WALTERBORO, S.C. — Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh faced intense questioning about his movements the night his wife and son were killed as the prosecutor challenged inconsistencies in his memory Friday at his double murder trial.
A day after revealing for the first time that he was at the kennels where his wife and son were shot shortly before they died, Murdaugh returned to the stand in his own defense. During cross-examination, prosecutor Creighton Waters grilled Murdaugh about what he repeatedly called the once-prominent lawyer's “new story” about what happened at the kennels on the evening June 7, 2021.
Waters asked Murdaugh if he meant what he told the jury Thursday — that he tried to help police find the killers.
“Other than lying to them about going to the kennels, I was cooperative in every aspect of this investigation," Murdaugh said.
“Very cooperative except maybe the most important fact of all, that you were at the murder scene with the victims just minutes before they died," Waters replied.
PHOTOS: Alex Murdaugh murder trial - Day 24 (Fri, Feb. 24)
For 20 months, Murdaugh insisted that he was never at the kennels. But after more than a year, state agents hacked his son’s iPhone and found a video with Alex Murdaugh’s voice less than five minutes before the victims stopped using their cellphones and prosecutors think they were shot.
Murdaugh, 54, is charged with murder in the deaths of his wife, Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, but has steadfastly denied any involvement. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted.
Waters ended his cross-examination by rattling off the names of about four dozen people — starting with Maggie and Paul Murdaugh and running through his family, friends, law partners, clients and police. He asked Alex Murdaugh if he lied to them and Murdaugh agreed on most.
“And you want this jury to believe a story manufactured to fit the evidence that you brought forth just yesterday after hearing a trial’s worth of testimony?” Waters asked.
The prosecutor then showed body camera video of the first officer to respond to the shooting. With the bodies of his wife and son visible, Murdaugh said he hadn’t seen them for 45 minutes before he left his home.
Waters also pushed Murdaugh for more details about what happened during the kennel visit, noting that this was all new to investigators since he only admitted it in court Thursday.
The timing, including cellphone and car-tracking data, is a key component. The video ended just before 8:46 p.m. and both Paul and Maggie Murdaugh stopped using their cellphones about three minutes later.
Murdaugh couldn't remember how long he was at the kennels, whether he got blood on his hands pulling a dead chicken from a dog's mouth or the last words he would ever say to his son and his wife.
“There would have been some exchange,” Murdaugh said.
Waters said it appeared Murdaugh remembered a lot of specifics when the details were critical, but not when they might get him in trouble.
“You disagree with my characterization that you have a photographic memory about the details that have to fit now that you know these facts but you're fuzzy about the other stuff that complicates that?" Waters said.
For the first time, Murdaugh blamed anger on social media aimed at his son for the killings. Paul Murdaugh had been involved in a boat wreck that killed a teenager and was charged with boating under the influence. He mentioned the boat crash when the first investigators asked if he could think of any suspects.
Murdaugh said his son was the subject of vile “half-truths, half-reports, half-statements, partial information” online.
“I believe then and I believe today that the wrong person saw and read that because I can tell you for a fact the person or people who did what I saw on June the 7th — they hated Paul Murdaugh and they had anger in their heart,” Alex Murdaugh said.
Waters told Murdaugh that explanation defied logic, asking if Murdaugh was telling the jury that his wife and son were killed by random vigilantes who knew “they would be at the kennels alone on June 7, knew that you would not be there, but only between the times of 8:49 and 9:02.”
“You've got a lot of factors in there, Mr. Waters, all of which I do not agree with, but some of which I do,” Murdaugh said.
Murdaugh said Friday that after the brief kennel visit, he returned to the family's house about 1,150 feet (350 meters) away on a golf cart, lay down for a few minutes and then got up to get ready to visit his ailing mother about 9:02 p.m., a time verified by step data on his cellphone, which he didn't take to the kennels.
Waters asked Murdaugh if a flurry of steps and a series of unanswered phone calls he started making to his wife and son at 9:02 p.m., after no activity was detected on his phone for nearly an hour, was a way a lawyer and volunteer prosecutor could begin crafting a story to show he couldn’t be the killer.
“I never manufactured any alibi in any way shape or form because I did not and would not hurt my wife and my child.”
Prosecutors have said Murdaugh killed his wife and son to gain sympathy to buy time because his financial misdeeds were about to be discovered. During his testimony, he has admitted to stealing from clients.
Murdaugh is charged with about 100 other crimes, ranging from stealing from clients to tax evasion. He is being held without bail on those charges, so even if he is found not guilty of the killings, he will not walk out of court a free man. If convicted of most or all of those financial crimes, Murdaugh would likely spend decades in prison.
You can find trial updates here every day. Watch live streaming testimony and coverage on wltx.com, on the WLTX+ streaming app on Amazon Fire and Roku TV, and on the News19 WLTX YouTube page.
Alex Murdaugh Friday Trial Updates
Creighton Waters continues the cross-examination of Alex Murdaugh.
Waters asks Alex if there are things they can agree on -- the money he stole was not just for drugs? Yes
The stealing increased over the years moving until June 7? Yes
Your stealing increased after the boat wreck? Don’t agree. As we sit here, Alex says, he thinks he wrongly took from clients and people who trusted him as much money as before the boat wreck.
In 2019 alone, you stole 3.9M and that was higher than in any year? Yes, I agree, I stole more that year.
From 2015 on your regular income was decreasing? Alex said, you have some good years and lean years. Had good years, maybe no $4M years, but caseload was such … one of the cases he was working on around June 7 was one of the biggest. He says his income was cyclical
In 2014 reported income was over $1M? Alex assumes Waters has a document that says that.
