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The Truth Behind Our Obsession With True Crime Stories
Stories astir Alex Murdaugh and his family person been swirling for years. And aft prosecutors spent 4 weeks laying retired their case in his South Carolina execution trial, it was his crook to archer his side.
Murdaugh, 54, accused of sidesplitting his woman Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and lad Paul Murdaugh, 22, successful 2021, took the basal to attest successful his ain defence connected Feb. 23. He has pleaded not guilty to what prosecutors allege was a brutal enactment committed to distract from the mounting grounds of his fiscal crimes. (From abstracted indictments, he's besides facing dozens of charges including security fraud and wealth laundering. No proceedings dates person been acceptable successful immoderate of those cases. In a December tribunal filing, his defence squad called the alleged motive for execution "illogical and implausible.")
Murdaugh being a scion of 1 of Hampton County's astir influential dynasties, his great-grandfather having founded the household instrumentality steadfast successful 1910 portion a Murdaugh (pronounced Murdock) filled the Fourteenth Circuit solicitor's chair for 3 generations, the lawsuit has captivated the state since Paul and Maggie were recovered dormant connected June 7, 2021.
Within the adjacent 4 months, Murdaugh had resigned from the household business amid allegations helium stole wealth from clients (he's since been disbarred); admitted to hiring an subordinate to termination him truthful his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, could cod his security argumentation (the subordinate has denied it); concisely checked into rehab for opioid addiction; and was charged with swindling his dormant housekeeper's sons retired of much than $4.3 cardinal successful security payments.
Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman previously refused to assistance the defence a broad bid barring prosecutors from questioning Murdaugh astir his alleged fiscal crimes.
Here's what Alex Murdaugh had to accidental erstwhile helium took the stand:
Law&Crime Network
What did Alex Murdaugh accidental erstwhile asked if helium killed wife Maggie and lad Paul?
Defense lawyer Jim Griffin, holding a 12-gauge shotgun and .300 Blackout firearm successful either hand, asked Murdaugh if helium had utilized 1 of those guns successful evidence—or immoderate gun—to termination his woman and son.
"Mr. Griffin, I didn't sprout my woman oregon my lad immoderate time," Murdaugh said. "Ever."
(Neither weapon Griffin held up has been positively identified arsenic the execution weapon.)
Did Alex Murdaugh prevarication astir wherever helium was the nighttime of the murders?
Murdaugh told investigators connected aggregate occasions that he'd been distant visiting his ailing parents (dad Randolph Murdaugh III died respective days later) connected June 7, 2021, and came location soon aft 10 p.m. to find Paul and Maggie dormant retired by the canine kennels connected the Murdaughs' sprawling hunting spot connected Moselle Road successful Islandton, S.C.
But his dependable could beryllium heard successful a video changeable connected Paul's phone, timestamped 8:44 p.m.
The suspect testified it was his dependable successful the video, which was recorded retired by the kennels.
Murdaugh said that his longtime opioid maltreatment had made him "paranoid," and after helium found "Mags and Paul-Paul" his instrumentality partners advised him not to accidental a connection until Danny Henderson—Murdaugh's erstwhile chap spouse astatine the firm, who served arsenic counsel during his archetypal interrogation with investigators—arrived.
His hands were tested for weapon changeable residue, Murdaugh continued, and, arsenic helium was being questioned by officers from the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), "All those things coupled unneurotic aft uncovering them, coupled with my distrust for SLED, caused maine to person paranoid thoughts. On June 7, I wasn't reasoning clearly, I don't deliberation I was susceptible of crushed and I lied astir being down [by the kennels], and I'm truthful atrocious that I did."
"Oh what a tangled web we weave," Murdaugh replied arsenic his lawyer pressed him further astir wherefore helium lied aggregate times astir wherever helium was. "Once I told a lie—I told my family—I had to support lying."
What does Alex Murdaugh accidental helium was doing when his woman and lad were killed?
On the time of June 7, 2021, a Monday, Murdaugh testified that helium near for enactment that morning, portion Maggie was going to a doctor's assignment successful Charleston, S.C., and said she planned to walk the nighttime astatine their location successful Edisto Beach. Though, Murdaugh noted, helium told Maggie that he'd similar for her to travel backmost to Islandton to walk the evening with him, arsenic helium ever preferred.
When helium returned that evening, Murdaugh said, helium and Paul tooled astir the property, conscionable the 2 of them. (The household had play carts and ATVs to traverse the 1,800-acre property.)
"You could not beryllium astir Paul-Paul and not person a bully time," Murdaugh said, warring tears. "I loved doing thing with Paul-Paul. He was an implicit delight."
Maggie got backmost sometime aft 8 p.m., helium continued, aft which helium near Paul down by the kennels and went backmost to the main house, wherever helium talked to his woman for a spot and past took a shower. Afterward, Murdaugh said, helium enactment connected the greenish shorts and achromatic T-shirt that investigators saw him successful aboriginal that night.
Grace Beahm Alford/AP/Shutterstock
Murdaugh testified that he, Maggie and Paul ate meal unneurotic portion watching TV successful the den. At immoderate point, helium said, Paul near the country and past Maggie said she was going down to the kennels. A fewer minutes aft she left, Murdaugh said, helium decided he'd articulation them, adding that he'd since seen the grounds that indicated Paul and Maggie had driven to the kennels unneurotic but helium didn't cognize Paul was down determination astatine the time.
He took a play cart over, Murdaugh said, and saw "chaos"—their canine Bubba had caught a chicken. He testified that helium defused the situation, chatted with Maggie portion Paul tended to his friend's canine Cash, and "got retired of there."
Murdaugh said helium laid down connected the sofa successful the den and mightiness person dosed disconnected for a fewer minutes, but erstwhile helium got up helium decided helium wanted to sojourn his mother Libby Murdaugh, who has Alzheimer's, successful Almeda, astir 10 miles distant from Islandton.
Andrew J Whitaker/AP/Shutterstock
When helium got to his mother's house, helium testified, the doorway was locked truthful helium called Libby's caretaker to fto him in. Murdaugh said helium sat with his ma for awhile, "just talked to her, made definite she was OK," and erstwhile helium near helium tried calling and texting Maggie doubly to fto her cognize helium was connected his mode back.
He said the Moselle compartment work was spotty, truthful helium wasn't acrophobic erstwhile helium didn't perceive back.
What does Alex Murdaugh accidental helium was doing erstwhile prosecutors allege helium could person been hiding evidence?
Asked by his lawyer Griffin what was happening during a infinitesimal that, according to information collected from his Chevy Suburban, helium was stopped successful his mother's driveway, Murdaugh testified that helium had dropped his telephone and was simply sportfishing astir for it earlier helium drove off.
According to Murdaugh, he was not busily stashing weapons oregon disposing of bloody clothes, arsenic the prosecution had suggested.
What did Alex Murdaugh accidental astir uncovering the bodies of woman Maggie and lad Paul?
Murdaugh sobbed connected the basal erstwhile helium described uncovering Maggie and Paul, who were some changeable aggregate times.
He got backmost to Moselle and went consecutive to the main house, helium testified. After a fewer minutes, helium continued, helium drove his Suburban to the kennels and recovered his woman and son. What helium saw was "so, truthful bad," helium said done tears.
"I conscionable went backmost and distant betwixt them" portion talking to 9-1-1, Murdaugh said. (According to records, the telephone was made astatine 10:06 p.m.)
This communicative volition proceed to beryllium updated
