Alex Murdaugh trial – live: Testimony resumes after jurors saw crime scene photos and bodycam from murders

Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile murder trial is now in full swing with prosecutors slated to call more witnesses to the stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Monday.

The disgraced legal scion, 54, is accused of gunning down his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, at the family’s estate in Islandton on 7 June 2021. He denies the allegations.

Last week, jurors were shown dramatic bodycam footage from the scene of the grisly murders, where he “immediately” told officers the killings were connected to a fatal 2019 boat crash.

Mr Murdaugh’s first police interview was also revealed for the first time, showing how he described attempts to move the victims’ bloodied bodies – an account that was contradicted by law enforcement testimony and images of his “clean” hands and clothing. Crime scene photos of the dog kennels and the 911 call made by Mr Murdaugh were also shown in court.

During testimony, Mr Murdaugh cried in court – while jurors heard that he shed “no tears” on the night of the murders.

The trial is only one of Mr Murdaugh’s troubles in a saga spanning a botched hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes, and unexplained deaths.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

• Bodycam shows Murdaugh’s ‘clean’ shirt despite his claims he touched wife and son’s bloodied bodies

• Sobbing Murdaugh tells police he ‘tried to turn over’ son’s body in first interview after murders

• Jurors listen to 911 call made by Alex Murdaugh on night of murders

• Alex Murdaugh cries as bodycam video shown at trial

• Police say legal scion had ‘no tears’ on crime scene

Trial to resume Monday morning

11:30 , Rachel Sharp

The trial of embattled legal scion Alex Murdaugh is set to resume at 9.30am local time on Monday morning.

Jurors will return to Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, for what will be the third full day of testimony in the high-profile murder case.

In total, the trial is expected to last around three weeks.

Murders, multi-million-dollar fraud and mystery deaths: Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

The “trial of the century” is now under way in a courtroom in South Carolina where powerful legal scion Alex Murdaugh is charged with the brutal double murder of his wife and son.

But this is far from the only twist in a bizarre and sprawling tale of unexplained deaths, hitman plots and multi-million-dollar fraud schemes, writes The Independent’s Rachel Sharp:

Murders, fraud, and a hitman plot: Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Prosecutors allege Murdaugh shot dead wife and son to cover up financial crimes

10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son to gain sympathy, thereby providing a cover from damning financial crimes, prosecutors alleged in December when they provided their most detailed theory to date in a saga that has drawn worldwide attention for its bizarre twists.

Alex Murdaugh killed wife and son to cover crimes, prosecutors say

South Carolina official says Murdaugh will not face death penalty

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

State prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for Alex Murdaugh when the disbarred attorney appears in court next month for a double murder trial that has drawn international attention.

“After carefully reviewing this case and all the surrounding facts, we have decided to seek life without parole for Alex Murdaugh,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement.

SC official says Alex Murdaugh will not face death penalty

Alex Murdaugh: The legal scion on trial for the murders of his wife and son

06:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The hotly-anticipated trial of Alex Murdaugh is finally underway in South Carolina where he is facing life in prison for the double murder of his wife and son.

The 54-year-old heir to a prominent legal dynasty is accused of gunning down wife Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22, on the grounds of the sprawling family estate in Islandton back on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested in July 2022 and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Mr Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains that the person or persons responsible for killing his wife and son is still at large.

So who is the man at the heart of the saga?

Who is Alex Murdaugh? The legal scion on trial for the murders of his wife and son

Murdaugh’s ‘clean’ shirt undermines claim he touched bloodied bodies

04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-released stills from bodycam footage show Alex Murdaugh dressed in a “clean” white shirt after he claims he touched his wife and son’s bloodied bodies on finding them shot dead at the family estate in South Carolina.

In two images, released by Colleton County Court on Friday, Mr Murdaugh is seen on the grounds of the property in Islandton in the aftermath of the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Mr Murdaugh is dressed in a white T-shirt and dark shorts in the images. The stills are grainy but there are no obvious signs of blood on his shirt.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

Bodycam shows Alex Murdaugh’s ‘clean’ shirt after claiming he touched bloody bodies

Watch: Full interview of Alex Murdaugh at crime scene

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosection highlights Murdaugh account discrepancies

00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh‘s comments to police about his whereabouts around the time his wife and son were fatally shot may not have been accurate, according to video evidence presented by prosecutors Friday at the South Carolina attorney’s murder trial.