In 2015, $2M; 2016, $900K; 2019, 655K
During that period of time, you were still stealing? Absolutely. Doesn’t dispute that, haven’t disputed since he was confronted on September 4. Stolen money, mislead people he cared about still cares about, loved, and still loves and mislead them all.
During that time, were you borrowing significant amounts of money from Palmetto State Bank? Yes
You had a $1M debt outstanding and $600K line of credit maxed out? Yes
You borrowed money from law partners? From Johnny Parker
And you used the stolen money to pay back those loans? I don’t dispute that
When you needed money, you borrowed from your father? Yes
And you used stolen money to pay back those loans? I don’t dispute that if that’s what records show
Moving to June 7, you were out of liquid funds—money you could readily access? Don’t agree with that. Alex said between January to June of 2021, he could borrow from his father, Parker, the bank, and had equity in the Edisto house in his and Maggie’s name; Moselle was in Maggie’s name it had equity that could be borrowed from; for those reasons, Alex disagrees with Waters that he couldn’t access funds.
The vast majority of money paid to you from the firm comes from the end-of-year bonus? Yes
That’s why you stole Ferris fees? You were in desperate need of funds and couldn’t wait until the bonus? One of the reasons, yes
Waters thinks it is important to list the names of the clients – they are real people? Alex says they are real people… people he cared about, still cares about, people he mislead
These are people you would have had conversations with? Yes
Looked them in the eye at least once? Yes
Looked them in the eye and developed trust with them? Yes. Alex believes the people he stole money from trusted him.
Alex is asked to review documents containing a list of clients he stole from.
Barrett Bouleware needed money so his wife could stay near him while he was in the hospital. Alex said Barrett a unique situation, Barrett is and was a dear friend… they had a long, long history and Alex lied by omission stealing that money. Alex said this is a perfect of example of what he did – in this case the theft was based on omission. He goes on, Barrett was an interesting person and got into real estate and was good at it. Alex said he got into deals with him and when recession hit, the deals he was partners with – including Barrett -- couldn’t pay and Alex said either he had to default or pay 100% and it equated to millions of dollars and that’s how he got Moselle.
You felt entitled to steal? No, there were a lot of ways to justify it there are all kinds of things, you lie to yourself. Self-justification. Alex said Barrett owed him money so when Alex took it, he just didn’t tell Barrett.
It was more important to you to take their money? Alex said he does not believe any justifications made it ok. Alex said he owned up to the theft after being confronted. When he was taking pills, Alex said he’d ask partners how much a case was worth. He said the partner might say $100K and he would get $300K…. to evaluate if they needed the money more than he did, he thinks he was selfish and just took the money.
Do you remember looking Tony Satterfield and lying to him? Yes, on many occasions
To his family? Alex said he had telephone conversations where he lied to them
Waters asks Alex to talk about the pills… you were able to function as a lawyer on the pills? Yes
And you engaged in relatively complicated thefts of money while on pills? Yes
You convinced staff noting was wrong while on pills? Alex said most things didn’t require convincing staff. He allowed them to be mislead and allow them to do things on his behalf that benefitted him.
How many pills did you take a day? Alex said it would depend on strength of pill. Early on, he said he was taking 30mg easy-release oxycodone, about 1500mg to maybe 1000mg on a daily basis; most days more than that, more than 2000mg. If he had 30mg pills, Alex said he would take about 60 pills a day. From January to June 2021, Alex cannot say how many he took a day. He says he built up a tolerance. The opiates gave him energy, he said. It made everything better. Got to the point he took so much to not go into withdrawals, it evolved over time.
In one example – it totally depends on circumstances, Alex said. Like how many pills he took the day before or during the night. If it’s been a while and he’s waking up, the first thing Alex would do is take pills because he could feel the beginnings of agitation/withdrawal.
You feel agitation until you take a pill? Agitation is the tip of the iceberg.
You’re willing to do anything to make it stop? Alex said you’re physically sick during withdrawal. It’s like having the flu and your joints hurt, you can’t get up after a while. Starts with agitation and everyone talks about how fidgity he was and you’d be sitting there and break out in sweat like you’ve run a marathon. After 12 hours you get jumpy legs, couldn’t remain sitting, that lasts up to 24 hours. During that period the intestinal issues happen and you can’t control yourself, you have diarrhea like you have food poisoning. Alex says he tried to self-detox dozens of times.
Symptoms made it difficult to do that? Extremely
You mentioned you were paranoid? Alex said he didn’t say he was paranoid
How long before June 7? As addiction got worse, it was a significant amount of time. It took just seconds. Alex said he would keep pills on him so no one would find them. Had them on him on June 8 in David Owen’s SLED car. He has paranoid thoughts seeing a police car but could always talk himself out of paranoia.
Anyone see you have extreme withdrawals? Yes, Maggie, Paul, and Buster, John Marvin, Randy – Randy and John Marvin not until after September
Do you remember calling Paul a little detective? Maggie may have. Paul was intuitive
Anything to do with pills? Something to do with it.
Do you recall text from Paul to Alex that Maggie found pills in your bag? Yes. Can’t remember discussion afterward. Alex said he had eye surgery, a cataract removed the day before and it was during COVID and Maggie sat in car while he was having the procedure. Alex had left pills in his computer bag and Maggie found the pills.
And Paul texted you? Yes
Did Paul and Maggie get on you about pill usage in May 2021? No. The battle he had with addiction had been going on for years and Alex said they’d been watching for years and this was one time he let them down.
This was not the first time Maggie and Paul found pills? No, not the first time, it was an ongoing battle.
