My wife and my son theyre on the ground Ms. Vanoy said the visit was disturbing but important as she considered whether to sentence the gunman, Nikolas Cruz, to life in prison or to death. She told Newsweek: "The defense attorneys methodically took Buster through the night of the murders in a manner that allowed Buster's interpretation of his father's innocence and shock to be displayed to the jury through his eyes. jgrzeszczak@postandcourier.com, Grace Beahm Alford gbeahm@postandcourier.com, The Berkeley Independent - Moncks Corner, SC, Live: Jurors in Alex Murdaugh's murder trial travel to Moselle, site of the slayings, Alex Murdaugh's son Buster takes witness stand in double-murder trial, Alex Murdaugh's defense faces major hurdle in his double murder trial: his apparent lies. The prosecutions case has consisted mostly of circumstantial evidence, including strained relations between Alex Murdaugh and his wife, a murky alibi the night of the killings and a sprawling list of financial misconduct allegations. He has pleaded not guilty to these crimes, and during Buster's testimony it was said that his father was "heartbroken" and "destroyed" after the killings. In Murdaugh walks into his bond hearing on September 16, 2021, in Varnville, South Carolina. Meadors asked, appearing to refer to earlier testimony in which Buster Murdaugh said his mother distanced herself from Hampton County after having felt like the center of unwanted attention amid news coverage of the lawsuit. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. He Was Called to Testify in Alex Murdaugh's Trial, Buster Murdaugh's Girlfriend Could Be the Key to Understanding the Murdaugh Family, Why Has Buster Murdaugh Been Dragged Into the National Spotlight? Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles. Margaret"Maggie" Kennedy Bransetter Murdaugh was born Sept. 15, 1968, and lived her life in various towns including Columbia, Summerville, Edisto, Hampton and recently at the family's hunting lodge in Colleton. The comments below have not been moderated. Ive been gone, he told a dispatcher, NBC reported at the time. Buster said the family was aware of it for years. Where was Buster Murdaugh during the murders? Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Alex Murdaugh arrives for his trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. ", "I was in shock," #BusterMurdaugh said as he described the moment he found out his mother, Maggie, and brother, Paul, were murdered. Murdaugh held a slight smile through much of his son's testimony. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. The lawyer was arrested on Oct. 14,2021,and charged with stealing millions of dollarsfrom a settlement intended for the children of a housekeeper who died at the familys home in 2018after falling on the front steps. Maggie had a heart of pure generosity, and loved welcoming friends and family into her home on any given occasion. After all, his mother Maggie and younger Paul and Maggie occasionally confronted Murdaugh when they found pills he shouldnt have been taking, Buster said. Before the jury in the trial of Alex Murdaugh goes to deliberations, they will be leaving the courtroom and taking a field trip more than 20 miles away to Moselle. For example, prosecutors have alleged it was strange Murdaugh, 54, left the familys hunting estate through its main driveway that night, rather than using another driveway by the dog kennels where Maggie and Paul were killed. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Defense attorney Jim Griffin and Alex Murdaugh listen to testimony during Murdaughs trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Meadors asked the younger Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh. Call Jocelyn Grzeszczak at 843-323-9175. Hosted by Jocelyn Grzeszczak and Eric Russell. document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = "© " + html; Richard "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., 26, is Alex Murdaugh's oldest and only surviving son. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Mike Sutton, forensic engineer with the North Carolina-based Accident Research Specialists answers questions from defense attorney Dick Harpootlian during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Buster Murdaugh has been sitting in the courtroom gallery for almost a month as the trial went into the details of how his mother and younger brother were shot and killed. His lawyers have elicited testimony that Mr. Murdaugh would not have been able to hear gunshots from inside the house. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Prosecutor Johnny Ellis James Jr.. prosecutor Creighton Waters and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson prepare for the start of court on the 21st day of the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. | Terms of Use| Privacy Policy. Buster recalled helping his father pack a bag of essentials from his closet at the Moselle lodge to bring with them, adding that he stayed there for several days and kept a close eye on his father. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1991, where she met her husband, Alex. A South Carolina mystery. Low around 65F. Before the murders, Buster was a student at the University of South Carolina pursuing his law degree. I just came back. He later told investigators hed been spending the day with his mother, who has dementia, but while on the stand, testified hed lied about his whereabouts and was in fact on the property moments before the slayings occurred. Buster testified his father was always apologetic during those confrontations, which remained civil. For 85 years, theMurdaugh family has served as a legal powerhouse in the state. "All told, Buster likely garnered some sympathy for him and his family for the harsh and sudden losses they suffered sequentially.". But, she added, bringing jurors to a large property like Mr. Murdaughs could also lead to disdain for his wealth and privilege, which prosecutors have argued helped him hide embezzling from clients and legal partners. PAUL MURDAUGH OBITUARY Paul Terry Murdaugh April 14, 1999 - June 7, 2021 Moselle, South Carolina - Paul Terry Murdaugh, 22, of Hampton, South Carolina, Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Throughout the case, the defense has tried to cast reasonable doubt on Murdaugh's culpability by rebutting the prosecutions version of events and questioning the integrity of the initial investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Avery G. Wilks is an investigative reporter based in Columbia. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Prosecutor David Fernandez and defense attorney Dick Harpootlian approach Judge Clifton Newmans bench during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. The group got into an "argument" while aboard Murdaugh's boat about wanting to get home while others wanted to keep drinking, according to a witness testimony, which alleges that Murdaugh had become aggressive and "slapped" his then-girlfriend. An emotional Buster Murdaugh visited his late mother Maggie and brother Paul's gravesites at Hampton Cemetery in South Carolina on Sunday, as his father's I recall our friendship from middle school and high school. At the time of his death, Paul Murdaugh was facing three felony counts of boating under the influence. The dog appears to resemble the Murdaugh family dog, Bubba, who has become somewhat of a key player in the case against Alex, 54, who faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted for the murders of his wife, 52, and son, 22. In asking for the visit, one of Mr. Murdaughs lawyers, Dick Harpootlian, said he wanted jurors to be able to see the distance between various geographical points discussed in the case and the size of a small feed room where Paul Murdaugh was found dead. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Alex Murdaugh listens to testimony during his trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Though the state had no objection to Sutton being admitted as an expert witness, Fernandez led Sutton through a battery of questions about his lack of training and expertise in firearms, shooting incident reconstruction and pathology. As jurors had heard earlier in the trial, the yellow Labrador was at the family's dog kennels on the night Maggie and Paul were gunned down at their Moselle hunting estate on June 7, 2021 and his presence could prove damning for Alex who, according to witnesses, was heard speaking to the dog in a video recorded at the kennels. When asked by the defense how frequently his father would take a shower or bath in a day, Buster Murdaugh answered: "He could take them a lot, working out there, if he goes outside and sweats a lot. "They would like the family and the community to know that their thoughts and continued prayers are with the Murdaughs. Murdaugh and Smith face a separate prosecution over the life insurance scam which was allegedly designed to furnish his surviving son Buster with $11million. His family typically used the main driveway. Buster Murdaugh was the first witness for the defense in the disgraced South Carolina lawyers double murder trial. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. Meanwhile, apolice investigation is still underway and sources familiar with the case told FITSNewsthat a family member of the victims is a "person of interest" in ongoinginquiries, but they have not deemed any person a suspect in the murders at this time. She always brought light to every room entered. Where Is Buster Murdaugh Now? Absolutely, said Ms. Vanoy, a vice president for diversity and inclusion at a health care company. Feb. 21 2023, Published 11:22 a.m. Newsweek has contacted Alex Murdaugh's defense lawyer for comment. You dont know what jurors will see when they get to the place, Ms. Marder said. Murdaugh pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of boating under the influence causing death and bodily injury and was released on a $50,000 recognizance bond, The Augusta Chronicle reported. It is their most sincere hope that someone will come forward and cooperate with authorities so that the perpetrator of these senseless crimes can be brought to justice," the statement said. The Alex Murdaugh trial enters the fifth week as the defense call witnesses. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. Prosecutors say evidence shows Alex Murdaugh was at the scene of the crime with Maggie and Paul. Sleepovers, Jumping on the trampoline and running track together. tmoore@postandcourier.com; Charleston, SC 29403, News tips/online questions: newstips@postandcourier.com, Delivery/subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com, var html = new Date().getFullYear(); He looks tired. The family has dominated the legal professionin a rural swath of the state for more than a century. For example, experts said, lawyers are not allowed to point things out or speak with the jurors. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Judge Clifton Newman and his clerk take a break during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. He estimated the shooter was no taller than 5-foot-4. It is rare for jurors to visit crime scenes, and experts said bringing the jurors out of the tightly controlled courtroom environment and into the real world could carry significant risks for both the prosecution and defense. There was a botched suicide plot. Mr. Murdaugh then left the property to visit his mother, an act the prosecution has painted as a calculated effort to build an alibi. Former lawyer Alex Murdaugh, Busters father, is facing charges with the murders of his wife, Maggie, and his younger son, Paul. Journalist of the Year for his reporting on South Carolina's nuclear fiasco and abuses within the state's electric cooperatives. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Mike Sutton, forensic engineer with the North Carolina-based Accident Research Specialists discusses gun holding positions during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. #AlexMurdaugh wiped his eyes during this testimony. All Rights Reserved. Call the. Paul Terry Murdaugh, 22, of Hampton, South Carolina, entered into eternal rest alongside his loving mother, Margaret Branstetter Murdaugh (Maggie) the evening He doesnt make eye contact and he doesnt really engage like he used to. Its bad! exclaims a hysterical Alex on the 911 recording. A solicitor is otherwise referred to as a District Attorney inother jurisdictions throughout the country. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool. Music by Lexin Music. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian uses the 300 Blackout in evidence as he questions Mike Sutton during the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Will call you later. Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson looks at evidence introduced by the defense in the Alex Murdaugh trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. An entrance to the Moselle Road property owned by the Murdaugh family in Islandton, S.C. The 12 jurors and two remaining alternates gathered at 9 a.m. at the Colleton County Courthouse to leave for their viewing of Moselle, the Murdaughs' spacious hunting property where Maggie and Paul were killed. Margaret Kennedy Murdaugh September 15, 1968 - June 7, 2021 Moselle, South Carolina - Margaret "Maggie" Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh, 52, entered into He was the eldest member of the powerhouse Murdaugh family. Three generations of Murdaughs have served as the 14th Circuit Solicitor in the southern part of the state. Fernandez suggested Suttons opinions were mere guesswork, not science. Prosecutor John Meadors asked him whether there were any family tensions after a fatal boating accident and a wrongful death lawsuit against members of the family. After three weeks of explosive testimony, the State is set to rest its case this week, however, some key witnesses including,Curtis 'Cousin Eddie' Smith is yet to testify. Uwa Ede-Osifo is a news associate for NBC News. Jocelyn Grzeszczak covers crime and public safety in the Charleston area. It continued, "She will be remembered as a 'secondmom' to her sons' many friends. But, eventually, we got our stuff together and drove down to Moselle.". But last year Mallory's mother filed a civil lawsuit against the Murdaugh family and the convenience store chain that allegedly soldminors alcohol the evening of her daughter's death. Heres whatto know about the case: Two murders and an indictment. The bodies of Maggie and Paul are blurred out after they were shot multiple times at the family's hunting estate. His younger brother, Paul, was killed alongside his mother in 2021. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Grace Beahm Alford gbeahm@postandcourier.com, Alex Murdaugh's son Buster takes witness stand in double-murder trial, By Avery G. Wilks, Thad Moore and Jocelyn Grzeszczak Do you ever remember your dad disappearing for periods of time? Griffin asked. 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