Murdaugh Weeps During Opening Arguments
By Vasilisa C. Hamilton
Alexander Murdaugh wept during opening arguments on Wednesday, Day Three of his murder trial for the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
State prosecutor Creighton Waters recounted grisly details of the crime. "Maggie Murdaugh was killed with a family weapon," he insisted.
Waters said the Murdaugh family owns many guns, and that Alexander Murdaugh could not account for each of his .300 Blackout AR-style guns.
Waters faced the jury and held up white sheets of paper listing each indictment against Murdaugh. He detailed the chain of events and the timeline during which prosecutors believe Maggie and Paul met their horrible fate. He said Alexander Murdaugh manufactured an alibi to conceal his role in the murders. "It's going to be gruesome, Waters said. "There's no way around it."
Lead defense attorney Dick Harpootlian countered, "It is our honor to represent Alex Murdaugh. I said it's our honor because those are his theories, his conjecture," Harpootlian said.
He motioned for Murdaugh to stand and greet the jury, attempting to humanize him, and sort of reintroducing them to the man Waters had just described as a calculating murderer.
Harpootlian said Murdaugh was a loving husband to Maggie and a loving father to Paul. He said the family attended a baseball game together less than a week before the two were killed.
"Paul was the apple of Alex's eye," Harpootlian said. "He comes home and finds his wife and son butchered." His son's brain was laying at his feet. Shot to hell. It still bothers me."
Harpootlian said jurors will hear a 9-1-1 tape featuring the voice of a man "hysterical with grief." He said he will ask Judge Clifton Newman for permission to take the jury to Moselle, the scene of the crime. There is no eyewitness, no camera, and no forensics that tie Murdaugh to the crime, Harpootlian said.
Murdaugh's son, Buster, his brothers, and his sister sat behind him in court.
After opening arguments, Judge Newman dismissed the eight-woman, four-man jury.
Murdaugh's trial resumed at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, with witness testimony from Colleton County Deputy Daniel Greene.
Vasilisa is an author, independent journalist, and communications strategist. This is her official website.