When Maggie and Paul found pills in May, they tried to let you go to detox? Alex said he and Paul had a discussion, he can’t remember, a previous occasion where either Maggie or Paul has found pills and Alex told Paul he was back on the pills. And they had a long talk, doesn’t remember when, Alex agreed – he’d detoxed at home with M, with a doctor, by himself – detox didn’t work. Alex said he couldn’t stay off the pills and promised Paul as soon as the criminal case was finished, he’s going to rehab. On this particular occasion, Paul knew Maggie was worried so much about Alex and pills, Alex thinks Paul convinced Maggie that Alex got the pills in anticipation of the eye surgery and didn’t use them.
Did Alex ever reach out before yesterday to law enforcement or his defense attorney about the kennel story? No, Alex says he didn’t have the opportunity because Alex said Waters didn’t respond to his lawyer Jim Griffin. Since at least January, Alex said he had been reaching out Waters and never got answers from multiple requests.
Did Mark Ball hear about the story? No
You testified to law partners the night of June 7 and June 8? You never told them about the kennel story until yesterday? That’s right
First time any of the lawyers heard that? Yes, that was first time
First time Randy heard that? If he was listening. Just to be clear, Alex said, he was begging for a meeting until Waters’ office charged him with hurting Maggie and Paul and then he stopped. He doesn’t know what was conveyed to Waters.
Was the a reason why no one ever heard your story about the kennels until yesterday was that you had to hear from friends and family testify they heard you on the tape? No
You had to come up with a new lie to match the facts? Alex said he would disagree with that proposition but admit he lied to people who trusted him.
The prosecution and law enforcement, friends and family heard about the kennel story for the first time yesterday? Yes.
You agree that your own lawyer was repeating story you were home napping until Nov. 2022 on national television? Alex said he doesn’t know, in prison you don’t get television.
You were unaware of the national television interview? The only national program Jim Griffin was involved in was HBO. Alex believes Griffin made statements substantially before 2022, in 2021.
You’re telling the jury your story doesn’t change the facts to meet evidence you can no longer deny? Alex says he’s not telling the jury anything like that
The confrontation with Jeanne Seckinger? Alex says he believes what Jeanne has had to go through since September has been hard. He says he can see it, see the hurt he caused, knows they’re feeling betrayed. He doesn’t think the meeting was a confrontation. He says she was almost apologetic, made it clear to him that someone said this and he couldn’t structure money. He was concerned people thought he was hiding money for the boat case.
And you’re not making the story change to mean for you, Jeanne was hurt, overreacted, it was no big deal? No
You were not paranoid when Jeanne comes in and says she needed answers? No. The paranoia was always related to pills. Jeanne did not cause paranoid thinking.
You were not worried about the boat case? Alex said he didn’t say it was no big deal. He wasn’t overly concerned about it because it concerned venue change.
You weren’t concerned when you were coming up to Tinsely at conference? Never happened
If Ferris fees comes up June 7, you can’t borrow money any more from Johnny Parker? Hypothetically, Alex says, no, he couldn’t borrow money from Johnny Parker
You testified you went to the Carolina baseball game the weekend before June 7. Alex is asked to identify a document. Alex says it is a printout texts between Maggie and Alex on June 6, 2021. Alex said he was in a hotel room in Columbia, not sure where Maggie was. Probably between hotel, restaurant or ballfield.
Maggie is in ballfield and asks when Alex is checking out of the hotel. Maggie asks Alex to bring a phone charger; Alex said he wasn’t looking forward to the humidity; Maggie says don’t come but asks about the charger; Maggie says she’s at bar in air conditioning; Alex says hotel making him leave and he’d see them soon.
Alex says he was in withdrawals that day.
Waters asks if Maggie was on him because of the pills? Alex said no
Waters: on June 7, when did you get up and leave? Alex said doesn’t know when he got up but according to records, he got to work around noon and was working on a Dominion Energy case and believed at the time it would’ve been the biggest case he’d ever worked on; working on the financial statement for civil boat case but didn’t do any other work in the civil case; talked to Jeanne; Alex said it appears from the records he left after 6; got home before 7, 6:40-something, according to the records;
You told law enforcement you didn’t see a Blackout rifle that day? He didn’t see a Blackout
You told law enforcement you and Paul were looking for hogs? If I told them that, we weren’t looking for hogs, but we were riding from food plot to food plot looking for hog signs.
Paul didn’t carry his favorite guns with him that day? There was no Blackout
You testified about the snapchat with the tree and don’t dispute the time? No don’t dispute time
When did you go to the house and were alone or with Paul? Alex said he went when Maggie came, alone. Paul was at the shop near the kennels. Alex believes Maggie came through kennel entrance while he and Paul were at shop but not sure.
Alex believes he took shower after talking to Maggie, doesn’t remember if he left clothes on the floor. Looking at records, Alex believes it was around 8; then he came out and came to eat dinner, Paul was already eating. Paul got up and left the immediate vicinity, Alex doesn’t believe Paul left but was in the house, but Alex didn’t see him.
Waters asks: all of these details are things we’re hearing for the first time, you didn’t tell law enforcement? Yes. He didn’t tell law enforcement. He doesn’t believe law enforcement asked him about this but he did lie to law enforcement.
Alex isn’t certain how Paul and Maggie ended up at kennels -- but looking at the data, he thinks he knows. He’s all but certain they went to the kennels together. Maggie asked Alex to go to the kennels and he told her he wasn’t going to go because he’d already had a shower.
Alex thinks he eventually went to the kennels because Maggie asked him. He took the golf cart near the house to the kennel, it took a couple of minutes to drive there.
