Alex Murdaugh trial – live: Legal scion told police killer’s motive for wife and son’s murder at crime scene

Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile murder trial is now in full swing with prosecutors slated to call more witnesses to the stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on Friday.

The disgraced legal scion, 54, is accused of gunning down his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, at the family’s estate in Islandton on 7 June 2021. He denies the allegations.

On Thursday, jurors were shown dramatic bodycam footage from the first officers responding to the scene of the murders.

In the footage, Mr Murdaugh is heard “immediately” offering up a motive for why an unidentified killer would shoot dead his wife and son as soon as Sgt Daniel Greene arrives on the scene.

“This is a long story. My son was in a boat wreck,” Mr Murdaugh is heard saying. “I know that’s what this is.”

At the time, Paul was awaiting trial on charges over a fatal 2019 boat crash where Mallory Beach, 19, died.

Jurors also heard the 911 call made by Mr Murdaugh that night and heard testimony from other first responders.

The murder trial is only one of Mr Murdaugh’s troubles in a saga spanning a botched hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes and unexplained deaths.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

• Jurors listen to 911 call made by Alex Murdaugh on night of murders

• Alex Murdaugh cries as bodycam video shown at trial

• Police say legal scion had ‘no tears’ on crime scene

• Murdaugh ‘immediately’ told police murders were tied to fatal boat crash

• Murdaugh family put on united front in court

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

According to Murdaugh’s phone, which he checks during the interview, he texted Maggie at 9.08pm saying he was leaving to go visit his mother, and again at 9.47pm when he was on his way back to the farm. He had tried to call at 9.45 but there was no answer. He tried calling Paul as well and also got no answer.

For context, the 911 call was placed at 10.06pm.

Det Rutland says she found it odd that someone would go and visit an elderly Alzheimers patient that late at night.

15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

On the day of the murders Paul had been working with his uncle John Marvin and had come home to prepare to plant sunflowers. Murdaugh says they rode around the property looking at things.

Maggie meanwhile had a doctor’s appointment and ran errands ion Charleston. She got home late. He adds that she loves the dogs and it was not uncommon for her to be out at the kennel late.

15:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Asked about weapons on the property, Murdaugh says there was a 12 gauge shotgun out at the kennel.

“I’ll have to find out when that was. I think it got put up, but I’m not sure.”

He estimates the family has 20-25 guns on the property ranging from pistols to rifles and shotguns.

15:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Returning to the topic of the boat crash, Murdaugh says he was not aware of any direct threats to Paul and while there had been some animosity between the survivors, most of the threats came from people Paul did not know.

Asked how Paul had handled the aftermath of the boat crash, Murdaugh says: “I’ve never been prouder of him than the way he’s handled the pressures and adversity in that situation. I mean Paul is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful kid. He can do almost anything. He gets along with almost anybody.”

15:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh tells a bizarre story about CB Rowe, a caretaker he recently hired at the farm.

He says Rowe told Paul a story about being an undercover agent working with FBI and Navy Seals to kill radical Black Panther operatives.

Rowe was not working at the farm that day.

15:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh is asked why he went to the kennels that night.

He explains that he got back from visiting his mother who has late-stage Alzheimers and found they were not at the house. He figured that they were at the kennels as Maggie loved dogs and his son Paul was working on planting sunflowers.

Murdaugh says his son and wife had a “wonderful” relationship and he and she also did. He says his relationship with his son was as good as it can be.

Asked if there have been any problems out at the property, he launches into the explanation about Paul’s boat crash and claims that his son has been punched and hit and attacked a lot over his responsibility for the accident.

The interviewer asks if there is one group responsible for the threats and he says he does not know but says there are constant threats whenever his son goes out.

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Det Rutland says Mr Murdaugh did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs when interviewed and gave clear answers, understanding all the questions.

A recording of the interview is played to the court.

Murdaugh tells officers that he pulled up to the kennels and “knew it was really bad” when he saw his son Paul. He appears to be sobbing on the recording.

“I could see his brain ... I ran over to Maggie, actually I think I tried to turn Paul over first... um... you know, I tried to turn him over, I dunno, I figured it out. His cell phone popped out of his pocket, I started trying to do something with it but I put it back down really quickly, and then I went to my wife.”

Asked if he touched Maggie, he responded: “I did, I touched them both. I tried take, I mean I tried to do it as limited as possible, I tried to take the pulse on both of them and I called 911 pretty much right away.”

14:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Det Rutland recalls what she saw upon arriving at the crime scene mirroring the accounts of the other first responders to the site.

