, the son of Alex Murdaugh, listens to instruction from Judge Clifton Newman before a break during his father's trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Forensic pathology expert, Dr. Jonathan Eisenstat, gave forensic analysis of the injuries sustained by Alex Murdaugh's wife and son. ", Waters replayed videos of Murdaugh's interviews with law enforcement and said his actions after killings, including lying to investigators, showed he had a"guilty conscience .". The mother in a prominent South Carolina family who was fatally shot with her son last month may have been having marital troubles at the time of the double murder. Murdaughs experts had insisted that Paul was killed by a contact wound to the top of the head execution style and that there were two shooters who were likely much shorter than Murdaugh. The judge did not address the bizarre incident in open court. 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