DEFENSE EXPERT TESTIFIES THERE WERE TWO SHOOTERS
A defense expert in the double murder trial of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh testified Monday that he believes that two different shooters killed Murdaugh’s wife and son.
While the idea has hovered over the trial because two different weapons were used and no evidence has been presented suggesting either victim tried to defend themselves, crime scene expert Tim Palmbach was the first witness to suggest the two-killer theory in testimony.
Investigators have said 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh was shot four or five times with a rifle, while 22year-old Paul Murdaugh was killed by two shotgun blasts near kennels on the family’s sprawling Colleton County property on June 7, 2021.
Also on Monday, one of Murdaugh’s brothers ended the defense’s case saying he promised his nephew he’d find his killer and he hasn’t yet.
Murdaugh, 54, is charged with murder in the deaths of his wife and son. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted.
Palmbach testified that the likelihood of two shooters was mostly common sense. All evidence so far has indicted the two people killed were shot close to the same time.
They stopped using their cellphones within seconds of each other.
Both victims appeared to be surprised, with their hands down and no evidence either of them tried to come to the other’s aid or was running away.
The second, fatal shotgun blast to Paul Murdaugh’s head was at close range, meaning blood, skull fragments, other matter and possibly pellets would have been launched back at the shooter, Palmbach said.
That shooter “minimally was stunned — probably blood and material in his eyes and maybe have been injured and would have taken some degree of time to recover,” Palmbach said.