Specifically, she recounts how she came across shoeprints in the dirt along the left side of the hanger building that appeared to come from flat footwear like a sandal.

She testifies that the shoes worn by Maggie appeared to be similar to the prints that she saw.

New Witness: Laura Rutland

14:48 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is seated.

The first witness is Detective Laura Rutland of Colleton County Sheriff’s Office.

Det Rutland was in charge of securing the search warrant of the Murdaugh’s 4147 Moselle property on the night of 7 June 2021.

Upon arriving at the scene that night she was assigned as the chief liaison with SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) who would be leading the investigation.

Murdaugh family arrives at court

14:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Day two of testimony to begin

14:23 , Rachel Sharp

The second day of testimony is scheduled to begin at 9.30am local time.

The prosecution will call more witnesses to the stand as it builds its case against Alex Murdaugh.

Bodycam footage to be released to media

14:15 , Rachel Sharp

The bodycam footage played in court on Thursday is expected to be released to the media today.

During the first day of testimony on Thursday, jurors were shown bodycam footage from some of the first responders on the scene of the murders.

Attorneys for the defence and prosecution have agreed to release redacted versions to the media.

Day one of testimony: Alex Murdaugh tells 911 dispatcher son had been getting threats ‘for months’

14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh told a 911 dispatcher moments after he says he discovered the bodies of two murdered family members that his son Paul had been receiving threats “for months” over a fatal boat crash.

The unredacted 911 call was played on Thursday at Mr Murdaugh’s trial in Colleton County Court in South Carolina for the murder of Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, in June 2021.

Mr Murdaugh, 54, can be heard telling the operator that his son Paul had been involved in a fatal boat crash and had been getting threats “for months and months and months.”

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has the story:

Alex Murdaugh tells 911 dispatcher his son Paul had been getting threats ‘for months’

Day one of testimony: Murdaugh ‘immediately’ told police murders of wife and son were tied to fatal boat crash

13:45 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh “immediately” suggested that his wife and son had been murdered because of a 2019 fatal boat crash as soon as the first law enforcement officer arrived on the scene of the grisly slayings.

Bodycam footage was played in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Thursday morning as testimony began in the high-profile double murder trial of the disgraced legal dynasty heir.

The footage, taken from the bodyworn camera of Colleton County Sheriff’s Sgt Daniel Greene, revealed a seemingly frantic Mr Murdaugh telling the officer he believed the murders of his wife Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and son Paul Murdaugh, 22, are connected to the boating incident.

Rachel Sharp is following the trial for The Independent:

Alex Murdaugh ‘immediately’ told police murders were tied to boat crash

Day one of testimony: Murdaugh cries as bodycam video shown at trial

13:15 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh broke down in tears as police bodycam footage was played at his trial – while the first police officer on the scene of the grisly murders told the court that the disgraced legal scion appeared to have “no tears” in his eyes at the time of the killings.

Bodycam footage was played in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Thursday morning as the high-profile double murder trial got underway.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Alex Murdaugh had ‘no tears’ when police arrived at murder scene, court hears

Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

12:45 , Rachel Sharp

Rachel Sharp writes:

On the surface, Alex Murdaugh had it all.

He was a high-powered attorney who ran both his own law firm and worked in the local prosecutor’s office.

He was the son of a powerful legal dynasty that dominated the local South Carolina community for almost a century.

And he was a family man who lived with his wife and two adult sons on their sprawling country estate.

But over the last 19 months, Mr Murdaugh has experienced a spectacular fall from grace, culminating in what has been described as the “trial of the century” now taking place in a courtroom in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Murders, fraud, and a hitman plot: Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

A timeline of murders, financial fraud, a botched hitman plot and unexplained deaths

12:15 , Rachel Sharp

Disgraced legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial in a South Carolina courthouse for the murders of his wife and son.

Mr Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting Paul, 22, twice with a shotgun and Maggie, 52, five times with a rifle on the family’s sprawling hunting lodge in Islandton on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested more than a year later in July 2022 and charged with their murders.

In the 19 months since the brutal double murders propelled the Murdaughs onto national headlines, a series of other scandals, allegations and alleged crimes have also come to light.

Here’s a timeline of the key moments in the case:

A timeline of the Alex Murdaugh saga as murder trial kicks off

Who is Alex Murdaugh?

11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

The hotly-anticipated trial of Alex Murdaugh is finally underway in South Carolina where he is facing life in prison for the double murder of his wife and son.

Who is the man at the heart of the saga?

Who is Alex Murdaugh? The legal scion on trial for the murders of his wife and son

The defence lays out its case

11:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh broke down in tears as his lawyer described how his son and wife were “butchered” on the family’s South Carolina hunting estate.