In cross examining one of the detectives who interviewed Murdaugh, his lawyer underlined that despite the gory scene of two people killed with powerful weapons at close range, Murdaugh didn’t appear to have any blood on him.

Read on:

Hours after killings, Alex Murdaugh said he didn't see wife

Crime scene photos shown to jury

Sunday 29 January 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Photos of the bloody crime scene where Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul and wife Maggie were brutally shot to death have been revealed at the legal scion’s murder trial.

The photos were introduced into evidence on Friday as SLED forensic analyst Melinda Worley testified during the third day at Colleton County Court in Walterboro, South Carolina.

The images show blood on the ground and a bullet hole in a window of the dog kennel area where defendant Mr Murdaugh’s 22-year-old son Paul was shot at the family’s estate in Islandton.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Alex Murdaugh trial shown crime scene photos of bloody dog kennels after murders

Court hears Murdaugh tell bizarre story of farmhand claiming to kill Black Panthers in first police interview

Sunday 29 January 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh recounted a wild story about a farmhand claiming to “kill radical Black Panthers” when he was interviewed by law enforcement on the night of the double murder of his wife and son.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh told police story of farmhand claiming to kill Black Panthers

Key moments in the case against Alex Murdaugh

Sunday 29 January 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial in a South Carolina courthouse for the murders of his wife and son.

Mr Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting Paul, 22, twice with a shotgun and Maggie, 52, five times with a rifle on the family’s sprawling hunting lodge in Islandton on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested more than a year later in July 2022 and charged with their murders.

In the 19 months since the brutal double murders propelled the Murdaughs onto national headlines, a series of other scandals, allegations and alleged crimes have also come to light.

Here’s a timeline of the key moments in the case:

A timeline of the Alex Murdaugh saga as murder trial kicks off

Trial hears Murdaugh tell 911 dispatcher his son Paul had been getting threats ‘for months’

Sunday 29 January 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh told a 911 dispatcher moments after he says he discovered the bodies of two murdered family members that his son Paul had been receiving threats “for months” over a fatal boat crash.

The unredacted 911 call was played on Thursday at Mr Murdaugh’s trial in Colleton County Court in South Carolina for the murder of Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, in June 2021.

Mr Murdaugh, 54, can be heard telling the operator that his son Paul had been involved in a fatal boat crash and had been getting threats “for months and months and months.”

Bevan Hurley listened to the evidence on Thursday.

Alex Murdaugh tells 911 dispatcher his son Paul had been getting threats ‘for months’

Murdaugh breaks down as lawyer describes brutal ‘butchering’ of wife and son

Sunday 29 January 2023 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh broke down in tears as his lawyer described how his son and wife were “butchered” on the family’s South Carolina hunting estate.

Mr Murdaugh wiped tears from his eyes as his defence attorney described the scene he claims his client found near kennels on the estate and denied that he had anything to do with it.

Dick Harpootlian told the jury that the prosecution’s explanation for the murders was just “theories” and “conjecture” and that Mr Murdaugh was a “loving” husband and father.

Graeme Massie reports.

Alex Murdaugh breaks down as lawyer describes brutal ‘butchering’ of wife and son

Prosecution paints grisly portrait of Alex Murdaugh killing wife and son

Sunday 29 January 2023 12:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors have described in grisly detail how disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh allegedly murdered his defenceless wife and son at the family’s hunting lodge in 2021.

Graeme Massie reports on the prosecution’s opening statement.

Prosecutors paint grisly portrait of Alex Murdaugh killing wife and son

Alex Murdaugh’s son sent Snapchat video to friends minutes before being murdered

Sunday 29 January 2023 10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors say a Snapchat video sent by Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul on the night he and his mother Margaret were murdered will form a key part of their case.

Bevan Hurley explains the significance of the video to the case.

Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul sent Snapchat video to friends on the night he was murdered

Murdaugh hit with tax evasion charges ahead of murder trial

Sunday 29 January 2023 08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who allegedly murdered his wife and son, has now been charged with tax evasion.

The charges come down a month before he is set to go on trial for the shooting deaths of his wife Maggie and son Paul at their family home.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced on Friday nine counts of tax evasion for failing to report $6,954,639 of illegally earned income between 2011 and 2019.