Did he arrive during the kennel video? Alex thinks he got there before the kennel video. Paul wasn’t in the kennels, he was in the driveway fooling with Cash. The video happened after Alex arrived. He didn’t tell Maggie he was going to Almeda. He said he had a conversation with Maggie earlier. He doesn’t recall having a conversation about Cash’s tail. He said when he arrived at the kennels, he pulled up on the golf cart to Maggie between coop and storage room.
Alex said he pulled up, stayed on golf cart, then got off cart to take the chicken away from Bubba. He talked to Maggie before the chicken. Maggie was concerned about Paul.
You remember a lot of detail about these new facts but don’t remember what you talked about? Alex said he doesn’t remember
Were you withdrawing at this time? No. Alex said he only has withdrawal when he doesn’t have pills
You had pills? Yes
Waters says, so the story is Bubba came up to you and Maggie near the golf cart. You take chicken from Bubba. Were the dogs were barking or carrying on like there was someone around the dogs didn’t know? No. there was nobody else around for them to sense.
The kennel video lasts for 50 seconds, ending around 8:44:50? I agree with that. Don’t know when video ends but I’d have had that chicken out of Bubba’s mouth in a few seconds. Got off golf cart and put chicken up and got back on golf cart. Left quickly after that because he was getting ready to sweat. Alex said he probably said goodbye or some exchange, but doesn’t remember any specific conversation.
Did you tell Maggie you were going to check on your mother, you were going back to the house? Don’t remember exactly what he said, but something was said.
Do you think it took about a minute to talk before you left? No sir, probably wouldn’t take 30 seconds. After Maggie asked him to go to the kennels, he got up and got on a golf cart, did what he did and went back to the house.
Are these new details you are presenting to match the facts in evidence? No. Alex is taking issue with what Waters is saying.
Waters reads from the data log: 8:45:45 video ends, you leave Moselle sometime around 8:47? Sounds right, could have been earlier.
You characterized it “I got out of there.” It takes 2 minutes to get to the house, and park the golf cart? Yes. He says he parked the gold cart and went in front door.
Time is around 8:49? Yes
You went inside and tv was on? Yes
You laid on the couch, maybe dozed for a second? Alex says if he dozed, it was an extremely short time.
According to data, you’re moving at 9:02. If that’s what data shows.
And logging more steps in this time period than you’ve had at any point in the day? Alex doesn’t remember what he was doing getting ready to go. He went into the house, maybe to the kitchen, he doesn’t remember.
Were the shotgun and Blackout on the golf cart? No
You were in at 8:45 and back out at 9:02. Did you hear anything? No
You didn’t tell law enforcement you thought they’d pulled up? Yes. Alex said he thought when he got up -- if he took a nap – he was getting ready to go to his mom’s and he thought he heard them pull up. He told law enforcement he thought he heard a wild cat. He never thought it was a person and in the course of everything he told them about the cat but lied about going to the kennel.
Alex said he was very cooperative during the investigation.
Waters said, cooperative except for telling law enforcement you were at kennel moments before the murders.
Waters asks, when you picked up the chicken, was there blood on it, did you wash your hands? Don’t believe so
Did Maggie mess with the garden hose at all? Not when he was there.
Waters displays the condensed timeline for the court. He asks Murdaugh if he can see the timeline. It reflects no activity on his cell phone during the time Alex says he was at the kennels.
Did you take your phone with you to kennels? No
Typical for you to leave it behind? Not usual if going out for expended period of time, but to go to kennel and right back, not unusual. You heard the testimony service was spotty. Alex does not specifically remember having phone, but doesn’t dispute the data.
The data map shows you arriving at Moselle at 6:42? That’s what data appears to show
Data has Paul arriving at 7:04, no reason to dispute that? The address is for the shop and Alex believes Paul got there closer to 7. Tried to look at records to confirm that.
You looked at records a lot before the trial? Sure, I’ve looked at them
There are steps recorded on your phone, are they consistent with Paul riding on the property? Sure
8:05 to 8:09, the last steps recorded on your phone before 9:02 when you become busy? Yes
You concede you were at the house at 8:09? Yes
Paul was already back? No, I said opposite
When you got there? As I said earlier, Paul and I were at the shop, I left Paul and went to house, I believe
Maggie was at house? Believe she was
Your steps at 8:09 at the house, Paul is pinging at house at 8:08? Paul at house at 8:08, Alex is not sure if Paul came behind him
When you put your phone down, was it at the house or in the Suburban? Alex believes he’s not sure where he put phone, probably put it on the couch.
Testimony from Almeda was detailed in picking up the phone from the console, but you can’t remember where you put phone in house? Alex can’t remember where he put the phone in the house
The detail from yesterday is convenient but fuzzy in what’s important? Doesn’t like characterization.
Got to house and Maggie was there? Yes
Last steps at 8:09? What data days. But testimony said it wasn’t precise.
How did you get back to house? White pickup truck
When you go to the house what did you do? Took a shower. Talked to Maggie, possibly, we’ve already discussed this.
Data reflects Maggie taking steps and phone ends connection to Mercedes at 8:17? I agree with that
That appears when she arrived? I do not agree. Not unusual for Maggie to jump out of the car and run errands and ask Paul or Alex to unplug the car from the phone. Paul arrived at the house after Alex. He believes. If Paul got to the house about the same time, he wasn’t inside with Alex and Maggie when Alex took his shower.
Looking at the data point at 8:08, Paul is in the middle of the house? Yes, that’s what data shows. Alex says he’s not saying Paul wasn’t in the house, but Paul wasn’t there when he was taking the shower. Paul could have been in a truck in the yard.
