Sutton testified that makes it implausible Murdaugh, who stands 6-foot-4, could have been the triggerman. The defense on Tuesday also called its first expert witness, Mike Sutton, a forensics engineer, who introduced a theory that Murdaugh was too tall to be the shooter. Buster Murdaugh, who testified in the morning as the first witness for the defense, said his father cried heavily during the encounter. Understand Murdaugh is a podcast from The Post and Courier that dives into the intricacies of the Alex Murdaugh saga and the many related legal proceedingssurrounding the disgraced former attorney. Former lawyer Alex Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, took the stand on Tuesday and spoke to the courtroom in the trial in which his father is accused of killing his wife and son. Alex has been indicted and charged with over 100 crimes, and he faces multiple life sentences in prison. He said on the stand that he spoke with his parents and brother nearly every day on the phone and that his father called him on the night of the killings to let him know that he was on his way to his ailing mothers house to check in on her. Content warning: This article contains mentions of murder. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. Anyone can read what you share. Hes not doing well at all, a former college classmate told People. She previously wrote breaking news and features for Newsweek and The News-Press. For example, prosecutors have alleged it was strange Murdaugh, 54, left the familys hunting estate through its main driveway that night, rather than using another driveway by the dog kennels where Maggie and Paul were killed. One juror could be seen standing in the door of a small feed room, where Paul Murdaugh was killed. During cross-examination in circuit court in Walterboro, however, the state questioned Buster Murdaugh's description of a harmonious family. Randolph Murdaugh, III, 81, of Varnville, died peacefully Thursday afternoon, June 10, 2021, at his residence. An investigator testified he heard Murdaugh say I did him so bad while breaking into hysterics, apparently admitting to killing Paul. It is rare for jurors to visit crime scenes, and experts said bringing the jurors out of the tightly controlled courtroom environment and into the real world could carry significant risks for both the prosecution and defense. I just sat there for a minute, he recalled. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool. Absolutely, said Ms. Vanoy, a vice president for diversity and inclusion at a health care company. For example, experts said, lawyers are not allowed to point things out or speak with the jurors. Buster Murdaugh was the first witness for the defense in the disgraced South Carolina lawyers double murder trial. By Karen Ruiz and Laura Collins, Chief Investigative Reporter, For Dailymail.Com, Published: 14:39 EST, 13 February 2023 | Updated: 18:12 EST, 13 February 2023. Jurors spent roughly an hour on the property, walking between the dog kennels and a nearby shed and examining the outside of the main residence, about a 500-yard drive away. One of them being the suggestion that Alex Murdaugh changed clothes on the day of his family's murder for reasons related to their deaths. His lawyers said he was visiting his ailing mother the night of the murders and police wrongly focused on him from the start. Dressed in a dark suit and a crisp white shirt, Buster appeared stoic and distant on the witness stand, calmly and politely answering Griffin. He has bags under his eyes and he just looks miserable. The slain mother's headstone is relatively nondescript and only lists the year of her birth and death, Paul's headstone, which has the same design, lies right below his mother and similarly, only contains his name and the year of his birth and death, Murdaugh's wife Maggie and his younger son Paul were found shot dead on the family's property in June 2021. Low around 65F. His younger brother, Paul, was killed alongside his mother in 2021. "They would like the family and the community to know that their thoughts and continued prayers are with the Murdaughs. The girl's body was found a week later. She made the most out of every situation, and lived each and every day to the fullest. She adored her family, and cherished spending time on the boat with her two sons. Subscribe here:http://bit.ly/3UDCuZT. He soon admitted that he had actually asked a former client to kill himbecause he wanted to leave his older son, Buster, with a $10 million insurance payout. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Murdaughs team will continue to call witnesses when court resumes at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 22. Although much of the property is hidden from the road, it was clear this week that it had changed in the time since the crime, while no one has been living there. ET. Theres also a suspicious death which speculation implicated Buster in himself but nothing has ever come of it. Required fields are marked *. Richard "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., 26, is Alex Murdaugh's oldest and only surviving son. He also said that his mother and brother had confronted his father about the pills they had found previously. Buster Murdaugh and Brooklynn White were asked to stand so witness Chris Wilson can see them during Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse on Thursday, February 9, Alex Murdaugh pictured with his wife Maggie and their two sons Paul (left) and Buster. God bless and watch over Maggie and Paul. Prosecutors believe that blue object was a rain jacket, which forensic tests revealed was covered in gunshot residue on the inside. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. Understand SC is available in all major podcasting apps. Creighton Waters, the lead prosecutor, opposed the request, noting that the property has changed in the 20 months since the crime, including trees between the kennels and main house that are markedly taller and thicker than in the past. ), Was it painful? Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Buster Murdaugh, the son of Alex Murdaugh testifies in his fathers trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Prosecutors argued Alex shot his wife and son to escape accountability for more than 100 financial crimes including fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and forgery, with which hes been charged. He repeatedly mocked the engineers three-dimensional model of Maggies shooting, which depicted the shooter as an anonymous, short male figure. Alex Murdaugh. The slayings of Maggie and Paul opened up another unsolved death from 2015that of Stephen Smith, a gay teenager whose body was found dead on a remote road in Hampton County. Buster Murdaugh has been sitting in the courtroom gallery for almost a month as the trial went into the details of how his mother and younger brother were shot and killed. Low around 65F. Uwa Ede-Osifo is a news associate for NBC News. Buster Murdaugh. He testified that his father was always apologetic and sorry when he was confronted about his drug use. The eldest son painted the picture of a loving, "close-knit" family that solved disagreements or disputes with civility, headed by their patient patriarch, Alex Murdaugh. But also, he was a wealthy man, so theres a question mark.. The synopsis of which is as follows: The Murdaughs were one of South Carolinas most prominent families, but the death of teenager Mallory Beach in a drunken boating accident began the unraveling of their legacy. Alex called 911 at around 10pm claiming he had just found them which prosecutors say is a lie. StyleCaster is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Want more in-depth analysis of the Murdaugh saga? Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Mike Sutton, forensic engineer with the North Carolina-based Accident Research Specialists answers questions from defense attorney Dick Harpootlian during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. I think hes developed this attitude of Im gonna shut people out before they shut me out. His circle of friends got really small really fast. They continued, Hes really down. Now he doesnt respond to most texts, or if he does, its one or two words. Though, he was aware of his fathers drug addiction. Prosecutors have focused on a cellphone video recorded by Paul just minutes before his death in which voices can be heard in the background ordering Bubba,who had a habit of bothering chickens and birds, to leave the animals alone. After three weeks of explosive testimony, the State is set to rest its case this week, however, some key witnesses including,Curtis 'Cousin Eddie' Smith is yet to testify. In one instance, the defense played Buster Murdaugh an audio recording of his father's interview with police, in which he emotionally discussed seeing his dead son. Disgraced South Carolina personal injury lawyer Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial for the murder of his wife, Maggie, and Buster, however, testified visitors commonly parked there, especially at night, in order to use the homes back door. Before the jury in the trial of Alex Murdaugh goes to deliberations, they will be leaving the courtroom and taking a field trip more than 20 miles away to Read moreAlex Murdaugh's prosecutors push back on 2-shooter theory in final day of testimony, Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian informed the judge that prosecutors plan to call seven reply witnesses an increase from the four they previously said they'd call. Murdaugh has adamantly denied killing his wife and son. %privacy_policy%. Our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers are with the family and friends. He grew emotional only when Buster recalled the moment his father told him Maggie and Paul had been shot. Joshua Boucher/Getty Images, If youre interested in learning more about the family, dont missMurdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandalon Netflix. Eventually, the four of them Buster, Alex, Brooklynn, and uncle John Marvin went and stayed at Alex's parents' home in Almeda. Ahead of the trial, Murdaugh's defense insinuated that Smith was involved in the killings of Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, at thefamily's sprawling hunting estate in Islandton, South Carolina, on June 7, 2021. Meanwhile, apolice investigation is still underway and sources familiar with the case told FITSNewsthat a family member of the victims is a "person of interest" in ongoinginquiries, but they have not deemed any person a suspect in the murders at this time. , Post and Courier, an Evening Post Publishing Newspaper Group. But he and his relatives have sat a few rows behind Murdaugh each day of the trial. Ive been gone, he told a dispatcher, NBC reported at the time. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Buster Murdaugh, the son of Alex Murdaugh testifies, waits to resume testifying during a break, in his fathers trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. The Beach family released a statement Tuesday afternoon, a day after the murders, through their attorney which says, "The Beach family extends its deepest and warmest sympathies to the Murdaugh family during this terrible time. May you find comfort knowing that life continues forever in heaven even as the memories shared live forever in our hearts. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian uses the 300 Blackout in evidence as he questions Mike Sutton during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Though our words can do little, we hope our thoughts and prayers will encourage you this period and always as you mourn, the passing soul. Before the murders, Buster was a student at the University of South Carolina pursuing his law degree. After Maggie and Paul's murders on June 7, 2021, Buster became Alex Murdaugh's only surviving son, He was seen picking up a small statue of a dog that had been left at their burial sites and placed it above his mother's tomb, The poignant dog statue is among the various trinkets and items adoring Maggie and Paul's burial sites, The dog appears to resemble the Murdaugh family dog, Bubba, who has become somewhat of a key player in the case after a video in which voices can be heard mentioning the yellow lab appears to place Alex at the scene of the murders, Buster's girlfriend Brooklynn has been seen supporting him at his dad's trial proceedings, Alex Murdaugh and defense attorney Jim Griffin stand as prosecutor John Meadors enters during day 16 of Murdaugh's double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse on Monday. Contact us at
[email protected]. Born to prestige before a mighty fall How murder charges impact other death investigations, lawsuits surrounding Alex Murdaugh Horror in Hampton County: Buster My wife and my son theyre on the ground But last year Mallory's mother filed a civil lawsuit against the Murdaugh family and the convenience store chain that allegedly soldminors alcohol the evening of her daughter's death. There were no suspects in the death of Stephen Smith and no one has been apprehended. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. They have hinted the former attorney did so to hide evidence, including the still-unrecovered murder weapons, by the propertys treeline. Fernandez suggested Suttons opinions were mere guesswork, not science. Randolph Murdaugh, III Varnville, SC - Mr. Randolph Murdaugh, III, 81, of Varnville, died peacefully Thursday afternoon, June 10, 2021 at his residence. Here's What Happened. Prosecutors say evidence shows Alex Murdaugh was at the scene of the crime with Maggie and Paul. He was the eldest member of the powerhouse Murdaugh family. Music by Lexin Music. All Rights Reserved. He has really closed off and built walls around himself. Another childhood friend of Buster told the outlet, Buster is collateral damage to his fathers situation, says a friend who has known him since childhood. Up until now, Maggie and Paul's graves had not been publicly revealed. Buster Murdaugh watches his father Alex Murdaugh enter the courtroom after a break at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. The dog appears to resemble the Murdaugh family dog, Bubba, who has become somewhat of a key player in the case against Alex, 54, who faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted for the murders of his wife, 52, and son, 22. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Mike Sutton, forensic engineer with the North Carolina-based Accident Research Specialists answers questions about shot trajectory from defense attorney Dick Harpootlian during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Where was Buster Murdaugh during the murders? The victims were found with But, eventually, we got our stuff together and drove down to Moselle.". Richard Alex Buster Murdaugh Jr., 26, is the oldest son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh. Alex told police that he was not home at the time of the murders, which authorities say took place between 9 and 9:30 p.m. that evening. 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