Mr Murdaugh wiped tears from his eyes as his defence attorney described the scene he claims his client found near kennels on the estate and denied that he had anything to do with it.

Dick Harpootlian told the jury that the prosecution’s explanation for the murders was just “theories” and “conjecture” and that Mr Murdaugh was a “loving” husband and father.

Graeme Massie reports.

Alex Murdaugh breaks down as lawyer describes brutal ‘butchering’ of wife and son

Prosecutors paint grisly portrait of Alex Murdaugh killing wife and son

10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors have described how disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh allegedly murdered his defenceless wife and son at the family’s hunting lodge in 2021.

Mr Murdaugh is accused of brutally killing his wife Margaret, known as Maggie, and his youngest son, 22-year-old son Paul, outside kennels on the estate on 7 June 2021.

Prosecutors told the opening of his trial on Wednesday that Mr Murdaugh had first shot his son with a shotgun, and then killed his wife with an AR-style rifle.

Graeme Massie reports on the prosecution’s case against Murdaugh.

Prosecutors paint grisly portrait of Alex Murdaugh killing wife and son

Paul Murdaugh sent Snapchat video to friends hours before murder

09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors say a Snapchat video sent by Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul on the night he and his mother Margaret were murdered will form a key part of their case.

Bevan Hurley has the story.

Alex Murdaugh’s son Paul sent Snapchat video to friends on the night he was murdered

Paul Murdaugh’s horrifying injuries revealed in court

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

New details have been revealed regarding the fatal injuries sustained by Paul Murdaugh, the murdered son of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Horror injuries of Alex Murdaugh’s son revealed

South Carolina Official says Murdaugh will not face death penalty

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

State prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for Alex Murdaugh when the disbarred attorney appears in court next month for a double murder trial that has drawn international attention.

“After carefully reviewing this case and all the surrounding facts, we have decided to seek life without parole for Alex Murdaugh,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement.

Read on:

SC official says Alex Murdaugh will not face death penalty

Murdaugh hit with tax evasion charges

07:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who allegedly murdered his wife and son, has now been charged with tax evasion.

The charges come down a month before he is set to go on trial for the shooting deaths of his wife Maggie and son Paul at their family home.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced on Friday nine counts of tax evasion for failing to report $6,954,639 of illegally earned income between 2011 and 2019.

Graeme Massie has the details.

Alex Murdaugh hit with tax evasion charges as murder trial looms

Murdaugh banker convicted of bank fraud charges

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A banker charged with helping disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh take money from the legal settlements of clients was found guilty late Tuesday of wire and bank fraud charges in South Carolina.

Former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte was allowed to remain free on bail as he awaits sentencing at a later date. Each of the six charges he was convicted of in federal court carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

It was the first trial related to the sprawling Murdaugh legal drama that has captivated true-crime audiences.

Read on:

Banker for Alex Murdaugh convicted of bank fraud charges

Judge revokes bond for Alex Murdaugh associate Smith

04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A judge revoked house arrest Thursday for the man authorities say agreed to kill disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh so he could get a life insurance settlement for Murdaugh's son but ended up just grazing his head with a bullet.

The decision by Circuit Judge Clifton Newman revoking bond and requiring Curtis “Eddie" Smith to await trial in jail involves a new set of charges linked to Murdaugh — allegations that Smith helped the disbarred attorney with a drug and $2.4 million money laundering ring.

Read on:

Judge revokes bond for Alex Murdaugh associate Smith

Murdaugh’s wife texted friend to say husband was ‘up to something’ — hours later she was dead

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh’s wife texted a friend to say that her husband was “up to something” hours before she and her son were found slain at the family’s South Carolina compound, according to a report.

Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul, 22, were killed at the 1,770-acre estate after Mr Murdaugh called her and asked her to go and see his ill 81-year-old father.

Ms Murdaugh was living separately from her husband at their beach house on Edisto Island and said she would meet him at the hospital. But law enforcement sources told People that he insisted they meet at the compound for her to follow him to the hospital.

Graeme Massie has the story.

Alex Murdaugh’s wife texted friend to say husband was ‘up to something’ before murder

Murdaugh likely to lose law licence

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Prominent South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, who faces more than 70 criminal charges after police scrutinized his finances in the aftermath of the unsolved shooting deaths of his wife and son last year, is likely going to permanently lose his law license.

The South Carolina Supreme Court said Murdaugh’s attorneys said Tuesday they would not contest any arguments scheduled for a disbarment hearing Wednesday. As a result, the justices canceled the proceedings.

