Paul and Maggie have been hurt,'" John told ABC News in an exclusive interview airing Thursday on "Good Morning America. "Since early September the families are dealing with the betrayal of trust and that their loved one's death was used as a vehicle to enrich others over the clients. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it continues to pursue all leads in the ongoing investigation and that anyone with information should call 803-896-2605, a 24-hour dedicated tip line for the case. Both had full stomachs of food that looked identical to each other, which likely showed they recently shared a meal together. June 25: Murdaugh family announce $100,000 reward for information. Two days after a judge first denied Alex Murdaugh bond last fall, the disgraced Hampton County attorney called his younger brother and son from Richland County Detention Center and warned them to move quickly. Hey, John, Murdaugh said to John Marvin Murdaugh on Oct. 21, 2021. Randy and John said they have contacts in the investigating agencies but that they have not reached out to them or tried to influence the investigation in any way, nor has anyone in their family. Murdaugh also faces about 100 charges related to other crimes, including money laundering, stealing millions from clients and the family law firm, tax evasion and trying to get a man to fatally shoot him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. He said, Come as fast as you can. We see it on the news. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Dick Harpootlian said the defense has extensive cross-examination for Riemer, which could last more than an hour. A former federal prosecutor, he now works as a state and federal criminal defense attorney based in Columbia, South Carolina. Those medical records show he was positive for opiates and barbiturates on the night that he was taken to the Savannah hospital, Harpootlian said. "It changes you as an individual. Marian Proctor filed an affidavit, dated Dec. 9, in Colleton County Probate Court, according to The Island Packet. Asked about the photos this month, John Marvin Murdaugh said they show him and the investigators trying to find Maggie Murdaughs cell phone using an app on Maggies remaining son Buster Murdaughs phone. This photo provided by the Colleton County sheriff's office shows Curtis Edward Smith. Theres a lot of aspects to this case, Waters said. It was the start of what is expected to be a three-week trial at the Colleton County Courthouse. In my mind, I told Paul I loved himI promised him that I'd find out who did this to him., When asked by defense attorney Jim Griffin if he ever found out who killed his nephew and sister-in-law, John Marvin replied: I have not.. Murdaugh turned himself in at the Hampton County Detention Center. Murdaugh is charged with killing his wife and son on their property in June 2021. John Marvin was emotional throughout his testimony. The defense We dont know why. Two members of the jury for the Murdaugh murder trial have been released after they tested positive for COVID-19. Barber said Maggie Murdaugh went to the nail salon on the day she was killed so her nails should have been clean. Dr. Ellen Riemer, a forensic pathologist with the Medical University of South Carolina, conducted the autopsies for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Waters said Murdaugh told investigators he was never at the kennels before finding his wife and sons bodies near them after spending an hour away from the home checking on his mother, who has dementia. Harpootlian said all this was grasping at whatever evidence might make Murdaugh look guilty and ignoring what didnt fit the theory that he did it. Alex Murdaugh publicly announced that he resigned from his law firm and will enter rehab. "He wants this solved.". Police still have not said whether any new evidence was uncovered from Maggies phone. Zapata said the DNA could have been transferred from her touching an object or person. I will continue to pursue my client's interests with the highest degree of honesty and integrity, as I always have," he said. She took the stand to explain graphic photographs from her investigation to the jury and said the gunman was likely within three feet of Paul Murdaugh. John Marvin told jurors on Monday that he had not been aware of Murdaughs opioid addiction until after the murders, when his brother attempted a botched suicide scheme in September 2021 so that Buster would inherit his $12 million insurance payout. He also enlisted a hit man to kill him so his surviving son, Buster, could cash in on his $10 million life insurance policy, one of his attorneys said. It was the start of what is expected to be a three-week trial at the Colleton County Courthouse. The shot to her abdomen was from further away. Also on Sept. 15, the sons of a former Murdaugh housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, filed a lawsuit against Alex Murdaugh, Corey Fleming and others for allegedly swindling them out of receiving settlement money. "These charges stem from a SLED investigation into misappropriated settlement funds in the death of Gloria Satterfield," SLED said in a statement. John Marvin Murdaugh said he was sitting inside the house on the Moselle property and asked Alex Murdaugh if he could ping Maggies phone. He is accused of killing his wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul in June 2021, Slate reports. The group soon realized that the phone was further away, so they drove together and found it east of the gates of the property, he said. "But we're just regular people that are working hard and trying to do right. You can share rumors, but they must be clearly labeled as rumors. "I love my law firm family and also love Alex as my brother. No arrests have been made and no suspects have been named. "Now is the time to bring justice for Maggie and Paul. Randy Murdaugh and John Marvin Murdaugh speak out for the first time since their brother, Alex, found his 22-year-old son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, shot to death outside their home last week. Its complicated. "It was very difficult.". It changes you as a family," Randy told ABC News. Murdaugh is charged with killing his wife and son on their property