A new week has commenced in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial.
Court resumed at 9:30 a.m. Monday, with more witness testimonies focused on the night of the murders of Alex Murdaugh's wife and son, Maggie and Paul.
Later in the day, the state played the jury a video recording of an interview SLED conducted with Murdaugh on June 10, 2023.
“I did him so bad.”
That's what a South Carolina investigator testified Murdaugh had uttered between sobs during a recorded interview.
But to others inside and outside the courtroom, it sounded like Murdaugh said, “They did him so bad,” on the audio from a police interview that was played at the disgraced attorney’s double murder trial after he was asked about a picture of his son’s body.
Prosecutors paused the video several times to give State Law Enforcement Division Senior Special Agent Jeff Croft a chance to emphasize some of Murdaugh’s comments. At one point, Murdaugh said his wife was home hours before the killings when he and his son returned from riding around the property. Later in the interview, Murdaugh could be heard saying “It’s just so bad,” before the unclear comment that Croft said sounded like Murdaugh was implying he had killed his son.
In court, Murdaugh appeared to shake his head no when Croft said what he heard.
Murdaugh also broke into sobs on the 2021 recording after mentioning a small disagreement he had with his wife over visiting her family.
“She was a wonderful girl and a wonderful wife. And she was a great mother,” Murdaugh said.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson was in attendance with the state's prosecution. Murdaugh's brother, John Marvin, and his son, Buster, were also there.
On Friday, the jury heard from Detective Laura Rutland, Dalila Cirencione, and Melinda Worley.
Rutland talked about her role in the crime scene investigation and the court released a recording of the first interview with Alex Murdaugh police had. She assisted in that interview with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Cirencione and Worley's testimonies focused largely on forensic testing.
First testimony: Melinda Worley returns to the stand
Worley is a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agent. She is currently a senior criminalist in the forensic services lab.
Murdaugh's defense lead Dick Harpootlian began questioning Monday. He did some recapping of Friday's testimony.
Worley affirmed Harpootlian, saying the bloody footprint found in the feed room was likely from where someone in law enforcement at the scene that had walked into the room, not from Paul. She said as few people as possible should have walked through the scene, although it's likely they walked through area the same area the perpetrator had.
Harpootlian: "Walking in the dark increases the probability some trace evidence was disturbed?"
Worley: "That's why they started marking evidence."
Harpootlian then discussed a crime scene layout and mock-up diagram with Worley and confirmed the diagram she made was not to scale. She said a 3-D computer visualization of the crime scene was created by FARO.
He asked Worley about a photo of a bullet hole in the dog house and Worley said it was used to try to determine the angle and direction the bullet came from. This photo was one of several photos of the dog house taken July 16, 2021, when SLED returned to re-examine the crime scene.
Worley noted she did not know if the bullet recovered from the dog house was tested for Maggie's DNA.
Harpootlian also asked about the measurements and diagram Worley made of a quail cage on scene. She said SLED put a rod through the bullet holes in the quail cage to determine the direction the bullet traveled. It was decided the entrance of the bullet did not come from the direction of the feed room, rather, it came from the opposite side at a 41 degree angle.
Harpootlian used diagram to show lines of shots into dog house and quail pen were "some" distance away from the feed room, not the feed room where Paul had been shot.
He tried to make the point that the diagrams showed two shooters could have been involved by asking if Worley could conclude that was one of the reasonable explanations for the different angles of the bullet holes.
Another explanation could be movement, Harpootlian said, conceding the shooter could have moved to a different location after starting to shoot.
Harpootlian: "Could someone have been a lookout there and went there to kill Paul and that's the lookout, Maggie surprised them, they thought she was gone ... reasonable doubt, right?"
Worley: "I have no idea, I wasn't there."