Read on:

South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh likely to lose license

Ex-girlfriend of Alex Murdaugh’s son sues over boat crash

01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh is facing yet another lawsuit as the ex-girlfriend of his deceased son, Paul, blames the family for her “disfigurement” in a boat crash.

Lawyers for Morgan Doughty, who was dating Paul Murdaugh at the time of the accident, filed the lawsuit on Monday. They say Paul, then 19, was “grossly intoxicated” as he drove his parents’ boat in February 2019, crashing it into a bridge over Archer’s Creek, South Carolina.

The crash killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach, who was among several passengers on the boat that night. Meanwhile, Ms Doughty, the lawsuit says, “suffered injuries to her hand, finger and other parts of her body,” and “permanent scarring and disfigurement.”

Nathan Place has the story.

Alex Murdaugh’s son’s ex-girlfriend sues over ‘disfigurement’ from boat crash

Bail denied in Murdaugh client theft case

00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A judge refused on Tuesday to lower the $7 million bail for a prominent South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh who is charged with stealing millions of dollars from vulnerable clients.

Murdaugh’s lawyers had unsuccessfully argued that the high amount was like no bail at all, saying their client was so broke he was unable even to pay his phone bill.

Read on:

Judge denies jailed attorney's request to reduce $7M bail

Murdered wife of Murdaugh left everything to him in will

Thursday 26 January 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The murdered wife of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh left everything to her husband in her will, it has been revealed.

Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, were shot and killed at the family’s sprawling hunting lodge in Islandton, South Carolina, on 7 June.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Murdered wife of Alex Murdaugh left everything to husband in will

Court adjourns for the day

Thursday 26 January 2023 22:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Court adjourns for the day as the cross-examination of Capt Chapman concludes with a series of objections over the lines of questioning regarding the shoe prints observed near the scene.

The trial will resume tomorrow at 9.30am.

One frustrating aspect of today was the restrictions regarding the body camera footage. The attorneys have now agreed to release redacted versions of all the bodycam videos. They should be available to media either tonight or tomorrow.

Thursday 26 January 2023 21:56 , Oliver O'Connell

In cross-examination, Chapman is asked about how Murdaugh reacted as they investigated the tire tracks.

He emphasises it was a change in demeanour as they focused on the tire tracks they found and that he became more interested in what they were doing.

Thursday 26 January 2023 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell

After an extended tour of the property around the crime scene, Capt Chapman focuses on shoe impressions that went from one side of the hangar around to the other side.

The question still remained as to how Paul and Maggie got to the kennel that night, with the suggestion that they would have travelled in Paul’s car which did not appear to be there.

Jury returns - testimony resumes

Thursday 26 January 2023 21:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Capt Chapman is still on the stand. He reveals a drone was deployed to capture the scene.

He gives the jury an aerial tour of the property and crime scene via pictures taken from the drone.

A video of the drone footage is then played.

Alex Murdaugh: A timeline of murders, financial fraud, a botched hitman plot and unexplained deaths

Thursday 26 January 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial in a South Carolina courthouse for the murders of his wife and son.

Mr Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting Paul, 22, twice with a shotgun and Maggie, 52, five times with a rifle on the family’s sprawling hunting lodge in Islandton on 7 June 2021.

He was arrested more than a year later in July 2022 and charged with their murders.

In the 19 months since the brutal double murders propelled the Murdaughs onto national headlines, a series of other scandals, allegations and alleged crimes have also come to light.

Here’s a timeline of the key moments in the case:

A timeline of the Alex Murdaugh saga as murder trial kicks off

Thursday 26 January 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Chapman believes Murdaugh’s statement on the 911 call that he was going to get a gun was because he was scared or believed a shooter could still be out there and he might be in danger. The shotgun was found beside his truck.

On Murdaugh’s demeanour:

“He was emotional, distress on the face. He didn't cry, not everyone cries. I don't have an issue with that.”

Chapman explains that Murdaugh was cooperative with the gunshot residue testing.

Speaking about the tire tracks mentioned before, he clarifies that they were tire impressions on wet grass, and not a track through dirt from which you could take a cast. Chapman recalls a set near Maggie’s body.

He also notes that the kennels are approximately 1,000 yards from the house and there was no vehicle or buggy etc that Maggie and Paul might have used to get down there that night.

Court goes into recess for the afternoon break.

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Chapman testifies that Murdaugh did not appear to be crying but was upset.

He did not appear to have dirt or blood on him.

Chapman says Murdaugh said on the 911 call he checked both his wife and son for pulses. In his testimony, he says that if he had checked Paul’s pulse he would have likely had blood on him and would have struggled to reach any points on Paul where one might usually check a pulse (the front of the neck and wrists). Paul was found face down with hands under his body.