8:30, Maggie starts tracking steps? Yes, that’s what data shows
8:38 data shows Paul at kennels? At 8:38, yes. I have no reason to believe he wasn’t at kennels
8L45, kennel video starts, lasts 50 seconds? Yes
Around 8:49, Paul and Maggie’s phones log for the last time? Yes
8:53 Maggie’s phone moves but can’t tell how has it? Agree
9:02-9:06 Alex’s phone shows steps? Alex said he was preparing to go to mm’s house. Can’t tell what he was doing
There are a lot of steps in that time period, what were you doing? Alex says he was Preparing to to go his mom’s house. He doesn’t know what he was doing and disagrees with Waters’ assertion he has new details for the story, but, he says, he wasn’t cleaning off or putting guns in a raincoat.
You’re taking a lot of steps and making a lot of phone calls? Alex was making phone calls, called dad at 9:05. He says he heard the same testimony you heard, but he doesn’t know what he was doing. Alex agrees the data shows 283 steps recorded on the phone while he was making calls.
Alex agrees he made the calls on the call data sheet, which Alex says are normal calls
Did Alex delete calls from his log? Not intentionally. One of the most important thigs for Alex is to get the records and call data for the case. He wants to tell jury he didn’t intentionally delete calls from the phone.
One of the things he told law enforcement was he made calls to Maggie. Doesn’t recall, but if Waters says so
Alex, you brought it up in the interview with David Owen. Alex doesn’t dispute he talked about calls, but it wasn’t the first thing he talked about
You are on the phone manufacturing an alibi? Not true.
How can you remember such detail about some things and then not remember details in the case? Alex says he never created an alibi. He says he knows what he was doing, he was getting ready to go.
You made the calls to Maggie in that 4 minute period, you had just seen them a few minutes ago, why not take that short left turn to the kennels if you were trying to reach Maggie? Alex said there was no reason to. He says the calls were to say he as leaving and would be back. It is unusual they didn’t try to call him back, but not unusual to call and not reach them. Alex said Maggie as with Paul and should have been as sage as she could be.
Did you talk to Maggie about going to Almeda at the kennels or at supper? Alex believes they talked about going to Almeda but not specifically about going to Almeda. He says they specifically talked about Paul. Paul was having issue with high blood pressure and didn’t want to go to the doctor.
Do you remember the group text about seeing you father in the hospital? No
Did you discuss Maggie going to Almeda? Situation made Maggie sad, he acknowledged he might have said she was going.
You told law enforcement Maggie was staying at Edisto and was surprised she was at Moselle. Your sister-in-law testified Maggie wanted to stay at Edisto? Alex’s only dispute is he called Maggie and told her to come home. He always wanted Maggie to come home. He didn’t realize at time and knows now Maggie was undecided about staying at Edisto because Bubba and Grady were in the kennels. Bubba would have been with her if she was staying at Edisto.
You never called her and asked her to come home? Alex doesn’t believe he made a call to specifically ask Maggie to come home.
Maggie thought enough about it to talk to Marian that night? If that’s what she said. He said he may have talked to Maggie on the phone about coming home, but did not specifically call her to ask her to come home. He is certain
Why tell law enforcement Maggie came home because she was concerned about you? Because that’s what Alex said he found out about after the fact. He said it was not unusual for Maggie to stay at Edisto but didn’t learn about why she decided to come back until later. Alex said Blanca showed him a text from Maggie to her.
You sent Maggie a text at 9:08? He agrees. He tried to reach them by phone and couldn’t get them and texted Maggie
Got to Almeda at 9:22? No reason to dispute that
Made calls along the way? Yes
Called Chris Wilson? Yes
Had a short conversation? Whatever the record shows
Called John Marvin? Yes
Arrived at 9:22, that’s about right? Yes
At 9:24, you call the land line at Almeda? Correct
Went inside and called Shelly? Called and talked to Shelly
You told law enforcement you were there 45 minutes? Alex believes that is what he said, but he said he told law enforcement to get the call logs to be sure. He heard Shelly’s testimony and he believes Shelly is a good person, but he wasn’t trying to influence her to say something. He says OnStar would show how long he was there.
Blanca testified you talked to her in a similar fashion about the clothes you were wearing, and it made her uncomfortable? Alex says, you have to understand this, David Owen asked about clothes he had on and shortly after that, he asked Blanca about them because Owen made an issue about it and Alex said he asked Blanca to sit down and talk about it. She remembered what she testified about.
Very consistent about this detailed conversation? Dang right I remember, it because it was important
You were not concerned about giving accurate information to law enforcement? Alex said he did want to give law enforcement accurate information, he told a lie and got wed to that lie. He wanted to give as much accurate information as he could. He specifically went to Blanca about clothes because David Owen made it an issue.
You turned onto Moselle at 10:01? Looks like 10 on the dot.
At house at 10:05? Yes sir
That’s when you went back to kennels? Went to kennels after going to house
Got out of car, according to what told law enforcement repeatedly, and checked the bodies? I don’t know what o told law enforcement. Saw Maggie and Paul and went back to car and called 911 and then went back to them and did things he did
You didn’t specifically say you went to them before calling 911? Alex responds, if he said it, it wasn’t accurate that he checked the bodies before calling 911. That’s what he believes happened.
Do you deny that’s what you said? Alex doesn’t believe that’s what he said. He knows he checked the bodies but doesn’t believe he checked them before 911 because he can pretty well remember vividly, he was already on phone when he checked Paul.
Looking at data, the vehicle parked at 10:05:57 suburban arrives at kennels. Ok. Alex said he pulled up and saw them and knows he jumped out of car but believes before he checked them, almost certain, he got the phone and called 911 and after he called 911, there was some time where nothing was going on and that’s when he went to check on them.
What you’re saying here today is not what you told law enforcement? Alex disagrees.
Waters pulls up Alex’s first interview with SLED, taken on June 7. In it, Alex is calmly sitting in David Owen’s vehicle with Danny Henderson (Alex’s lawyer) in the back. Alex is asked to tell what happened. Alex recounts he pulled up, saw them, knew it was really bad, saw Paul, saw his brains on the side. Ran to Maggie, actually tried to turn Paul over, Paul’s cell phone popped out, Alex said he thought about doing something with it but put it back. He went to wife, he could see… touched Maggie, tried to take pulse on both of them, called 911 pretty much right away, she (the operator) was really good, talked to her, told her he was getting off phone to call family members, did that, called brother Randy and brother John and tried to call little boy, a real good friend who lives around corner and couldn’t get him.
Alex said that’s what he remembered that then and that’s what he said then not what he remembers now.
You called Rogan but he wasn’t staying around the corner. Alex said he didn’t know where Rogan was staying. You’re making a big deal of this Mr. Waters. Rogan was like a son and Rogan was close by.
No one was disputing Rogan wouldn’t do anything for you.
The taped interview continues: Three was blood and body stuff
Did you see anything that shouldn’t belong at the scene around Paul or Maggie? No
What made you come out here tonight? Mom in late stages of Alzheimer’s and checked on mom. Maggie is a dog person and knew she was at kennels, Alex said he was at the house.
Waters asks is this what you remember telling law enforcement? Alex said there is lot of things, looking back – video and 911 call – lot of things Alex says he doesn’t remember
Waters says, early in the video, you made a conscious decision to lie. Alex said he didn’t believe it was lying at that point because Maggie had gone to the kennels and he had gone to the house.
At that interview, you are not in custody, you are being asked standard questions but you chose to lie? Alex was not sure when he decided to lie. He said all the things people said to him about not talking without a lawyer, his distrust of SLED and Owen asking about the relationship is when he said triggered his paranoia.
You’re an experienced lawyer and having a lawyer there and you chose to lie? That’s not what he said. Alex said he believed those guys were in a position to help him (his law partners) but sitting int the car, paranoid ideas came to him – he had found the bodies, had pills in his pocket, distrust of SLED and they were taking swabs.
One factor in a series of events that lead Alex to have paranoid thinking and that’s what made him lie. Alex said he wasn’t capable of planning to do anything because of paranoia. That night, the paranoia didn’t go away and decided to lie.
At what point did you get rid of the pills in his pocket? No specific time when he took the pills out that would eventually be put in his suitcase.
At some point in the interview, you were able to plan that lie, and make a decision to lie? Alex doesn’t think what he said in the interview was a lie. When Owen asked about relationship, Alex said that was a trigger
Not telling everything same as telling a lie? Yes, he has heard that.
The interview is replayed… Owen asks Alex his name and date of birth and phone number. Owen asks the name of the man in the back seat and for the record states his own name and Det. Rutland’s name.
Hadn’t decided to lie there? No.
At two minutes and nine seconds: Alex pulled up, saw them, knew it was really bad, saw Paul, saw his brains on the side. Ran to Maggie, actually tried to turn Paul over, Paul’s cell phone popped out, Alex said he thought about doing something with it but put it back. He went to wife, he could see… touched Maggie, tried to take pulse on both of them, called 911 pretty much right away, she (the operator) was really good, talked to her, told her he was getting off phone to call family members, did that, called brother Randy and brother John and tried to call little boy, a real good friend who lives around corner and couldn’t get him.
There was blood around Paul and some body things, didn’t see anything around Paul or Maggie what wasn’t supposed to be there.
You can’t describe the moment when you decided to lie about your wife and son? Cannot remember
Owen asking about your relationship triggered you? Yes
You talked about your dope paranoia, GSR, advice form law partners and distrust from SLED? Distrust for SLED arose from the way they had been involved in Paul’s criminal charges and an issue that had gone on about Buster and Paul where Buster and Paul had nothing to do with what I’m talking about and a time when SLED charged Greg Alexander and the charges were so wrong that he and his dad made a decision to go to the courthouse and sit in court to support him.
That was ten years ago? The Alexander case as ten years ago
You are sitting here and saying you believed this David Owen -- the SLED agent in this interview -- was the SELD agent involved in the Alexander case ten years ago? Yes. That fed into his paranoia, but he can’t say when he decided to lie.
Was that the moment when you decided to lie? Alex said he cannot remember the moment he decided to lie. The whole set of circumstances lead to him lying. He said he couldn’t take a breath and get rid of his paranoia.
Are there any more factors that lead to your lying? Alex says he’s explained all of the factors, he cannot remember when he decided to lie.
Do you remember what you said about the boat wreck and the people in the boat wreck? No, doesn’t remember. He said he never thought the people in the boat wreck were involved in hurting Maggie and Paul, but it is the reason for Paul and Maggie. When Paul was charged there were so many leaks, half truths, lies… so much hate on social media. Alex said he can tell you for a fact that whoever did the thing on June 7 hated Paul.
You’re saying it was a random vigilante that knew Paul and Maggie were there at the kennels and were there alone -- but only during the short time you weren’t there -- and then they had no weapons, hoping to find something there and then traveled the same route you did along Almeda? There are some things in that statement Alex says he agrees with and some things he doesn’t agree with.
Why were you driving so fast to Almeda? Alex said he wasn’t driving fast.
Alex recognizes a photograph of Maggie’s car at Moselle. Between the car and the house is the golf cart Alex used to get to and from the house and kennel. On June 7, Alex said the golf cart would have been closer to the trees. He recognizes the car, the golf cart, and the house but not the positions they’re in. Alex says when he drove the golf cart, he’d go across the brick patio and photo must have been taken by SLED the next day, the afternoon. By that time, he said, the golf cart would have been moved. Alex said the cart was facing to the left when he parked it. In the photo, the cart is facing right. Alex says it should be parked a certain way so you can plug it in and charge it. It was never parked that way by the family.