Graeme Massie reports.

Alex Murdaugh hit with tax evasion charges as murder trial looms

Prosecutors: Murdaugh shot dead wife and son to cover up financial crimes

Sunday 29 January 2023 06:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son to gain sympathy, thereby providing a cover from damning financial crimes, prosecutors alleged in December as they provided their most detailed theory in a saga that has drawn worldwide attention for its bizarre twists.

With the trial underway, evidence had yet to be revealed to substantiate that theory.

Alex Murdaugh killed wife and son to cover crimes, prosecutors say

Banker for Alex Murdaugh convicted of fraud charges

Sunday 29 January 2023 04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A banker charged with helping disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh take money from the legal settlements of clients was found guilty late Tuesday of wire and bank fraud charges in South Carolina.

Former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte was allowed to remain free on bail as he awaits sentencing at a later date. Each of the six charges he was convicted of in federal court carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

It was the first trial related to the sprawling Murdaugh legal drama that has captivated true-crime audiences.

Read on:

Banker for Alex Murdaugh convicted of bank fraud charges

Watch: Full interview of Alex Murdaugh at crime scene

Sunday 29 January 2023 02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh trial shown crime scene photos of bloody dog kennels

Sunday 29 January 2023 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Photos of the bloody crime scene where Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul and wife Maggie were brutally shot to death have been revealed at the legal scion’s murder trial.

The photos were introduced into evidence on Friday as SLED forensic analyst Melinda Worley testified during the third day at Colleton County Court in Walterboro, South Carolina.

The images show blood on the ground and a bullet hole in a window of the dog kennel area where defendant Mr Murdaugh’s 22-year-old son Paul was shot at the family’s estate in Islandton.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Alex Murdaugh trial shown crime scene photos of bloody dog kennels after murders

Key prosecution point: Murdaugh had ‘clean’ shirt after claim he touched wife and son’s bloodied bodies

Saturday 28 January 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-released stills from bodycam footage show Alex Murdaugh dressed in a “clean” white shirt after he claims he touched his wife and son’s bloodied bodies on finding them shot dead at the family estate in South Carolina.

In two images, released by Colleton County Court on Friday, Mr Murdaugh is seen on the grounds of the property in Islandton in the aftermath of the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Mr Murdaugh is dressed in a white t shirt and dark shorts in the images. The stills are grainy but there are no obvious signs of blood on his shirt.

Rachel Sharp has the story.

Bodycam shows Alex Murdaugh’s ‘clean’ shirt after claiming he touched bloody bodies

Prosection highlights Murdaugh account discrepancies

Saturday 28 January 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh‘s comments to police about his whereabouts around the time his wife and son were fatally shot may not have been accurate, according to video evidence presented by prosecutors Friday at the South Carolina attorney’s murder trial.

In cross examining one of the detectives who interviewed Murdaugh, his lawyer underlined that despite the gory scene of two people killed with powerful weapons at close range, Murdaugh didn’t appear to have any blood on him.

Read on:

Hours after killings, Alex Murdaugh said he didn't see wife

Murdaugh tells story of farmhand claiming to kill Black Panthers in first police interview

Saturday 28 January 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh recounted a wild story about a farmhand claiming to “kill radical Black Panthers” when he was interviewed by law enforcement on the night of the double murder of his wife and son.

During the second day of testimony at the legal scion’s murder trial on Friday, jurors were shown footage of his first police interview after he claimed to have found the victims shot dead on the family estate in Islandton, South Carolina.

In the footage, Mr Murdaugh is asked by an officer if there is anyone he suspects could be responsible for gunning down his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22.

Here’s what he said:

Alex Murdaugh told police story of farmhand claiming to kill Black Panthers

Key moments: A timeline of murders, financial fraud, a botched hitman plot and unexplained deaths

Saturday 28 January 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial in a South Carolina courthouse for the murders of his wife and son.

Mr Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting Paul, 22, twice with a shotgun and Maggie, 52, five times with a rifle on the family’s sprawling hunting lodge in Islandton on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested more than a year later in July 2022 and charged with their murders.

In the 19 months since the brutal double murders propelled the Murdaughs onto national headlines, a series of other scandals, allegations and alleged crimes have also come to light.

