Alex Murdaugh trial – live: Timeline of murders delivers new revelations about pills, money, and phone records

There was dramatic testimony at the Colleton County Courthouse as the prosecution drew its case to a close in Alex Murdaugh’s double-murder trial for allegedly killing his wife and son.

Over four weeks, the jury heard an extraordinary amount of data and incredibly detailed evidence from 61 witnesses, and it was the final few who were tasked with pulling all the strands together which in itself shed new light on the case.

New revelations included Murdaugh’s plea for money from his bank manager days before the murders; that victims Maggie and Paul had discovered his stash of opioids; and that he called 911 only 20 seconds after allegedly discovering their bodies — having previously claimed he checked their pulses, and tried turning Paul over.

Bombshell testimony from SLED Agent Peter Rudofski, who pieced together a timeline from a multitude of data sources, came after a gripping recreation of the details of the brutal murders by a crime scene expert demonstrating shot angles on lawyers. The jury also heard about the “roadside shooting” in which Murdaugh confessed to orchestrating a purported botched assassination plot targeting himself.

The defence began presenting its case shortly before court adjourned for the holiday weekend. The trial continues at 9.30am on Tuesday.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

• Murdaugh wife and son found ‘bags of pills’ month before murders

• New car data places Murdaugh at the spot where wife’s phone was dumped

• Murdaugh attorney mocked for ‘spicy’ cross-examination of agent

• Alex Murdaugh trial shown sketch of fake shooter in failed hitman plot

• Alex Murdaugh trial: Killer ambushed son and shot wife as she fled

• Murdaugh police interview exposes wild inconsistencies between his alibi and witness accounts

Murdaugh trial hears how killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie

13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh allegedly ambushed his son Paul in the feeding room of the family’s dog kennels before turning on his wife Maggie who tried to flee only to be shot and killed on her knees, according to chilling testimony from a top crime scene expert.

Dr Kenny Kinsey, an Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy and crime scene expert, gave graphic testimony in the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina on Thursday, where he walked jurors through each moment of the horrific 7 June 2021 attack.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh trial hears killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie on her knees

‘Did you kill your wife and son?’

11:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-released footage has revealed the dramatic moment that Alex Murdaugh was first confronted by law enforcement for the first time about allegedly killing his wife and son.

Footage of a police interview with the disgraced legal dynasty heir was shown for the first time in Colleton County Courthouse on Wednesday as the prosecution nears the end of its case in his double murder trial.

The interview was Mr Murdaugh’s third since the 7 June 2021 murders – and came two months on from the slayings on 11 August 2021.

Dramatic moment Alex Murdaugh is first asked by police if he killed his wife and son

Key revelations from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial... so far

08:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Need to catch up on the trial as the defence begins its case? Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

‘Confession’, bloody scene and ‘clean’ shirt: Key moments from Alex Murdaugh trial

Murdaugh attorney mocked for ‘spicy’ cross-examination of agent

05:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh’s defence attorney has been mocked for his “spicy” cross-examination of a law enforcement official who testified about the accused killer’s botched hitman plot.

Dick Harpootlian resorted to shouting at SLED Senior Special Agent Ryan Kelly during an intensely combative exchange on Friday, which marked day 20 of Mr Murdaugh’s trial for the double murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Rachel Sharp has been watching the trial for The Independent.

Alex Murdaugh attorney mocked for ‘spicy’ cross-examination of agent over hitman plot

Watch: What was Buster Murdaugh’s reaction to today’s evidence?

03:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Car data places Murdaugh at the spot where wife’s phone was dumped

02:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly obtained car data has placed Alex Murdaugh at the spot where his wife’s phone was later found dumped – before he quickly sped away from the scene.

The data, handed over by General Motors just last week, shows the disgraced legal dynasty heir left the family home in his 2021 Chevy Suburban at 9.07pm on the night of 7 June 2021 – just minutes after he allegedly shot and killed his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

New car data places Alex Murdaugh at the spot where wife’s phone was dumped

In pictures: Last day of prosecution case

01:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh’s wife and son found his ‘bags of pills’ one month before murders

00:40 , Oliver O'Connell

A bombshell voicemail message has revealed that Alex Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and son Paul found “bags of pills” in the accused killer’s bag just one month before their murders.

The message, on 6 May 2021, shows Paul confronting his father about the discovery of the drugs – at a time when the disgraced attorney claims he was spending up to $60,000 a week to feed a 20-year opioid addiction.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh’s wife and son found ‘bags of pills’ one month before murders

Watch: GPS vehicle data challenges Murdaugh’s version of events

Friday 17 February 2023 23:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors reveal flurry of steps after killings

Friday 17 February 2023 22:40 , Oliver O'Connell

After nearly an hour of no activity, Alex Murdaugh‘s cellphone suddenly showed a flurry of steps just before he drove away in his SUV some 16 minutes after investigators think his wife and son were killed, a state agent testified Friday at the disgraced South Carolina lawyer’s double murder trial.

GPS data from Murdaugh’s SUV and cellphone data also shows Murdaugh called 911 less than 20 seconds after he arrived at the kennels where the bodies of his son and wife were, a short distance from their home. Murdaugh told the 911 operator he checked them to see if they were alive before the made the emergency call.

Read on:

Murdaugh prosecutors reveal flurry of steps after killings

Watch: Judge denies motion to dismiss case with directed verdict

Friday 17 February 2023 22:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Court adjourns

Friday 17 February 2023 21:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Tindal is allowed to step down from the witness box.

Harpootlian, speaking on behalf of the defence team, apologises for not having another witness lined up to fill the time before court has to adjourn for the day, but — as he stated earlier — does not want to begin new witness testimony and have it interrupted by the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend.

