Disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh took the stand on Thursday to deny murdering his wife and son in June 2021. Prosecutors cross-examining him on Friday accused him of “manufacturing an alibi” and making up a “new story” to fit the trial evidence.
During his testimony, Murdaugh admitted to lying about his whereabouts just before the murders and stealing from his law firm’s clients. The prosecution presented a cellphone video of dog kennels at the family’s hunting property, taken by Murdaugh’s son Paul minutes before the murders. Murdaugh can be heard talking on the video, despite telling police he had left home and was not at the kennels that night.
Murdaugh later visited his mother’s home before returning to the hunting property and calling 911 at 10:07 p.m. to report the murders. He explained his lie about not being at the kennels as a fear of being considered a suspect.
The lead prosecutor, Creighton Waters, questioned the veracity of Murdaugh’s explanation for lying to authorities, suggesting that he had “made a new story that fits with the facts that can’t be denied.” Waters also pointed out that Murdaugh’s cellphone recorded him taking 283 steps between 9:02 p.m. and 9:06 p.m., some of which were made to his slain wife, Maggie. Waters suggested that Murdaugh had manufactured an alibi by making several calls to his wife to let her know he was leaving.
Murdaugh denied the accusations, stating that he had not manufactured an alibi and that his calls to his wife were merely to inform her of his departure. Waters also questioned Murdaugh’s previous behavior of cheating vulnerable clients, stating that Murdaugh had convinced them that everything was right.
Murdaugh’s trial is ongoing, and the prosecution has presented considerable evidence linking Murdaugh to the murders. However, Murdaugh maintains his innocence, and his defense team has suggested that the killings were the work of a professional hitman.
The trial will continue for several weeks as the prosecution presents its case against Murdaugh. The case has highlighted the importance of a fair and impartial legal system and the need for individuals to be held accountable for their actions, regardless of their standing in the community.
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In murder trial cross-examination, prosecutors focus on ex-lawyer Murdaugh’s financial misdeeds and his ‘new story’