Alex Murdaugh trial - live: Murdaugh testimony ends with dramatic video disproving key defence claim

Alex Murdaugh was intensely grilled by prosecutor Creighton Waters throughout Friday as cross-examination continued in the double murder trial that has captured attention across the globe.

The disgraced attorney was on the witness stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, where he is on trial for the brutal slayings of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Mr Waters confronted the accused killer head-on about the murders and his “new story” about what he did and where he was when they were killed.

While the cross grew increasingly combative on Thursday, the prosecutor had not brought up the 7 June 2021 killings at that point, focusing on Mr Murdaugh’s financial crimes, and attempts to influence an investigation into his son’s 2019 boat crash.

During Mr Murdaugh’s direct testimony, he shocked the court when he confessed for the first time that he had lied about his alibi on the night of the murders. He also admitted to his extensive financial crimes and to orchestrating the botched hitman plot – but continued to deny killing his wife and son.

As Mr Waters’ questioning drew to a close on Friday he played bodycam footage seeming to completely undermine the reasons the defendant gave for lying in his police interviews.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

• Murdaugh is accused of lying on the stand – about his pivotal lie on night of murders

• Murdaugh confronted about changing story on murders

• Murdaugh snaps in tense cross-examination

• Murdaugh admits he lied about being at kennels and his alibi on night of murders

• Alex Murdaugh defence witness claims Maggie was killed by 5’2” shooter

• Key revelations from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial

Moment Alex Murdaugh is accused of lying on the stand – about his big lie

22:45 , Oliver O'Connell

A bombshell moment unfolded at Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial when he was accused of lying on the stand – about why he had lied over his alibi on the night of the murders.

Rachel Sharp has the latest.

Moment Alex Murdaugh is accused of lying on the stand

Court adjourns for the weekend

21:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Newman brings the week to a close and excuses the jury.

Harpootlian says they will have four witnesses of approximately one hour each on Monday.

Waters says he will have a few rebuttal witnesses.

It is unclear when we will hear closing arguments, but Harpootlian suggests Wednesday as a target.

Harpootlian asks if he and Griffin can split their defence closing argument. Waters objects. Judge Newman says he will look at it but is not inclined to do it.

The trial will resume at 9.30am on Monday morning.

21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

After Waters again says that Murdaugh has constructed a new story for the night based around the evidence he has heard in court that disproved his original alibi, recross concludes.

Murdaugh is allowed to step down.

21:44 , Oliver O'Connell

There is a brief recross from Waters.

He states that “as a prosecutor and a lawyer, you had been manufacturing an alibi to cover your tracks” and that by telling SLED investigators to pull the data from the phones and car he could help back that up.

Murdaugh says that is “absolutely wrong”.

21:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Griffin rounds out redirect examination by asking Murdaugh if he murdered Maggie and Paul.

He replies he would not and adds: “If I was under the pressure that they’re talking about here, I can promise you I would hurt myself before I would hurt one of them, without a doubt.”

21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Regarding the roadside shooter, Murdaugh is asked why he lied and made up the fictitious shooter (going as far as to give a composite sketch description).

“My main concern at that point was that I did not want Buster knowing that I had tried to do that [die by suicide]. That was my motivation in telling that story.”

He said he intended to be gone and had not intended to survive.

21:39 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh says he was not trying to mislead Deputy Greene when he arrived at the scene on the night of the murders and said he had not seen Maggie and Paul for more than 90 minutes.

21:37 , Oliver O'Connell

Griffin asks Murdaugh whether he had Maggie’s phone between 9.02 and 9.06pm on 7 June 2021 while his phone recorded a lot of steps.

He says he did not have her phone with him at any time that night.

Griffin also asks why he told SLED a lot of inaccurate times about the night of the murders and whether he was lying.

Murdaugh says he was not lying and he was trying to estimate the times. He adds that he gave them instructions on how they could verify those times - i.e. through the phone and car data.

21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Griffin asks about where the stolen money went. Murdaugh reiterates it was for pills.

He is shown text messages from Paul from 30 May 2021 which include a picture of his son’s feet which were swelling due to high blood pressure. Maggie was very worried about him and wanted him to see a doctor. It was a topic of conversation at dinner on the night of 7 June.

21:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Griffin begins by establishing that Murdaugh is also facing pending charges relating to the financial crimes that have become such a major part of his murder trial.