Court adjourns until Tuesday at 9.30am on Tuesday with the defence’s third witness.

Friday 17 February 2023 21:34 , Oliver O'Connell

New Witness: Shalane Tindal, ex-Colleton County Sheriff’s office

Friday 17 February 2023 21:28 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness is Shalane Tindal, she worked for Colleton County Sheriff’s office as the public information officer at the time of the murders.

Harpootlian asks her about the statement issued at the time of the murders that said that there is “no danger to the public”.

Tindal says the statement was agreed on by Colleton County Sheriff’s office and SLED.

The two paragraphs including the specific quote are entered into evidence but not the full article as it appeared in the Post & Courier.

During the state’s case, no one wanted to take responsibility for the quote.

Tindal says she and SLED’s public information officer coordinated on numerous occasions and finalised the statement for publication.

Friday 17 February 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

In cross-examination by the state, Harvey is asked to clarify that he did not take the temperatures of the bodies. He did not, but adds that thermometers are not always so accurate.

He concedes to deputy assistant attorney general Don Zelenka that there are many factors (air temperature, body weight, whether they are covered, etc) that determine body temperature after death.

Again, the 9pm time of death is an estimate.

Friday 17 February 2023 21:16 , Oliver O'Connell

He took photographs of the scene including inside the feed room, outside of which Paul’s body lay and inside where we know he was first shot.

To determine the time of death, Harvey said: “I simply put my hands in their armpits to determine how warm they are.”

Rigor mortis had not set in yet and he determined Maggie and Paul had been dead for between one and three hours. Their death certificates say 9pm.

Harpootlian contends that based on Harvey’s testimony they could have died between 8pm and 10pm.

The state’s case puts their death at approximately 8.50pm based on their cell phone data.

New Witness: Richard Harvey, coroner

Friday 17 February 2023 21:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The first defence witness is Richard Harvey, the elected Colleton County coroner.

He has been the coroner for the county for 30 years.

He was notified of the murders at 10.30pm on 7 June 2021 and arrived on the scene at 11.04pm.

Defence case begins

Friday 17 February 2023 21:07 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is brought back in and the defence calls its first witness.

We heard earlier that the defence team would call one or two witnesses today who are not expected to need to be carried over the weekend.

Directed verdict motion denied

Friday 17 February 2023 21:04 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Newman says they have had 18 days of direct and circumstantial evidence and the law gives no weight to either. Cases can be proven by either or both.

At this stage of the proceedings, he says, there is enough evidence to find the defendant guilty if the jury believes it.

Motion denied.

Defence moves to dismiss case

Friday 17 February 2023 21:02 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh’s defence team asks Judge Newman for a directed verdict dismissing the case, claiming the state has failed to prove its case.

Waters responds by cataloging all of the evidence they have presented.

This is fairly standard in a criminal trial.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:53 , Oliver O'Connell

There is a brief recess and the jury is sent out while the prosecution attends to some housekeeping matters regarding their evidence exhibits (550 in total).

They will then formally rest their case.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:52 , Oliver O'Connell

In a brief re-cross-examination Barber asks Rudofski if they checked to see if anyone drove by Murdaugh on his drive to and from Almeda on the night of the murders.

Rudofski says there is nothing in the data and that would be speculation.

No further questions.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Court resumes with Attorney Creighton Waters on redirect testimony of Agent Peter Rudofski.

He begins by pointing out the discrepancy in the comparison of the timings of Murdaugh’s drive to and from his mother’s house versus the test drive conducted by SLED is that Murdaugh paused in the driveway for several minutes.

Waters also establishes that the backlight on Maggie’s phone turned off at 9.07pm — the same time that Murdaugh’s car went past the spot where her phone was found the next day.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Court is on a short break.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:38 , Oliver O'Connell

As Barber finishes his cross-examination he shows another message, from Murdaugh to Maggie after the discovery of the pills.

“I am very sorry that I do this to all of you. I love you.”

Rudofski says that Maggie didn’t respond to the message.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Barber’s questioning is establishing that it is possible to look at phone or car data and come to different conclusions.

For example, he argues that while Murdaugh’s phone is recording steps in the moments after the murders, Maggie’s is not. This implies that Murdaugh could not have taken her phone with him.

Rudofski argues that at 9.06pm it looks like the same person has both phones as Maggie’s phone changed orientation just two seconds before Murdaugh called it.

It seems likely the defence case will include witnesses who interpret the data presented to the jury in a different way.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Barber asks if it was unreasonable for Murdaugh to call Paul’s friend Rogan in the moments after the 911 call. He called him third after his two brothers.

Paul’s phone had missed calls and messages from Rogan.

Rudofski says he would’ve been in a state of shock and would have unlikely to have been on his phone.

Further odd phone behaviour includes reading a group message from Michael Gunn with a picture of a beautiful woman and googling a restaurant in Edisto Beach.

Barber argues this was either Murdaugh acting in a state of shock or fat-fingering his phone.

Rudofski counters that this is off behaviour for someone who has just discovered their wife and son brutally slain.

Friday 17 February 2023 20:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Barber’s questions are largely about the relevance or significance of specific types of data or data points.

Rudofski is largely answering that he is not the expert on the data or technology — he is just the person who assembles all of the data into a readable timeline.

Friday 17 February 2023 19:52 , Oliver O'Connell

In making his point Barber hands Rudofski a timer to demonstrate how long 20 seconds is.

Friday 17 February 2023 19:48 , Oliver O'Connell

Barber also establishes that when Murdaugh drove past the area where Maggie’s phone was eventually found, he didn’t slow down, but was consistently picking up speed after leaving Moselle.