Worley was asked about the fact that Paul's bloody footprints show he was facing the rear of the feed room, yet the shot entered his chest coming from the front of the room, noted by the fact buckshot went through the back window, into the window sill and the tree outside. Harpootlian asked if Paul's footprints were "smudged" as if he was turning and Worley said he was stepping in it while turning, but it wasn't smudged.
Worley said she can't explain how Paul went from facing the back window to how he was facing the door again on the second shot, which was right near the door.
Harpootlian went on to establish with Worley that investigators did not do any forensic analysis or take any in-depth photo of foot impressions in the feed room because they didn't realize there were impressions there.
When asked how Worley could do comparisons of the markings without proper photos, she said it was still possible to do "and they were mostly Paul's shoes."
Worley admitted one of the bloody footprints identified was later determined to be a law enforcement officer. Worley said that's "not exactly" following standards and agrees police shouldn't have been walking through the scene.
Harpootlian: Do we know what other evidence the police may have destroyed?
Worley: I have no idea.
Harpootlian: That's right. We don't.
Later, Worley said the footprints by police could've been made after Paul's body was removed and after SLED photos were taken.
Harpootlian also brought up the mud/dirt mark on the back of Maggie's calf. Worley said the mark couldn't be tested so she's not sure if it was a shoe mark or not.
Worley admitted the photo of the mark on Maggie's leg was not treated according to standard with using scale, etc for photos and it would've been better if SLED had done proper photo procedures.
When Harpootlian asked if it's fair to say no one at the scene that night appreciated the fact it was a possible footwear impression on Maggie's leg, she agreed. He went on to say none of the photos taken that night were done according to that standard for documenting footwear. Again, she agreed.
Harpootlian next addressed the blood testing on Murdaugh's clothes, specifically the stains identified by SLED testing.
He asked Worley if the shirt appeared "completely" cleans and she said it does not, as she noted smudges. It was also noted he'd been shown on video wiping his face.
Harpootlian had Worley again admit bleach and rust can lead to false positives using the leucocrystal violet, or LCV, testing.
He asked Worley if she knows the results on the confirmatory testing later with HemaTrace and she said she doesn't. Harpootlian said later test showed no blood, but Worley said she was not aware of final results on shirt, shoes or shorts.
Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude asked Worley if she's aware of stippling found on Maggie's body, indicating she was shot at close range. Worley confirmed.
Goude also asked Worley if it's possible that a person could move around while shooting, resulting in the different angles in the dog house and quail pen. Worley said yes. When asked if it's possible someone could use more than one gun, she also said yes.
Looking at photos of an ATV that was parked near Maggie's body, Worley restated how biological matter was found on the front of the ATV. Harpootlian objected because he said the biological matter was never tested and could've been deer blood. His objection was overruled.
In a second cross examination, Harpootlian immediately brought up the fact bio matter on the ATV wasn't swabbed the night of the murders for testing. Worley said she isn't aware of swabbing or testing done.
Harpootlian also brought up the pool of water around Paul's body:
Harpootlian: Did anyone ask you take a sample of that (water) to determine if there was human blood in it?
Worley: "No.
Next witness: Jeff Croft
Croft is a senior special agent with SLED. He was dispatched to the crime scene on Moselle Road on June 8, 2021, the day after the murders.
Croft said he interviewed Murdaugh's friend, Rogan Gibson, who had a phone conversations with Paul, Maggie and Alex the night of the murders. Croft took screenshots of communications with the Murdaughs from Gibson's phone and the images were entered into evidence and shared with the jury.
Croft said he also took a DNA sample from Gibson. The interview was conducted with fellow special agent Katie McCallister, Croft said. They briefed SLED agent David Owen afterward.
The screenshots show Gibson had a roughly four-minute call with Paul around 8:40 p.m.
He also received an incoming call from Paul at 8:44 p.m. and some texts were exchanged between. The last one was from Gibson at 8:49 p.m., asking Paul to get a picture of a dog for him.
Paul didn't respond to the text and Gibson sent another at 9:59 p.m. that read "Yo." Gibson also sent a text to Maggie at 9:34 p.m. that said, "tell Paul to call me."
