During his testimony, John Marvin Murdaugh confirmed for prosecutors that his brother, Alex Murdaugh, lied to law enforcement investigating Paul and Maggie Zapata said the DNA could have been transferred from her touching an object or person. Powder and residue left behind from a gun was found in several places Alex Murdaugh was also at, the prosecutor said. 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. The cartridges were used in a type of automatic rifle that Alex Murdaugh bought but cant be accounted for, Waters said. 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. Attorney Dick Harpootlian says the defense team will need time for their expert to review the data as well. Anything that the boys were doing, Alex wanted to do.. Randy and John described their late nephew as a "carefree spirit" who loved being outdoors. Published: Feb. 13, 2023 at 2:47 PM PST WALTERBORO, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The fourth week of the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh began on Monday. John Marvin Murdaugh and Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh IV spoke with "Good Morning America" about the deaths of Maggie and Paul, saying they didn't believe their brother was involved in their killings. From 1987 to 2005, Randolph held the job as prosecutor for Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties, like his father and grandfather did before him. The I am immensely sorry to everyone I've hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. Theres nothing on camera. 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. Waters said a video on Paul Murdaughs cellphone has the voices of him, Maggie and Alex Murdaugh in it. Tanner told FITSnews earlier this month, then he should be prepared to debate this time, where he can explain to people why he was caught hanging out at the Murdaugh murder scene.. ", "I can tell you he was willing and still is willing to do anything that's asked of him," John added. In the will, Maggie Murdaugh listed her sister, Marian Proctor, as the person to handle the estate. The whole family is suffering," John told ABC News. Two alternates will take their place. A former federal prosecutor, he now works as a state and federal criminal defense attorney based in Columbia, South Carolina. Its the hardest thing Ive ever been through in my life., Prosecutors say that Paul Murdaugh was fatally shot outside the feed room near the dog kennels of the South Carolina property on June 7, 2021and that his mother, Maggie, was killed nearby. Jailed in Richland County and facing more than 90 criminal charges and 11 lawsuits, Murdaugh has had his assets placed under the control of court-appointed No mother, father, aunt, or uncle should ever have to see and do what I did that day, John Marvin Murdaugh, the defense teams final witness, told Colleton County jurors on Monday about his decision to clean his brothers hunting estate. Id never seen anything like it. In response, one of his attorneys called it a "very sad development. He is the 14th defense witness called overall during the six-week trial. None, defense lawyer Dick Harpootlian said. Witnesses said Paul Murdaugh was driving it and that he was extremely drunk and acting belligerently. She testified that she did not find any defensive wounds on Maggie either. "I don't know of anybody that would truly be an enemy or truly want to hurt them," Randy noted. Theres no forensics tying him to the crime. He was charged with a list of crimes relating to his work, including nine counts of tax evasion, stealing lawsuit settlement money from badly injured clients, a drug At the time, the couple's sons were children. We dont know why. The two brothers recalled how "smitten" Alex was from the moment he met Maggie and how "he truly doted on her.". A family spokesperson told ABC News at the time that he was changing a tire when a car passed him. Will of Alex Murdaugh's wife reveals he inherited all her property, accusations that he misused money from his law firm. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Ive seen television shows talking about the leg twitching and the squirminess, John Marvin told jurors about taking his brother from an Atlantic detox center after the Labor Day shooting to rehab. "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. Murdaugh also faces about 100 charges related to other crimes, including money laundering, stealing millions from clients and the family law firm, tax evasion and trying to get a man to fatally shoot him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. ABC News' Eva Pilgrim, Alexandra Faul, William Gretsky, Janice McDonald, Jen Leong and Mike Repplier contributed to this report. "The arrests in this case are only the first step in that process.". "And so we said our goodbyes and tried to be in a celebratory way to my dad, but we're all hurting because of Maggie and Paul.". 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 Murdaugh and Randolph "Randy" Murdaugh IV said they "knew something was wrong" when their other brother called them both late in the night on June 7. The South Carolina legal scion, 53, who has been in jail since October, has been charged with a slew of counts, most of them financial crimes. His mom and his brother were just killed.". Alex is fully cooperating with SLED in their investigations into his shooting, opioid use and the search to find the person or people responsible for the murder of his wife and son. A male driver in a blue pickup asked him if he had car troubles, as soon as Alex replied, he was shot. He was just distraught. Murdaugh officially resigned from the law firm Peters,Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, & Detrick based in Hampton, South Carolina, on Sept. 3 but publicly announced his resignation days later. Its a journey. The law firm said later that he Those medical records show he was positive for opiates and barbiturates on the night that he was taken to the Savannah hospital, Harpootlian said. They said he could not be visually excluded but it is 11 times more likely the sample was from someone else. "These charges stem from a SLED investigation into misappropriated settlement funds in the death of Gloria Satterfield," SLED said in a statement. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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 "I can assure you that SLED agents will continue working to bring justice to anyone involved with any criminal act associated with these ongoing investigations," said SLED Chief Mark Keel. Also on Sept. 15, the sons of a former Murdaugh housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, filed a lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh, Corey Fleming and others for allegedly swindling them out of receiving settlement money. He said, Come as fast as you can. I felt like I owed [Paul]. Buster Murdaugh and John Marvin Murdaugh//Image Credit: WCBD NEWS 2 Zapata said it was possible the DNA could have been transferred if the victims were checked for signs of life. "But we're just regular people that are working hard and trying to do right. The defense in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial rested their case Monday. The South Carolina Supreme Court also issued an order suspending Alex Murdaugh's license to practice law in the state. All rights reserved. Alex Murdaugh enlisted Curtis Smith to shoot and kill him while in his mentally ill, drug-addicted and grieving state, Murdaugh's attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian said in a statement on Sept. 15, a day after Smith was charged. While I will support him in his recovery, I do not support, condone, or excuse his conduct in stealing by manipulating his most trusted relationships. 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. Judge Clifton Newman announced at the start of court on Monday that two jurors, 220 and 528, were released from their service because they tested positive for COVID-19. The boating accident led some to question whether Paul's family's legal ties affected the probe. A string of bloody killings and mysteries involving a prominent South Carolina family has sent investigators on a wild chase full of twists and turns. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships," he said. "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. They don't believe Alex is involved in the murders. Paul and Maggie have been hurt,'" John told ABC News in an exclusive interview airing Thursday on "Good Morning America. As Murdaugh faces life in prison without parole in the double murder case, which is now in its sixth week, it is unclear when that field trip will occur, however. 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. State law enforcement officials also announcedthat they were looking into those allegations. It was the start of what is expected to be a three-week trial at the Colleton County Courthouse. Maggie Murdaughs phone locks forever about 30 seconds later, Waters said. ", Sept. 6: Murdaugh announces resignation, enters rehab. Asked about the scratched-out name in the will, John Marvin Murdaugh said Tuesday: "I cant tell you why she would have done that. SLED announced it reopened an investigation into the death of a man named Stephen Smith, 19, after new evidence was gathered during the course of the investigation into the Murdaugh double homicide. But I guess maybe I made a mistake.. I just dont know.". He said he thought they were dead.". He told authorities he had been out at the time of the shooting and found his wife and son dead when he arrived home, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said in a later news release. The defense Riemer said yes, because some shots would have been fired from behind her and the shot to the back of her head, when she was on the ground, would have come from toward the top of her body. Defense attorney Phillip Barber asked if the DNA was submitted to CODIS, the FBIs DNA database, but Zapata said it did not meet the requirements for CODIS because the sample contained only three alleles. This photo provided by the Colleton County sheriff's office shows Curtis Edward Smith. The saga began when Murdaugh's wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and their son Paul, 22, were found fatally shot in June. Once the police opened the phone, they gave me a ride back to my car, he said. The firm said that it contacted law enforcement and the South Carolina Bar. Noting that investigators had released the scene hours earlier and that he received permission from another law enforcement friend, John Marvin noted that the crime scene was not cleaned up when he arrived and that he could still see where Maggies body had been found. 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. He is accused of killing his wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul in June 2021, NCJA | 700 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-628-8550 |. John Marvin was emotional throughout his testimony. He had diarrhea. Barber had Zapata count 74 cuttings taken from Alex Murdaughs shirt, all of which tested negative for human blood. The documents released by authorities do not present evidence of his motive or how the murders are believed to have taken place, except to say that Maggie Murdaugh was killed with a rifle and Paul Murdaugh was killed with a shotgun. John and Randy stayed there for hours, comforting their brother, until they finally convinced him to leave. Smith was found dead in the middle of a road in Hampton County in 2015 and investigators believed he was hit by a vehicle but no suspects were ever apprehended, a local ABC affiliate in North Carolina, WTVD, reported. On Dec. 9, Colleton County Probate Judge Ashley Amundson appointed John Marvin Murdaugh, Alexs brother, as the personal representative for Maggie Murdaughs estate, records show. Whatever I was doing, it made it more interesting. Alex Murdaugh started crying when his lawyer discussed the detail. Last week, Alex Murdaughs surviving son Buster, 26, testified in the double murder trial of his father. 4:30 p.m.. Court is back in session. "I mean, we see it in the world. ", "I missed some phone calls from him. Alex Murdaughthe attorney from a prominent South Carolina family who is suspected of committing a staggering number of crimes that were revealed after of a fatal 2019 boat crashwas indicted Thursday for murder. Alex is not without fault but he is just one of many whose life has been devastated by opioid addiction," the lawyers' statement continued. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. From October: What really happened the night Alex Murdaugh was allegedly shot? ", Sept. 3 : Alex Murdaugh resigns from law firm. Satterfield's family members, who have alleged that Alex Murdaugh stole more than $4 million in insurance settlements for her death, called the development "bittersweet" and a "very good start to holding everyone accountable. Alex pulled over after seeing a low-tire indicator light. John Marvin was the last witness to testify before the defense rested on Monday. John Marvin Murdaugh also described how he got one of the first phone calls his brother Alex had made after discovering the bodies. Both victims were located outside of the residence on the sprawling property and had "sustained multiple gunshot wounds," according to a press release from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating the double murder along with the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. State law enforcement officials also announced, none of the proceeds from a $4.3 million settlement. Harpootlian added even more gruesome details how the shotgun blast that killed Paul Murdaugh was so close to his head that his brain exploded from his skull and was found at his feet. He was being held in jail without bail on those counts before he was charged with murder. I mean, in his pants.. Paul, a student at the University of South Carolina, was awaiting trial on a charge of boating under the influence causing death in a 2019 crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach, whose body was found a week later. Zapata said family members of Mallory Beach, the Cooke brothers, Alex Murdaugh, John Marvin Murdaugh and Buster Murdaugh were excluded as possible sources for the DNA. Stone had previously recused himself in 2019 after Paul Murdaugh was involved in a fatal boat crash. The listing comes less than five months after Alex Murdaugh, 53 the father of the family allegedly conspired to hire a hit man to kill him so that he could leave his Mr. Murdaugh, who has since been disbarred, has been held in jail since October 2021, when he was charged with stealing money from the family of his former housekeeper, who died after a fall on the steps of the Murdaugh family home. Her death is being reinvestigated following the filing of the financial charges against Mr. Murdaugh. It changes you as a family," Randy told ABC News. We're no different than anybody else," Randy told ABC News. State investigators allege that about $3.4 million was stolen after legal fees were paid. The court papers said that Murdaugh personally introduced them to fellow attorney Corey Fleming with the recommendation that Fleming should represent them "in filing legal claims against Murdaugh for the wrongful death of their mother.". ", June 22: Authorities reopen probe into 2015 death of Stephen Smith. I took so much just to not backslide.. Prosecutors released little information about their case before Wednesday. "It was very difficult.". Sept. 14: Police charge man in Alex Murdaugh shooting. John Marvin says 100% Alex said they did him so bad, and he had heard Murdaugh say it many other times since the murders. "I could see the white sheets across the way," he said. SLED compared the sample to C.B. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. This trial is the bottom of a stunningly far and fast downfall for the man whose family dominated the legal system in tiny neighboring Hampton County for generations, both as prosecutors and private attorneys known for getting life-changing settlements for accidents and negligence cases. June 17: Alex Murdaugh's brothers speak on "Good Morning America". In cross-examination, the defense reiterated that Alex Murdaugh said he checked Maggie and Paul both for pulses when he found their bodies. The 14th Circuit Solicitors Office also confirms to CNN that Murdaugh has been stripped of his privilege of prosecuting cases as a volunteer. At the center of it is Alex Murdaugh, a 53-year-old South Carolina lawyer who comes from a legacy of prominent attorneys in the state where three generations of the family had been state prosecutors in the Hampton County area for more than a century. Its complicated. "My brother loved Maggie and loved Paul like nothing else on this earth, just like he loves Buster," Randy said, naming Alex's other son. "And I can't imagine the horror that my brother's experiencing.". The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it continues to pursue all leads in the ongoing investigation and that anyone with information should call 803-896-2605, a 24-hour dedicated tip line for the case. Alex Murdaugh was the person who reported their deaths to police, saying he had discovered them dead on a 1,700-acre hunting property belonging to the family. ", "Avarice and betrayal of trust are at the heart of this matter," the families said in a statement through their lawyers. Just days later, the family patriarch, Randolph Murdaugh III, died in a hospital at the age of 81. "It changes you as an individual. But you don't think it's going to happen in your small community, to your family.". 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. They said Paul was also a "people person" who was "very caring" and "would help anyone." He messed himself. Most of the testimony was focused on detailed forensic evidence in the investigation into the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Smith was charged with assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high-aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. "I know he's struggling with it, and I just can't imagine what's going through his mind. 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, John, who lives further away in the community of Okatie, west of Hilton Head Island, said he got there about 30 minutes later. Alex Murdaugh's attorneys didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. In the civil lawsuit, Satterfield's surviving sons claimed Alex Murdaugh approached them after she died, proposing the sons sue him so they would get a life insurance settlement on their mother's behalf, the complaint states. If he leaves the rehab facility, there will be a bench warrant issued for his arrest, Judge Tonja Alexander said. Had Zapata count 74 cuttings taken from Alex Murdaughs shirt, all of tested... 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