There is a back-and-forth between Rudofski and Barber about whether Murdaugh would be able to see the bodies in his headlights as he approaches the kennels. Rudofski says he was not there and does not know what Murdaugh may or may not have seen.

Barber is trying to argue if Murdaugh had a longer time period than 20 seconds in which to see the bodies, examine them, and then call 911.

Friday 17 February 2023 19:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Defence attorney Philip Barber begins questioning Rudofski by confirming that Murdaugh’s drive from Moselle to his mother’s house in Alameda on the night of the murders took 16 minutes and the return took 18 minutes.

A test drive by SLED agents took 17 minutes and 35 seconds. Rudofski says the conditions were different (it was daylight for a start - unclear when the road was repaved).

Regarding the speed of the car hitting 80mph, Barber argues that it is not unusual for someone to accelerate on a straight road.

Rudofski says “a little bit of gas” is not unusual but this was at night in a 55mph zone with wild deer running loose.

Court resumes

Friday 17 February 2023 19:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Court resumes after lunch and the jury is being brought in.

Cross-examination of Agent Peter Rudofski will begin soon.

New car data places Murdaugh at the spot where wife’s phone was dumped

Friday 17 February 2023 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-obtained car data has placed Alex Murdaugh at the spot where his wife’s phone was later found dumped – before he quickly sped away from the scene.

The data, handed over by General Motors just last week, shows the disgraced legal dynasty heir left the family home in his 2021 Chevy Suburban at 9.07pm on the night of 7 June 2021 – just minutes after he allegedly shot and killed his wife Maggie and son Paul.

One minute later, while driving at a speed of 42 mph, his car passed the very spot along Moselle road where Maggie’s cell phone was recovered from the shrubbery the next day.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

New car data places Alex Murdaugh at the spot where wife’s phone was dumped

Bombshell voicemail shows Alex Murdaugh’s wife and son found ‘bags of pills’

Friday 17 February 2023 19:02 , Oliver O'Connell

A bombshell voicemail message has revealed that Alex Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and son Paul found “bags of pills” in the accused killer’s bag just one month before their murders.

The message, on 6 May 2021, shows Paul confronting his father about the discovery of the drugs – at a time when the disgraced attorney claims he was spending up to $60,000 a week to feed a 20-year opioid addiction.

“I am still in EB because when you get here we have to talk. Mom found several bags of pills in your computer bag,” it says.

It is not clear whether Mr Murdaugh responded to the message left by his son or if the family members confronted him about the drugs in person.

Rachel Sharp has the details from a dramatic moment in court.

Alex Murdaugh’s wife and son found ‘bags of pills’ one month before murders

ICYMI: Murdaugh trial hears how killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie on her knees

Friday 17 February 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh allegedly ambushed his son Paul in the feeding room of the family’s dog kennels before turning on his wife Maggie who tried to flee only to be shot and killed on her knees, according to chilling testimony from a top crime scene expert.

Dr Kenny Kinsey, an Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy and crime scene expert, gave graphic testimony in the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina on Thursday, where he walked jurors through each moment of the horrific 7 June 2021 attack.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

Alex Murdaugh trial hears killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie on her knees

Murdaugh attorney mocked for ‘spicy’ cross-examination

Friday 17 February 2023 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh’s defence attorney has been mocked for his “spicy” cross-examination of a law enforcement official who testified about the accused killer’s botched hitman plot.

Dick Harpootlian resorted to shouting at SLED Senior Special Agent Ryan Kelly during an intensely combative exchange on Friday, which marked day 20 of Mr Murdaugh’s trial for the double murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh attorney mocked for ‘spicy’ cross-examination of agent over hitman plot

Friday 17 February 2023 18:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters ends his questioning of Agent Rudofski with pictures of Maggie and her sister and Maggie with sons Paul and Buster sent not long before the murders.

The court breaks for lunch and cross-examination will begin at 2.20pm.

Friday 17 February 2023 18:09 , Oliver O'Connell

Four days before the murders Murdaugh sends a voicemail to Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte needing more money.

“I need to extend farm credit line another 600k. My dad will sign also if needed. How much turnaround will that take?”

Friday 17 February 2023 18:08 , Oliver O'Connell

One month before the murders, on 6 May, Paul Murdaugh leaves his father a voicemail:

“I am still in EB because when you get here we have to talk. Mom found several bags of pills in your computer bag.”

Maggie Murdaugh’s browser history from 26 May includes numerous searches trying to identify different types of pills “white pill 20 on one side rp” and “green gel pill p30” — these appear to be oxycodone and chlordiazepoxide.

Marian Proctor, Maggie’s sister and Alex Murdaugh had described Paul as the “Little Detective” for searching out his father’s pills.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh arrived at the kennels at 10.05.57pm and made the 911 call at 10.06.14pm, less than 20 seconds later.

He had previously said in interviews that he checked the bodies of Paul and Maggie for pulses and even tried to turn Paul over after arriving at the kennels.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:46 , Oliver O'Connell

While Maggie’s phone is locked and lying by the roadside, the backlight of the screen goes on and off as unanswered texts and calls come in from Murdaugh and Paul’s friend Rogan.

At one point Murdaugh places an unanswered call to Paul, who also receives an unanswered call and text from Rogan.

This occurs as Alex is leaving and travelling back to Moselle from his parents’ house in Almeda.

He also has a phone conversation with his friend Chris Wilson. This would’ve occurred as he was driving at up to 80mph down a dark, pot-holed road.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Part of the timeline shows the phone activity of the Murdaughs’ employee CB Rowe who was considered a possible suspect by some.

He is nowhere near the Moselle Road property during that evening and was at home in Fairfax.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:34 , Oliver O'Connell

No movement between 8.09pm and 9.02pm would correspond with Murdaugh’s story about being asleep on the couch.

However, he has been identified as the voice in the background of the kennel video recorded by Paul by more than half a dozen people who were close friends of the family.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:24 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters reminds the jury through his questioning of Rudofski that Murdaigh repeatedly denied going down to the kennels that night.

From 9.02.18pm to 9.06.47pm Alex Murdaigh’s phone travels 283 steps. His movement suddenly picks up after the time of the murders.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:19 , Oliver O'Connell

8.49.01pm - Paul Murdaugh’s phone is locked.

8.49.31pm - Maggie Murdaugh’s phone is locked after reading the group text message.

8.49.35pm - Rogan texts Paul. The message is never read.

This is believed to be the time of the murders.

Between 8.53pm and 8.55pm Maggie’s phone is on the move and travels 59 steps and makes several orientation changes. It is believed that someone moved her phone after her death.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

As the timeline progresses we are reminded that the group text sent to family members about visiting Murdaugh’s father in hospital. It was read by Maggie Murdaugh less than 20 minutes after it was sent and is believed to be the last message she read at 8.49pm.

Murdaugh did not read it until the next day.

Friday 17 February 2023 17:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Reminder: You can watch Agent Rudofski’s exhaustive reconstruction of the timeline live on our YoueTube channel.

Friday 17 February 2023 16:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Agent Rudofski is walking the jury through the exhaustive timeline. Much of this is confirming earlier testimony and framing it in relation to other evidence presented in court.

There is a full log of phone activity from Paul and Maggie, but Alex Murdaugh’s phone (as we have already heard) has no call log from 6.52pm until 9.04pm.

Friday 17 February 2023 16:36 , Oliver O'Connell

The timeline includes all texts and calls between relevant parties and the source of the extracted data.

Friday 17 February 2023 16:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Court resumes and Agent Rudofski is now explaining the timeline of the murder case as he has put it together using all of the data that has been collected and presented throughout the trial.

Everything is colour-coded, labelled and mapped.

Prior to testimony resuming, Waters revealed that Rudofski is his last witness.

Harpootlian tells Judge Newman that he will motion today for a directed verdict — asking him to acquit Murdaugh on the basis that prosecutors haven’t proven their case.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh leaves the house for the kennels at 10.05pm and arrived within a minute.

The 911 call came at 10.06pm.

At 10.11.54pm he drove back to the house (to get the shotgun).

He drove back down to the kennel at 10.14pm while still on the phone to 911.

Court takes its mid-morning break.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh leaves the Almeda property at 9.43pm (21 minutes after arriving). It takes him almost two minutes to exit onto the main road having paused on the driveway.

He arrives at the driveway of Moselle at 10pm on the dot. 30 seconds later he is halfway down the drive going at 22mph.

He drove an average speed of 46.5mph back from Almeda, reaching a max speed of 80mph the new fastest speed for the day).

Rudofski testifies that the road was repaved after the murders and it was dark when Murdaugh made the journey. There are also a lot of wild deer that may run into the road. He says he wouldn’t “run code” (emergency driving with lights on) on that road at that speed in its condition at the time.

The speed limit is 55mph.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh arrives at his parents’ home in Almeda at 9.22pm having driven at 52mph on average (max 74mph - the fastest he drove all day).

The data appears to show Murdaugh driving onto a grassy area near the treeline towards some outbuildings beside the driveway and carport, 36 seconds after turning into the driveway.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaigh arrives at the law firm at 12.21pm having travelled at an average speed of 37mph (max 60mph)

He left the law firm at 6.24pm and arrived back home at 6.42pm at an average speed of 41mph (max 54.4mph).

Murdaugh left the house for his parents’ house at 9.07pm.

At 9.08.36pm, travelling at 42mph he passes the site where Maggie’s phone was found. After passing that location the SUV accelerates, increasing speed to 68mph over five minutes.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

We are being walked through maps of the movements of the SUV on 7 June 2021 made up from 4,820 GPS points. Murdaugh left for work at 12.07pm.

Here’s an overview of some of the maps:

Friday 17 February 2023 15:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Rudofski testified he worked on the timeline for a year and then just last week he got new data from General Motors about Murdaugh’s 2021 Chevy Suburban.

The new data includes GPS and speed data which were not previously available.

New Witness: Agent Peter Rudofski, SLED

Friday 17 February 2023 15:23 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness for the state is SLED Agent Peter Rudofski.

His focus in the investigation is to put all of the available data in the investigation and put it into one readable timeline document.

I’m sure Murdaugh trial-watchers everywhere are relieved.

The myriad of evidence presented so far may now actually be condensed into a digestible format for the jury.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Kelly is a brick wall as he is cross-examined.

Harpootlian is getting increasingly frustrated, at one point addressing the witness as “Senior Special Agent” in an almost sarcastic way, before reasking a question in a slow, halting way, as if Kelly couldn’t understand him.

Kelly says he did not speak with any medical personnel at the hospital on the day of the shooting as to whether Murdaugh was competent to answer questions.

Here’s a taste of the back and forth between the two:

Friday 17 February 2023 15:11 , Oliver O'Connell

In redirect, Waters reestablishes the timeline of the when Murdaugh was questioned and when he was taken into custody.

Murdaugh gave voluntary interviews to SLED on 4 September 2021 (the day of the shooting) and 6 September. Kelly testifies that he understood the questions and gave consistent answers in both interviews.

Murdaugh then confessed in an interview on 13 September.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:04 , Oliver O'Connell

State prosecutor Creighton Waters begins redirect by asking about Murdaugh’s interview while at the hospital. The supposition is that Murdaugh was heavily medicated and not compos mentis.

Harpootlian objects and says that they would need to drag out testimony into next week with hospital staff to speak about Murdaugh’s condition. The jury is sent out.