After that text also wasn't answered, Gibson called Paul several times:
- 9:10 p.m. 2 second call
- 9:20 p.m. 1 second call
- 9:42 p.m. 1 second call
- 9:57 p.m. 4 second call
- 10:08 p.m. 1 second call.
The next five calls in Gibson's phone were missed ones from Murdaugh at 10:21 p.m., 10:24 p.m., 10:25 p.m., and 10:30 p.m.
After the interview with Gibson, Croft said he and fellow agents were to the Murdaugh's main house to secure guns, ammo and other firearm-related evidence. They were specifically looking for guns similar or matching those used in the murders, including a 12-gauge shotgun capable of shooting 3-inch magnum shells and an AR-style rifle chambered to shoot .300BLK. (*NOTE: 12-gauge shotguns are commonly chambered to fire 2.75"-3.5" shells.)
After securing items in house, Croft noticed .300BLK cartridge casings at stoop entering gun room and in flower bed on each side. They were weathered, but needed to be collected.
The state then played Croft's body camera footage from that day. It was played without audio because it contained witness statements in the background and those witnesses will be asked to testify in court later.
According to the footage, several other of Murdaugh's attorney colleagues were at the scene, including Lee Cope, Mark Ball, Chris Wilson, and Ronnie Crosby. Last week, it was noted Murdaugh law partner Danny Henderson was also at the scene as Murdaugh's personal attorney when he was questioned by SLED.
Mark Ball and Ronnie Crosby both pointed to a .300 BLK rifle on the gun wall and several other things. No other .300 BLK rifles were found in the gun room or anywhere else on the property, Croft said.
The state introduced into evidence the .300 Blackout rifle that was collected from the scene; it is equipped with thermal night-vision sight. Croft showed it to the jury.
The magazine and ammo contained in the gun (Sellier & Bellot .300 AAC BLK) have been introduced along with the gun. Croft said that's the same type of ammo used to kill Maggie.
The state also showed the 12-gauge Browning shotgun taken from the home.
During this portion of the testimony, Defense Attorney Jim Griffin objected to the relevance of both the .300 BLK rifle and the Browning 12-gauge shotgun being introduced into evidence, arguing irrelevance because they weren't used in the killings. His objection was overruled. He mentions this more than once.
Waters said the relevance is to illustrate the extent to which guns in the Murdaugh's home were investigated and tested to see if they were the possible murder weapons. Waters added that a gun analyst will be in court later to testify about the subject.
Croft noted that there was a 12-gauge pump shotgun found in the gunroom with the breach open and a shell waiting on the extractor ready to be loaded into the chamber. This gun was also introduced to the jury and entered into evidence.
Another gun was added to evidence -- a Benelli 12 gauge shotgun. Two turkey loads were in the gun -- a Winchester Longbeard XR 3-inch No. 4 shot, and Federal No. 7 shot 3.5-inch.
During the body cam footage, Croft received a phone call from SLED Capt. Ryan Neil and noticed the weathered .300BLK shell casings beside the stoop. He was heard asking the agent to come outside to collect them.
The brass on the casings was tarnished and they had dirt inside. Croft noted they had been sitting there a while.
The jury then heard about SLED's search of a shed later on. SLED was specifically looking through the trash at the shed looking for garbage taken out of the house.
The trash revealed empty ammo boxes, specifically 12 gauge Federal Premium, Winchester Longbeard Xr 3.5" No. 4 and Browning TSS 3.5" No. 7 & No. 9 duplex shot turkey loads.
It also included a credit cart statement with an item circled: Gucci store for $1,021.10.
The prosecution then moved to June 13, when SLED returned to the property for an additional search of firearms evidence. Another magazine with .300BLK and .300BLK shell casings were found that day.
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Alex Murdaugh stands trial accused of killing his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, at the family's Colleton County property in June 2021.
He was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.