Further along on the first interview, Alex is asked when Maggie returns to Moselle and what he was doing. Waters asks is this the moment he chose to lie to David Owen? Alex can’t say but he admits what he said in the interview – about going home and napping for about 30 minutes -- was a lie.
During direct testimony, you said after June 7, your family and law partners were around you every waking moment? Yes
And the second interview was three days later? Yes
And at no time did you confess your lie to anyone? No
And you weren’t telling anyone about the lie until yesterday? Alex says, what lie?
Waters puts up the second interview on June 10. Alex is talking about Paul and his issues with blood pressure. In the interview, Alex isn’t sure how Paul and Maggie got to the kennels. He says he stayed at the house, played on his phone and fell asleep. He tells the agent if they have his phone, that would tell them. He tells the agent he called and texted Maggie and then left for his mom’s house.
Waters stops the taped interview and asks Alex: that was all lies, wasn’t it? Everything about not going to the kennels was a lie.
And you do that so effortlessly? That’s not for me to judge.
On the taped interview, Owen tells Alex they are collecting DNA samples from everyone and asks for a sample from Alex for elimination. Owen said they’ve talked to about 100 people and still tracking people down. Alex breaks in and says Paul was like a little detective, very intuitive.
Waters asks Alex: for some reason you thought to bring that up in the interview? That was just a trait of Paul’s.
Alex in the interview isn’t sure when Maggie and Paul left the house and went to the kennels. He says in the interview the last time he saw them was at dinner.
You told agents the last time you saw them was at dinner and you say, “yes sir”? that is correct.
Between the June 10 interview and August interview you weren’t working? Alex said not very much at all
Did you borrow $250K from Parker to cover the Ferris fees? Yes
Borrowed $350K from Russell Laffitte to cover Ferris fees? I did
Did you get the money from Laffitte before signing paperwork? Alex said he do not recall, he’s not disputing that, but don’t recall
Did you convince Chris Wilson to cover the remaining $192K to cover the Ferris fees? Yes
And he agreed to do that because he trusted you? That may have been a reason
And Wilson sent you an email saying the funds were in the account and you forwarded that to Jeanne Seckinger and Lee Cope? Alex said he heard testimony to that effect, yes
Alex said he couldn’t get a loan against Moselle and had to get a loan against Edisto.
You repeated the lies effortlessly? Yes
No one yelled at you? No. they were courteous.
But you lied because you didn’t trust David Owen? Alex said he didn’t trust SLED and thought David Owen was the guy involved in his friend’s case but came to find out later David Owen wasn’t the SLED agent named David that Alex thought he was.
What did you know about Paul’s gun being stolen? Shortly after Christmas 202 he was told Paul’s gun was stolen. Alex said he learned SLED had gone to Bedingfield and found paperwork only for two Blackouts and Alex was sure there was a third one.
Did you say the third gun went missing in Christmas 2020? When they looked for it at Christmas and couldn’t find it. He doesn’t know if it was stolen but he couldn’t find it. He’s heard testimony about friends using guns at Moselle and it wasn’t at the house.
You know the third gun was shot outside the house at turkey season and at the shooting house later in 2021? Alex had no reason to believe the gun was shot in close proximity to the time of the murders.
You are confronted by your thefts at the law firm and this time there is proof? Alex admits some things
You admit cashing a $125K check twice? When he got the check, Alex said he asked about it and was told mistakenly it was for him and he had participated in the year-end contributions. When this came up, the check got cashed and Alex said there is no way he could cash a check twice and no question he could do it twice. The $125K check got mixed in with other checks and got cashed.
You heard Crosby and Ball testify about the check? He said he heard what Crosby and Ball thought they knew about the check
You heard the 911 call on September where you said there was an unknown assailant and you described the assailant?yes
And the interview where you went into great detail about the unknown assailant? he remembered
And creating a SLED sketch artist about the unknown assailant? Yes
You sat there and answered their questions as effortlessly? I told them what I told them, I lied to them.
And the lie you told about the unknown assailant was to make people believe the bad guys were back? I don’t think many people would believe that. People close to me wouldn’t believe me
He doesn’t believe June 7 occurred because accountability issues were at his doorstep.
Every time you had accountability issues, something bad would happen to you and you would become the victim? No. In September, that wasn’t designed to gain sympathy, that was designed for me not to be there.
The story you told was lies? That’s because, Alex says, the man that shot him didn’t shoot him how he needed to, and he needed a story.
It happened after you were confronted by PMPED? Some may have thought that but those close to him knew it was something he had done
Shame is an extraordinary provocation for you? What do you mean by “extraordinary provocation”?
You didn’t want the family’s reputation to be called into question? no
You had a successful career until 2021? No. It may be perceived as a successful career, but you don’t have a high self esteem when you’re an addict.
