The video above will play a live video stream of the Monday, February 27, double-murder trial of Alex Murdaugh or a replay after it ends.
After five weeks of often tedious and exhausting testimony from more than 70 witnesses in the double-murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, the Colleton County jury will take a field trip this week — to the crime scene, Moselle, where the Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, were graphically killed on June 7, 2021.
Over the State’s objections – because of the amount of time that has passed since the murders and the crime scene has become unchanged or changed in some way – Judge Clifton Newman granted the lawyer’s request Murdaugh Richard Harpootlian for the visit. However, jurors and attorneys will only be allowed to visit the dog kennels where the shootings occurred, and not the primary residence or other areas.
Law enforcement officers will be ready to secure the scene, especially since a large number of onlookers following the case have visited the area during the trial and removed or taken “selfies”.
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It is unclear in what capacity the media will be allowed to cover the jury’s walk to the crime scene. That’s pending more information and a decision from the court, said Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill. She said she hoped to know more in the afternoon.
Since Murdaugh is serving life in prison without parole in the double-murder case, which is now in its sixth week, it’s unclear when that field trip will take place, however. The defense has one more witness to call after the lunch break on Monday, and then waits to rest. After this, the state has about 4-5 rebuttal witnesses. Final arguments could begin on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning – after the site visit – with the jury possibly deliberating at the end of the week.
Alex Murdaugh’s brother, John Marvin Murdaugh, takes the witness stand for the defense
On Monday, February 27, John Marvin Murdaugh, brother of Alex Murdaugh took the witness stand for the defense.
John Marvin Murdaugh described going to the scene of the double murder and cleaning up the crime scene.
“We were just in disbelief,” he said. “I had to do it (clean up the crime scene) for Paul.”
Check back for updates from Monday’s proceedings.
Alex Murdaugh experts say “two shooters” used execution-style explosions
Murdaugh’s defense called two paid expert witnesses to counter previous testimony from the state — and not surprisingly, both offered opinions that differed from the State’s witnesses.
Dr. Jonathan Eisenstat, an expert in forensic pathology, disputed the accuracy of Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey’s estimated time of death and testified Monday morning that Paul and Maggie were not killed in the exact way that two of the State’s experts said – but rather. they were shot execution style at point blank range or contact shots to the skull.
Eisenstat also testified that whoever shot Paul pressed the barrel of the gun against his skull and that he was covered in blood spatter and biological material, but he admitted that Maggie’s shooter could have been much bigger than her.
Cross-examination revealed that Eisenstat did not conduct any direct evidence on the bodies, but relied on evidence and documents provided by the defense — while being paid more than $10,000 for just two days in the courtroom.
Tim Palmbach, an expert in crime scene and blood spatter analysis, along with shooting incident reconstruction, echoed Eisenstat’s findings in every way — then took it a step further by theorizing that two shooters killed Paul and Maggie. He claimed that the shot to Paul’s head would have actually stunned the shooter and perhaps even injured him from the flying matter – rendering him unable to quickly kill the second victim, at least temporarily.
“The totality of the evidence suggests a two-shooter scenario,” Palmback said. “Why would a shooter bring two long guns to an event?”
Cross examination raised the question of why crime scene evidence, such as the lack of shotgun pellets at the bottom of the door of the dog feeding room behind the victim, Paul, does not support his theory
The court is scheduled to resume at 2:45 pm with the defense’s final witness.
Check back for updates from Monday’s proceedings.
Alex Murdaugh murder trial: State’s evidence likely to impact Colleton County jury
What evidence will have an impact on the Colleton County jury in Alex Murdaugh’s trial, and will it remain? What is the most powerful evidence of the State?
Here is Michael DeWitt’s analysis of what may happen this week in court.
List of witnesses in the trial of Alex Murdaugh
Murdaugh is now one of dozens of people up for grabs the witness in this case.
The parade of witnesses who have already taken over and could potentially take over, from investigators with various South Carolina police departments to Alex Murdaugh’s still-living son, Buster. The testimony of those witnesses was pending on Friday morning as Judge Clifton Newman heard the arguments and discussed if it allows evidence the former South Carolina attorney alleged financial crimes and other “bad deeds” as a motive in the deaths of Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
This article originally appeared in the Greenville News: Murdaugh trial live, updates: Week 6 begins with final testimony