Water says his questions are limited and the jury is brought back in.

Friday 17 February 2023 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

There is a moment of levity and a ripple of laughter across the court as Kelly says that some of the best confessions he’s received were from defence attorneys.

“Not this defence attorney,” counters Harpootlian.

The defence strategy might be to establish that Murdaugh was badly wounded and then very cooperative.

Cross-examination ends.

Friday 17 February 2023 14:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Through this somewhat hostile back and forth, Harpootlian establishes that Murdaugh reached out proactively to confess to orchestrating the roadside shooting incident and making up the story about an unknown assailant.

He was brought back to South Carolina from rehab and taken into custody.

Friday 17 February 2023 14:53 , Oliver O'Connell

Defence attorney Dick Harpootlian begins by questioning Kelly about the wounds suffered by Murdaugh after the roadside shooting.

Kelly says he is not a doctor but agrees he told the family that Murdaugh had been shot in the head and states he has never denied that.

The tone of the questioning is combative. Harpootlian is picking at every detail and Kelly making him work for every point of fact.

At one point, Judge Newman reprimands Harpootlian, reminding him that he cannot testify.

Court resumes

Friday 17 February 2023 14:38 , Oliver O'Connell

The trial resumes for what is expected to be the final day of the presentation of the prosecution’s case against Murdaugh.

Judge Clifton Newman presiding. Agent Ryan Kelly is on the witness stand and will be cross-examined by the defence team regarding the alleged botched roadside hitman job targetting Murdaugh, that he has admitted setting up.

The jury is brought in.

Watch the Alex Murdaugh double-murder trial LIVE

Friday 17 February 2023 14:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Day 20: What to expect in court today

Friday 17 February 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

The trial will resume at 9.30am ET on Friday.

The day will begin with the cross-examination of SLED Senior Special Agent Ryan Kelly.

Alex Murdaugh’s defence attorney Dick Harpootlian told the court it would be a lengthy cross so it was postponed until today because the trial had a hard stop at 4.30pm ET on Thursday,

Agent Kelly testified about the bizarre September 2021 roadside shooting of Mr Murdaugh.

On 4 September 2021 – three months on from the murders – the disgraced attorney was ambushed in what he initially claimed was a drive-by shooting along a road in Hampton County. He checked into rehab the following day, announcing that he was struggling with a 20-year opioid addiction and that he had resigned from his law firm PMPED.

But, Mr Murdaugh’s story about the roadside shooting soon unravelled and he confessed to law enforcement that he had orchestrated the saga, paying Curtis Eddie Smith to shoot and kill him in an assisted suicide plot so that his surviving son Buster could get a $10m life insurance windfall.

Both Mr Smith and Mr Murdaugh were then arrested and charged over the incident.

On Thursday, jurors heard both the 911 call and a hospital police interview in which Mr Murdaugh lied that he had been ambushed and shot.

Then, jurors heard his 13 September 2021 police interview where he confessed to orchestrating the entire plot.

Prosecutors are likely to rest – or be close to resting – their case in court today.

WATCH: Moment Alex Murdaugh claims he was shot by gunman on side of the road

Friday 17 February 2023 13:45 , Rachel Sharp

In court on Thursday, jurors heard a hospital police interview on 4 September 2021 in which Alex Murdaugh lied that he had been ambushed and shot.

That day – three months on from the murders – the disgraced attorney called 911 claiming he was shot in a drive-by shooting along a road in Hampton County.

But, Mr Murdaugh’s story about the roadside shooting soon unravelled and he confessed to law enforcement that he had orchestrated the saga, paying Curtis Eddie Smith to shoot and kill him in an assisted suicide plot so that his surviving son Buster could get a $10m life insurance windfall.

Listen below to the fake account Mr Murdaugh gave to police as he was being treated for a “superficial” wound to the head:

RECAP Day 19: Murdaugh grimaces as trial hears his bizarre 911 call after being shot in the head

Friday 17 February 2023 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A visibly uncomfortable Alex Murdaugh grimaced as prosecutors played his 911 call after he was shot in a botched assisted suicide plot.

On the nineteenth day of Mr Murdaugh’s trial, juries heard a bizarre call he made to 911 dispatchers moments after being shot in the head on the side of a road in Hampton County in September 2021. The shooting happened nearly three months after his son Paul and wife Maggie Murdaugh’s murders, which Mr Murdaugh is now accused of perpetrating to distract from his many financial and legal troubles.

Mr Murdaugh initially claimed he was ambushed in the drive-by shooting while changing a tyre on his vehicle but soon after admitted to conspiring to pay a hitman to shoot him dead so that his surviving son Buster would inherit a $10m life insurance windfall.

Andrea Blanco reports on Thursday’s bizarre revelations.

Alex Murdaugh reacts to trial hearing his 911 call after being shot in the head

RECAP Day 19: Murdaugh’s detailed sketch of fake shooter in botched hitman plot exposed at trial

Friday 17 February 2023 13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury in Alex Murdaugh’s trial has finally been presented with evidence of his botched hitman plot months after the murders of his wife and son - including a sketch of the nonexistent man he claimed shot him.

SLED Senior Special Agent Ryan Kelly was called by the prosecution on Thursday to testify about the day Mr Murdaugh was shot in the head on the side of a road in Hampton County on 4 September 2021.

Jurors heard the 911 call in which Mr Murdaugh claimed he was ambushed in a drive-by shooting while he was changing a tire on his vehicle.

Megan Sheets has the story.

Alex Murdaugh’s detailed sketch of fake shooter in botched hitman plot revealed

RECAP Day 19: Murdaugh trial hears how killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie

Friday 17 February 2023 13:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh allegedly ambushed his son Paul in the feeding room of the family’s dog kennels before turning on his wife Maggie who tried to flee only to be shot and killed on her knees, according to chilling testimony from a top crime scene expert.

