Judge Clifton Newman ruled that the evidence of Murdaugh’s financial crimes is germane to the murder case and therefore can be considered by the jury.
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A “significant” amount of gunshot residue was discovered on a blue raincoat Alex Murdaugh allegedly hid in his parents’ home after the murders of his wife and son, according to dramatic courtroom testimony on Tuesday.
The coat tested for at least 38 particles – an amount that fits with the prosecution’s claim that the disgraced attorney used the garment to hide and move one or both of the guns he had used to kill Maggie and Paul.
The damning evidence – which is expected to come under scrutiny on Wednesday when SLED forensic scientist Megan Fletcher will be cross-examined by Mr Murdaugh’s defence – was revealed the same day that jurors heard information about the accused killer’s financial crimes for the first time.
Judge Clifton Newman ruled on Monday that the evidence of Mr Murdaugh’s alleged financial fraud can be considered by the jury with regards to its role in establishing a motive in the 7 June 2021 murders – marking a major blow to the defence.
Ronnie Crosby, partner of Mr Murdaugh’s former law firm PMPED and his former friend, and Jeanne Seckinger, PMPED’s CFO, testified how they discovered he had been stealing millions from law firm clients.
RECAP: What happened in court on Tuesday? Jury hears financial crimes for first time
Jurors heard testimony for the first time about Mr Murdaugh’s alleged financial crimes – and how they were reaching a head at the time of the murders.
Mr Murdaugh’s law firm PMPED was closing in on his alleged multi-million-dollar fraud scheme with a colleague confronting him about missing payments on the morning of the killings.
His finances were also coming under intense scrutiny in a lawsuit brought by the family of Mallory Beach – a 19-year-old woman who died in a 2019 crash in the Murdaugh family boat. A hearing for the boat crash lawsuit was also scheduled for the week of the murders. It was postponed following Maggie and Paul’s murders.
Now, separate from his murder trial, Mr Murdaugh is currently facing around 100 charges for stealing almost $8.5m from law firm clients dating back to 2011.
Last week, several witnesses testified without the jury present as the judge weighed whether to allow evidence of Mr Murdaugh’s alleged financial crimes to be presented at trial.
Prosecutors claimed that Mr Murdaugh’s alleged financial crimes are key to proving the motive while the defence asked the judge to throw the evidence out of the trial. On 6 February, the judge ruled in the state’s favour that evidence about Mr Murdaugh’s financial crimes is admissible in court – dealing a blow to the defence.
Jeanne Seckinger, PMPED CFO, testified that she had confronted Mr Murdaugh over a missing $792,000 payment on the morning of the murders.
When she approached Mr Murdaugh to ask him about it that morning she said he appeared “disgusted” with her.
Hours later, Maggie and Paul were shot dead.
Over the coming months, the law firm partners uncovered an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud scheme where he had stolen millions from their clients and pocketed it himself – reaching a head with the confrontation and resignation on 3 September.
The day after he was forced to resign, Mr Murdaugh was shot in the head in what turned out to be a botched hitman plot which he orchestrated with alleged accomplice, distant cousin and drug dealer Curtis Eddie Smith. They are now both facing charges over the plot.
WATCH: Footage that three witnesses say places Murdaugh at crime scene
Three witnesses have now testified that they are “100 percent” sure that the voice captured in a cellphone video minutes before Maggie and Paul were murdered belongs to Alex Murdaugh.
At the time of the murders, Mr Murdaugh claims that he was napping at the family home, woke up and drove to his parents’ home to visit his sick mother.
Video, which was captured on Paul’s phone from 8.44.49pm to 8.45.47pm, reveals three voices off camera at the dog kennels.
Two of Paul’s friends have already testified that Mr Murdaugh is the third voice.
Ronnie Crosby, who has known Mr Murdaugh for 25 years and was a law partner at his former law firm PMPED, on Tuesday testified: “The three voices in that video are Paul, Maggie and Alex.”
Who do you hear? Listen to the voices in the video below:
Video shows Paul Murdaugh minutes before he and his mother were murdered
Gunshot residue found all over blue raincoat Murdaugh allegedly hid in parents’ home
SLED forensic scientist Megan Fletcher testified in Colleton County Courthouse in South Carolina that at least 38 gunshot residue (GSR) particles were found on the inside of the jacket which was seized from Mr Murdaugh’s parents’ home.
Agent Fletcher said that this “significant” number of GSR particles would be consistent with a recently-fired gun being wrapped up inside the jacket.
The two firearms used to kill Maggie and Paul – an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun – have never been found.
Days after the 7 June 2021 murders, Mr Murdaugh allegedly turned up at his parents’ house cradling a bundled-up ‘blue something’ in his hands
A timeline of murders, financial fraud, unexplained deaths and arrest
Mr Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting Paul, 22, twice with a shotgun and Maggie, 52, five times with a rifle on the family’s sprawling hunting lodge in Islandton on 7 June 2021.
In the 19 months since the brutal double murders propelled the Murdaughs onto national headlines, a series of other scandals, allegations and alleged crimes have also come to light.
Here’s a timeline of the key moments in the case:
In the 19 months since brutal double murders propelled the Murdaughs into national headlines, a series of other scandals, allegations and alleged crimes have also come to light
Murdaugh’s best friend of 40 years breaks down in tears on witness stand
Alex Murdaugh’s former best friend of 40 years broke down in tears in court as he described the moment that he learned the disgraced attorney had stolen millions of dollars from his law firm clients – and $192,000 from himself.
“I was so mad. I had loved the guy for so long, and I probably still loved him a little bit, but I was so mad, and I don’t remember how it ended,” he said of Mr Murdaugh.
Read on:
‘I was so mad. I had loved the guy for so long, and I probably still loved him a little bit, but I was so mad, and I don’t remember how it ended,’ Chris Wilson said, choking with emotion
Murdaugh accused of stealing $4m payout from housekeeper’s family
Alex Murdaugh was accused of stealing a $4m settlement from his late housekeeper’s family at his murder trial on Friday, where prosecutors also raised questions about her mystery death.
Satterfield worked as the Murdaugh family’s housekeeper and nanny for more than 20 years, before she died in a mysterious trip and fall at the family home.
On 2 February 2018, she was found at the bottom of some stairs at the property. She never resumed consciousness and died from her injuries around three weeks later. She was 57.
Questions have been raised about her death with an investigation reopened in the aftermath of the 2021 murders of Maggie and Paul and Mr Murdaugh is now charged with stealing settlement money intended for Satterfield’s two sons.
SLED has reopened an investigation into the mysterious 2018 death of Gloria Satterfield and plans to exhume her body
‘Fidgety’ Murdaugh visited mom on night of murders
A “fidgety” Alex Murdaugh showed up at his sick mother’s house for a brief 20-minute visit on the night of his wife and son’s murders – before later claiming he was there double the length of time and offering to pay towards the wedding of the caretaker who could refute his alibi.
Read on:
Muschelle “Shelly” Smith testified that Mr Murdaugh also showed up at his parents’ home days later with a blue tarp
Why are Murdaugh’s alleged financial crimes being presented as evidence?
In a major blow to the disgraced legal scion’s defence, Judge Newman ruled on Monday that the jury should be allowed to hear about Mr Murdaugh’s alleged multi-million-dollar fraud schemes as they decide his fate on murder charges.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that the vast financial fraud scheme – in which he allegedly stole over $8m from law firm clients – was relevant to their argument of establishing a motive in the case.
Rachel Sharp has the details.
Over the course of the last week, the judge has heard testimony without the jury present about the legal dynasty heir’s alleged financial crimes
‘Fuse was lit’ to expose Murdaugh’s financial crimes at time of murders, attorney says
The “fuse had been lit” to expose Alex Murdaugh’s slew of alleged financial crimes at the time of his wife and son’s murders – but his problems would likely “be over” if the family was the “victim of an unspeakable tragedy”, according to dramatic courtroom testimony at his trial.
Beach, 19, died in a February 2019 crash in the Murdaugh family boat.
If the disgraced attorney was the ‘victim of an unspeakable tragedy’ then no jury would side against him in the wrongful death suit brought by Mallory Beach’s family, testified attorney Mark Tinsley
Eric Swalwell weighs in on Murdaugh murder trial
Here’s what he said:
California congressman was recently removed from the House Intelligence Committee by Republicans