21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

After a brief mid-afternoon break, court resumes.

Following that dramatic close to the cross-examination, defence attorney Jim Griffin begins redirect examination of Murdaugh.

Watch: Moment Murdaugh was confronted with lie about false alibi

21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

21:03 , Oliver O'Connell

After Murdaugh spent today giving reasons as to why he lied about his whereabouts on the night of the murder, indicating that it all tied to the moment in the car when he was first interviewed in the aftermath.

That was when he first said he had been asleep and had not been down to the kennels, not knowing of the existence of the kennel video shot by Paul.

Waters then plays a bodycam video from Colleton Country Sheriff’s Office deputy Greeene who was the first person on the scene that night.

In the video, Murdaugh tells the deputy that he had not seen Maggie and Paul for over 90 minutes, indicating he had not been down to the kennels that night - his false alibi.

Waters reminds him that he lied about his alibi because he was suspicious of SLED, his law partners had arrived and told him to have a lawyer before he spoke to the police, and because he was paranoid because he was asked about his relationships with his wife and son, and was tested for gunshot residue.

None of which had happened when he spoke to Deputy Greene that night.

Waters ends his cross-examination.

20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

“I have lied for more than a decade,” says Murdaugh.

Waters says: “And you want this jury to believe a story manufactured to fit the evidence that you brought forth just yesterday after hearing this trial’s worth of testimony.”

20:44 , Oliver O'Connell

“Did you lie to... ?”

Waters runs through every person we’ve encountered throughout this trial, from Maggie, to the family, friends, coworkers, clients, and more.

With a few quibbles here and there, Murdaugh responds yes, he did lie to all of these people.

20:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters asks: “When accountability is at your door, Mr Murdaugh, bad things happen, isn’t that true?”

“What do you mean by bad things?” asks Murdaugh.

Waters replies “June 7 happened. September 4 happened.”

”I don’t believe June 7 happened because of accountability being at my doorstep,” says Murdaugh.

Waters also asks Murdaugh if shame for him is an extraordinary provocation.

The defendant replies: “I don’t like to be shamed.”

20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

More questions about the theft of money from the law firm.

“No wiggling out of this one, correct?” asks Waters.

“I didn’t try to wiggle out of this one,” replies Murdaugh.

Watch: Waters says Murdaugh lies ‘easily’, ‘convincingly’, and ‘naturally'

20:24 , Oliver O'Connell

20:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Questioning jumps around a little.

Murdaugh says he could not get a big enough loan from Palmetto State Bank to repay Chris Wilson all of the $792k he stole in fees from the Mack Trucks case. After Maggie died he could only get a loan against his portion of the Edisto beach house and not Moselle which was in her name.

He also testifies that he was suspicious of SLED agent David Owen on the night of the murders because he thought he was the same agent who he believed had manufactured evidence in a criminal case against his friend, local police chief Greg Alexander.

20:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Another lie to SLED in the second interview is shown to the court.

Murdaugh was asked by SLED agent Jeff Croft whether the last time he saw Maggie and Paul was at dinner.

“Yes, sir,” he replies.

20:08 , Oliver O'Connell

The golf cart is briefly discussed with a picture shown of it parked outside the house. Waters does not say when it was taken but it is daylight.

Murdaugh says the golf cart is parked incorrectly and should be on the other side of the steps so that it could charge.

20:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters snapped back with a response to Murdaugh’s theory pulling together many different bizarre strands that it consists of.

Via Avery Wilks of The Post and Courier :

“So what you’re telling this jury is that it’s a random vigilante, the 12-year-old, 5’ 2” people that just happen to know that Paul and Maggie were both at Moselle on June 7th, that knew that they would be at the kennels alone on June 7th, that knew that you would not be there, but only between the times of 8:49 and 9:02, that they show up without a weapon assuming that they’re going to find weapons and ammunitions there, that they commit this crime during that short time window, and then they travel the same exact route that you do around the same time to Almeda. That’s what you’re trying to tell this jury?”

Succinct and brutal.

Murdaugh responds: “You’ve got a lot of factors in there Mr. Waters, all of which I do not agree with, but some of which I do.”

19:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh returns to his own theory of why Maggie and Paul were killed — which he began to espouse as early as the 911 call — as retribution for the 2019 boat crash that killed Mallory Beach.

“I never, ever, ever under any point in time believed that those kids that were riding in the boat or their parents or their families … had anything to do with hurting Maggie and Paul,” he begins but says that the boat wreck is the reason they were killed.

“The social media response that came from that was vile. The things that were said about what they would do to PawPaw, they were so over the top.”

“I believed then and I believe today that the wrong person saw and read that because I can tell you for a fact that the person or people who did what I saw on June the 7th... they hated Paul Murdaugh, and they had anger in their heart. And that is the only, only reason that somebody could be mad at PawPaw like that and hate him like that.”

Waters asks him if it was a random vigilante or a 5’2” vigilante (referring to earlier defence testimony regarding the alleged height of the shooter).

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters plays the first interview video again from the night of the murders and tries to get Murdaugh to pinpoint the alleged moment he decided to lie about his whereabouts and his alibi.

Earlier Murdaugh said it was when the SLED agent asked about his marriage and relationship with Paul. That section of the video is played and Waters asked why these innocuous questions and answers acted as the trigger.

Murdaugh says it was the whole situation (his distrust of SLED, paranoia etc) and not just that part of the questioning.

Court resumes

19:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Court resumes after lunch and defence attorney Jim Griffin is invited to put something on the record by Judge Clifton Newman.

Griffin argues that Murdaugh’s Fifth amendment rights have been violated during Creighton Waters’ cross-examination citing precedent and asking for his comments relating to the defendant’s failure to come forward with information about the case (the kennel story).

Waters says this is not an issue as the defendant has spoken many times about the case.

Judge Newman agrees and the motion is denied.

The jury is brought in.

Watch Alex Murdaugh’s testimony at his double-murder trial LIVE

19:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Nobody else was at kennels on night of murders, says Murdaugh

19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

A guide to the key players in the Murdaugh trial

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Rachel Sharp profiles the key players in the case and in court.

Who are the attorneys and judge in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial?

Murdaugh can’t remember last conversation with wife and son

18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh has claimed he can’t remember the last conversation he ever had with his wife Maggie and son Paul – just minutes before they were gunned down by the kennels on the family’s hunting estate.

The disgraced attorney was confronted by prosecutor Creighton Waters on the witness stand on Friday morning about his “new story” about the 7 June 2021 murders.

Read on:

Alex Murdaugh can’t remember last conversation with wife and son

Murdaugh confronted about changing story after being placed at murder scene

18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh was confronted in court about his sudden and dramatic change in story about the night of his wife and son’s murders – coming only after jurors were shown a bombshell video placing him at the scene of the murders and more than half a dozen witnesses identified his voice in the footage.

On Friday morning, the disgraced attorney returned to the witness stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, for a further grilling from prosecutor Creighton Waters in his trial for the double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

During a testy exchange, Mr Murdaugh was confronted about his sudden move to confess that he had lied for the past 20 months about his alibi on the night of the 7 June 2021 slayings.

Rachel Sharp reports on this morning’s dramatic testimony.

Alex Murdaugh confronted about changing story

18:03 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Clifton Newman calls the lunch break and the jury exits.

The trial will resume at 2.15pm.

17:59 , Oliver O'Connell

Going back to the initial interview on the night of the murders in the car, Waters makes the point that from very early on, Murdaugh decided to lie.

It was then for the first time he said he was asleep at the house and was never at the kennel.

“You made a conscious decision to lie right then,” says Waters.

Murdaugh says he decided to lie because his friends who had shown up at the scene told him not to talk to anyone without a lawyer and became paranoid.

He also says he did not trust SLED, had a pocket full of pills during the interview, and had just undergone the gunshot residue test.

17:51 , Oliver O'Connell

There was only a 20-second gap between Murdaugh’s car arriving at the scene and him placing the 911 call so it is possible he is trying to shift the timeline.

In earlier testimony regarding the timeline, a big deal was made about the short period of time he had to check both bodies and attempt to turn Paul over.

It is unclear whether he tells either 911 or law enforcement exactly when he touched the bodies either before or during the call.

It is also possible he did not touch the bodies as he had no blood on him when first responders arrived.

17:41 , Oliver O'Connell

There is a dispute about when Murdaugh checked the bodies between what he is saying now and what he told responding law enforcement officers and possibly what he told the 911 dispatcher.

