Alex Murdaugh trial coverage: South Carolina lawyer stands trial for double-murder of wife, son - Fox News

The 2nd time of the grounds information of Alex Murdaugh's treble execution proceedings wrapped up Thursday astatine astir 5:30 p.m. aft six witnesses took the stand.

Colleton County Maj. Jason Chapman said helium identified ft prints that looked similar they were made by flip flops connected Alex Murdaugh's hunting property the nighttime of the double murder.

The footprints appeared to spell from 1 extremity of the hangar past crook astir and spell back, helium said.

The impressions appeared to lucifer the shoes Maggie, 52, was wearing erstwhile she was executed.

Her assemblage was recovered adjacent the hangar astir 30 yards from Paul, 22, whose caput had been blown off, according to testimony.

Chapman besides elaborated connected wherefore helium recovered Murdaugh's behaviour unusual that night.

The large and different deputies were investigating a acceptable of chartless tyre tracks astatine the transgression scene, which appeared to pique Murdaugh's interest.

"Everything changed, helium began to ticker america enactment much closely, sometimes retired of the country of his eyes,” Chapman said.

On cross-examination, defence lawyer Dick Harpootlian asked whether Murdaugh's "change successful demeanor" could beryllium owed to involvement successful grounds that "might constituent to the slayer oregon killers of his woman and child?”

“Could it be? Absolutely, it could be. It was conscionable a alteration successful demeanor,” Chapman replied.

Colleton County Maj. Jason Chapman told jurors Thursday that helium recovered it unusual that Murdaugh kept asking erstwhile archetypal responders would get earlier abruptly ending the 911 call.

“The lone happening I thought was unusual was helium wanted to abstracted the call," said Chapman. "It was 'I request to telephone my family' and past the telephone disconnected.” First responders hadn't yet arrived.

Murdaugh called 911 astatine 10:07 p.m. June 7, 2021, to study that his lad Paul, 22, and wife, Maggie, had been fatally changeable adjacent the canine kennels connected their property.

Chapman said that erstwhile helium pulled up to the hunting estate, helium wasn't definite if determination was an progressive shooter oregon a murder-suicide and was alarmed that Murdaugh had indicated connected the 911 telephone that helium had gone backmost to the main location to retrieve a gun.

“It’s scary that helium believes idiosyncratic is determination who helium believes wounded them and whitethorn travel backmost and wounded him," Chapman said of his mindset.

Chapman added that Murdaugh exhibited subtle behaviors that stuck retired to him.

"He was emotional, determination was distress connected his face, I didn’t spot him cry. Not everyone cries, I don’t person an contented with that," Chapman told jurors. "There were times erstwhile we got to definite places, definite questions, you could spot a demeanor alteration oregon assemblage shift."

The major did not elaborate further. He besides noted, arsenic 2 different witnesses did, that Murdaugh had nary disposable humor connected him.

Murdaugh told the 911 dispatcher that helium had touched their bodies to cheque them. Both victims had sustained devastating injuries and were successful pools of their ain blood, insubstantial and encephalon matter.

Barry McRoy, of Colleton County occurrence and rescue, testified that Paul and Maggie Murdaugh had devastating injuries.

"That is the assemblage of Paul, and helium is laying facedown astatine the entranceway to the inferior country astatine the kennels," said McRoy, describing a transgression country photo."You tin spot determination is important harm to his head. There’s a batch of humor and determination appears to beryllium his encephalon down determination by his foot.”

In different crime country photo, McRoy described Maggie's injuries aft she'd been changeable astatine slightest 4 times. "She had a spread successful her caput to wherever you could really spot wrong of her head,” helium said.

During the graphic testimony, Murdaugh bowed his caput and rocked backmost and distant successful distress.

McRoy said helium didn't fuss checking the pulses of Paul and Maggie due to the fact that their wounds were intelligibly "incompatible with life."

After prosecutors wrapped up their nonstop introspection of McRoy, Murdaugh removed his speechmaking glasses and wiped his eyes with a tissue.

McRoy said helium had met Murdaugh "on a nonrecreational basis" earlier encountering him astatine the country of the treble execution erstwhile helium had to bash "depositions and specified with his instrumentality firm."

Prosecutors played Alex Murdaugh's disturbing 911 calls aft helium allegedly changeable his woman and son.

"I request the constabulary and an ambulance immediately," Murdaugh hysterically tells the dispatcher connected the 10:07 p.m. telephone June 7, 2021. "My woman and kid were changeable badly."

"Neither 1 of them’s moving," helium says of Paul, 22, and Maggie 52. Prosecutors person argued that helium was faking his grief and daze successful a hopeless bid to effort to pin the murders connected idiosyncratic else.

The dispatcher asks Murdaugh if they changeable themselves. "Oh no! Hell no!" helium responds.

"I'm going backmost to my location to get a gun, conscionable successful case," Murdaugh tells the dispatcher connected the call. "My lad has been threatened for months and months and months. He's been deed respective times."

In effect to a question from the dispatcher, Murdaugh indicates that his lad reported the alleged assaults.

Murdaugh besides says connected the telephone that helium past spoke to his woman an hr and a fractional earlier. This item was redacted from the 911 calls that were antecedently released to the public, according to the Post and Courier.

Dale Johnson, 54, and Ron Godwin, 42, of South Carolina, drove 3 hours Thursday connected the archetypal time of grounds successful Alex Murdaugh's treble execution trial and caught a glimpse of the jailed man's household leaving the courthouse.

Johnson and Godwin person tracked the fallen patriarch's lawsuit since his son, Paul, 22, and his wife, Maggie, 52, were recovered changeable to decease connected the family's sprawling hunting property June 7, 2021.

“We haven’t missed a infinitesimal of it,” said Johnson, who is from Kingstree.

The brace stared intently astatine Buster, his woman Brooklynn White, and Murdaugh's brother, John Marvin, and different household members, arsenic they climbed into an SUV to instrumentality them distant from the Colleton County Courthouse during the luncheon break. 

Godwint was clutching a four-inch heavy binder with colored tabs, which included each the tribunal documents successful the lawsuit and different material.

“I deliberation he’s innocent, they’ll ne'er convict him,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “It takes idiosyncratic precise sick successful my sentiment to termination his woman and his kid astatine the aforesaid time.”

Johnson, however, thinks Murdaugh whitethorn person hired idiosyncratic other to bash it, portion Godwin is inactive connected the obstruction arsenic to the 54-year-old disbarred lawyer’s guilt.

Godwin, Johnson, his woman and different household person convene play astir his room land to sermon the case.

Richard "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., 26, — the lone surviving lad of disgraced South Carolina lawyer and accused slayer Alex Murdaugh, appeared down his begetter Thursday greeting arsenic the elder Murdaugh's proceedings entered its 2nd day.

Buster grew up with his younger member Paul connected a sprawling 1,700-acre hunting farm, known arsenic Moselle, successful Islandton, South Carolina.

As of November 2022, Buster lives with Brooklynn White, some 26, and their beloved aureate retriever, Miller, successful a humble one-bedroom Hilton Head Island condominium. It’s unclear erstwhile Buster and White began dating — but she accompanied him to the associated ceremonial of Paul and Maggie, according to a source.

Buster attended University of South Carolina Law School alongside White. He was allegedly kicked retired successful his 2nd semester for plagiarism, the Wall Street Journal reported. Alex paid an lawyer $60,000 to effort to get Buster readmitted, according to FitsNews.

The quality tract besides reported that Buster attended the yearly South Carolina Association for Justice normal connected Hilton Head successful August with his lawyer uncle, Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh IV.

Buster was named arsenic a defendant successful the Mallory Beach decease suit for allegedly letting his member Paul, who was underage, usage his ID to bargain intoxicant for the doomed boating trip. 

WALTERSBORO, S.C. – Disbarred South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was hysterical but dry-eyed aft his woman and lad were changeable to death, according to grounds Thursday astatine his double execution trial.

Sgt. Daniel Greene, the archetypal responder connected the scene, said Murdaugh, 54, wasn't really crying.

"Did you ever observe immoderate carnal tears?" asked Creighton Waters, pb authoritative for the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.

"I did not," replied Greene, who was the state's archetypal witnesser successful the Colleton County Courthouse successful Waltersboro. 

Jurors were played Greene's assemblage camera footage from June 7, 2021, erstwhile helium responded to Moselle – the family's sprawling hunting estate, where Paul and Maggie were murdered.

As the graphic footage was played, Murdaugh, who was seated astatine the defence table, appeared to weep.

Continue speechmaking astir Alex Murdaugh's trial.

Sgt. Daniel Greene admitted connected cross-examination that archetypal responders to the treble homicide did not deterioration protective gowns oregon booties to sphere evidence.

"Did they enactment thing to insulate themselves from contaminating the scene?" asked Alex Murdaugh's pb defence lawyer Dick Harpootlian.

"No," helium replied.

He added that it is not the mean process for the Colleton County Sheriff's Office.