Here’s a timeline of the key moments in the case:

A timeline of the Alex Murdaugh saga as murder trial kicks off

Murdaugh claimed he ‘tried to turn over’ son’s body – but police saw ‘no blood’ on him

Saturday 28 January 2023 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A sobbing Alex Murdaugh told law enforcement he “tried to turn over” his son’s bloodied body and checked him and his wife for pulses – but police saw no signs of blood on the “clean” accused killer, according to bombshell courtroom testimony.

During the second day of testimony at murder trial in Colleton County Courthouse on Friday, jurors were shown footage from the disgraced legal scion’s first police interview in the aftermath of the murders.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh’s first police interview after murders of wife and son revealed

Not just the dispatcher, Murdaugh ‘immediately’ told police murders tied to fatal boat crash

Saturday 28 January 2023 12:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh “immediately” suggested that his wife and son had been murdered because of a 2019 fatal boat crash as soon as the first law enforcement officer arrived on the scene of the grisly slayings.

Bodycam footage was played in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Thursday morning as testimony began in the high-profile double murder trial of the disgraced legal dynasty heir.

The footage, taken from the bodyworn camera of Colleton County Sheriff’s Sgt Daniel Greene, revealed a seemingly frantic Mr Murdaugh telling the officer he believed the murders of his wife Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and son Paul Murdaugh, 22, are connected to the boating incident.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh ‘immediately’ told police murders were tied to boat crash

How Alex Murdaugh came to face trial

Saturday 28 January 2023 10:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh has adamantly denied killing his wife and son, saying he’d been gone for an hour to visit his ailing mother on the night of the murders. His lawyers said during the trial’s opening statements that investigators have wrongly forced evidence to fit their theory that he killed his wife and son and that they ignored any other information. They described him as a loving husband and father.

Over the 13 months that authorities probed the murders, investigators pouring through the details of Murdaugh’s life announced dozens of other charges against him, including money laundering, stealing from his clients, and trying to get a man to kill him so that his surviving son could claim a life-insurance policy.

Read on:

How Alex Murdaugh came to face trial for murder of wife, son

Murdaugh tells 911 dispatcher his son Paul had been getting threats ‘for months’

Saturday 28 January 2023 08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh told a 911 dispatcher moments after he says he discovered the bodies of two murdered family members that his son Paul had been receiving threats “for months” over a fatal boat crash.

The unredacted 911 call was played on Thursday at Mr Murdaugh’s trial in Colleton County Court in South Carolina for the murder of Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, in June 2021.

Bevan Hurley has the story.

Alex Murdaugh tells 911 dispatcher his son Paul had been getting threats ‘for months’

Profile: Alex Murdaugh, the legal scion on trial for murder

Saturday 28 January 2023 06:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The hotly-anticipated trial of Alex Murdaugh is finally underway in South Carolina where he is facing life in prison for the double murder of his wife and son.

The 54-year-old heir to a prominent legal dynasty is accused of gunning down wife Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22, on the grounds of the sprawling family estate in Islandton back on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested in July 2022 and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Mr Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains that the person or persons responsible for killing his wife and son is still at large.

Opening arguments kicked off the trial on 25 January, with both the prosecution and the defence going into graphic detail about the horrific injuries suffered by the two victims.

Rachel Sharp takes a look at the man at the centre of the trial.

Who is Alex Murdaugh? The legal scion on trial for the murders of his wife and son

Murdaugh cried at trial – but responding officer says he had ‘no tears’ at murder scene

Saturday 28 January 2023 04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh broke down in tears as police bodycam footage was played at his trial – while the first police officer on the scene of the grisly murders told the court that the disgraced legal scion appeared to have “no tears” in his eyes at the time of the killings.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh had ‘no tears’ when police arrived at murder scene, court hears

Murdaugh breaks down as lawyer describes brutal ‘butchering’ of wife and son

Saturday 28 January 2023 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh broke down in tears as his lawyer described how his son and wife were “butchered” on the family’s South Carolina hunting estate.

Read on:

Alex Murdaugh breaks down as lawyer describes brutal ‘butchering’ of wife and son

Prosecutors paint grisly portrait of Alex Murdaugh killing wife and son

Saturday 28 January 2023 01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors have described how disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh allegedly murdered his defenceless wife and son at the family’s hunting lodge in 2021.

Mr Murdaugh is accused of brutally killing his wife Margaret, known as Maggie, and his youngest son, 22-year-old son Paul, outside kennels on the estate on 7 June 2021.

