Murdaugh tells the police about a boating accident
Murdaugh told 911 about his Paul’s boating accident and claimed his son had been “threatened for months.”
The first officer to arrive said Murdaugh “immediately started” telling him about the February 2019 accident.
“I know it is,” he said.
At the time of Paul’s death, the 22-year-old was on trial for driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash that killed a 19-year-old woman.
The defense theory is that someone killed Maggie and Paul Murdaugh as revenge for the accident.
Prosecutors allege Murdaugh made the comments on purpose to divert suspicion from himself.
Murdaugh didn’t cry
First responders all agree so far that Murdaugh didn’t cry.
Although he looked and sounded upset, police officers and firefighters have said there were no tears in the lawyer’s eyes.
Murdaugh’s behavior will play a central role in the case. Prosecutor Creighton Waters asked jurors on opening day to “closely look” at the body-worn footage.
‘Watch them closely. Pay attention to his facial expressions. Listen to what he says and what he doesn’t say,” Waters said.
Murdaugh sounded clear throughout his dealings with officers that night, even greeting one by saying, “How are you?”
The defense has argued that Murdaugh was distraught after the murders and had a “bonding experience” with his son just an hour before the murders.
NO BLOOD ON HIS WHITE T-SHIRT
Murdaugh had no visible blood on his white T-shirt, first responders told the court.
Police described seeing pools of blood under the bodies of Maggie and Paul.
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian described to jurors how Paul’s head “literally exploded… like a watermelon.”
Murdaugh previously told 911 he checked his wife and son’s pulses – but when police arrived they saw no blood on him.
Prosecutors also alerted jurors to significant amounts of water that had pooled around the deceased, although it had not rained that night.
GRAYER MAGGIE AND PAUL’S GRAY SHOOTINGS
Terrifying bodycam footage of the “butchered” bodies of Maggie and Paul was played to the jury.
The 12 men and women sometimes covered their mouths while Murdaugh bent over to cry.
Fire Chief Barry McRoy told the court that Paul’s “brain had come down from his ankles” when he arrived and that he did not examine either victim because “both had injuries incompatible with life.”
The defense argues that given the brutality of these execution killings, it is simply “not believable” that Murdaugh – a “loving” husband and father – could have carried them out.
FOOTPRINTS AND TIRE MARKS “NOT RECEIVED”
Murdaugh’s defense team has already attacked several first responders for failing to preserve footprints and tire tracks found at the scene.
Sergeant Daniel Greene even noted that there were several tire tracks in the wet grass that were inconsistent with the number of vehicles on the property.
He said he didn’t tell SLED (state law enforcement agencies) about the evidence because it “wasn’t part of my job description.”
Harpootlian snapped at Greene for failing to take photos and not putting anything on his feet to conserve the blood and brains splattered on the floor.
Later, for the same reason, he tore up another officer and told him, “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
Despite his failure to secure evidence, Greene told the attorney he was “unaware” that evidence would be destroyed or contaminated.
MURDAUGH’S PHONE DETAILS
In the body worn footage, Murdaugh can be heard telling the first officer on the scene that he was visiting his mother with late-stage Alzheimer’s.
He said Maggie and Paul were at the kennel when he left, but they weren’t home when he returned.
But Waters told jurors data from “cellphones will show otherwise.”
The prosecutor stressed that phone records will be critical in the case and the jury will hear that the Murdaughs were “prolific” cellphone users.