WALTERBORO, SC – The brother of the defendant, John Marvin Murdaugh, took the stand today; the last witness before defense rested. He gave emotional testimony, that came across as credible.

John Marvin started by talking about his relationship with Paul, who he called “Little Rooster”. Paul would work summer for him at his business and they had a “special relationship”. He was the one that cleaned the kennels the day after the murders after seeing brain matter left behind. He did it “for Paul”.  “I couldn’t stop. I had to do it for Paul,” he told the jury. 

He then went on to talk about Alex’s relationship with his family. Calling Alex’s relationship with his sons, Alex and Paul, a “great relationship”. Giving an example of how Alex would never go hunting without him; he hadn’t since they were old enough to hunt. Alex and his wife, Maggie, also had a “good marriage”.

The night of the murders, he received a phone call from a “hysterical” Alex telling him about Paul and Maggie.  John Marvin arrived at Moselle around 11 p.m. and found a “broken” and “distraught” Alex.  “We didn’t talk. We just cried.

John Marvin was around during the days after the murders, assisting law enforcement when he could.  He was able to give further insight on the botched investigation. He was the one that found Maggie’s phone, after SLED dismissed him when trying to get them to look at the phone tracking app on Buster’s phone.  Law enforcement also never asked for consent, which he would have given them, to search Almeda.

During one interview, he is lied to by SLED about blood being found on Alex’s t-shirt. He spoke of being told that they had body cam footage showing that “Alex wiped his face on it” and that’s how they knew he was the one.

And, what did John Marvin hear on that now infamous kennels video? “They did him so bad.”

The most poignant of all the emotional testimony given by John Marvin was the promise made by the grieving uncle to his nephew, Paul, while cleaning the scene of the crime. He told Paul that he loved him, and he would find out who did this to him.  That’s when defense asked, “Have you found out?” He replied, “I have not.”

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Surviving Son of Alex Murdaugh Takes the Stand

WALTERBORO, SC – Richard Alexander “Buster” Murdaugh, Jr. took the stand on Tuesday in the case involving the murders of his mother, Maggie, and brother, Paul. Buster is the eldest son of the defendant, Alex Murdaugh.

After a long, holiday weekend court in Colleton County was back in session. Defense started the day with a peak into the Murdaugh family. Buster painted his family as loving and close as defense asked about things like growing up as the son of the defendant, the family – both immediate and extended, family get-togethers, and the phone calls on the day of the murders the state introduced. In all accounts, they were the all-American family, and Buster’s words seem to match those of other witnesses that had taken the stand before him; they were happy.

And when they did have disputes or disagreements, they handled them “like adults” and were “civil”; they talked about it. His father showed patience with him and his brother. They didn’t act with violence in their family.

As children, both Buster and Paul were into sports. Their parents made a point to attend all their games, with Alex coaching little league. Missing an event was a rare occurrence for the Murdaughs. He explained that his parents always made sure to call and explain to if they wouldn’t be able to attend.

The closeness of the family continued into his teen, and adult years, getting together for every holiday, weekends, and trips. This closeness extended to more than just the immediate family. Buster spoke of his grandparents Randolph “Handsome” (a nickname given by the grandkids) and Libby “M” Murdaugh, and Terry “Pappa T” and Kennedy Branstetter. His father, Alex and his father-in-law were close. Buster would spend a lot of time with his father and grandfather, doing things like playing golf. Holidays, trips, and weekends spent with both his paternal and maternal families.

The Days Before That Night

During the months of May and June of 2021, Handsome’s health was “not good”. It was cancer. His grandmother, M, had Alzheimer’s. His father would check on his parents regularly, Buster often coming along. Paul, also, made regular trips to his grandparent’s house. His mother, Maggie, would check on his grandparents but her visits were more sporadic.

There was fun during the weeks leading up to the tragic night, as well. A week prior to the murders, Memorial Day weekend, the family took time together with family and friends. A photo showed Buster with his mother and father on a boat, smiling. Defense then showed a video of a gathering and singing, celebrating Alex’s birthday. Maggie had made a birthday cake for her husband. And the defendant becomes noticeably emotion when younger son, Paul, comes into the frame.

That’s A Lot of Calls

All those phone calls and texts between the Murdaughs introduced by the state? Busters says, it’s “just the way we communicated”. He and his brother, Paul, would speak to their parents “pretty much every day, several times a day”. The frequent phone calls were just another “normal day in the life of Buster Murdaugh”, as the defense put it. Yes, his father called him at 9:10 the night of the murders. There was nothing unusual about either the phone call or his father’s demeanor. It was common for them to call when riding in the car and Alex called to check in and let him know he was going out to Almeda to check on Buster’s grandmother.