Graeme Massie reports on the prosecution’s opening statement.

Prosecutors paint grisly portrait of Alex Murdaugh killing wife and son

Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Friday 27 January 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

On the surface, Alex Murdaugh had it all.

He was a high-powered attorney who ran both his own law firm and worked in the local prosecutor’s office.

He was the son of a powerful legal dynasty that dominated the local South Carolina community for almost a century.

And he was a family man who lived with his wife and two adult sons on their sprawling country estate.

But over the last 19 months, Mr Murdaugh has experienced a spectacular fall from grace, culminating in what has been described as the “trial of the century” now taking place in a courtroom in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Rachel Sharp has been closely following the case for The Independent.

Murders, fraud, and a hitman plot: Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Friday 27 January 2023 22:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Full interview of Alex Murdaugh at crime scene

Friday 27 January 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Court in recess for the weekend

Friday 27 January 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Rather than having the cross-examination of Special Agent Melinda Worley interrupted by the weekend break, the defence team asks that the court recess for the weekend and they begin questioning the SLED agent on Monday.

Judge Clifton Newman agrees and court is in recess.

The trial will resume on Monday morning at 9.30am.

Friday 27 January 2023 21:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Friday 27 January 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

The search of the Murdaugh house turned up a large amount of ammunition in the gun room that was collected and appeared to match the ammunition used in the murders —S&B AAC 300 BLK.

Friday 27 January 2023 21:13 , Oliver O'Connell

Tests were conducted on Murdaugh’s clothing, particularly the shirt he was wearing. They were tested with leurocrystal violet (LCV) which reacts and turns purple with haemoglobin from blood. It can also react to bleach and rust. On the shirt it reacted as positive.

One problem with the test is that LCV oxidises and eventually anything it touches will turn purple as if there has been a reaction.

Friday 27 January 2023 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Regarding evidence from the autopsies, shotgun wad was removed from Paul’s chest and left shoulder, and projectile fragments were collected from Maggie’s body.

Further pellets from Paul’s body and clothing were entered into evidence as well as his New Balance shoes which were compared to the bloody footprints in the feed room.

Fingernail clippings were taken from both Paul and Maggie and a metal fragment caught on Maggie’s dress was also bagged.

Friday 27 January 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

After earlier compelling testimony in which prosecutors demonstrated the significance of Mr Murdaugh’s clothes being clean in relation to his account of his actions upon discovering the bodies of his wife and son, Friday afternoon’s session has moved into rather humdrum, but necessary, procedural testimony.

Agent Worley is still on the stand and is literally unpacking all of the evidence collected from the scene the night of the murders. By presenting physical objects to the jury and wider court, it is likely that these items will be used later to more concretely build a narrative to the case against Mr Murdaugh.

Friday 27 January 2023 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell

The court is taking its mid-afternoon break.

Watch: Dashcam video of Alex Murdaugh’s initial interview at crime scene

Friday 27 January 2023 20:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Dashcam footage of Alex Murdaugh’s initial interview with police at the scene of the murders has been released by the court.

In these first three clips, courtesy of Law & Crime’s Cathy Russon, Murdaugh describes to officers how he came to find the bodies and tried to turn over Paul.

Friday 27 January 2023 20:09 , Oliver O'Connell

Agent Worley identifies an exhaustive list of projectiles and bullet fragments and notes one collected from a dog bed inside a kennel.

Organic material was also found on the front of an ATV near Maggie.

Ms Worley is a specialist in tire impressions and analysed those on scene from the vehicle of the dogs’ caretaker. She confirms earlier testimony that she would be unable to analyse any of the tire impressions on the grass noted by first responders.

Murdaugh trial shown crime scene photos of bloody dog kennels

Friday 27 January 2023 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Photos of the bloody crime scene where Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul and wife Maggie were brutally shot to death have been revealed at the legal scion’s murder trial.

The photos were introduced into evidence on Friday as SLED forensic analyst Melinda Worley testified during the third day at Colleton County Court in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Alex Murdaugh trial shown crime scene photos of bloody dog kennels after murders

Friday 27 January 2023 19:46 , Oliver O'Connell

Maggie’s arms were bent at the elbow with one outstretched and one underneath her. When her body was moved, a rifle cartridge was found on the ground underneath her body by her knee.