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Chapman says there was “a lot of uncertainty” at the site and they worked to secure both an inner and outer perimeter.

Once again the court hears how the responding officers checked underneath Paul in case he had fallen onto a weapon.

They were unsure whether it was a murder, murder-suicide, or even an active shooter. They knew a shotgun was involved from the shell casings on the ground near Maggie.

He recalls standing water on the ground that was not consistent with the weather prior to the rain.

New Witness: Jason Chapman, Colleton County Sheriff’s Office

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:21 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness is Captain Jason Chapman of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office. His role today, and on the day, is supervising investigations including homicides.

On the night of 7 June 2021, he heard the call out over the radio and the location but was not aware of who was involved, just that it was a man calling that his wife and child had been shot.

Capt Chapman knew the family professionally and once it was confirmed it was the Murdaughs, a call was put out to the crime scene investigation unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

He was not wearing a bodycam that night as it was fixed to his bulletproof vest and he knew the scene was secured.

On arrival, he discovered there was an incoming storm and they began to work on arranging tents to cover the bodies. It was important to keep the integrity of the crime scene.

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:08 , Oliver O'Connell

On cross-examination, Mr McRoy is asked whether he asked for some tire tracks to be preserved.

He says he did and is asked to indicate where they were on a still image and on a video. Mr McRoy says there was a distinct single set of tire tracks approximately 30 feet from the body that could have been coming in or going out.

After he showed them to a deputy he had a vehicle parked across the drive to try and preserve them but other people attending the scene drove around it disrupting the tracks on the drive and then it began raining ruining those near the feed room.

The defence team is very focussed on how the crime scene could have been disturbed and evidence overlooked.

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:02 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr McRoy explains the scene he encountered when he approached the kennel.

He saw Paul lying face down near the entrance to the feed room with a severe injury to the head. Maggie was lying off to the right.

The chief explains they brought pink blankets from the ambulance to cover the bodies as there were more people arriving at the site.

He did not take the pulse of either of the victims as they had injuries that would not conducive to life. Paul’s brain was on the ground by his ankle and Maggie had a hole in her skull in which you could see into the head cavity. Blood was starting to coagulate on both indicating there was no longer a heartbeat.

Mr McRoy said he knew Murdaugh from professional encounters in which he had given depositions.

New Witness: Chief Barry McRoy, Colleton County Fire & Rescue

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:53 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness is Chief Barry McRory of Colleton County Fire & Rescue who has been a paramedic since 1981.

He responded to the Murdaugh house on the night of 7 June 2021 and arrived ahead of everyone else and waited for Sgt Greene to arrive before following him onto the property.

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:48 , Oliver O'Connell

No cross-examination, Capt Stallings is excused from the witness box.

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:44 , Oliver O'Connell

On the call, a distressed-sounding Murdaugh explains how Maggie has been shot in the head and Paul was shot badly.

He is asked if there is a weapon visible anywhere around them and if he saw anyone, and how he discovered them (whether he heard anything, or came home and found them like that). He is then asked how long before he last spoke to them, to which he replies about two hours.

Murdaugh tells the operator that he is going to the house to get a gun “just in case”.

He explains that his son has been threatened “for months and months and months” and has been hit several times.

The operator asks if he has the name of who might have been threatening his son and he says that his other son would know.

New Witness: Angela Stallings, Colleton County Sheriff’s Office

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:37 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness is Captain Angela Stallings of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office. She oversees a number of administrative duties including 911 calls which are automatically recorded and kept on a server.

Capt Stallings checks her notes about the time the Murdaugh 911 call came into the office — 10.07pm on 7 June 2021 — and identifies the copy of the recording which is then played to the court.

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:32 , Oliver O'Connell

The court is now listening to the 911 call as it is patched through from one country to the other.

Murdaugh sounds distressed as he relays the information to one dispatcher and then the next. He describes his wife and son as having been shot and that they are not breathing.

He is asked if they might have shot themselves to which he says they did not.

After a brief cross-examination, Ms Bryson-Smith is excused.

New Witness: Tinish Bryson-Smith of Hampton County E-911, a manager for the dispatch for 911 calls.

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Tinish Bryson-Smith of Hampton County E-911, is a manager for the 911 call centre in the neighbouring county to Colleton County.

She explains her duties include recording and storage of 911 calls and that sometimes Hampton County receives calls from Colleton County.

The next piece of evidence submitted to the court is the recording of Murdaugh’s 911 call on 7 June 2021.