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Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile trial for allegedly murdering his spouse and son has been as twisted because the disgraced lawyer’s murky private {and professional} lives.
The disbarred South Carolina lawyer faces attainable life imprisonment over the deadly shootings of his spouse Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, who had been discovered shot to death in the dog kennel of their Islandton searching lodge on June 7, 2021.
Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh, 54, killed them in an effort to deflect from his monetary crimes.
Even if he’s discovered not responsible, he’s anticipated to probably spend a long time in jail for stealing from purchasers and defrauding his former legislation agency, which he has overtly admitted to doing.
Here are a number of the most shocking and unusual moments from the emotional five-week trial up to now.
Murdaugh’s a multitude
Murdaugh has been visibily emotional all through the proceedings, however his feelings exploded Thursday when he took the stand himself.
Tears and snot streamed down Murdaugh’s face as he recounted discovering the our bodies of Maggie and Paul. “It was unhealthy — it was horrible,” he stated, including he noticed his son’s “mind laying on the sidewalk.”
The accused killer first broke down throughout opening statements on Jan. 25, as he sat in entrance of his surviving son, Buster.
He cried once more the next day, when police bodycam footage of the murder scene was presented.
On Feb 1, Murdaugh sobbed as a video clip taken by Paul moments before his murder was performed. The video featured the voices of Paul, Maggie and a 3rd one that is believed to be Alex.
Murdaugh’s lawyer factors assault rifle on the prosecution
On Tuesday, considered one of Murdaugh’s protection attorneys, Dick Harpootlian bizarrely pointed an assault rifle on the prosecutors’ desk whereas attempting to point out jurors the shooter’s stance with the .300 Blackout rifle used to kill Maggie Murdaugh whereas he questioned a forensic engineer who testified for the protection.
“Tempting,” he shockingly joked after pointing the gun at prosecutors, drawing laughter from the courtroom. Even South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson reportedly cracked a smile.
“I don’t understand how I can do that so I’m not pointing at someone,” added Harpootlian, who can also be a Democratic state senator.
Forensic engineer Mike Sutton argued Murdaugh was too tall to be the gunman who fired at his spouse, estimating the shooter was a couple of foot shorter than Murdaugh, who’s 6-foot-4.
Paul Murdaugh was killed after he was shot twice with a shotgun.
Buster Murdaugh testifies for his father’s defesnse
Buster Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh’s red-headed surviving son, defended his father when he took the stand on Tuesday and claimed that his father was utterly devastated when he discovered his brother and mom brutally murdered.
The 26-year-old stated his dad sounded “regular” after they had an unremarkable dialog on the telephone round 9:10 p.m. on June 7, 2021 — some 20 minutes after police consider Maggie and Paul had been shot to death.
However, when his father known as again an hour later, he stated he instantly knew one thing was improper.
“He requested me if I used to be sitting down … he sounded odd after which he advised me that my mother and brother had been shot,” Buster recalled as his dad wiped away tears in courtroom.
He sped to father’s home the place he discovered his dad “destroyed” and “heartbroken,” he stated. After the murders, he spent “day by day” together with his dad “for a superb whereas,” with out seeing something to trigger concern.
Buster famous one of the vital weird incidents after the double murders was when his dad tried to get pal Eddie Smith to homicide him in a con to cash in $10 million life insurance for him.
The scion’s son stated he “knew somewhat bit about” his dad’s tablet habit however had no thought he was stealing thousands and thousands from his household’s legislation agency and purchasers.
Courthouse evacuated after bomb menace
The Colleton County Courthouse was evacuated on Feb. 8 and Murdaugh was whisked away in a car after the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) stated a menacing message was “acquired by Colleton County courthouse personnel,” and proceeds had been instantly halted.
“Ladies and gents, we now have to evacuate the constructing at the moment so we’ll be in recess till we uncover what’s occurring,” Judge Clifton Newman advised the courtroom.
An unnamed courtroom official advised The Post and Courier {that a} bomb menace was made to Newman’s chambers, though its not clear what the message precisely stated.
Police escorted Murdaugh out of the constructing and right into a automotive, which drove away, more likely to a safe location. Other officers shaped a fringe across the courthouse.
The trial restarted round 2:30 p.m. when police gave the all-clear.
Murdaugh admits to mendacity about whereabouts on night time of murders
Murdaugh, who introduced his determination to testify on Thursday, surprised the courtroom when he admitted for the first time to mendacity to investigators about not being on the kennels the night time of the murders — confirming he was the voice his son caught in a Snapchat video allegedly filmed simply moments earlier than the massacre.
“I did mislead them,” he stated, admitting that his statements to the police on the night time of the murders and subsequent recorded interviews with investigators had been false.
He blamed his “addiction” to pills making him “paranoid,” as police requested him about his spouse and son’s dying.
“I don’t suppose I used to be able to cause. And I lied about being down there,” he stated, saying his lies escalated in a “tangled net.”
The Snapchat video that caught his voice was recorded at 8:45 p.m. — simply 5 minutes earlier than police consider Maggie and Paul were gunned down, in line with an in depth timeline entered in proof.
Murdaugh stated he famous nothing uncommon concerning the kennels when he was there. He stated he went again to the home, and certain“dozed off for a minute” on the sofa earlier than driving to go to his ailing mom.
He returned residence somewhat over an hour later and stated he went out to the kennels after not listening to from Maggie or Paul. There, he discovered them dead and known as the police.
‘I did him so unhealthy’
In what could possibly be a attainable confession, Alex Murdaugh allegedly sobbed and stated, “I did him so unhealthy” when proven graphic pictures of his slain son when interviewed by state brokers three days after Paul and Maggie had been killed.
Murdaugh’s protection attorneys insisted on Jan. 31 that Murdaugh truly stated, “They did him so unhealthy” by way of sobs as they slowed down the audio recording of the interview.
State Law Enforcement Division senior particular agent Jeff Croft testified he was “100% assured” that Murdaugh stated “I” through the interview — suggesting that Murdaugh confessed to fatally capturing Paul and Maggie.
Video reveals Murdaugh standing beside the our bodies
Unnerving video launched on Feb. 13 reveals Murdaugh standing simply toes from the shot-up bodies of his wife and son — and instantly pointing blame elsewhere for the double slaying.
“Did you test them? They are dead, aren’t they?” Murdaugh says, prompting a cop to reply, “Yes, sir, that’s what it appears like.”
The police body-cam footage — beforehand only shown in court — reveals Murdaugh standing together with his arms crossed as a responding.
“It’s unhealthy,” Murdaugh then stated of the crime scene, letting out a sob — though Colleton County Sgt. Daniel Greenehas testified that he “didn’t see any seen tears.”
In lower than a minute, Murdaugh seems to pin the blame for the carnage on his threats his dead son Paul had acquired in response to a drunken 2019 boat crash that killed his buddy Mallory Beach, 19.
Murdaugh then dished out his personal alibi, claiming he’d been away from the home for hours visiting his ailing mother, who had late-stage Alzheimer’s, and his dad, who was hospitalized and later died.
The officers famous different footprints and quite a few tire tracks on the scene.
Prosecutors have urged that the footage reveals Murdaugh wanting to direct the officers towards the boat crash principle in addition to attainable different clues for them to observe, such because the tire tracks.