A total of five cartridges were found at the scene.

Court back in session

Friday 27 January 2023 19:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Court is back in session and direct examination of SLED agent Melinda Worley continues with questions regarding items found in the feed room that were bagged and taken as evidence.

Questioning then turns to Maggie’s body, which was covered in a pink sheet when Agent Worley arrived at the scene.

During police interview Murdaugh tells bizarre story of farmhand claiming to kill Black Panthers

Friday 27 January 2023 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh recounted a wild story about a farmhand claiming to “kill radical Black Panthers” when he was interviewed by law enforcement on the night of the double murder of his wife and son.

During the second day of testimony at the legal scion’s murder trial on Friday, jurors were shown footage of his first police interview after he claimed to have found the victims shot dead on the family estate in Islandton, South Carolina.

Rachel Sharp is following the trial and filed this report.

Alex Murdaugh told police story of farmhand claiming to kill Black Panthers

Bodycam shows Murdaugh’s ‘clean’ shirt despite his claims he touched wife and son’s bloodied bodies

Friday 27 January 2023 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-released stills from bodycam footage reveal Alex Murdaugh dressed in a “clean” white shirt after he claims he touched his wife and son’s bloodied bodies after finding them shot dead at the family estate in South Carolina.

In two images, released by Colleton County Court on Friday, Mr Murdaugh is seen on the grounds of the property in Islandton in the aftermath of the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Rachel Sharp has the story for The Independent.

Bodycam shows Alex Murdaugh’s ‘clean’ shirt after claiming he touched bloody bodies

Sobbing Murdaugh tells police he ‘tried to turn over’ son’s body in first interview after murders

Friday 27 January 2023 18:25 , Oliver O'Connell

A sobbing Alex Murdaugh was heard telling law enforcement how he “tried to turn over” his son’s bloodied body after discovering him and his wife shot dead at the family’s estate – as his first police interview about the murders was played in court.

Rachel Sharp reports on what the interview revealed.

Alex Murdaugh’s first police interview after murders of wife and son revealed

Friday 27 January 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Court breaks for lunch and will reconvene at 2.20pm.

Friday 27 January 2023 18:07 , Oliver O'Connell

The unknown shoeprints in the feed room were consistent with the shoes worn by Paul when he died, Agent Worley testifies.

The shoeprints were facing the window.

Agent Worley says much of the blood and hair on the door was on the outside of it as it had opened inwards into the room. The window had six “defects” — holes in the glass caused by impact from inside the feed room.

Friday 27 January 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Agent Worley is asked about Paul’s body.

She notes his cell phone laying on the back of his shorts as he lies facedown. He lay outside of the feed room and they processed it as part of the crime scene.

She found shotshell wad on the floor as well as blood and tissues and piece of skull. There was damage to a window and blood and hair was found near the top of the door and behind the door. There were two 12-gauge shotshells behind the door and pellets on the floor. All were photographed and collected as evidence.

There were many shoeprints in the feed room.

Friday 27 January 2023 17:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Ms Worley arrived at the Moselle Road property at 12.07am on 8 June after driving to the location from Columbia, having been notified at 10.30pm.

It was raining lightly when she arrived and Maggie’s body had been covered by a tent.

She was briefed by Agent Dave Owen and walked the crime scene noting that evidence had already been marked out by the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.

Agent Worley then took custody of the 12 gauge shotgun that had been retrieved from Murdaugh. As it was collected by Sgt Greene she took a DNA swab from him to eliminate him from any evidence gathering. She found a 16 gauge shotgun cartridge in the magazine when she unloaded the weapon.

New Witness: Melinda Worley, forensic analyst for SLED

Friday 27 January 2023 17:34 , Oliver O'Connell

Melinda Worley, a forensic analyst for SLED, takes the stand. She was a crime scene investigator in 2021 specialising in footwear and tire impressions as well as bloodstain pattern analysis, reconstructing the scenes of shootings, forensic archaeology, and clandestine graves.

She is accepted as an expert in footwear and tire examination.

Friday 27 January 2023 17:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Agent Cirencione also took custody of a cell phone connected to the case.

In cross-examination, she explains she processed the cell phone on the morning of 8 June. Defence attorney Harpootlian asks if she had put the phone in a Faraday bag to prevent it from accessing a signal. She did not and was not aware of what a Faraday bag was. The passcode for the phone was written on the brown paper bag it was kept in.

