Watch live video from the courtroom above Timeline of the Murdo murders See the evidence presented on the first day of Alex Murdo’s murder trial Video: Hear the full testimony from the first deputy to respond to the scene of Murdo’s murder Update 11:17 am: Rutland is now under cross-examination. Update 11:11 a.m.: Court has resumed. Update 10:58 a.m.: Court is in recess for 10 minutes. Update 10.50am: Rutland has been questioned about Alex Murdo’s claims that he tried to check his son’s pulse and turn his body over, given that Paul Murdo’s hands were under his body and the area was covered with blood. Yet there was no blood on Alex Murdo’s clothes or body when law enforcement arrived. Update 10:40 a.m.: Rutland has been questioned about the interview and Murdo’s call to 911. Update 10:06 a.m.: Jurors are hearing a tape of Alex Murdo’s interview with law enforcement after the murders. Update 9:40 a.m.: Detective Laura Rutland of the Colton County Sheriff’s Office has taken the stand. She testified about the initial stages of the investigation and her response to the crime scene that night. Initial report: Witnesses took the stand for the first time Thursday in the murder trial of Alex Murdo. Video below: Summary of Thursday’s testimony Each witness gave jurors a better picture of what first responders saw and heard the night Alex Murdo’s wife Maggie and son Paul were killed on their County property Colton. Murdo has pleaded not guilty to murder. Jurors heard from a total of six witnesses Thursday. They watched graphic CCTV footage, heard unedited 911 calls and heard first-person perspectives from the crime scene. Body camera video from the first law enforcement officer on the scene shows that one of the first things Murdo told first responders was that he was sure the deaths of Maggie and Paul were related to the boating accident that killed Mallory Beach. “It’s a long story. My son was in a shipwreck a few months ago, he’s been receiving threats,” Murdow said in the body camera video. At one point, the prosecutor pointed out to the jury a specific moment captured on the body camera video where Alex appeared to change his tone while giving personal information to a sergeant about his wife and son. Murdo, who was hysterical, suddenly pauses in the video to address another first responder. He casually asks, “How are you?” Below: Members of the Murdo family arrive in court Thursday In the body camera video, Murdo is also heard explaining to law enforcement where he was when Maggie and Paul were killed. “I left. I was probably gone an hour and a half for my mom and I probably saw them 45 minutes before that,” Murdo said. During cross-examination, defense attorneys questioned the integrity of the crime scene. Several times, both lawyers and witnesses mentioned fresh tire tracks seen at the crime scene. Murdaugh’s attorney, Dick Harpootlian, asked law enforcement why those signs were not preserved. Harputlian asked a witness: “So if someone had come in and left, who did the murders, whatever tire tracks were left by your people. Is it so?” The witness replied, “It’s possible.” Harputlian also questioned witnesses about possible contamination of evidence. “If there were bloody prints in the dining room, is it possible that they were created by you and your people?” Harputlian asked a witness, who is a sergeant with the Colton County Sheriff’s Office. “They could have been created by anyone walking in that area, of course,” the witness replied. Harputlian also questioned why law enforcement officers don’t wear more protective gear while on the scene. The trial will continue on Friday morning. Video below: WJCL Special Report: The Trial of Alex Murdo
Watch live video from the courtroom above
Update at 11:17am: Rutland is now under cross-examination.
Update at 11:11 am: Court has resumed.
Update at 10:58 am: The court is in recess for 10 minutes.
Update at 10:50 a.m.: Rutland was questioned about Alex Murdo’s claims that he tried to check his son’s pulse and turn his body over, given that Paul Murdo’s hands were under his body and the area was covered in blood. Yet there was no blood on Alex Murdo’s clothes or body when law enforcement arrived.
10:40 am update: Rutland is questioned about the interview and Murdo’s 911 call.
Update at 10:06 am: Jurors heard a tape of Alex Murdo’s interview with law enforcement after the murders.
Update at 9:40am: Detective Laura Rutland of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office took the stand. She testified about the initial stages of the investigation and her response to the crime scene that night.
Initial report:
Witnesses spoke for the first time Thursday in the murder trial of Alex Murdo.
Video below: Summary of Thursday’s testimony
Each witness gave jurors a better idea of what first responders saw and heard the night Alex Murdo’s wife Maggie and son Paul were killed on their Colleton County property.
Murdo pleaded not guilty to murder.
Jurors heard from a total of six witnesses Thursday. They watched graphic CCTV footage, heard unedited 911 calls and heard first-person perspectives from the crime scene.
Body camera video from the first law enforcement officer on the scene shows that one of the first things Murdo told first responders was that he was sure the deaths of Maggie and Paul were related to the boating accident that killed Mallory Beach.
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“It’s a long story. My son was in a shipwreck a few months ago, he was receiving threats,” Murdo said in the body camera video.
At one point, the prosecutor pointed out to jurors a specific moment captured on body camera video where Alex appeared to change his tone while giving personal information to a sergeant about his wife and son.
This content was imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information on their website.
Murdo, who was hysterical, suddenly pauses in the video to address another first responder. He casually asks, “How are you?”
Below: Members of the Murdo family arrive in court Thursday
In the body camera video, Murdo is also heard explaining to law enforcement where he was when Maggie and Paul were killed.
“I left. I was probably gone an hour and a half with my mom and I probably saw them 45 minutes before that,” Murdo said.
During cross-examination, defense attorneys questioned the integrity of the crime scene.
Several times, both lawyers and witnesses mentioned fresh tire tracks seen at the scene. Murdaugh’s attorney, Dick Harpootlian, asked law enforcement why those signs were not preserved.
Harpootlian asked a witness, “So if someone had come in and left, [someone] who did the murders, whatever tire tracks were left were obliterated by your men. Is this true?”
The witness replied, “It is possible.”
Harpootlian also questioned witnesses about possible contamination of evidence.
“If there were bloody prints in the dining room, is it possible that they were created by you and your people?” Harputlian asked a witness, who is a sergeant with the Colton County Sheriff’s Office.
“They could have been created by anyone walking in that area, of course,” replied the witness.
Harpootlian also questioned why law enforcement officers don’t wear more protective gear while on the scene
The trial will continue on Friday morning.
Video below: WJCL Special Report: The Trial of Alex Murdo
