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In the double-murder trial of South Carolina attorney Alex Murdau, defense attorneys continued Monday to question how state officials collected and analyzed evidence in the shooting deaths of Murdau’s wife and son. presented.
During the first three days of testimony, prosecutors most often called officers and crime scene technicians to present evidence to jurors. They laid out their case like a puzzle in their opening statements last week.
However, while cross-examining the witness, the defense attorney asked questions that suggested that the figurative puzzle pieces were not clear or that the prosecutor had not considered them all.
Murdow, 54, is on trial for two counts of murder for shooting his wife and son at his Colton County home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. His wife, Maggie, 52, was shot several times with a rifle. Their son Paul, 22, was shot twice at her with a shotgun near the kennel on the property. If convicted, Mr. Murdow could face his 30-year life sentence.
State Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Melinda Walley said Friday about the evidence collected, including photographs of the bodies, shotgun pellets and DNA swabs from the scene, clothing and fingernail clippings from the autopsy, and other items. I testified for hours for the prosecution.
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During Monday’s cross-examination, defense attorney Dick Harputrian focused on several items, including identifying footprints, one of Wally’s areas of expertise. She tells him that one of the bloody footprints near where Murdo’s son was shot was from her agent.
“Is that scene preservation required by your standards?” Harputrian asked.
“Not exactly,” Wally replied.
Harpootlian also had Worley come down from the stands and make a rough sketch of the angles of the shots fired at Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, noting that there was a big difference in the direction of the shots fired at each victim. bottom.
Wally said it can happen when the shooter is in motion.
“One explanation would be movement. One explanation would be two shooters,” Harpootlian said.
The defense attorney also pointed out several errors in Wally’s work. was According to Harpootlian, the special agent mistakenly determined that the shells in the shotgun were the same size when they were actually different sizes. The defense attorney also noted that the gunshot angles were given at different angles in Wally’s scene notes and her final report.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson sat behind prosecutors on Monday.
Alex Murdow asked Wally if the Harputrian showed him a photo of his wife’s body and there may have been a shoe print on his wife’s calf that was not formally documented when the scene was examined. During more graphic testimonies, such as when I asked the
Wally said he wasn’t sure.
Late Monday morning, another state agent testified about the timing of calls and texts from friends of Paul Murdough. Alex Murdau, his wife and son were by the kennel. Alex Murdau left the area to visit his sick mother about 20 minutes later, according to cell phone data.
Senior Special Agent Jeff Croft testified about the guns, ammunition, and cartridges collected from the Murdow family after the murders, showed jurors at least four different shotguns and rifles, and said the Murdaws had kept the weapons in the gun room. I testified that it was loaded.
Prosecutors said in their opening statement that while the gun that killed Paul and Maggie Murdoh had not been found, markings on casings found around the house may have been used for target practice, suggesting that casings found at the scene and agreed.
Since the murder, Murdoh’s life has fallen apart with alarming rapidity. His family has dominated the legal system of small neighboring Hampton counties for generations, being both prosecutors and private attorneys known for obtaining life-changing settlements of accident and negligence cases.
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