Officers freely walked astir the country astatine Moselle, the sprawling hunting property wherever prosecutors accidental Murdaugh fatally shot his son, Paul, and his wife, Maggie, June 7, 2021.

Greene besides said that helium noticed tyre tracks but did not marque immoderate effort to sphere them and they whitethorn person been destroyed.

The authorities adjacent called Corporal Chad McDowell, besides of the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, who responded to the grisly scene.

His assemblage camera footage was played for jurors -- but not for spectators.

McDowell tin beryllium heard connected the video saying to different archetypal responders, "We've been asked not to disturb anything. We've got SLED connected the way."

The witnesser said helium noticed Paul's cellphone connected his backmost pouch erstwhile helium lifted the expanse that was covering his body.

Murdaugh's archetypal connection to an serviceman aft his wife and lad were murdered was successful notation to a 2019 deadly vessel crash.

“This is simply a agelong story. My lad was successful a vessel wreck. He’s been getting threats," Murdaugh tin beryllium heard saying successful assemblage camera footage played for jurors. "I cognize that’s what it is.”

Sgt. Daniel Greene, 1 of the archetypal responder connected the scene, said helium didn't inquire Murdaugh thing to elicit the comment.

Prosecutors person argued successful tribunal papers that Murdaugh was trying to propulsion disconnected investigators by mentioning the litigation.

Paul was facing transgression charges aft helium drunkenly slammed his father's vessel into a bridge, sidesplitting Mallory Beach and injuring 4 different friends.

Murdaugh was facing a wrongful decease suit implicit the tragic collision.

Prosecutors person argued that Murdaugh feared that the litigation would unit him to disclose his finances and exposure his decades-long corruption schemes.

On Greene's assemblage camera footage, Murdaugh sounds hysterical arsenic helium talks to his brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, connected the phone.

"Did you ever observe immoderate carnal tears?" authoritative Creighton Waters asked Greene.

"I did not."

On the footage, Murdaugh tin beryllium heard telling Greene that helium lone drove to the canine kennels, wherever Maggie and Paul were shot, twice.

"I came successful present and near 1 clip past I came back," helium says.

But Green said connected nonstop introspection it "appeared determination were much tracks than conscionable that."

Waters argued successful opening statements that Murdaugh had lied astir erstwhile helium was astatine the canine kennels.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters showed jurors the shotgun that Alex Murdaugh had connected him erstwhile Sgt. Daniel Greene arrived astatine Moselle connected the nighttime of the murders.

Murdaugh said helium had retrieved the limb for extortion from the main location aft uncovering Paul and Maggie dead.

It wasn't 1 of the 2 weapons utilized successful the treble murder. Prosecutors past began to play Greene's assemblage camera footage, which is astir 45 minutes long.

The video was not disposable to the gallery. Murdaugh looked distraught arsenic helium stared astatine a surface playing the footage.

"To the near was Paul's body, who was facing down connected the crushed and a ample excavation of humor astir him and a large woody of water," said Greene, describing the graphic video.

"On the close would beryllium Maggie's assemblage besides laying look down connected the crushed successful a ample excavation of blood," helium continued.

Greene took Murdaugh's shotgun and handed it implicit to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

State prosecutors called their archetypal witnesser Thursday, Sgt. Daniel Green, with the Colleton County Sheriff's Office.

He was the archetypal serviceman connected the country aft Alex Murdaugh called 911 to study that his woman and lad had been changeable June 7, 2021, astatine the family's sprawling hunting estate.

"A antheral caller had called and said helium recovered his woman and lad shot," Greene said. It took the serviceman astir 20 minutes to get to the distant location.

Greene described approaching the victims. "There was a ample woody of humor that had pulled astir [Paul's body] and the aforesaid happening for the pistillate victim," Greene said adding that determination was a batch of encephalon matter.

The disclosure prompted Murdaugh, wearing speechmaking glasses, to bow his caput and look to weep astatine the defence table.

Greene said the household patriarch seemed upset but appeared to person nary "physical tears."

Alex Murdaugh, 54, arrived astatine astir 9 a.m. Thursday to the Colleton County Courthouse successful Walterboro, South Carolina, for the archetypal time of grounds successful his treble execution trial.

The fallen scion of a section ineligible dynasty stepped retired of a achromatic van wearing a achromatic fastener down garment and carrying his suit jacket. His son, Buster, and his son's woman arrived a fewer minutes aboriginal to ticker the proceedings from the gallery.

Murdaugh is accused of gunning down his 22-year-old lad Paul and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, June, 7, 2021.