That Tragic Night

“He was heartbroken, destroyed.”

Buster on his father’s demeanor

The next phone call he would receives is from his father was after his mother’s and brother’s bodies were found. “He asked me if I was sitting down. I was like, yeah, and then he sounded odd and then he told me that my mom and brother had been shot.” He sat in shock. His girlfriend, Brooklyn, could hear the phone call and immediately started to pack. They then drove to Moselle, arriving sometime around 2 a.m.

“He was heartbroken, destroyed,” Buster responded when asked about his father’s demeanor. “I walked in the door and saw him and game a hug and just broke down.” His father was crying and unable to speak. They stayed there, along with other such as his Uncle Randy and Uncle John, around 3 to 4 hours then left for Almeda.

According to Buster, he and his father were rarely apart, with the exception of the 3-4 days he spent at the home of his maternal grandparent, from the moment he got to Moselle that early morning until after their Lake Kiwi trip on June 17. At which time he returned to his home, and back to work. He has never spent another night at Moselle.

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The Cross Examination

WALTERBORO, SC – The interrogation video with Alex Murdaugh and SLED Agent David Owen comes to an end. Prosecution completes their direct. It’s the defense’s turn to cross the witness.

Defense jumps right into SLED’s “Investigative Circle”, pointing out that the circle seemingly was a party of 1, Alex Murdaugh. Alex was in the circle from the moment he called 911. “No one had to give [them] any lead to put him in the circle.” They were unable to get him out of the circle. If someone is “unable to get themselves out of the circle, they end up where [Alex] is sitting today”. Agent Owen agrees with the statement, if there were evidence to keep them there. To which point, defense points out “SLED failed to take immediate steps to preserve evidence that could possible exclude Alex Murdaugh from that circle.”

From here, Defense goes on to take apart the video and investigation, pointing out the deficiencies. And, ultimately, putting into question the credibility of both the investigation and Agent Owen.

Search The Scene

Let us look at both the search of the Moselle property, and the search that investigators failed to do. The Moselle property was searched early morning of June 8, 2021, the day after the murders. There were no murder weapons found in the house or on the property. No trace evidence or blood was found in the house, including a search of the drains. If the murderer had cleaned up at the house, it’s logical to believe trace evidence or blood would be found in the house. No search of the Almeda property was done, despite Alex and his attorney giving carte blanche access to wherever investigators wanted to search.

Investigators failed to search the route taken by Alex from the Moselle property to the Almeda property on the evening of the murder. A search of both the route and the Almeda property had the ability to either remove Alex from the “investigative circle” or solidify his place in it, as pointed out by defense. If Alex had gotten rid of the murder weapons, it would have either been at Almeda or along the route.

The weapons used in the murders have not been found. Defense asked Agent Owen about this. “Whoever murdered Paul and Maggie would have, in their possession, an AR style assault weapon and a 12-gauge shot gun. “You agree, at the times of the murders [the murderers] would have those weapons?” To which Agent Owen responds, “Yes.” Alex had neither in his possession.

A search of the vehicle driven by Alex that night was performed. Detective Owen agreed that one would expect biological material and GSR to be on the murder weapons. Neither was found in the cargo area or any other part of the vehicle. The exception being 1 speck of GSR on the seatbelt buckle, 1 drip of blood on the seatbelt, and 1 drip of blood on the steering wheel. Also, there was no appearance of anything wet having been in the vehicle.

Was He a Suspect Or, Wasn’t He

Detective Owen explained that he did not do a proper search because Alex wasn’t a suspect that night. This is in contradiction to his earlier statement that Alex was being looked at from the time he called 911. He claimed that he needed to gain more evidence before confronting Alex. But they did search his home, including his drains.

Would they search the drains for blood and trace evidence of someone not considered a suspect? That’s what defense wants to know.

Detective Owen admits to having interviewed Rogan Gibson between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. the morning of June 8. Gibson told him he was 99% certain he heard Alex in the background during a phone call he had with Paul the prior night. Was this not enough to confront Alex or, at minimum, conduct a proper search of both properties and the route between the two? Detective Owen was in agreement that this was an “opportunity missed” to either clear Alex from the circle or find evidence pointing towards him.

