Murdaugh claims he was at his mother’s house during the shooting, but authorities believe blood splatter purportedly found on his clothing shows that he, too, was at the dog kennels when his wife and kid were killed.
At 10:07 p.m., Murdaugh reported to 911 that he had discovered Maggie and Paul dead. His lawyers claim their client was looking for signs of life and checked the bodies, getting blood all over himself and his clothes.
Alex Murdaugh trial starting up now.
Detective Laura Rutland testifying.https://t.co/y0ZSUh7ThW— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) January 27, 2023
A “pending motion that threatened to expose years of huge indebtedness and unlawful financial activities,” as reported by The Associated Press, is what prosecutors say motivated Murdaugh to kill his wife and son.
Three months later, while changing a tire on a rural road, Murdaugh was shot. A murder-for-hire scheme hatched by Murdaugh’s eldest son to collect a $10 million insurance claim was immediately exposed by the authorities. According to the prosecution, Murdaugh conspired with the alleged shooter, former client Curtis Edward Smith. In November 2021, the pair was indicted for the purported scam.
At least 106 criminal charges dating back to 2011 have been brought against Murdaugh by a grand jury as of January 2023. There are now three civil cases where he is named as a defendant. His assets are frozen and he has been disbarred.
After three days of deliberation, a 12-member jury and a 6-person bench were selected. On Wednesday afternoon, we’ll hear the opening statements.
The courtroom is equipped with Court TV cameras, which broadcast the entire proceeding live from the opening of the case to its conclusion.