Harpootlian notes that the phone was treated as if it were a “can of pork and beans”. Ms Cirencione says, only if that can of pork and beans was evidence.

New Witness: Agent Dalila Cirencione, SLED

Friday 27 January 2023 17:13 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness is Dalila Cirencione of SLED who was part of the crime scene investigation unit on 7 June 2021.

She took DNA swabs from the victims that night.

Friday 27 January 2023 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

In redirect, prosecutor John Meadors notes that many of the things the defence team asked Det Rutland about were the responsibilities of SLED and that she had been there to assist and observe their investigation.

It is established that when Paul fell, it was face-first onto gravel outside of the kennels.

Det Rutland was again asked about Murdaugh’s clothes and whether they appeared “fresh, like they had just come out of the laundry”.

She replied that it was possible. Asked if her testimony was that they had been freshly washed, she noted that Murdaugh was sweating but the clothes are dry so she would agree with the statement.

Friday 27 January 2023 17:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Det Rutland was questioned about Paul’s missing pickup, a Ford F-250.

After a search, it was found on the side of a highway in Hampton County, not too far away.

It was later explained that the car belonged to John Marvin Murdaugh, Alex’s younger brother, and Paul’s uncle. Paul had been driving it but John Marvin had been using it that night and it had broken down that night as he drove to the scene of the murders.

Friday 27 January 2023 16:56 , Oliver O'Connell

In her report, Det Rutland said there appeared to be brown hairs in Maggie’s hands and possible scratches and a bruise on Paul’s face.

Friday 27 January 2023 16:53 , Oliver O'Connell

In the weeks after the murders, the family gave consent for the authorities to access their cell phone data and gave interviews to detectives.

Det Rutland assisted the SLED dive team in searching ponds, waterways, and the Salkehatchie River for evidence of a crime. The entire 1,700-acre property was canvassed using ATVs.

Friday 27 January 2023 16:48 , Oliver O'Connell

Det Rutland is asked about her earlier testimony regarding there being no shoe prints around Paul’s body — which would dispute Murdaugh’s claim he checked his son for a pulse — she clarifies that she observed no shoe prints, but did not do any personal analysis.

Griffin notes that she arrived at the scene relatively late (having been arranging the search warrant) and other officers had already been there and a sheet was already over Paul’s body. Det Rutland says she did not see any shoeprints from law enforcement personnel who had been there before her.

Griffin also asks about the blood spatter and holes in the windows of the feed room, as well as the shotgun wadding found by Paul’s body (the inner parts of a shot).

Friday 27 January 2023 16:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Defence observes that Murdaugh was not specifically asked how he tried to turn over Paul, how and where he tried to check his pulse, and how the phone popped out of Paul’s pocket.

Earlier: Murdaugh describes son Paul as ‘wonderful'

Friday 27 January 2023 16:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Cross-examination begins

Friday 27 January 2023 16:28 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is brought back in and Defence Attorney Jim Griffin begins cross-examination by disputing Det Rutland’s statement that she thought it was odd for Murdaugh to visit his mother later at night given his father was not doing well either.

He then moves on to contend that if Murdaugh’s clothes were clean then it was unlikely he shot his son’s head off in the confines of the kennel’s feed room with blood spatter going everywhere.

Det Rutland says she can’t say that given there would be many factors involved including the distance from the victim.

Griffin says that if Murdaugh had looked like that she would have taken him into custody. She replies that wasn’t her role at the scene that night.

He then goes over the search warrant with Det Rutland and who took away Murdaugh’s clothes. She responded that she had remained in the foyer of the house during that process.

Friday 27 January 2023 16:14 , Oliver O'Connell

After a short mid-morning recess, court resumes with Judge Clifton Newman clarifying some rules regarding objections.

A new exhibit has been made public — the drone footage shown to the jury yesterday that shows the distance from the main house to the sheds and dog kennel where the murders occurred.

Friday 27 January 2023 15:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Following playing the interview to the court, Det Rutland is asked to explain how one might try and turn over a dead body and also check the pulse.

The questioning builds to establish that there was so much blood around Paul’s body and yet Murdaugh’s hands, arms, knees, t-shirt, shorts, and shoes were clean despite his claim to have tried to turn over his son and check his pulse.

