COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The jury will take a trip to Moselle first thing Wednesday morning to visit the scene of the crimes.
Murdaugh is accused of killing his wife Margaret and youngest son Paul at their family property in June of 2021.
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Witness testimony finally ended Tuesday evening, just over a month after it first began.
The state called six rebuttal witnesses, and most of the day’s testimony was focused on disproving theories put forth by the defense about how the crime happened.
Dr. Ellen Riemer, the MUSC pathologist who conducted Maggie and Paul’s autopsies, contradicted the defense’s narrative that Paul was shot at contact range in the back of the head. She said that in over 20 years and thousands of autopsies, she has never seen a contact-range shot that did not blow the victim’s face off. She said Paul’s injuries were consistent with the wound to his head being an exit wound.
Dr. Kenneth Kinsey debunked several suggestions by a defense witness, including that the shooter was inside the feed room and that the shooter couldn’t have been taller than around 5’2. Attorney general Alan Wilson made his first appearance in the case to question Kinsey.
The defense worked to discredit state witnesses, at one point even moving to have the expert qualifications of Paul McManigal revoked. McManigal was asked by the state to conduct physical tests on an iPhone investigating the raise to wake feature. Defense argued he was qualified as an expert in cell phone forensics such as extracting data, not conducting physical tests on phones. That motion was denied.
Defense also called into question several witnesses’ motives for testifying against Murdaugh, including his longtime friend and former law partner, Ronnie Crosby. Harpootlian suggested that Crosby was testifying against Murdaugh because he was angry about having to help pay back all the money Murdaugh stole, and for the havoc he wreaked on their law firm. Crosby denied the accusation and said he found it very offensive.
The state also called another former law partner of Murdaugh, Mark Ball, and former Hampton County Sheriff TC Smalls to the stand.
The jury will visit Moselle first thing Wednesday morning. Jurors were instructed not to discuss the case on the way to and from Moselle and will not be allowed to ask anyone other than Judge Newman questions while at the property. Judge Newman hopes to resume court by around 11:00 a.m., at which point the jury will be charged and hear closing arguments. Depending on how long closing arguments take, the jury could begin deliberations as soon as Wednesday evening.
ALEX MURDAUGH MURDER TRIAL LIVE BLOG:
12:11 p.m. – The jury is brought in. The state begins closing arguments.
State prosecutor Creighton Waters delivers the closing arguments.
He says on June 7, 2021, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were brutally murdered by Alex Murdaugh.
He says Murdaugh is the only person who had the motive, means, and guilty conduct after the murders.
Waters admits it has been a long trial and says he wants to distill the information.
To set the stage, he says we must understand Murdaugh was a person of prominence who was able to avoid accountability his entire life. Waters says Murdaugh became dependent on stealing money to fund his lifestyle. He stole from clients and his law firm in two main ways: through Palmetto State Bank and through the Forge account.
Waters calls it a slow burn that continued until the 2019 boat crash, at which point the pace of Murdaugh’s stealing increased. Waters says that was coming to a head in the spring of 2021 because of the publicity around the case and the growing suspicion of his law partners.
On June 7, 2021 Waters said the pressures were mounting and Murdaugh killed Maggie and Paul.
He says the forensic timeline puts him there, the use of the family weapons corroborates that, and the lies and guilty actions afterward confirm it.
In the aftermath of the murders, Waters says that all of the pressures previously mounting on Murdaugh went away because people were focused on supporting Murdaugh.
About a month later, Murdaugh was confronted again about missing fees and pressures began mounting again. Waters says within days, the roadside shooting happened and Murdaugh again resorted to violence to make himself a victim.
Waters says if the story seems removed from most people’s experiences, that’s because it is, and because Murdaugh is unlike most people. He says Murdaugh was living a lie. He says pressures mount, and people can become family annihilators.
Waters reminds the jury that they are in charge of judging credibility. He says they decide which witnesses they want to believe and trust. He tells people to consider experts’ and witnesses’ demeanors, whether they have reason to be biased, whether their testimony was supported or contradicted, and whether they have been honest in the past.
Waters says that the jury must find Murdaugh guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He says a reasonable doubt doesn’t have to overcome every possible doubt, it just has to convince a reasonable person of the guilt of the defendant.
He reviews direct and circumstantial evidence. Direct evidence proves a fact. Circumstantial evidence is a chain of circumstances that proves a fact. He says circumstantial evidence should be considered just as strong as direct evidence.
Waters defines murder as the unlawful and willful killing of someone with malice aforethought.
He says the jury has to infer what the defendant’s intentions were.
Waters reminds the jury that being under the influence of drugs does not absolve someone of responsibility for their actions.
Waters begins a slideshow illustrating the state’s argument against Murdaugh.
He refers to the gathering storm he said was coming for Murdaugh around June 7. He points out that Murdaugh is a trained lawyer who knows how to construct an alibi and a defense.
Waters says Murdaugh was on a constant hamster wheel for over a decade, always having to beg, borrow, or steal to conceal his lies. He says the stress would be immense.
Waters points out that Murduagh looked clients and his staff/partners in the eye for over a decade and lied so easily that he couldn’t even remember the specific conversations. Waters says he is doing the same to the jury, and it is up to them to decide whether they believe it.
Nobody knew Murdaugh, according to Waters. He points out that even some of Murdaugh’s closest friends who testified said they didn’t really know him.
Waters again says that the pressures on Murdaugh were unbearable and were reaching a crescendo the day Maggie and Paul were murdered. After that, the pressures were temporarily relieved. He says Murdaugh used the reprieve to stay one step ahead.
Waters says the jury must consider the unique circumstances of this one particular man who has proved that he will do anything to keep the hamster wheel going.
He shows the jury a timeline of Murdaugh’s finances.
12:00 p.m. – Court is in session. Counsel has a private discussion with Judge Newman before the jury is brought in.
11:15 a.m. – The court has provided answers to some questions regarding jury deliberations.
There has been no decision yet as to whether the jury will be sequestered.
Deliberations could go as long as necessary. The jury will deliberate through the weekend if necessary.
The longer the deliberations go, the more notice will be given prior to the verdict.
9:00 a.m. – The jury left the Colleton County Courthouse around 9:10 a.m. and began the roughly 30-minute trip to Moselle.
A small media pool was allowed to visit the property, trailing behind the jurors.
According to the pool report, some of the deputies escorting the jury to Moselle were some of the state’s witnesses, including Colleton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Laura Rutland.
Sergeant Daniel Greene, another state witness, is escorting Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Margaret Fox are there as well. Jim Griffin stayed behind to prepare closing arguments.
Judge Newman is with the jurors. He is the only person they are allowed to speak to during the visit.
The entrance to Moselle was guarded by deputies, but the road was not blocked off as Harpootlian had previously suggested. Several media outlets were parked along the side of Moselle Road.
The jury left Moselle around 10:30 a.m.
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