On Wednesday, February 1, 2023, prosecutors in the Alex Murdaugh case introduced some new evidence in the murder trial that could be potentially damning.
Murdaugh has long maintained his innocence in connection with the killings of his wife and son. Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh were shot and killed near their dog kennels in Islandton, South Carolina, on June 7, 2021. Murdaugh claims he was on the couch asleep at the time of the killings. A video entered into evidence could prove otherwise.
The video in question was taken on son Paul’s phone and began at 8:44 p.m. It lasts around a minute. Investigators believe Paul was attempting to film the tail of one of his dogs because he was concerned about it.
Lieutenant David Britton Dove of South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Computer Crimes Unit testified about this video. It was taken just minutes before the murders. The video contains three distinct voices.
While Dove was unable to identify the voices himself, he could tell they are different people. “You can tell that they’re different voices” he stated.
The prosecution believes the voices belong to Alex, Maggie, and Paul. The video is just moments before Paul's and Maggie’s murders, so it appears to dispute Alex’s previous claims. Alex Murdaugh broke down as the video clip played in court.
This new evidence should not come as a complete surprise. Creighton Waters, the chief prosecutor, alluded to it in his opening statement. He promised to show “crucial evidence” using the victims’ and Murdaugh’s phone records that would place Murdaugh at the scene of the crimes.
Using a cellphone as a prop, Waters stated: “The evidence is going to show, that these things every one of us carries around in our pockets, that he [Alex] was there and he was there just minutes before with Maggie and Paul just before their cellphones go silent forever and ever.”
Murdaugh has entered a not guilty plea but could face at least 30 years of prison if convicted. In their opening statements, his lawyers claim “it’s much more likely” that there were two gunmen involved. This explains why two different guns were used in the murders. They have not said what they believe the motive would have been.
The prosecution believes Murdaugh’s motive was to cover up his financial crimes. In addition to the murder trial, he is facing 99 counts of financial fraud. These charges will be dealt with in another trial.
