Defense says investigation sloppy in quest to convict S.C. lawyer
WALTERBORO, S.C. — A defense lawyer for Alex Murdaugh said Thursday that state agents were so determined to get the disgraced South Carolina attorney convicted of murder in the killings of his wife and son that they lied about or misrepresented evidence.
When closing arguments wrapped up, the judge turned Murdaugh's fate over to jurors after giving them his final instructions, and they headed to their jury room to begin deliberations.
Attorney Jim Griffin gave the defense's closing, emphasizing Murdaugh's main point — that investigators focused solely on him and conducted the investigation so poorly that evidence pointing to someone else, like fingerprints or possible DNA, was never gathered.
“How could he have butchered Maggie and Paul without leaving a trace of evidence within a matter of minutes?” Griffin said.
Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted. Investigators said his 22-year-old son, Paul, was shot twice with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, was shot four or five times with a rifle outside dog kennels on their rural Colleton County property on June 7, 2021.
Prosecutors got the last word with a rebuttal argument after Griffin spoke. “You can't answer every question, and the law doesn't require it,” prosecutor John Meadors said.
Investigators think Murdaugh had no more than about 17 minutes from the time his wife and son stopped using their cellphones to when he left the property to visit his ailing mother.
Experts from both sides agreed there had to be a massive amount of blood, tissue and other material from the killings, but the prosecution did not present any evidence of blood spatter on clothes. The weapons in the case also have never been found.
“He had 17 minutes. He would have to be a magician to make all that evidence disappear,” Griffin said.
Prosecutors think Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son because he feared his years of stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and clients would be exposed and his lofty standing in the community toppled.
For 20 months, Alex Mudaugh told everyone that he wasn't at the kennels but while testifying in his own defense, he finally admitted he was there.
“He lied because that's what addicts do. He lied because he has a closet full of skeletons,” Griffin said.
Earlier Thursday, Judge Clifton Newman removed a juror because she discussed the case with other people. Five jurors have had to be replaced.