Dr Kenny Kinsey, an Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy and crime scene expert, gave graphic testimony in the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina on Thursday, where he walked jurors through each moment of the horrific 7 June 2021 attack.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

Alex Murdaugh trial hears killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie on her knees

Murders, million-dollar fraud and mystery deaths: The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

Friday 17 February 2023 12:45 , Rachel Sharp

On the surface, Alex Murdaugh had it all.

He was a high-powered attorney who ran both his own law firm and worked in the local prosecutor’s office.

He was the son of a powerful legal dynasty that dominated the local South Carolina community for almost a century.

And he was a family man who lived with his wife and two adult sons on their sprawling country estate.

But over the last 20 months, Mr Murdaugh has experienced a spectacular fall from grace, culminating in what has been described as the “trial of the century” now taking place in a courtroom in Walterboro, South Carolina.

The brutal double murder of his wife and son is far from the only twist in a bizarre and sprawling tale of unexplained deaths, hitman plots and multi-million-dollar fraud schemes.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Alex Murdaugh trial: Story of the legal scion’s spectacular fall from grace

Alex Murdaugh’s alibi vs Evidence: Why Maggie and Paul were at Moselle that night

Friday 17 February 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

In an 11 August 2021 interview with police, played in court this week, inconsistencies were revealed in Alex Murdaugh’s account of why Maggie was even at the Moselle estate that day.

The accused killer claimed that he wasn’t expecting his wife home but that he later learned she had come to the property because she was worried about him.

“Maggie wasn’t supposed to come home. I’ve since found out she was worried about me and worried about my dad and so she came home,” he said.

“That wasn’t 100 per cent but it was pretty well [known] that she was going to stay at Edisto.”

When asked if he was surprised, he said that she had let him know earlier in the day but said he only learned her reason “why” after the murders.

During testimony from the Murdaugh’s longtime housekeeper and friend Blanca Simpson, jurors heard that Mr Murdaugh had insisted both Maggie and Paul come to the property at Moselle.

Phone calls and text messages between Ms Simpson and Maggie were presented in court, with Ms Simpson saying that Maggie texted her saying: “Alex wants me to come home.”

Maggie liked being at the family beach house in Edisto and had been preparing to host a big July 4 gathering there, Ms Simpson said.

In a phone conversation, Maggie also mentioned that Mr Murdaugh wanted her to come to Moselle that day and she seemed a bit “disappointed”, the housekeeper said.

“She sounded like she didn’t want to come home... she sounded like she was a little disappointed,” she said.

Mr Murdaugh had also asked Paul to come home because he wanted his son to “fix” something on the property, Ms Simpson testified.

Alex Murdaugh’s alibi vs Evidence: Paul’s cellphone video

Friday 17 February 2023 12:15 , Rachel Sharp

In an 11 August 2021 interview with police, played in court this week, Alex Murdaugh told investigators that he did not go to the dog kennels after having dinner with Maggie and Paul and before visiting his mother.

This statement contradicts bombshell cellphone footage retrieved from Paul’s phone.

The footage, taken by Paul at the dog kennels just minutes before he and Maggie were shot dead, captures three voices off camera.

Cellphone data shows it was recorded for 58 seconds from 8.44.49pm to 8.45.47pm – less than five minutes before prosecutors say the murders unfolded at 8.50pm.

Multiple witnesses – including two of Paul’s best friends and Mr Murdaugh’s longtime friends – have testified at trial that they are “100 per cent sure” that the three voices belong to Paul, Maggie and Mr Murdaugh.

Agent Owen brought up the video in the August interview, telling Mr Murdaugh “you were heard in the background”.

Mr Murdaugh said that he had heard about the video from Paul’s friend Rogan Gibson who asked him if he had been at the kennels.

When asked if it was him in the video, he said: “No sir... not if my times are right.”

Asked who could be, he said he had “no idea” and said he was surprised that Mr Gibson – who was very close with the family – thought it was his voice.

Alex Murdaugh’s alibi vs Evidence: Visit to sick mother

Friday 17 February 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

In an 11 August 2021 interview with police, played in court this week, Alex Murdaugh claimed he had spent 45 minutes to an hour at his sick mother’s house that night – a timeline that has been refuted by both car data and testimony from his mother’s carer.

Mr Murdaugh told the officers that he had dinner with Maggie and Paul and then “dozed off” on the couch.

When he woke, he said he went to check on his mother, because she has Alzheimer’s and his father was in hospital. He said he would visit his mother “all times of the day”.

Mr Murdaugh said he did not check with Maggie if she wanted to come with him.

Alex Murdaugh seen in bodycam footage on night of murders

“I don’t remember having plans that Maggie was going to arrive with me but maybe she told me she was that night,” he said.

“I don’t remember that specfically... but she didn’t normally go with me...it’s not like we had plans that she was going to ride with me.”

He then claimed that he stayed at his parents’ home for around 45 minutes to one hour and said that he didn’t stop anywhere to or from the visit.

“No I didn’t go anywhere... I went straight,” he said.

Last week, Muschelle “Shelly” Smith, who worked as a caregiver to Mr Murdaugh’s mother Libby, testified that a “fidgety” Mr Murdaugh showed up at his sick mother’s house sometime between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on the night of the murders. She said it was unusual for him to visit at that time.

She said he stayed only around 20 minutes – but then later told her to tell police he had been there double that time.

“I was here 30 to 40 minutes,” she said he told her days later in a conversation that left her feeling “nervous”.

Mr Murdaugh later offered “to help her out” with paying for her upcoming wedding and putting in a good word for her with her other job, she said.