The Blue Tarp, I Mean Rain Jacket

The evidence everyone is talking about, the rain jacket, also came into question. No blood or DNA was found on the rain jacket. Detective Owen agreed with defense that if the murder weapons had been wrapped in the jacket, one would expect to find at least DNA. There was GSR found on the rain jacket, but they cannot say when the GSR got on it. Witness Shelley Smith also indicated that it was a blue tarp, not a rain jacket, that Alex brought into his mother’s house the night of the murders and she saw lying on a chair. Detective Owen did not show Shelley Smith the jacket but rather a picture of it, and not until a month before the trial. Also, she was only asked if it was the same color.

The Clothing

Now we come to the clothing. Clothing of not only Alex but that of Paul and Maggie, as well. So much attention during the state’s case was given to the blue shirt, khaki pants, and tan shoes Alex had on in the tree video. Given how important they seem to be now, why didn’t investigators ever ask for them, or a search warrant obtained to look for them? Detective Owen agreed that Alex and attorneys had provided them with anything the agent had asked for. So, why not ask? Final not on the khakis, khaki pants were seen lying on the bathroom floor after the murder but were never seized.

That could be answered by looking at where the investigation was focused before now, the clothing Alex was wearing at the time of the 911 call. Investigators collected the t-shirt and shorts. Agent Owen testified about the t-shirt and shorts during the Colleton County grand jury trial. Testimony proven to be false. Agent Owen testified, in front of the grand jury, that multiple particles of blood splatter was found on the shoulder of Alex’s shirt. In fact, out of 74 cuttings of the t-shirt, no particles of blood were found. Blood was, however, found on Paul’s shorts bur no DNA testing was done on either Paul or Maggie’s clothing.

The Guns

The guns that killed Maggie and Paul were loaded with buck shot and bird shot ( or turkey load – both being used interchangeably in court). In the video interview with Alex, Detective Owen claims the gun Alex had on him the night of the murder, and other guns taken from the Moselle residence, were loaded with buck shot and bird shot. The guns taken from Moselle did not have buck shot and bird shot load.

Agent Owen claims this was trickery used legally in the conversation with Alex. While controversial, law enforcement is allowed to lie or use “trickery” during an investigation. The issue, as defense goes on to point out, is that Agent Owen also testified, under oath, to the grand jury that the guns taken from the property were loaded with “buck shot” and “turkey load”. Was the agent mistaken, or using “trickery” on the grand jury?

Final Thoughts

A few final takeaways from cross. One, there was no life insurance taken out on either Paul or Maggie. Two, the feed room where Paul was shot was never dusted for fingerprints. And three, Agent Owen told Alex that “no unknown DNA [was] taken from the crime scene.” Court testimony shows unidentified DNA was found under Maggie’s fingernails. Neither Maggie’s nor Paul’s clothing were tested for DNA, despite blood being found on Paul’s short.

In conclusion, both defense and Agent Owen are in agreement, a more “thorough search could have excluded Alex.”

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WALTERBORO, SC – Marian Proctor, the sister of Maggie Murdaugh, took the stand on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 to testify in the case of State of South Carolina vs. Richard Alexander Murdaugh.

The sister-in-law of the defendant, and only sibling of victim Maggie Murdaugh, testified in court yesterday. Proctor spoke of both Paul and Maggie and the type of people they were. According to Proctor, “Paul was misrepresented in the media…he was a sweet boy…[and] a kind soul.” Her sister, Maggie, “was happy.”

She spoke of the backlash Maggie felt in the community after the boat accident involving her son, Paul. Potter spoke of how the “community had turned against her and Paul was being mistreated.” This led Maggie to search for a new house but husband, Alex, said it wasn’t the right time with the boat case going on.

Porter went on to speak about the day of the murders of Paul and Maggie. Maggie told her sister Alex needed her to come home because he needed her due to bad news about the health of Alex’s father. Maggie stated that Paul would be there, too. Marian told her sister, “Alex and his dad were close and that’s probably what you should do.” That was the last time Marian spoke to her sister.

That evening, Marian was at home watching a movie with her husband. Her husband received a text from Alex’s brother, Rand, saying there had been a tragedy and asking him to please call. That’s when they learned of the murders of her sister and nephew.

As for the claim that Alex had taken a nap the evening of the murders, she spoke that it was routine for him to nap in the evening, after work.

According to Marian, Alex was intent on clearing Paul’s name in the boat case. It was his number 1 priority. “I was scared for Alex and Buster. I felt like they needed protection,” she said. “Alex didn’t seem to be afraid.”

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