The Colleton County sheriff's department said both victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He faces charges in connection with a Sept. 4 suicide-for-hire plot. A camouflage Benelli 12-gauge shotgun from the Moselle Road property that was swabbed showed DNA contributed by two people: Maggie and Alex Murdaugh. A daily report co-sponsored by Arizona State University, Criminal Justice Journalists, and the National Criminal Justice Association, NCJA | 700 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-628-8550 | www.ncja.org | Contact Us | 2023. Marvin Murdaugh drove down to the crime scene to a group of investigators and told them that Maggies phone was active and could be tracked, he said. John Marvin Murdaugh and his wife Liz Murdaugh, Brooklynn White and Buster Murdaugh, from left, attend the opening day of Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial on Wednesday. A male driver in a blue pickup asked him if he had car troubles, as soon as Alex replied, he was shot. The boating accident led some to question whether Paul's family's legal ties affected the probe. WebThe Murdaugh family (/ m r d k / MUR-dok) is an American legal family in the Low Country region of South Carolina.From 1920 to 2006, three members of the family consecutively served as solicitor (i.e., district attorney), in charge of prosecuting all criminal cases in the state's 14th circuit district, leading locals to call the five-county district, And I just started cleaning, he said about his decision to clean the feed room, while Murdaugh looked down and began to cry several feet away at the defense table. In September 2021 Murdaugh told police he had been shot in the head by an unknown assailant while attempting to change a flat tire. The gunshot wound was only superficial, though, and within two weeks Murdaugh had been charged with hiring an acquaintance to carry out the purportedly random head-shooting. "I still couldn't believe it could be them or that it could be true.". The law firm said later that he resigned only after it was discovered that he was alleged to have misappropriated funds from the firm. It changes you as a family," Randy told ABC News. In this June 11, 2021, file photo, Buster Murdaugh, center, receives a hug in the rain during the funeral service for his brother, Paul, and mother, Maggie, in Hampton, S.C. Kacen Bayless/The Island Packet via AP, FILE. "And I can't imagine the horror that my brother's experiencing.". "I want to thank everyone for the incredible love and support that we have received over the last few weeks," Murdaugh said in a statement at the time. Zapata said it was possible the DNA could have been transferred if the victims were checked for signs of life. Murdaughs lawyer Dick Harpootlian said on Good Morning America Friday that health records show Murdaugh had drugs in his system when he was shot on Sept. 4. "Alex intends to fully cooperate with this investigation, as he has with the investigation into the murder of his wife and son," his lawyers said in a statement. "Now is the time to bring justice for Maggie and Paul. She died in February 2018 in what was initially described as an accidental fall. She took the stand to explain graphic photographs from her investigation to the jury and said the gunman was likely within three feet of Paul Murdaugh. Court is in recess until 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Two days after a judge first denied Alex Murdaugh bond last fall, the disgraced Hampton County attorney called his younger brother and son from Richland County Detention Center and warned them to move quickly. Hey, John, Murdaugh said to John Marvin Murdaugh on Oct. 21, 2021. ", "Avarice and betrayal of trust are at the heart of this matter," the families said in a statement through their lawyers. Waters opened the trial with three minutes of graphic description of the scene where the bodies of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son, Paul, 22, were found shot with at least one bullet to the head by two different guns, pointing to Paul Murdaughs head and calling it catastrophic damage.. Last week, Alex Murdaughs surviving son Buster, 26, testified in the double murder trial of his father. Both sides of the trial asked the judge to consider delaying the case due to the virus, expressing concerns that if more jurors become ill and have to be released, the case could end in a mistrial. ABC News' Eva Pilgrim, Alexandra Faul, William Gretsky, Janice McDonald, Jen Leong and Mike Repplier contributed to this report. Alex Murdaugh started crying when his lawyer discussed the detail. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case this week. Rowe, who worked at the property. "I don't know of anybody that would truly be an enemy or truly want to hurt them," Randy noted. "We are part of the community. At the time, the photos and video sparked controversy and numerous questions about why Solicitor Duffie Stone whose office has close ties to the Murdaugh family had not yet recused himself from the investigation. Here's a timeline of the key events in the Murdaugh murders and scandals: June 7, 2021: Margaret and Paul Murdaugh are found dead. Police still have not said whether any new evidence was uncovered from Maggies phone. In cross-examination, the defense reiterated that Alex Murdaugh said he checked Maggie and Paul both for pulses when he found their bodies. But I guess maybe I made a mistake.. So were 0 for 74, Barber said, arguing the shirt was worn for fishing. He is accused of killing his wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul in June 2021, Slate reports. Theres no direct evidence. Maggie Murdaugh, the wife of embattled South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, left her property to him in her will before she and their son were mysteriously killed in June, according to a copy of her last will and testament. He doesnt know why, Harpootlian said, gesturing toward the prosecutor. A vehicle sits in the driveway of a home, June 8, 2021, in rural Colleton County, near Islandton, S.C. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. John Marvin told jurors on Monday that he had not been aware of Murdaughs opioid addiction until after the murders, when his brother attempted a botched suicide scheme in September 2021 so that Buster would inherit his $12 million insurance payout. They don't believe Alex is involved in the murders. The group soon realized that the phone was further away, so they drove together and found it east of the gates of the property, he said. Murdaugh, 54, is standing trial on two counts of murder. Sept. 8: Brother "shocked" by Murdaugh allegations; Alex Murdaugh's law license suspended, Alex Murdaugh's older brother Randy Murdaugh, who is also still employed by the firm, released a statement saying he was "shocked" to learn of his brother's "settling of money," as well as "drug addiction.". John Marvin who owns a heavy equipment rental and sales center indicated he wasnt able to find buyers for either piece of equipment and thought he might John and Randy stayed there for hours, comforting their brother, until they finally convinced him to leave. Duffie Stone, the 14th circuit solicitor appointed in 2006, the first non-Murdaugh to hold the position since 1920, recused himself from the case because of personal connections. "We need help finding who did this," Randy told ABC News. One possibility is that Paul and Maggie Murdaughs killings were in some way an effort on Alex Murdaughs part to prevent authorities who were looking into the boat crash from discovering his elaborate web of other alleged criminal behavior. ", June 22: Authorities reopen probe into 2015 death of Stephen Smith. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Dr. Ellen Riemer, a forensic pathologist with the Medical University of South Carolina, conducted the autopsies for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Harpootlian told the jury he would love to be able to tell them why someone so brutally killed Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, but investigators ignored all other suspects and scenarios. The final witness for the defense was Alex Murdaughs brother John Marvin Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh is in jail on a slew of charges, most of them financial counts. Zapata said the DNA could have been transferred from her touching an object or person. In my mind, I told Paul I loved himI promised him that I'd find out who did this to him., When asked by defense attorney Jim Griffin if he ever found out who killed his nephew and sister-in-law, John Marvin replied: I have not.. Murdaugh is charged with killing his wife and son on their property in June 2021. The vehicle turned around and "someone in the car shot him," the spokesperson said to ABC News. Sarah Zapata, an agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, testified in detail about DNA and Hematrace analysis she performed on evidence from the scene. "But we're just regular people that are working hard and trying to do right. The defense, however, has argued that Murdaugh had no motivation to murder his wife and son that several witnesses have described as his top priority. She did not see any evidence of defensive wounds. I felt like it was the right thing to do. The defense Social distancing and masking will not be required. Anything that the boys were doing, Alex wanted to do.. And I think when you do those things, people respect you. Waters said Murdaugh told investigators he was never at the kennels before finding his wife and sons bodies near them after spending an hour away from the home checking on his mother, who has dementia. Both Randy and Alex are lawyers at the firm, while Alex also works as a part time prosecutor for the 14th Judicial Circuit. Lawyer Alex Murdaugh walks into his bond hearing, Sept. 16, 2021, in Varnville, S.C. It was the start of what is expected to be a three-week trial at the Colleton County Courthouse. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. John Marvin Murdaugh said he does not believe Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son, but acknowledged that police may know more than he does. "On September 4, it became clear Alex believed that ending his life was his only option. Zapata testified that no useful DNA was found on the blue raincoat discovered at the home of Alex Murdaughs mother during the investigation. I took so much just to not backslide.. SLED said in a statement at the time that he was shot on Old Salkehatchie Road near Varnville,South Carolina. WALTERBORO, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The fourth week of the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh began on Monday. We had great opportunities.". A day later, Smith admitted to being present during the Murdaugh shooting and disposing the firearm afterward. Maggie Murdaughs cellphone, for which her husband provided the code investigators used to find it the next day, showed it was being dumped on the side of the road off the property at the same time Alex Murdaughs phone showed he started his truck just outside his home, the defense attorney said. State law enforcement officials also announcedthat they were looking into those allegations. "I see words like 'dynasty' used, and 'power,'" Randy said. "It's just hard to imagine somebody can be so sick as to do this, intentionally kill people like that," Randy tearfully told ABC News. Randy Murdaugh and John Marvin Murdaugh speak out for the first time since their brother, Alex, found his 22-year-old son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, shot to death outside their home last week. Prosecutors said over the weekend they received new evidence from General Motors about data from Alex Murdaughs Chevy Suburban. "Since early September the families are dealing with the betrayal of trust and that their loved one's death was used as a vehicle to enrich others over the clients. Since the wreck, Paul had been receiving online threats from strangers that were "bothersome" but weren't believed to be "credible," according to Randy and John. Today, he knows that's not true. Zapata confirmed that if the shirt was stained while someone was gutting a fish, the Hematrace test would be negative. 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