Alex Murdaugh‘s protection is making ready to grill a forensic pathologist after she advised jurors how his wife and son were brutally executed from three ft away.
Dr. Ellen Riemer described how Paul’s mind was blown out the again of his head by a shotgun and that the organ arrived on the morgue ‘in a separate bucket.’
Maggie was shot 5 occasions with an assault rifle and was down on all fours when she was struck by the fourth spherical, Riemer mentioned. The fifth and remaining shot was fired from shut vary into the again of her head as she lay face down on the bottom.
Murdaugh, 54, wept at the defense table because the courtroom heard the grisly testimony of how his spouse, 52, and son, 22, have been murdered at their searching property in South Carolina’s Lowcountry on June 7, 2021.
His protection is that this morning trying to hit again and can possible push their two-shooter principle. They’ve beforehand advised jurors that the route of the pictures and the truth that two weapons have been fired, signifies there was multiple killer.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Ellen Riemer describes the gun wounds to Maggie Murdaugh as prosecutor Creighton Waters appears to be like on throughout day 16 of the double homicide trial of Alex Murdaugh on the Colleton County Courthouse on Monday. Maggie was shot 5 occasions with an assault rifle and was down on all fours when she was struck by the fourth spherical, Riemer mentioned. The fifth and remaining shot was fired from shut vary into the again of her head as she lay face down on the bottom
Maggie’s physique was discovered a couple of yards to the fitting of a doghouse, whereas Paul’s was by the doorway on the finish of the kennels. Dr. Ellen Riemer described how Paul’s mind was blown out the again of his head by a shotgun and that the organ arrived on the morgue ‘in a separate bucket’
Alex Murdaugh, seated apart from protection legal professional Jim Griffin, turns into emotional because the horrific accidents sustained by Maggie and Paul within the shootings are mentioned at Colleton County Courthouse
Prosecutors are nonetheless laying out their case because the trial rumbles via its fourth week. They have been aiming to relaxation their case tomorrow after which the protection will name its witnesses.
It was reported yesterday that Murdaugh himself could be called to the stand in a transfer that authorized consultants described as ‘nearly extraordinary.’
Alex’s surviving son Buster, his brother John Marvin and sister Lynn – who’ve attended the Colleton County courthouse in Walterboro most days – are additionally listed as protection witnesses.
Murdaugh should nonetheless reply for obvious holes in his alibi in regards to the evening of the killings.
He claims he left the property that evening to go to his mom and the final time he noticed Maggie and Paul earlier than they died was once they have been all having dinner on the home round 8.15pm.
However a video performed in courtroom taken by Paul on the kennels locations Murdaugh along with his spouse and son on the crime scene at 8.45pm. A number of witnesses, together with shut buddies of the household, say they will hear his voice.
The State says Maggie and Paul have been shot shortly after 8.49pm.
Riemer yesterday described in vivid element the grave accidents sustained by the pair as jurors have been proven graphic pictures of their our bodies.
The pathologist defined that Paul may have remained standing after the primary shotgun blast to his chest, however {that a} second shot blew his mind out the again of his head.
The 22-year-old’s mind arrived on the post-mortem in a separate bucket, the courtroom heard.
Alex Murdaugh wept because the courtroom heard the grisly testimony of the forensic pathologist
Riemer signifies the place the fourth shot to Maggie handed via her left breast and up into her mind from the underside of her jaw
Riemer demonstrates on prosecutor Creighton Waters the shotgun wounds acquired by Paul Murdaugh
The truth that Paul’s face remained intact tells you he was dealing with his shooter, Riemer testified.
She mentioned Maggie’s first two wounds featured gunpowder stippling, indicating her shooter was not more than three ft away. The primary three rounds weren’t instantly deadly, placing her thigh and torso.
The route of journey signifies Maggie was kneeling on all fours when she was struck by the fourth shot, which handed via the left aspect of her breast and penetrated her mind.
‘When it entered the left aspect of the face, it mainly destroyed the mind,’ Riemer advised jurors.
A remaining shot was delivered to the again of the pinnacle from shut vary as she was mendacity on the bottom, the coroner mentioned.
No homicide weapon has ever been discovered.
The State says Murdaugh killed the pair to distract from his monetary crimes. He embezzled hundreds of thousands from his regulation agency and was dealing with a lawsuit over his son’s drunken boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Seashore in February, 2019.
On the day Maggie and Paul have been murdered, Murdaugh had been confronted over $792,000 that he stole from the agency.
Later that week a listening to to find out the state of his funds was due within the boat wreck lawsuit.