in June 2021. "I don't know of anybody that would truly be an enemy or truly want to hurt them," Randy noted. The documents released by authorities do not present evidence of his motive or how the murders are believed to have taken place, except to say that Maggie Murdaugh was killed with a rifle and Paul Murdaugh was killed with a shotgun. Alex is not without fault but he is just one of many whose life has been devastated by opioid addiction," the lawyers' statement continued. A swab of suspected blood taken from the steering wheel of the Suburban also showed a mixture of DNA likely belonging to Alex and Maggie Murdaugh. All marriages, Im sure, have hiccups here and there, but Im telling you it was a good marriage, he said. Sarah Zapata, an agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, testified in detail about DNA and Hematrace analysis she performed on evidence from the scene. ABC News' Eva Pilgrim, Alexandra Faul, William Gretsky, Janice McDonald, Jen Leong and Mike Repplier contributed to this report. Satterfield's family members, who have alleged that Alex Murdaugh stole more than $4 million in insurance settlements for her death, called the development "bittersweet" and a "very good start to holding everyone accountable. Zapata said it was possible the DNA could have been transferred if the victims were checked for signs of life. Last week, Alex Murdaughs surviving son Buster, 26, testified in the double murder trial of his father. Today, he knows that's not true. A vehicle sits in the driveway of a home, June 8, 2021, in rural Colleton County, near Islandton, S.C. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Alex was standing at a distance from the crime scene, looking on "in disbelief, crying and sobbing, and unable to talk," Randy said. He was just distraught. John Marvin Murdaugh, the alleged killer's younger brother, said he returned to the hunting estate the day after arriving the killings to clean up the horrific scene John As soon as I heard his voice, I knew something bad was going on, he said. The wreck led to some questioning whether his family's ties to the legal system in the area affected the investigation, local newspaper The Island Packet reported at the time. Hematrace will only test positive for blood from humans, higher primates and ferrets. A bond hearing was scheduled for Oct. 15 in Beaufort County, South Carolina, his lawyers said. "On September 4, it became clear Alex believed that ending his life was his only option. Read FOX Carolinas full blog of Mondays testimony below: Copyright 2023 WHNS. He said his family and the Proctors are all communicating on good terms. Theres no direct evidence. Margaret and Paul Murdaugh were found dead near dog kennels at the family's home near Islandton, South Carolina, police said. The two brothers recalled how "smitten" Alex was from the moment he met Maggie and how "he truly doted on her.". "I see words like 'dynasty' used, and 'power,'" Randy said. Hes got theories of this and theories of that.. He is accused of killing his wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul in June 2021, NCJA | 700 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-628-8550 |. "It's just hard to imagine somebody can be so sick as to do this, intentionally kill people like that," Randy tearfully told ABC News. The prosecution said ammunition cartridges found around Maggie Murdaughs body had markings that matched other cartridges fired at a range on the property and other locations. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. WebAlex Murdaughthe attorney from a prominent South Carolina family who is suspected of committing a staggering number of crimes that were revealed after of a fatal 2019 boat crashwas indicted Thursday for murder. Sept. 7: Law firm says Murdaugh left due to money misuse, Alex Murdaugh's former law firm, PetersMurdaugh Parker Eltzroth & Detrick, released a statement saying Murdaugh formally resigned Sept. 3 and that "he is no longer associated with PMPED in any manner. The Murdaughs are a prominent legal family in the Palmetto State, with three generations serving as the elected solicitor in the 14th Judicial Circuit for 87 "The arrests in this case are only the first step in that process.". "He has pledged his full cooperation to the firm. The phone, the Packet previously reported, was given to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). The whole family is suffering," John told ABC News. I mean, in his pants.. Theres no fingerprints. "I still couldn't believe it could be them or that it could be true.". There are three alternate jurors left. The deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh remain unsolved. Data includes speeds and other information about the vehicles movements on the night of the double homicide. The final witness for the defense was Alex Murdaughs brother John Marvin Murdaugh. Ive seen television shows talking about the leg twitching and the squirminess, John Marvin told jurors about taking his brother from an Atlantic detox center after the Labor Day shooting to rehab. Few other details regarding the deaths have been released. Murdaugh murder trial to resume at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Murdaugh Trial, Day 26: Testimony gets heated during states rebuttal, Anonymous tip leads investigators to human remains in Spartanburg, Here's what's next for the Murdaugh murder trial, kelli.radcliff@foxcarolina.com - 864-213-2103. A string of bloody killings and mysteries involving a prominent South Carolina family has sent investigators on a wild chase full of twists and turns. "So there's no possible way he could have anything to do with this, I can assure you. The affidavit said Murdaugh provided a statement to SLED on Sept. 13: "Admitting to the scheme for the purpose of his son collecting a life insurance policy valued at approximately $10 million." A defense lawyer said prosecutors incorrectly locked in on Murdaughs guilt from the start and have spent all that time trying to jam bits of evidence that can be explained away or leave an incomplete picture into a story that frames the wrong man. From October: What really happened the night Alex Murdaugh was allegedly shot? Once the police opened the phone, they gave