Alex Murdaugh’s blockbuster testimony continues today as he faces prosecutors in his double murder trial after admitting he was a liar and a thief.
The disgraced legal scout, 54, defied his own legal team to take a stand yesterday and deny killing his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, at their home in Moselle, SC.
Murdaugh broke down as he described finding their blood-soaked bodies on the night of June 7, 2021. But then prosecutors began cross-examining him, grilling him over the millions he stole from clients and alleged obstruction of justice after his son’s fatal boating accident.
“I freely admit that in all of these cases I took money that was not mine,” Murdaugh said. “I hate the fact that I did it. I’m embarrassed.”
In a furious exchange with District Attorney Creighton Waters, Murdaugh even suggested that they “get through it quicker” as he guided him through the catalog of deception.
“You might want to get this done faster, but we don’t,” Waters interrupted.
Alex Murdaugh appears in Colleton County Court, South Carolina on Friday
Crusading Creighton Waters barracks Murdaugh during Thursday’s cross-examination
Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh in a photo posted by the mother for Father’s Day 2020
The state says Murdaugh’s financial crimes help show how his life spiraled out of control – he had racked up millions in debt and was “out of options and time”.
The defense had tried to exclude the evidence, warning the judge that prosecutors would spend days questioning their client about the details of his financial crimes.
“I could have sworn it was a murder case,” Harpootlian joked after testifying yesterday. “We haven’t heard the word murder in the last two hours.”
In addition to his financial crimes, Waters questioned the legal heir over alleged obstruction of justice after his son Paul’s drunk boating accident that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach in February 2019.
At the time of Maggie and Paul’s deaths, Murdaugh was being sued by Beach’s family for the fatal boat accident.
Waters questioned Murdaugh about going to the hospital that night with his solicitor’s card, whether he pressured other teenagers involved in the accident to lie to the police, and why he installed blue lights on his car.
Murdaugh first said he couldn’t remember if he wore the badge before the jury was shown photos of it hanging from his left pocket. “A badge has a warming effect on other law enforcement agencies. If I was looking for an advantage, as you say,’ he finally admitted.
Defense attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian looked strained as they listened to Thursday’s cricket
District Attorney Creighton Waters, left, asks Alex Murdaugh if he recognizes two attorney’s badges during Murdaugh’s murder trial Thursday at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, SC
Alex Murdaugh admitted that on the night of his son’s boating accident, he “possibly” intentionally dangled his attorney’s ID from his pocket to evoke a “warmer” reaction from law enforcement
Murdaugh initially said he could not remember if he wore the badge before the jury was shown photographs showing the badge hanging from his left pocket. “A badge has a warming effect on other law enforcement agencies. If I was looking for an advantage, as you say,’ he finally admitted
Murdaugh’s attorney’s badge, which he allegedly showed to cops the night of the boat wreck
Murdaugh admitted he routinely left his badge on the dashboard to be treated better when pulled over by police
Waters asked, “Did you tell any of the kids not to cooperate with law enforcement?”
Murdaugh replied, “I’ve never told anyone not to cooperate with law enforcement.”
He previously admitted that he routinely left his badge on the dashboard to be treated better when stopped by the police.
Waters asked, “You used it to get better treatment when you were pulled over?”
Murdaugh replied, “I would say that’s true.”
He said he had blue lights installed on his law firm car by someone who worked at one of the local sheriff’s offices.
He agreed that he got permission from his friend, Colleton County Sheriff Andy Strickland, who pleaded guilty to misconduct in office, assault and battery in 2020 when he was ousted from office.
Murdaugh testified that he had five cases in his two decades as a volunteer attorney.
His main activity was reaching lucrative personal injury settlements for his family firm Peters Murdaugh Parker Eltzroth and Detrick. The company has since been dissolved for stealing more than $10 million from customers and partners.
Waters then went on to grill the disgraced Scion about the money he stole, including a teenage car crash victim who was paraplegic.
He told the court he received nearly $4.1 million in legal fees from the $10.2 million recovery he received for Hakeem Pinckney. But he also stole Pickney’s settlement.
“I openly admit in all of these cases that I took money that wasn’t mine and I shouldn’t have done it,” Murdaugh said. “I hate the fact that I did it. I’m embarrassed.”