Testimony is expected to statesman with prosecutors playing for jurors a 45-minute assemblage camera video from the nighttime of the killings.

On Wednesday, a assemblage of 8 men and 4 women was seated and opening statements kicked off. 

His defence lawyer described the graphic injuries sustained by his son, whose encephalon was severed from his head.

Dick Harpootlian told jurors that Paul’s caput exploded “like a watermelon deed with a sledgehammer” but his lawsuit wasn’t responsible.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters argued that the grounds against Murdaugh is circumstantial but overwhelming. 

Murdaugh besides faces charges connected dozens of fiscal and drug-related crimes. 

The South Carolina judge presiding implicit the treble execution proceedings of embattled ineligible scion Alex Murdaugh has ordered a representation of the man’s precocious grandfathered beryllium removed from wrong the courtroom.

The representation depicts Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh Jr., who served arsenic the 14th Circuit Solicitor, a relation that service 5 South Carolina counties including Colleton County, wherever the execution proceedings is being held. Buster Murdaugh gained the rubric successful 1940 and maintained the presumption until 1986, erstwhile his son, Alex Murdaugh’s begetter Randolph Murdaugh III, took over.

According to The New York Times, Judge Clifton Newman ordered that the representation beryllium removed connected Wednesday arsenic opening statements began. He had antecedently ruled that the representation would beryllium dismantled.  

“Buster’s” grandson, 54-year-old Alex’s Murdaugh, is accused successful the treble slaying of Alex’s son, Paul, 22, and his wife, Maggie, 52, successful June 2021. Since their deaths, helium has been disbarred and disgraced arsenic helium has been linked to respective different deaths successful the community, and an alleged failed effort to instrumentality his ain life. 

Witness grounds successful the proceedings begins Thursday. 

Prosecutors, Alex Murdaugh, and his defence attorneys volition participate the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., connected Thursday to resume the double-murder trial.

On Wednesday, opening statements from some sides were heard arsenic prosecutors painted a graphic representation of however Murdaugh, 54, allegedly killed his woman and son utilizing a shotgun and a rifle.

Murdaugh's defense, however, said the grounds was spotty and argued that it did not adequately necktie the South Carolina lawyer to the murders.

“There’s nary nonstop evidence. There’s nary eyewitnesses. There’s thing connected camera. There’s nary fingerprints. There’s nary forensics tying him to the crime. None,” defence lawyer Dick Harpootlian said.

Harpootlian, pursuing authoritative Creighton Waters, offered a graphic statement of the country wherever the bodies of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son, Paul, 22, were found.

He argued the gruesome quality of the crime seems to autumn astatine likelihood with the "loving" narration the household exhibited.

Alex Murdaugh was besides seen crying erstwhile his lawyer discussed the details of the transgression scene.

“Alex was the loving begetter of Paul and the loving hubby of Maggie," Harpootlian said. “You’re not going to perceive a azygous witnesser accidental that their narration was thing different than loving.”

Wednesday was the commencement of what is expected to beryllium a three-week trial. It officially started aft some sides finished selecting a 12-person assemblage with six alternates Wednesday.

Murdaugh has been charged with 2 counts of murder. If convicted, helium faces 30 years to beingness successful prison.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The 12-person assemblage successful disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh's double execution trial could sojourn the canine kennels connected Murdaugh's spot wherever his deceased wife, Maggie, and lad Paul were fatally changeable successful June 2021.

Murdaugh is accused of gunning down Paul and Maggie utilizing a firearm and shotgun adjacent the canine kennels connected their sprawling 1,700-acre hunting property known arsenic Moselle successful Islandton, South Carolina. 

Prosecutor Creighton Waters said successful his opening statements Wednesday that helium hopes to instrumentality the assemblage to the kennels wherever the murders took place. Murdaugh claims helium was napping and truthful not contiguous astatine the transgression country connected the nighttime of Maggie's and Paul's murder, but Waters alleges helium was and has cellphone information and video grounds to beryllium it.

"He was determination conscionable minutes before, with Maggie and Paul, conscionable minutes earlier their cellphones went soundless everlastingly and ever," Waters said successful his opening statement.

Earlier successful his opening statements, Waters said that astir a week aft the murders, Alex Murdaugh went to his mother's location unexpectedly and was seen going "upstairs" with a tarp-like substance. The substance was aboriginal determined to beryllium a bluish raincoat that was covered successful gunshot residue, Waters said. He added that jurors would beryllium proceeding from Murdaugh's mother's caretaker. Murdaugh's parent suffers from precocious Alzheimer's, helium said.