Murdaugh advised legal professionals for Seashore’s household that he was broke and the courtroom has heard how he was siphoning funds from the agency into his private accounts in an try and defend the cash from the lawsuit.
Murdaugh cries through the testimony of the forensic pathologist Monday
Riemer demonstrates the gun wounds to Maggie Murdaugh on prosecutor Creighton Waters
Murdaugh arrives at courtroom Tuesday along with his jacket draped over his handcuffs after getting out of the jail van
Maggie had just lately confided of their housekeeper that they have been being sued for $30million.
The protection principle is that any individual else killed Maggie and Paul in revenge for the boat accident.
They argue that their consumer was a ‘loving’ husband and father who may have by no means killed his spouse and son. They’ve branded the State’s alleged monetary motivation as ‘ludicrous’.
Murdaugh claims that he went to go to his mom at round 9pm on the evening of the murders. The State says Maggie and Paul have been killed shortly after 8.49pm and {that a} video taken by Paul at 8.45pm proves he was on the scene.
A number of witnesses, together with shut household buddies, have testified they will hear the voices of Alex, Maggie and Paul within the footage.
However the alleged killer advised investigators he was by no means on the kennels.
Murdaugh says that the household ate dinner collectively round 8.15pm and that Maggie and Paul went all the way down to the kennels whereas he fell asleep in entrance of the TV.
At 9.06pm, his Chevrolet Suburban was fired up and he went to go to his mom in Almeda, round quarter-hour away.
Buster Murdaugh and his girlfriend Brooklynn White hearken to testimony as post-mortem images of his mom and brother
Forensic pathologist at MUSC Dr. Ellen Riemer demonstrates the gun wounds to Maggie
He claims he was there for round 40 minutes, though that is disputed by his mom’s caregiver who mentioned he was solely on the home for 20 minutes.
Murdaugh says he arrived again on the searching property to search out Maggie and Paul lifeless on the kennels. He referred to as 911 at 10.07pm.
First responders have testified that they didn’t examine both Maggie or Paul as a result of their accidents have been so horrific as to be ‘incompatible with life.’ Two pictures entered Maggie’s head, whereas Paul’s mind was utterly indifferent from his cranium.
The courtroom has beforehand heard proof that Murdaugh’s clothes when cops arrived appeared clear to the extent that police believed he had just lately modified.
Blood exams carried out on his white t-shirt later got here again optimistic. Nevertheless, Murdaugh does say that he touched their our bodies to examine for indicators of life.
An earlier video taken that evening by Paul at 7.56pm reveals Murdaugh carrying a blue shirt, lengthy pants and brown loafers.
Alex Murdaugh is seen on June 7, 2021, on the homicide scene on the household’s searching lodge in Islandton, South Carolina. Murdaugh is talking on the cellphone within the video and tells the officer it’s his brother on the road.
PAUL’S BODY: Paul’s physique is seen outdoors a doorway on the kennels. The physique is blurred out
MAGGIE’S BODY: Murdaugh’s spouse’s corpse is seen blurred out within the excessive foreground as he paces round in a white t-shirt close to his parked up Chevrolet Suburban
The household’s housekeeper Blanca Simpson testified final week that she by no means noticed the objects of clothes ever once more.
The State intends to relaxation its case by Wednesday after which the protection will begin calling their very own witnesses.
The trial is going down on the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, a sleepy, rural city 50 miles west of Charleston in a low-lying area of South Carolina over which the Murdaugh household has wielded immense judicial and political energy.
Certainly, within the courtroom the place Murdaugh faces judgment, a portrait of his late grandfather – legendary longtime 14th Circuit Solicitor Buster Murdaugh Jr. – had hung on the wall before it was removed ahead of the trial.
Following the homicide trial, Murdaugh should face greater than 100 further felony fees, starting from drug trafficking to allegations that he stole practically $9million from shoppers and different attorneys.
Prosecutors say Murdaugh lured his spouse and son to their 1,700-acre searching lodge and shot them lifeless.
The state additionally claims that his life was spiraling uncontrolled amid years of opioid dependancy and ballooning money owed.
Murdaugh pleaded not responsible in June, and the blockbuster trial is predicted to incorporate wild allegations of darkish household secrets and techniques, monetary wreck and hedonistic extra.
In complete, over 220 individuals may testify towards Murdaugh within the trial.
Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh. Buster was staying along with his girlfriend close to Charlotte on the time of the murders
On the time of Maggie and Paul’s deaths , Murdaugh and his son have been dealing with a civil swimsuit over the boat wreck that killed 19-year-old Mallory Seashore in February, 2019. Murdaugh advised cops Paul and Maggie had been killed in revenge for the accident
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