An attorney for Richard “Alex” Murdaugh will deliver a closing argument Thursday in the former South Carolina attorney’s double murder trial.
Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters delivered his daylong closing argument Wednesday, arguing Murdaugh, 54, killed his wife and son in June 2021 to avoid accountability when alleged financial crimes were about to be discovered. Waters’ closing argument came after the jury visited the house where 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh were found dead near dog kennels on the property.
The defense will likely place a heavy emphasis on casting reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s circumstantial evidence during its closing argument. After Murdaugh’s attorney delivers a closing argument, the prosecution will have one more opportunity to rebut any new claims introduced by the defense before the jury begins deliberating.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is seeking life in prison if Murdaugh is convicted. Regardless of the outcome, Murdaugh remains jailed on $7 million bond on theothercharges he faces.
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Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said “gathering storm” was threatening Murdaugh’s family legacy and successful law practice and Murdaugh killed his family to avoid being held accountable. Murdaugh was confronted by his law firm about alleged financial misconduct just days before a hearing was scheduled in a case connected to a fatal 2019 boat crash involving Paul, Waters said. Meanwhile, Murdaugh’s family was “watching him like a hawk” due to his opioid addiction, Waters said.
Although investigators have not found the two weapons used to kill Murdaugh’s family, Waters said evidence showed “family weapons were used to commit this crime.”
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A video taken on Paul’s phone captured Murdaugh’s voice, which Waters said placed him “at the scene of crime when the murders occurred.” Murdaugh initially told police he was not at the family’s dog kennels before finding the bodies there, but admitted in court he lied to investigators and that his voice could be heard on the video.
Shortly after visiting the dog kennels, cell phone records showed Murdaugh made several short calls and drove to his mother’s home which Waters said was an attempt to create an alibi.
“As all these pressures were mounting, the defendant killed Maggie and Paul,” Waters said. “The forensic timeline puts him there, the use of his family weapons corroborates that and his lies and guilty actions afterwards confirms it.”
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Contact Breaking News Reporter N’dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg