Alex Murdaugh trial stay updates: Murdaugh to proceed testifying

Disbarred South Carolina legal professional Richard “Alex” Murdaugh returned to the stand Friday to proceed testifying in his double homicide trial about his monetary misconduct, drug dependancy and his actions the day his spouse and son had been killed.

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters pressed Murdaugh on inconsistencies in his “fuzzy” reminiscence and his “new story” of what occurred, a day after he revealed for the major time he was on the scene the place his spouse and son had been shot shortly earlier than they died.

Murdaugh, fifty 4, admitted Thursday to mendacity to investigators with regard to the final time he noticed fifty two-12 months-outdated Maggie Murdaugh and 22-12 months-outdated Paul Murdaugh on June 7, 2021. Murdaugh broke down a quantity of instances Thursday whereas being questioned by his protection legal professional Jim Griffin about discovering their our bodies at the household’s property in Colleton County and vehemently denied killing them.

Waters continued to impeach Murdaugh about alleged theft from purchasers as his drug dependancy escalated and what he was doing the moments earlier than the killings all by a usually combative cross-examination. Prosecutors allege Murdaugh killed his spouse and son to understand sympathy and buy time to cowl up monetary crimes that had been about to be found.

Waters accomplished questioning Murdaugh Friday afternoon. protection attorneys might name at the least two extra witnesses after Murdaugh’s testimony is accomplished.

Murdaugh admits mendacity, however as quickly as extra denies killing his household

Waters questioned Murdaugh about what prosecutors allege is his motive for homicide: gaining sympathy when he is about to be held accountable.

“When accountability is at your door Mr. Murdaugh, unhealthy issues happen, isn’t that true?” Waters requested, pointing to each the killing of his household and Sept. 4, 2021 when Murdaugh claimed he was attacked by an unknown assailant.

Curtis Edward Smith was charged with capturing Murdaugh in what state police described as a failed life insurance coverage scheme. Murdaugh needed Smith to kill him so his surviving son, Buster, would get his $10 million life insurance coverage coverage, nonetheless the bullet solely grazed his head, in retaining with authorities. Murdaugh was later charged with insurance coverage fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance coverage fraud and submitting a false police report inside the capturing.

“I do contemplate in September, that i tried to get a particular person to assist me kill myself as a end result of factors had been at my doorstep,” Murdaugh mentioned. “there have been no accountability factors on my doorstep on June 7.”

Waters wrapped up his cross examination by questioning Murdaugh about repeatedly mendacity to his members of the household, purchasers and legal guidelines enforcement. Murdaugh mentioned that he lied for “effectively over a decade.”

“and also you’ll like this jury to ponder a narrative manufactured to go well with the proof that you merely launched forth simply yesterday after listening to this trial’s worth of testimony?” Waters requested.

“No sir that’s not right,” Murdaugh replied.

Murdaugh blames killings on 2019 boat crash

Murdaugh mentioned he believes a 2019 boat crash is the rationale Paul and Maggie had been killed, however insisted he did not contemplate anyone linked to the wreck was involved.

Paul Murdaugh allegedly crashed his household’s boat proper into a bridge at better than 30 mph, killing 19-12 months-outdated Mallory seashore and injuring two completely different people onboard. He pleaded not responsible to three felony counts of cruising under the influences and was awaiting trial when he and his mom had been killed.

court docket paperwork filed in July 2021 alleged a civil conspiracy presumably connecting legal guidelines enforcement and members of the Murdaugh household following the wreck.

“The social media response that acquired here from that was vile,” Murdaugh mentioned. “I believed then and that i contemplate as we communicate that the improper particular person noticed and browse that.”

“you have gotten not any proof of that,” Waters mentioned. “What you are telling this jury is that it is random vigilantes.”

Murdaugh particulars his actions the day of the killings

Waters questioned Murdaugh a pair of timeline of the household’s actions on the day of the killings constructed by the prosecution based mostly on cell cellphone knowledge.

Murdaugh mentioned he quickly left the kennels the place his spouse and son’s our bodies had been later found and will have taken a nap earlier than on the objective of drive to his mom’s house. Waters steadily referred to that as Murdaugh’s “new story.”

inside the minutes after the prosecution estimates Maggie and Paul had been killed, Murdaugh mentioned he was “getting ready to depart” for his mom’s house however did not elaborate on what he was doing. When Waters requested why his cellphone recorded a full lot of steps in a 4-minute interval, Murdaugh denied that he was shifting round and making cellphone calls to fabricate an alibi.

“I by no means manufactured any alibi in any strategy type or type as a end result of i did not and wouldn’t harm my spouse and baby,” Murdaugh mentioned.

Murdaugh started to cry as quickly as extra as he described discovering the our bodies of his spouse and son. He denied checking Maggie and Paul’s our bodies earlier than calling 911, exhibiting to contradict what he initially informed legal guidelines enforcement, in retaining with a video of an interview Waters performed in court docket.

Prosecution questions Murdaugh about mendacity to investigators

Murdaugh mentioned Thursday was the major time he admitted to mendacity to investigators with regard to the final time he noticed his spouse and son. Murdaugh added he didn’t have the likelihood to take movement earlier than as a end result of the prosecution wouldn’t reply to his invites to communicate.