Data taken from Mr Murdaugh’s SUV also indicates that Mr Murdaugh did leave his family home and drove to visit his sick mother at around 9.06pm, arriving at 9.22pm.

The records suggest he only stayed at his parents’ home for 21 minutes, leaving again at 9.43pm and arriving at Moselle at around 10pm. He called 911 at 10.06pm.

WATCH: Moment Alex Murdaugh is first asked if he killed wife and son

Friday 17 February 2023 11:40 , Rachel Sharp

Newly-released footage has revealed the dramatic moment that Alex Murdaugh was first confronted by law enforcement about allegedly killing his wife and son.

Footage of a police interview with the disgraced legal dynasty heir was shown for the first time in Colleton County Courthouse on Wednesday as the prosecution nears the end of its case in his double murder trial.

The interview was Mr Murdaugh’s third since the 7 June 2021 murders – and came two months on from the slayings on 11 August 2021.

In a bombshell moment, SLED Special Agent David Owen asked Mr Murdaugh outright if he had murdered his wife Maggie and son Paul.

WATCH BELOW:

New Alex Murdaugh police interview exposes wild inconsistencies in his alibi and witness accounts

Friday 17 February 2023 11:20 , Rachel Sharp

Dramatic footage has revealed Alex Murdaugh being confronted by law enforcement about wild inconsistencies in his alibi in a police interview two months on from the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Footage of the 11 August 2021 interview with Mr Murdaugh was played in court on Wednesday as the prosecution nears the end of its case in the disgraced legal scion’s double murder trial in Colleton County, South Carolina.

In the interview, which has never been seen before, the discrepancies between Mr Murdaugh’s version of events on the night of 7 June 2021 and the trove of evidence and witness testimony revealed at his murder trial was laid bare.

Among the inconsistencies were: how long Mr Murdaugh spent at his mother’s home that night; whether or not he went to the dog kennels; the different clothes he was wearing; the timeline of when he was at his law firm; and the reason Maggie had gone to the family estate that day.

“It wasn’t one inconsistency. It was several inconsistencies within a period of time that were repeated,” SLED Special Agent David Owen testified, adding that Mr Murdaugh was “the only known suspect at that time”.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp delves into the many inconsistencies:

Alex Murdaugh police interview exposes wild inconsistencies in alibi

Who are the key players in the Murdaugh murders trial?

Friday 17 February 2023 10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rachel Sharp explains who is who in the trial gripping South Carolina.

Who are the key players in Alex Murdaugh murder trial?

Murdaugh trial shown new crime scene photos as dog caretaker describes kennels on odd state

Friday 17 February 2023 08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A man who took care of the dogs at Alex Murdaugh’s property has testified about strange details in crime scene photos at the disgraced legal scion’s murder trial.

Roger Dale Davis, who handled Mr Murdaughs’ dog kennels in the sprawling property of Moselle in Islandton, South Carolina, was called by the state to testify on Tuesday at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro.

Andrea Blanco reports.

Alex Murdaugh trial shown new crime scene photos as dog caretaker testifies

Murdaugh spent $50,000 a week on drugs

Friday 17 February 2023 06:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh spent a staggering $50,000 a week on drugs which he was buying from the man accused of being his co-conspirator in a botched hitman plot, jurors heard in dramatic courtroom testimony on Wednesday.

Defence attorney Jim Griffin brought up Mr Murdaugh’s pricey opioids habit during cross-examination of SLED Special Agent David Owen – the lead investigator in the brutal murders of Mr Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and son Paul.

Mr Griffin claimed that the disgraced attorney was buying $50,000 worth of drugs each week from Curtis Edward Smith, infamously known as “Cousin Eddie”.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

Alex Murdaugh spent $50,000 a week on drugs before wife and son’s murders

Prosecution and defence score wins in testimony of lead investigator

Friday 17 February 2023 04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A crime scene expert testified about where the shots were fired at the wife and son of Alex Murdaugh and in what order during Thursday’s testimony at the disgraced South Carolina attorney’s double murder trial.

Kenny Kinsey also told jurors that a mark on 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh’s thigh appeared to be a tread from a golf cart tire that she fell on after she was shot near dog kennels on the family’s property. Defense lawyers had asked several witnesses about the blemish and whether it could be a mark from a shoe.

Read on:

Prosecution, defense get wins with Alex Murdaugh lead agent

‘Did you kill your wife and son?’

Friday 17 February 2023 03:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-released footage has revealed the dramatic moment that Alex Murdaugh was first confronted by law enforcement for the first time about allegedly killing his wife and son.

Footage of a police interview with the disgraced legal dynasty heir was shown for the first time in Colleton County Courthouse on Wednesday as the prosecution nears the end of its case in his double murder trial.

The interview was Mr Murdaugh’s third since the 7 June 2021 murders – and came two months on from the slayings on 11 August 2021.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

Dramatic moment Alex Murdaugh is first asked by police if he killed his wife and son

Key revelations from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, so far...

Friday 17 February 2023 02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s a dramatic saga that now includes murder, a botched hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes and a series of unexplained deaths.

The now-disbarred attorney denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Murdaugh’s trial got underway at Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on 23 January.

The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case this week (week of 13 February) before the defence begins its own case, where Mr Murdaugh is expected to take the stand.

Here are the key revelations from the trial so far:

‘Confession’, bloody scene and ‘clean’ shirt: Key moments from Alex Murdaugh trial

Why was the bizarre hitman plot allowed as evidence?

Friday 17 February 2023 01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rachel Sharp explains.

