Closing arguments begin on Wednesday at the trial of Alex Murdo, a now disfellowshipped South Carolina lawyer charged with the murders of his wife and son.
Mr. Murdo, a 54-year-old scion of a powerful legitimate family in an area west of Charleston, is accused of murdering his 52-year-old wife Maggie and 22-year-old youngest son Paul in a dog kennel on their estate known as Moselle. on the night of June 7, 2021
Prosecutors have alleged that Mr. Murdo committed the murders to evoke sympathy as his life collapsed amid allegations that he stole vast sums of money from clients and his lawyers, in part to quell drug addiction.
Murdo, who said he had nothing to do with the murders, faces 30 years to life if found guilty.
How can I watch the trial of Alex Murdo?
After testifying for more than a month, jurors will visit the Murdo family’s home on Wednesday morning to “view the jury” at the crime scene before returning to the courtroom for final comments from the prosecution and hearing from the defense.
“After the jury’s verdict, you’ll be back for final arguments, then I’ll brief you on the law you have to apply, and then you’ll consider reaching a verdict,” Judge Clifton Newman told the jury before they adjourned Tuesday. .
Judge Newman said he expects jurors to return to court around 11:00 AM ET (4:00 pm GMT) for closing arguments.
Several media outlets broadcast the trial live on YouTube, including the Law and Crime Network. You can find the thread here.
What is Alex Murdo accused of?
Mr. Murdo called 911 on the evening of June 7, 2021 and said he found his son and wife dead when he returned home after an hour-long visit with his dementia-stricken mother.
Authorities said Paul was shot twice with a shotgun, each round loaded with a different caliber of shot, and Maggie was shot with four or five rifle bullets. The crime scene report stated that both victims were shot in the head, as they were originally wounded near a dog kennel on the sprawling Murdo estate.
It took prosecutors more than a year to charge the disgraced lawyer with murder, but they decided not to seek the death penalty. Mr. Murdo, who is also accused of about 100 financial and other crimes, vehemently denies any involvement in the killings.
Prosecutors, who allege that Murdo killed his wife and son to divert attention from his financial crimes, have provided no direct evidence against him.
They called 61 witnesses and gathered more than 550 pieces of evidence in 17 days, from descriptions of the brutality of the murders to details of bank records.
The weapons used to kill the victims were not manufactured. But prosecutors were presented with key evidence proving that Mr. Murdo lied to police and placed him in the kennel where his wife and son were shot, just five minutes before investigators thought they were killed because they stopped using with their mobile phones.
This is a video of Paul locked in his cell phone for a year after the murders until federal agents were able to crack it. Mr. Murdo told the first officer to come and then everyone else that he was never in the kennel, but his voice can be heard on the video.
„Ich habe sie angelogen“, war eines der ersten Dinge, die Mr. Murdaugh sagte, als er zu seiner eigenen Verteidigung Stellung bezog und die Strafverfolgungsbehörden für Paranoia verantwortlich machte, weil er opiatabhängig war und eine Flasche Pillen in der Tasche hatte, als er it was. interrogated.
“I would never hurt Maggie Murdo. I would not harm Paul Murdo under any circumstances,” he said.
Mr. Murdo has repeatedly admitted to lying and stealing millions of dollars from his clients and law firm. “I took money that was not mine. And I shouldn’t have done it. I hate the fact that I did this. It’s embarrassing. I am ashamed of my son. I am ashamed of my family,” he said.
The defense called experts who said investigators did not erase fingerprints, collect or test blood, or photograph evidence with the angles or clarity needed to properly examine it later.
The defense also called an expert who said it probably took two gunmen to kill, as both Paul and Maggie looked surprised. They said their arms weren’t raised in defense, and the shockwave, blood, and bruising from Paul’s point-blank shotgun blast to the head likely stunned the shooter for at least a few seconds, giving Maggie time to escape. . run.
Source: I News
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