Alex Murdaugh, a 54-year-old attorney, is standing trial on two counts of murder and two weapons charges in connection with the fatal shootings of his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, and younger son, Paul Murdaugh, at their Colleton County home and hunting lodge in June 2021. Murdaugh faces allegations from the prosecution of killing his wife and son to divert attention from his financial crimes, which they were rapidly uncovering. Additionally, he is separately facing 99 charges related to the financial crimes.
Defense called over 60 witnesses in Alex Murdaugh trial
Moreover, the defense began its case on Friday after the prosecution called over 60 witnesses to bolster their argument. The defense portrayed Alex Murdaugh as a loving father and husband who had been wrongfully accused. They argued that the prosecution’s case was speculative and that their emphasis on his alleged financial schemes was irrelevant. In the absence of direct evidence tying Alex Murdaugh to the murders, the prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including claims that he lied to investigators and was at the scene just minutes before the killings.
On Tuesday, Buster Murdaugh, the third witness called by the defense, testified that the fatal shootings of his wife and son had “destroyed” his father. He recounted seeing his father crying and unable to speak in the hours after learning about the deaths of his family members. The defense used Buster Murdaugh to undermine the testimony of a state witness who believed that Alex Murdaugh inadvertently confessed to carrying out the murders. The defense maintained that Alex Murdaugh instead said, “They did him so bad,” rather than “I did him so bad,” in reference to Paul’s body.
Surviving family member testified
During the trial, the defense also sought to counter the testimony of a caretaker for Murdaugh’s mother, who testified that Murdaugh visited his mother’s home in Almeda the night of the killings. Buster Murdaugh testified that the family followed no set schedule when visiting his grandparents, and it could have been any time. He described how the accident and the ensuing backlash from the community surrounding Paul’s alleged involvement consumed his mother.
Furthermore, a forensic engineer testified that Alex Murdaugh could not have been the shooter due to his height, which would have made it difficult for him to fire the weapon in the necessary position. The engineer analyzed the bullet holes found at the scene and the location of shell casings to determine the trajectory of the bullets that were fired. Based on his analysis, the trajectory of the bullet would make sense if the shooter was between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 4 inches tall.
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