At the time of Paul’s death, Murdaugh was facing a lawsuit for allowing his son to drive his boat under the influence of alcohol when 19-year-old Mallory (left and right) was killed in February 2019. Murdaugh told police officers that Paul and Maggie had been killed in revenge for the accident
Photos of the Murdaugh boat Sea Hunt taken by investigators following the wreck of Paul’s drunk boat in February 2019
Pictured: Paul (right) walks to the yacht with the group of friends on the night of the crash
Maggie, Paul and Alex are pictured at the younger son’s high school graduation
Murdaugh broke down as he described finding their blood-soaked bodies on the night of June 7, 2021
Murdaugh said, “There were many times I took money that I shouldn’t have taken … I lied to my customers, I misled my customers, and I stole money from my customers.”
He claimed, “They are people I still care about and I made them that way… The actions I did wrong hurt the people I care about most and I reaped a lot of chaos.” .”
The disgraced legal scion attempted to expedite questioning while Waters guided him through specific cases in which he had wronged his clients and his firm.
‘Mister. Waters, just to get through faster,” said Murdaugh.
Waters interjected, “They might want to get through faster, but we don’t.”
Waters questioned Murdaugh if he was successful before the legal empire he inherited collapsed over his thefts.
Murdaugh hesitated to answer, saying he no longer saw himself as successful. He denied that people considered him a “big shot” in the local community.
But he agreed that he may have been considered successful because he had secured millions of dollars in lawsuits.
“According to these criteria, I was certainly successful,” he said. “But we also talked about a lot of my mistakes here today. Do I feel successful? No sir.’
Murdaugh decided to take a stand Thursday in a last-ditch move his defense attorneys said they had advised against because of the series of cross-examinations he’s facing over his financial crimes.
The disgraced legal scion, 54, told jurors: “Paul was so bad … My boy was lying face down and I could see his brain hanging on the side wall.”
Buster watches his father with his hands over his mouth at the Colleton County Courthouse Thursday
John Marvin Murdaugh and his wife Lizzie are followed by Buster and his girlfriend, and Randy Murdaugh (blue shirt) arrives in court Thursday
The Murdaugh clan with Alex’s sister Lynn (from left), his son Buster, sister-in-law Lizzie and brothers John Marvin and Randy
Alex’s sister Lynn blows her nose while Buster and his girlfriend Brooklynn White sit to her left
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian admitted before the judge this morning ‘[Murdaugh] indicated that he does not need to speak to me. It hurts my feelings.’
Harpootlian said “our advice to comment or not would have been different” if the financial crimes he is accused of had been excluded from cross-examination.
The defense asked the judge’s prosecutors to question their client about the litany of financial crimes.
“This is a Bernie Madoff trial, this is not a murder trial,” Harpootlian said as he warned the judge that cross-examination would take several days and prosecutors would brood over his financial misdeeds in great detail.
Judge Clifton Newman admitted the wrongdoing as evidence because prosecutors say his mounting debt motivated the murders of his wife and son.
SCHEDULE: NIGHT OF THE KILLS
Alex Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting dead his wife Maggie, 52, and younger son Paul, 22, on the night of June 7, 2021 at the family’s hunting property in Islandton, South Carolina.
Here are the key events in the timeline established by the prosecution:
At 7.56pm, Paul sent a Snapchat video to friends showing the 22-year-old driving around the property with his father.
At 8:15 p.m., Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, came home and the trio had dinner together. Autopsies showed similar stomach contents for Maggie and Paul.
Around 8:30 p.m., Paul’s phone moves in the direction of the kennel.
Then, at 8.44pm, a second video taken by Paul in the kennel – soon to lead to a murder scene – allegedly proves Maggie, Paul and Alex were together.
At 8:49 p.m., prosecutors say Paul’s phone was locked and forever silent, never to text again or make another call.
Between 9pm and 9.30pm, Paul and Maggie were killed – according to the coroner.
At 9:06 p.m., Murdaugh’s car is set on fire.
The alleged killer said he was visiting his mother in Almeda, about 15 minutes’ drive away, who has late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
At 10:07 p.m., Murdaugh called 911 and claimed he got home to find his wife and son shot.