A homicide trial within the southern state of South Carolina has captured the eye of individuals throughout america, because the high-powered legal professional Alex Murdaugh, 54, stands accused of killing his spouse and son.
Showing in court docket on Friday, Murdaugh was questioned about inconsistencies in his story concerning the night time Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and their 22-year-old son Paul have been shot to demise.
The homicide case has garnered outsized nationwide consideration within the US, a rustic with a penchant for homicide mysteries. That the investigation centres on a suspect who belongs to a strong and well-connected household has made the case all of the extra intently watched.
Who’s Alex Murdaugh?
Hailing from the swampy, coastal low nation of South Carolina, Murdaugh is the scion of a outstanding household of legal professionals who’ve held sway within the area for almost a century.
Three family members have held public workplace as solicitors for South Carolina’s 14th Circuit Court docket — together with Murdaugh’s father.
Murdaugh adopted in his father’s footsteps, additionally changing into a lawyer. In 1993, he married Maggie Branstetter and had two youngsters, Paul and Buster.
However the double murder has renewed scrutiny of the Murdaughs and the ability the household has wielded.
Whereas Murdaugh has denied the homicide allegations, he has admitted to mendacity to investigators and funnelling massive sums of cash from purchasers and authorized companions to assist fund an opioid habit.
On prime of the alleged murders, Murdaugh is dealing with expenses for greater than 100 different crimes, together with monetary crimes like tax evasion.
He was arrested in October 2021 on monetary expenses, together with acquiring property below false pretences, after leaving a drug rehabilitation facility in Florida.
What do we all know concerning the murders?
Emergency providers operators acquired a 911 telephone name from Murdaugh on the night of June 7, 2021, saying he had discovered the our bodies of his spouse and little one outdoors their searching lodge in Colleton County, a rural a part of South Carolina.
Investigators mentioned Maggie Murdaugh was killed by 4 or 5 rifle pictures, whereas Paul was killed by two blasts from a shotgun. The our bodies of the mom and son have been found close to the canine kennels on the household’s sprawling property.
Prosecutors have accused Murdaugh of finishing up the killings to generate sympathy as woes from his monetary crimes piled up.
However the precise circumstances main as much as the killings stay unclear. Within the preliminary months following the deaths, Murdaugh indicated he was not close to the canine kennels on the time of the capturing.
Prosecutors, nonetheless, have used video from his son’s iPhone to indicate Murdaugh’s voice was recorded on the system 5 minutes earlier than the telephone turned inactive — which they allege locations Murdaugh on the scene of the homicide.
Murdaugh has mentioned he left to go to his ailing mom and solely found the our bodies on his return.
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal reveals the surprising true story of how the unintended demise of a teenage lady led to 2 extra murders and uncovered a century of corruption by one in every of South Carolina’s most outstanding households. Now on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/rU6QbeFrhY
— Netflix (@netflix) February 22, 2023
What has been the general public response?
The murders have fuelled intense public scrutiny, with dwell information protection of the court docket proceedings and a high-profile TV collection dedicated to unravelling the thriller.
The video streaming service Netflix launched a docuseries titled Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal on February 22, and HBO Max launched a mini-series on the murders in November 2022.
This style of tv appeals to a broad viewers throughout the US. In keeping with a 2022 YouGov ballot, half of adults within the nation mentioned they loved true crime content material, with 13 p.c stating it was their favorite style.
One viewers member following the proceedings even crocheted dolls representing Clifton Newman, the decide on the case, and prosecutor Creighton Waters. Pictures of the dolls have since gone viral, in keeping with the South Carolina paper The State.
What have been the most recent developments?
In testimony this week, Murdaugh speculated that the shootings have been aimed toward his son Paul, who had been drunk-driving a ship that crashed and killed a passenger.
Murdaugh additionally insisted he has tried to assist investigators remedy the homicide of his spouse and little one.
“Aside from mendacity to them about going to the kennels, I used to be cooperative in each side of this investigation,” Murdaugh mentioned.
“Very cooperative besides perhaps crucial reality of all, that you simply have been on the homicide scene with the victims simply minutes earlier than they died,” prosecutor Waters shot again.
On Friday, Murdaugh additionally mentioned he had been consuming greater than 2,000 milligrams of oxycodone throughout among the days main as much as the deaths.
“Opiates gave me power. No matter I used to be doing it made it extra attention-grabbing. It made me wish to do it longer,” he testified.
Murdaugh’s remaining son Buster Murdaugh additionally testified this week, defending his father. He described the elder Murdaugh as emotionally distraught within the days following the murders.
“He was destroyed. He was heartbroken,” Buster Murdaugh mentioned.