There were also no footprints or kneeling marks in the blood around Paul’s body.

SLED took away Murdaugh’s clothes that night and seized his phone and vehicles.

Det Rutland confirms that the man whom she saw as having clean clothes despite claiming to have checked two dead bodies in what has been described as an especially bloody scene, was sitting in the courtroom and is Mr Murdaugh.

Friday 27 January 2023 15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

According to Murdaugh’s phone, which he checks during the interview, he texted Maggie at 9.08pm saying he was leaving to go visit his mother, and again at 9.47pm when he was on his way back to the farm. He had tried to call at 9.45 but there was no answer. He tried calling Paul as well and also got no answer.

For context, the 911 call was placed at 10.06pm.

Det Rutland says she found it odd that someone would go and visit an elderly Alzheimers patient that late at night.

Friday 27 January 2023 15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

On the day of the murders Paul had been working with his uncle John Marvin and had come home to prepare to plant sunflowers. Murdaugh says they rode around the property looking at things.

Maggie meanwhile had a doctor’s appointment and ran errands ion Charleston. She got home late. He adds that she loves the dogs and it was not uncommon for her to be out at the kennel late.

Friday 27 January 2023 15:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Asked about weapons on the property, Murdaugh says there was a 12 gauge shotgun out at the kennel.

“I’ll have to find out when that was. I think it got put up, but I’m not sure.”

He estimates the family has 20-25 guns on the property ranging from pistols to rifles and shotguns.

Friday 27 January 2023 15:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Returning to the topic of the boat crash, Murdaugh says he was not aware of any direct threats to Paul and while there had been some animosity between the survivors, most of the threats came from people Paul did not know.

Asked how Paul had handled the aftermath of the boat crash, Murdaugh says: “I’ve never been prouder of him than the way he’s handled the pressures and adversity in that situation. I mean Paul is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful kid. He can do almost anything. He gets along with almost anybody.”

Friday 27 January 2023 15:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh tells a bizarre story about CB Rowe, a caretaker he recently hired at the farm.

He says Rowe told Paul a story about being an undercover agent working with FBI and Navy Seals to kill radical Black Panther operatives.

Rowe was not working at the farm that day.

Friday 27 January 2023 15:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh is asked why he went to the kennels that night.

He explains that he got back from visiting his mother who has late-stage Alzheimers and found they were not at the house. He figured that they were at the kennels as Maggie loved dogs and his son Paul was working on planting sunflowers.

Murdaugh says his son and wife had a “wonderful” relationship and he and she also did. He says his relationship with his son was as good as it can be.

Asked if there have been any problems out at the property, he launches into the explanation about Paul’s boat crash and claims that his son has been punched and hit and attacked a lot over his responsibility for the accident.

The interviewer asks if there is one group responsible for the threats and he says he does not know but says there are constant threats whenever his son goes out.

Friday 27 January 2023 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Det Rutland says Mr Murdaugh did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs when interviewed and gave clear answers, understanding all the questions.

A recording of the interview is played to the court.

Murdaugh tells officers that he pulled up to the kennels and “knew it was really bad” when he saw his son Paul. He appears to be sobbing on the recording.

“I could see his brain ... I ran over to Maggie, actually I think I tried to turn Paul over first... um... you know, I tried to turn him over, I dunno, I figured it out. His cell phone popped out of his pocket, I started trying to do something with it but I put it back down really quickly, and then I went to my wife.”

Asked if he touched Maggie, he responded: “I did, I touched them both. I tried take, I mean I tried to do it as limited as possible, I tried to take the pulse on both of them and I called 911 pretty much right away.”

Friday 27 January 2023 14:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Det Rutland recalls what she saw upon arriving at the crime scene mirroring the accounts of the other first responders to the site.

Specifically, she recounts how she came across shoeprints in the dirt along the left side of the hanger building that appeared to come from flat footwear like a sandal.

She testifies that the shoes worn by Maggie appeared to be similar to the prints that she saw.

New Witness: Laura Rutland

Friday 27 January 2023 14:48 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is seated.

The first witness is Detective Laura Rutland of Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.

Det Rutland was in charge of securing the search warrant of the Murdaugh’s 4147 Moselle property on the night of 7 June 2021.

Upon arriving at the scene that night she was assigned as the chief liaison with SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) who would be leading the investigation.