Alex Murdaughis finally having his day in court.
The disgraced South Carolina attorney took the stand on Thursday morning to address the allegations that he shot and killed his wife,Maggie, and son,Paulin June of 2021.
As the testimony continued, Murdaugh’s voice began to shake as he blinked back tears.
“I could never intentionally do anything to hurt either one of them,” he testified. “Not ever.”
“You couldn’t be around Paul Paul without having fun,” Murdaugh said between tears. “He was an absolute delight.”
The defense also asked Murdaugh if he had been truthful with investigators about his whereabouts on the day his wife and son were killed.“No,” he answered. I lied."
Alex Murdaugh on Jan. 27, 2023.Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via AP
“Why did you lie?” the defense asked.
“As my addiction evolved over time I would get in these situations or circumstances where I would get paranoid,” Murdaugh replied. “I’m sorry I lied.”
Murdaugh also apologized to his surviving son Buster — who was in the courtroom during his testimony — and additional family members for lying about the last time he saw Maggie and Paul.
“What a tangled web we weave,” Murdaugh said on the stand. “Once I told a lie — then I told my family — I had to keep lying.”
On June 7, 2021, Maggie and Paul were shot to death at their residence in Islandton, S.C. near the dog kennels on their property.
Murdaugh had initially denied being near the dog kennelsthat night, but early on in the trial, prosecutor Creighton Waters revealed thatPaul took a cell phone videonear the dog kennels on the ranch at 8:44 p.m. on the night of June 7. The video features the voices of Paul, Maggie and Murdaugh.
Thursday marks the first time Murdaugh has admitted to being near the dog kennels that evening, but he still denies being responsible for the killings.
Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh.
Murdaugh, 54, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two related weapons charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
According to the prosecution, Paul was shot in the chest and head with a shotgun at close range. Maggie was shot multiple times, including one shot in the back and additional shots while she was lying on the ground. She had been shot with 300 Blackout ammo from an AR-style rifle. Both of them were pronounced dead at the scene.
Once a prominent attorney in South Carolina, Murdaugh has been disbarred from practicing law.
He is expected to testify for most of Thursday.
source: people.com
