“Alex Murdaugh, once a prominent lawyer, is on trial for murder, charged with killing his wife and son as his finances and legal career fell into ruin.” NYT
The killing of a mother and son. Millions of dollars in stolen funds. Fresh investigations into a fatal boat crash and a housekeeper’s deadly fall.
From New York Times:
The tragic circumstances swirling around a lawyer and his family in South Carolina became only more perplexing over time, leading to several arrests, stunning twists — and now, one of the most closely-watched trials in the country. At its center is Alex Murdaugh, 54, whose family dominated the legal landscape in the southern part of the state for 100 years, and who now faces trial on two counts of murder. Prosecutors have accused him of killing his wife and son in a failed attempt to conceal his own financial crimes.
From CNN:
After two days on the stand, Alex Murdaugh completed testimony Friday in the murder trial over the killings of his wife and son. After about six hours of testimony Friday – which included a prosecutor grilling the former disgraced South Carolina attorney over lies, drug use and details in the grisly case – the court adjourned for the weekend and is set to resume Monday morning.
VOX explains the background in an explainer; and continues with update:
Alex Murdaugh, the alleged perpetrator at the center of one of the most byzantine true crime cases in recent memory, finally had his day in court Thursday. After weeks of dramatic trial revelations, Murdaugh unexpectedly took the stand to testify in his defense against the charge that he murdered his wife and son in 2021. On the stand, a teary-eyed Murdaugh haltingly professed his innocence — but then immediately admitted to lying to the police about his whereabouts at the time his wife, Maggie, and his second son, Paul, were fatally shot. In a remarkable reversal, Murdaugh placed himself at the scene of the crime — the family’s estate.
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