me a ride back to my car, he said. While I will support him in his recovery, I do not support, condone, or excuse his conduct in stealing by manipulating his most trusted relationships. Theres nothing on camera. John and Randy stayed there for hours, comforting their brother, until they finally convinced him to leave. Both victims were located outside of the residence on the sprawling property and had "sustained multiple gunshot wounds," according to a press release from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating the double murder along with the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. "The person that did this is out there.". John Monk/The State/TNS via Newscom, FILE. He later stepped away from the double homicide investigation in August 2021, citing an undisclosed conflict. The Murdaughs are a prominent legal family in the Palmetto State, with three generations serving as the elected solicitor in the 14th Judicial Circuit for 87 consecutive years. Sept. 4: Murdaugh calls 911 saying he was shot. The defense in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial rested their case Monday. The South Carolina Supreme Court also issued an order suspending Alex Murdaugh's license to practice law in the state. The listing comes less than five months after Alex Murdaugh, 53 the father of the family allegedly conspired to hire a hit man to kill him so that he could leave his I am immensely sorry to everyone I've hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. The final In the will, Maggie Murdaugh listed her sister, Marian Proctor, as the person to handle the estate. Her husband, Alex Murdaugh, 53, has faced months of public scrutiny since his wife, 52, and their son Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found shot multiple times on June 7 at the familys home in rural Islandton, South Carolina, about 65 miles west of Charleston. Defense attorney Phillip Barber asked if the DNA was submitted to CODIS, the FBIs DNA database, but Zapata said it did not meet the requirements for CODIS because the sample contained only three alleles. He signed an affidavit accepting the appointment Dec. 13. Her sons claim that they received none of the proceeds from a $4.3 million settlement that was orchestrated secretly by Alex Murdaugh, according to a lawsuit filed against their mothers employer and others. Noting that investigators had released the scene hours earlier and that he received permission from another law enforcement friend, John Marvin noted that the crime scene was not cleaned up when he arrived and that he could still see where Maggies body had been found. Murdaugh was charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, along with filing a false police report. Randy and John said their father, whom they described as "a wonderful person," had been "sick" for a while and that they would have liked his death to be more a celebration of life, but their tight-knit family was reeling from the unsolved murders. Whatever I was doing, it made it more interesting. "The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. The Murdaughs, a prominent Democratic family, had wielded enormous judicial and political power for over a century. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. Smith was found dead in the middle of a road in Hampton County in 2015 and investigators believed he was hit by a vehicle but no suspects were ever apprehended, a local ABC affiliate in North Carolina, WTVD, reported. Among those on the list are Alex's family members including his surviving son, Buster, his brothers, Randy Murdaugh and John Marvin Murdaugh, his sister-in-law, Liz Zapata testified that no useful DNA was found on the blue raincoat discovered at the home of Alex Murdaughs mother during the investigation. Just days later, the family patriarch, Randolph Murdaugh III, died in a hospital at the age of 81. "I could see the white sheets across the way," he said. Got a tip? Alex Murdaughs younger brother took the stand on Monday, tearfully describing how he cleaned the gruesome crime scene the morning after his sister-in-law and nephew were murdered in June 2021. He added that the feed room was still covered with brain fragments, pieces of Pauls skull, and lots of blood. Less than five minutes later, Paul Murdaughs phone was never used again. Lawyer Alex Murdaugh walks into his bond hearing, Sept. 16, 2021, in Varnville, S.C. "So there's no possible way he could have anything to do with this, I can assure you. In the civil lawsuit, Satterfield's surviving sons claimed Alex Murdaugh approached them after she died, proposing the sons sue him so they would get a life insurance settlement on their mother's behalf, the complaint states. Wake up to the day's most important news. Alex Murdaugh is in jail on a slew of charges, most of them financial counts. He has a long-term Oxycontin opiate addiction that put him in a position where he did those stupid and illegal things.. Buster, he said, told 4:30 p.m.. Court is back in session. He is the 14th defense witness called overall during the six-week trial. I didnt think it was a credible threatif it was, I would have tried to do something or notify someone, he said in the 2021 interview. Jailed in Richland County and facing more than 90 criminal charges and 11 lawsuits, Murdaugh has had his assets placed under the control of court-appointed The family is pleading for the public's help in bringing justice to Maggie and Paul. SLED compared the sample to C.B. Paul, a student at the University of South Carolina, was awaiting trial on a charge of boating under the influence causing death in a 2019 crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach, whose body was found a week later. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case this week. The 14th Circuit Solicitors Office also confirms to CNN that Murdaugh has been stripped of his privilege of prosecuting cases as a volunteer. He also admitted to his two-decade opioid addiction, noting he regularly took more than 60 pills a dayincluding oxycontin and oxycodone. ", "I missed some phone calls from him. Buster Murdaugh and John Marvin Murdaugh//Image Credit: WCBD NEWS 2. IE 11 is not supported. 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