You were perceived as successful? I made a bunch of money if that’s what you mean
You don’t think you lived a life of privilege? Very privileged
In June 2021, your father was very ill? Yes
You were coming to a point of a financial crisis? He said he was having financial issues in the past
Are you a family annihilator? Do you mean did I kill my family? I would never kill Paul Murdaugh or Maggie Murdaugh
You lied to Paul? yes
You lied to Maggie? yes
You lied to your father? Yes
You never told your father anything before he died? No
You lied to brothers? Lied to Randy at some point
Did you lie to him about last time you saw Maggie? Yes
You lied to the Branstetters, Chris Wilson, Chris Bouleware, law partners, about the kennels, to Mark Ball, Ronny Crosby, Johnny Parker, Lee Cope (don’t know) Danny Henderson, Jeanne Seckinger, Annette Griswold, Michael Gunn. Clients, Pinckney, Thomas, Badger, Plougher girls, Martin, Bush, Christiani, Risher, Drawdy, Jenks, Duncan, Hay, Guerry, Anderson, Mallory, Moore (no, but took his money), Satterfield (it had already come out in the media there was a settlement, doesn’t remember if he really lied), about the roadside incident? Yes
Do you know why people lie? For the most part
And you want the jury to believe a story you brought forth just yesterday after hearing the testimony in this case? No
Is trying to explain your presence at the kennels is an important component in this case? Alex agrees it is an important component but there are other important components
The facts have evolved in your story? The facts haven’t evolved but you’re asking more questions
Waters plays the Daniel Greene body cam video from June 7 (Greene was the very first first responder at the scene at Moselle on June 7). On the video, Alex is heard answering Greene’s question: When was the last time you were here with them? Alex responded: I don’t know the time. Went to mom’s house and gone about an hour and a half and it was 45 minutes before that.
Waters stops the video and asks Alex: Greene was the only one there, SLED wasn’t there, no GSR had been taken, David Owen wasn’t there but you told the lie, didn’t you?
RE-DIRECT
Jim Griffin asks Alex about his financial misdeeds. You have pending charges? I do
About $750K in Ferris fees? Yes sir
About $550K to Curtis Eddie Smith? Went to pills, oxycodone and oxycontin
And you were an addict? You repeatedly lied to loved ones about your addiction? Yes
Worried you would be exposed if continued this conduct? Yes
You referred to a text message between Maggie and Blanca. Alex said Blanca shared the text with him and told him Maggie was concerned for him
You were asked about conversations around dinner table on June 7, about Paul’s health? Correct
Alex is asked to identify texts from Paul to Alex on May 30, and picture of Paul’s feet. The text refers to Paul’s feet swelling and Paul asking to get a doctor’s appointment.
You were asked about your dad’s condition and if he were terminal? Yes
Alex is asked to identify a group text about his father’s health and his admission into the hospital in Savannah. Alex said that text came while he was talking to Jeanne Seckinger on June 7.
About the 283 steps traveled on Alex’s phone at 9:02 p.m. when Alex says he’s getting ready to leave for Almeda. Griffin asks Alex if he had Maggie’s phone with him that night? Alex said no.
The timeline in evidence shows 59 steps between 8:53 and 8:55, were you walking with Maggie’s phone that night? No
Any recording of steps on Maggie’s phone
Repeatedly asked SLED to get OnStar data or cellular data to show Maggie’s phone and Alex’s phone? Yes
Why was that important? He knew his car, his phone and Maggie’s phone were never together
You made inaccurate statements to law enforcement? Yes. A lot of the time he said he qualified his statements by telling law enforcement to look at the keycard or his phone.
Were you wrong or were you lying? I was wrong
Dept. Greene pulls up and you tell you were gone hour, hour & half, and the last time you saw Maggie and Paul was 45 minutes before? That’s what I said
And they didn’t show up before 10:30? Were you lying to Deputy Greene? No, I wasn’t lying to him
Were you trying to mislead him? Not when Mr. Greene was there
You said you lied to Agent Owen and Agent Croft on a couple of occasions and to your whereabouts after dinner? I did lie multiple tines
And you said it was due to opioids? Yes
And you had a bag of pills in your pocket? Yes
Ever see anyone else at kennels? No one there while he was there
Had you thought if you told investigators you were at kennels, that would have helped them? No, because they were doing fine out there
The 911 call went to Hampton and then there was the handoff to Colleton? Yes
A minute you say “I been up to it”… Alex doesn’t remember saying it but heard it on the tape.
Asked about roadside shooting? Alex said his intent was to end his life
You were shot but not killed and you made up a lie, trying to protect Curtis Eddie Smith? He doesn’t think he was trying to protect Curtis Eddie Smith but he wasn’t supposed to be there and then he was. He was intended to be dead and he didn’t want Buster knowing he had tried to do that, that was the motivation for doing that.
Did you eventually tell agents that it was a lie? After a few days in detox, Alex said, he thinks he told you (Jim Griffin) first, then Buster, Randy and John and y’all arranged for me to tell Agent Kelly.
You lied to family over many years? Over many years about addiction
About financial status? They never knew about that
Your law partners? Yes
To law enforcement about taking a nap on June 7? I did
Did you murder Maggie? Never hurt Maggie
Did you murder Paul? Never hurt Paul. Alex says if he was under pressure, he would hurt himself not them
RE-CROSS
Were you concerned about the bag of pills in your pocket when you talked to David Owen? He doesn’t think he said that. It was one of the many things that came together that night
As a reasonable person, you are saying a bag of pills was more important that telling law enforcement the time you last saw your wife and child? No sir
You requested phone and auto data because you have been manufacturing an alibi? No sir
You admit you were wrong about a lot of things you told law enforcement on June 7? He was wrong about things. Some things.
You were asked if you voluntarily confessed to Kelly, but it was only after being confronted with evidence? No. Alex said he was told SLED had come up with information in the case and needed for him to confirm it. He knew resources had been wasted and didn’t want to to waste any more resources at that point.
You old Jim Griffin first? Yes
But you didn’t tell Griffin about kennels? No
You left the kennels with your new story, your words were, “I got out of there” and you also said in testimony “you hurt the ones you love the most.” Alex said what he meant was he knew he hurt his brothers, his clients and all of whom he loved and cared for.
Testimony resumes at 9:30 a.m. on Monday.
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