Alex Murdaugh’s Trial
Is this murder case finally over, or is this just the beginning to many uncertainties?
The five friends of an intoxicated young adult in a boating accident recount their night in the Netflix Documentary “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.” Yet, as what some would suspect it to end after the death of their loved friend, it ends up going further to the death of a son and a wife, killed by the man of the house, Alex Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh is now standing trail for two counts of murder of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul Murdaugh, on the 4th anniversary of the boating incident that killed 20-year-old Mallory Beach.
On February 23rd, 2019, the boat incident of which Paul Murdaugh was “allegedly” the driver and crashed near Parris Island, South Carolina. The victims in the crash being Paul Murdaugh, Morgan Doughty, Miley Altman, Connor Cook, Anthany Cook, and Mallory Beach. Only five of the six making it back to the shore when first responders arrive at the scene. The group was all under the influence after drinking and celebrating Mallory Beach’s 20th birthday, and Paul decided to take everyone home via boat. Though, his blood level was three times the legal limit according to “48 Hours” to drive with his BAC sitting at .24.
When interviewed by investigators, Miley Altman said that Paul was driving crazy and sporadically, and when others like Connor Cook attempted to take the wheel to calm the frightened passengers, Paul Murdaugh yelled, “No, it’s my boat, let me drive it.” Which only terrified the passengers for their lives. Then, around 2:20 in the morning, at the Archers Creek Bridge, the boat crashed, and Mallory Beach went missing from the scene.
Choosing to stay, Anthony Cook was seen being distressed over his missing girlfriend, Mallory. First responders tried to get him to the local hospital to be treated with his four friends but refused. Then, later at the hospital, Alex Murdaugh was caught by the staff going from room to room of the survivors of the boat crash attempting to talk to them. According to CBS News, a security guard at the hospital overheard Mr. Murdaugh on the phone, telling the person on the phone that, “She’s gone, don’t worry.” Who this person was, was never said in the article.
A week later, on March 3rd, 2019, almost five miles down the river from the scene of the boat crash, Mallory Beach’s lifeless body was found, the cause of death drowning after sustaining injury. Paul Murdaugh was charged with three felony charges of driving a boat while drinking and being under the influence while underage. Paul pleaded not guilty to all three counts, but never got his chance to go on stand for trail before he was murdered.
Alex Murdaugh, on the other hand, has been charged with two counts of murder also claiming innocence like Paul on his trail. Saying that Alex Murdaugh did not kill his wife and son, saying that he wasn’t even in the house when his child and lover were shot. Though, now changing his story. Being advised not to take the stand, Alex still went up to defend himself. Admitted to lying when first questioned, he lied about the murder of his wife and son, saying how he wasn’t near them at all. Though there was video evidence on Paul’s phone that recorded Alex Murdaugh just minutes before the shooting. Mr. Murdaugh entered innocent pleas on the two counts of murder and two charges of weapon possession.
Though before these counts, he was previously arrested for insurance fraud. Which in turn caused a theory to commit the insurance fraud and file a false police report. Then later in the trial, Alex Murdaugh again lied about his alibi again. According to MSN News, Alex Murdaugh said that “paranoia and his addiction to opiate were to blame for his deception.”
On February 27th, 2023, Murdaugh’s defense lawyers presented a theory that there were two killers of the shootings of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Two witnesses took to the stand that could disprove the state’s accusations on how exactly the shooting happened. According to ABC News, Forensic Pathologist Jonathan Eisenstat testified that the bullet responsible for Paul’s death had been fired at a downward angle. Eisenstat also said that it was a contact-range shotgun blow to the head. Crime investigator Tim Palmbach testified to court that the headshot was pointed from above Paul since he was already on the ground from the first shot. Palmbach also testified that the shootings most likely splattered everywhere onto the killer, and a possibility of an injury, which lead to the possibility of two killers.
Though, crime scene analyst Kenneth Kinsey, who took the stand twice for state (Once on February 16th, and the second on February 28th), giving his ideologies on the shootings. Calling for a dramatic rebuttal that helped out act on the defenses’ version of the event. While demonstrating Paul Murdaugh’s shooting at the back of his head being at point blank range, as said by defense, Kinsey said that the theory was preposterous. Leading to Kinsey to say that it was not a point-blank shot.
Alex Murdaugh told the investigators that he wasn’t anywhere near the dog kennels during the time of the murder. Saying how he was napping in the family house before visiting his mother, then upon returning he found the bodies. The prosecution team presented filmed evidence on February 1st from Paul Murdaugh’s phone, which included a video of Alex attempting to strangle a dog moments before the shootings. The voices heard in the background of the video proved by family friends that they were the voices of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh.
When Alex Murdaugh took the stand, it lasted for several hours on February 23rd to February 24th. Denying the fact that he shot his son and wife, although he did admit to lying to investigators about his alibi on the night of the murders which was followed by Murdaugh blaming his addiction to painkillers that lead to his “paranoid thinking.
Murdaugh also admitted to the embezzlement of his clients and families of victims nearly $8.5 million for the past ten years of working at the law firm. He now faces an additional one hundred charges from money laundering to faking his own death. Why did he try to fake his death? Well, that was because he wanted the $10 million life insurance money to go to his surviving son. Eventually, Alex Murdaugh was charged guilty on all accounts within only three hours of jury deliberation. Although, he may try to appeal the guilty charge later on.