Alex Murdaugh’s botched hitman plot can be presented at trial, judge says in reversal

Murdaugh’s detailed sketch of fake shooter in botched hitman plot exposed at trial

Friday 17 February 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury in Alex Murdaugh’s trial has finally been presented with evidence of his botched hitman plot months after the murders of his wife and son - including a sketch of the nonexistent man he claimed shot him.

Read on:

Alex Murdaugh’s detailed sketch of fake shooter in botched hitman plot revealed

Murdaugh grimaces as trial hears his bizarre 911 call after being shot in the head

Thursday 16 February 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A visibly uncomfortable Alex Murdaugh grimaced as prosecutors played his 911 call after he was shot in a botched hitman plot.

On the nineteenth day of Mr Murdaugh’s trial, juries heard a bizarre call he made to 911 dispatchers moments after being shot in the head on 4 September 2021. The shooting happened nearly three months after his son Paul and wife Maggie Murdaugh’s murders, which Mr Murdaugh is now accused of perpetrating to distract from his many financial and legal troubles.

Mr Murdaugh initially claimed he was ambushed in the drive-by shooting while changing a tyre on his vehicle but soon after admitted to conspiring to pay a hitman to shoot him dead so that his surviving son Buster would inherit a $10m life insurance windfall.

Andrea Blanco reports on today in court.

Alex Murdaugh reacts to trial hearing his 911 call after being shot in the head

Murdaugh trial hears how killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie on her knees

Thursday 16 February 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh allegedly ambushed his son Paul in the feeding room of the family’s dog kennels before turning on his wife Maggie who tried to flee only to be shot and killed on her knees, according to chilling testimony from a top crime scene expert.

Dr Kenny Kinsey, an Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy and crime scene expert, gave graphic testimony in the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina on Thursday, where he walked jurors through each moment of the horrific 7 June 2021 attack.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

Alex Murdaugh trial hears killer ambushed Paul before shooting Maggie on her knees

Cousin Eddie v Composite sketch

Thursday 16 February 2023 21:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Thursday 16 February 2023 21:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Court has a hard stop at 4.30pm today, so defence attorney Dick Harpootlian will forgo cross-examination until 9.30am tomorrow morning.

Court adjourns.

Thursday 16 February 2023 21:06 , Oliver O'Connell

The audio recording ends.

Agent Kelly is asked follow-up questions.

Waters establishes with Mr Kelly that Murdaugh never mentioned Eddie to SLED before confessing to arranging the roadside shooting.

Agent Kelly also says Murdaugh said there was no threat to Buster Murdaugh and denied that Eddie had anything to do with the June murders.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Agent Kelly finds it hard to believe he didn’t pay Eddie anything to shoot him.

“I’ll be honest, that doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Murdaugh replies: “I understand.”

Watch: Court listens to Murdaugh phone interview with SLED

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Most germane to the double-murder case, Murdaugh says there is no threat to Buster and that he does not owe any money to drug dealers and there was no outstanding debt.

Griffin jumps in and says that that is assuming Eddie passed on all the money.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:47 , Oliver O'Connell

In an odd part of the interview, Harpootlian has to admit that the money Murdaugh was using was “not legitimately obtained”.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Agent Kelly takes over the questioning and asks how long he has known Eddie.

Murdaugh immediately apologises for lying to him at the hospital after the incident, saying he was in a bad place.

He says he’s known Eddie for years and would pay him in cash or check several times a week for pills.

Murdaugh explains the money came from the fake Forge account at Bank of America or the Palmetto State Bank accounts.

Asked where Eddie got the drugs, he says: “I was told he got them from a black guy in Walterboro. I was told that he has some connections in Beaufort.”

“I never saw those guys. I never dealt with those guys. So I don’t know.”

He also names someone called Kenny Hughes and Barbara Mixon, who worked for his mother.

Murdaugh also explains that the .38 revolver had come from his mother’s house.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:37 , Oliver O'Connell

Dick Harpootlian conducted the phone interview with Murdaugh as he sat with him on the phone with SLED Agent Kelly.

The interview ends with Murdaugh clarifying that his intent was for his son Buster to inherit from the life insurance.

Harpootlian appears surprised that Eddie didn’t try to talk him out of it.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Explaining who Eddie is, Murdaugh says he sometimes paid him $50k to $60k a week for pills.

He says he asked Eddie to meet him near his mother’s house.

“I told him that things were getting to be really bad and it would be better off if I was not here.”

“I asked him to shoot me,” said Murdaugh. “I think at first he was a little surprised.”

Eddie agreed Murdaugh said and he gave him a .38 revolver.

They drove out to Salkehatchie Road and Murdaugh punched a hole in his tire with the knife which he threw across the road.

He shot him in the very back of the head and Murdaugh says he lost his vision for a bit an was knocked down.

Murdaugh remembers one car stopping and trying to help him and one continued going by.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Harpootlian says on the recorded interview that they do not want to talk about what happened at Moselle or what happened with the finances.

Murdaugh tells the investigators that he had met with his friend Chris Wilson that morning and had spoken about everything — finances, pills, lies...

“I was in a very bad place. I thought it would be better for me not to be here anymore. I thought that it would make it easier on my family for me to be dead.”

“I had a fair amount of life insurance ... $10m or $12m.”

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Agent Kelly tried to set up an interview with Murdaugh via attorneys Harpootlian and Griffin.

He had entered into rehab in Atlanta.

Eventually, a phone interview was set up and carried out on 13 September 2021.

The interview is now being played to the jury.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Transaction slips from Cousin Eddie’s bank account show hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits that were tied back to Murdaugh and dated up until 7 June 2021.

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Having obtained surveillance footage from St John’s Baptist Church they began to look for a Blue Chevy with a gold front panel.

The car was observed outside of Cousin Eddie’s home where they also found narcotics and a sales ledger.

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website