Waters is now playing Murdaugh’s initial interview from the night of the murders and what he said about touching the bodies versus calling 911.

17:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters moves on to the discovery of the bodies. He asks if Murdaugh checked the bodies before calling 911.

Murdaugh says that is incorrect.

“I pulled up, and I saw Mags and PawPaw. I jumped out of my car. I know I went back to my car and called 911 as quickly as I could.”

He adds: “Then I went to them and did the things that I did.”

“I know I checked them, but I don’t believe I checked them before I called 911.”

17:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Regarding his similar conversation with Blanca the housekeeper about what he was wearing that day, he says that he only spoke to her because Agent David Owen had mentioned his clothes during the 11 August interview.

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh disputes the testimony of Shelly Smith, his mother’s caregiver, about a conversation they had after the murders in which he told her to tell anyone that asks that he was at the house for 35-40 minutes on the night of the murders.

He says she is a “good person” and argues that he knew GPS data would show the true length of his time at the house so it doesn’t make sense to lie.

17:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters says Murdaugh told investigators that Maggie was going to stay at the Edisto beach house and she came home on her own accord.

Murdaugh says he didn’t call her to ask her to come home, but her sister testified that Maggie told her Murdaugh wanted her at Moselle Road that night.

A text between Blanca, the housekeeper, and Maggie says Murdaugh wanted her at Moselle.

Murdaugh says he believes Maggie was not going to stay at Edisto because the dog, Bubba and Grady, were at the Moselle kennels and she would have had one or both with her.

17:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh says he and Maggie did not discuss her joining him on the trip to his mother’s house. He said it was highly unusual for her to go to visit just his mother as her condition made Maggie sad and she didn’t like to be there.

17:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Here are the phone logs from 9.02pm to 9.06pm when Murdaugh’s phone clocked 283 steps.

17:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters asks why Murdaugh didn’t go by the kennels on the way to his mother’s house when he had been calling them to let them know he was leaving.

Murdaugh says: “There was no reason to. … It wasn’t important to do that. Me making those phone calls, … that’s simply me letting them know that I’m leaving for a minute, and I’ll be back.”

He says it was not unusual for them not to answer, but concedes: “It is odd, it is unusual, that they never called me back.”

Murdaugh adds that Maggie was with Paul and should therefore have been safe.

“Yes, she should,” says Waters.

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters challenges Murdaugh about the phone calls he made and why they were deleted from his phone log.

Murdaugh claims to have not deleted them intentionally, but admits to making the calls.

Water contends: “The real reason, Mr Murdaugh is that you as a lawyer and prosecutor are up at 9:02, finally have the phone in your hand, moving around and making all these phone calls to manufacture an alibi, is that not true.”

Murdaugh says that is “incorrect”.

Waters asks why he remembers everything else apart from what happened in those four minutes for his phone to record so many steps.

Murdaugh says: “I never manufactured any alibi in any way, shape or form because I would not and did not hurt my wife and my child.”

Water pushes again why he doesn’t remember anything of the four minutes apart from he was “getting ready to go”.

“That’s what I was doing.”

17:09 , Oliver O'Connell

Turning to the “busy bee” part of the timeline between 9.02pm and 9.06pm, Murdaugh says he was “getting ready to go to my mom’s house”.

Waters asks him what that involved given he was showered and dressed and in the front room of the house.

Murdaugh says he was not doing anything specific and may have gone to the bathroom.

“I can’t tell you exactly what I was doing.”

Waters asks if he was doing jumping jacks or had hit the treadmill or was running in place.

He says no.

Waters presses further about what he was doing in those four minutes when he has been so clear about everything else in the “new story”.

Murdaugh says: “I was getting up. I was leaving. I was going to check on my mom. But specifically what I was doing? I don’t know.”

Murdaugh says he was not cleaning himself, washing off guns, or wrapping them in a raincoat.

17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Looking at the phone data, Waters notes that there was no activity on Murdaugh’s phone between 8.09pm and 9.02pm when he “became a very busy bee”.

Murdaugh says he cannot remember where he put his phone during that time.

At 8.17pm Maggie’s phone disconnects from her Mercedes and steps are logged. Murdaugh says he believes she arrived before that and it was common for her to jump out of the car and do things (go to the bathroom etc) and then send someone back to grab her phone.

16:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Water keeps referring to Murdaugh’s version of events as his “new story” and brings up the various phone data extractions saying that he’s looked at them a lot.

The implication is that Murdaugh has been reconfiguring his version of events to match the trial evidence. He could not deny he was at the kennels based on Paul’s video of Cash the puppy.

Court resumes

16:47 , Oliver O'Connell

With the break over, the jury is brought back in.

Waters asks if there was any blood on the chicken he retrieved from Bubba’s mouth.

Murdaugh says he does not believe so.

He also says he doesn’t believe he washed his hands.

Waters asks if Maggie was messing with the hose, Murdaugh says no.

Murdaugh is shown the cell phone data and confirms it seems he left his device at the house.

He is asked if that is normal behaviour for him (previous testimony is that Murdaugh was always on his phone).

Murdaugh replies: “Sure it is. If I know I’m going to the kennels and coming right back, that’s not unusual at all. You’ve heard the testimony about the service out there. The service was terrible.”

16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters establishes that in Murdaugh’s story, he was back in the house at 8.49pm and laid down on the couch, dozing for a short time.

At 9.02pm according to phone data he was up and about again.

Waters asks if he had the shotgun and Blackout rifle on the golf cart when he went to the kennels. Murdaugh says no.

Waters asks if he saw the weapons when he was down there.

He also says no.

The court takes a 15-minute break.

16:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters challenges Murdaugh that the sequence of events seems odd.

“You jetted down to the kennels, you dealt with the chicken, and you jetted back.”

He says that these new details seem convenient for his new story.

“Does that sound like real life to you?”

16:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters is reconstructing by the second what happened down at the kennels, asking how long after Maggie exclaims that the dog was a chicken.

Murdaugh says it would’ve taken 10-15 seconds the get the chicken and place it where it was found. He then says he left.

Waters presses him on why he said “I got out of there” and if true, why he left so quickly.

“Because it was chaotic. It was hot. I was getting ready to do exactly what I didn’t want to do. I was getting ready to sweat. I was getting ready to work.”

Murdaugh is asked if he said goodbye and can’t recall his final words to his wife and son.

“I can’t tell you what those were, but it would have been something to the effect of: I’m leaving.”

16:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters asks if the dogs were barking and carrying on as if there where was someone they didn’t know in the near area.

“No. There was nobody around that the dogs didn’t know,” says Murdaugh.

Murdaugh has claimed that outside parties connected to the boat crash case murdered Paul and Maggie.

16:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh says he stayed on the golf cart the whole time except when he got off to take the chicken from Bubba the dog’s mouth.

He says before that he was speaking to Maggie for a couple of minutes but does not remember what it was about.

Waters says: “You remember a lot of detail about these new facts, but you don’t remember what you talked about?”

“I don’t remember the exact details of what we talked about,” Murdaugh replies.

He claims he was not withdrawing from opioids at the time when asked.

16:02 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh says he is not sure how Maggie and Paul ended up at the kennels, but Maggie wanted him to come too.

He was not going to go but changed his mind and followed them in a golf cart a few minutes later.

Murdaugh is asked how long he was at the kennels before Paul recorded the video at 8.44pm.

He says it was not long.

“In the video, Paw-Paw was standing in the kennel. When I got there, Paw-Paw wasn’t standing in the kennel.”

15:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Questioning finally turns to the events of 7 June 2021.

Murdaugh is asked about his day, from when he went to work, what he worked on, and when he left. Records show he left the office at about 6pm, though he says he thought he left earlier.

He talks about riding around the Moselle property with Paul. Murdaugh states that they did not have a Blackout rifle with them and were not looking for hogs to hunt, but for signs that hogs had been near the food plots.

Murdaugh says he left Paul at the workshop and returned to the house where Maggie had got home a little after 8pm.

He says he took a shower and then they ate dinner. Paul had nearly finished when he and Maggie began to eat in the living room.

15:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh denies a confrontation with lawyer Mark Tinsley (representing the Beach family in the civil case for the boat crash) ever happened.

Mr Tinsley is not the first witness whose testimony has been disputed by Murdaugh.

15:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters asks about earlier in the day on 7 June 2021 when Jeanne Seckinger, CFO of PMPED, confronted Murdaugh about the missing legal fees.

Murdaugh says it was a short conversation and Ms Seckinger was not angry and seemed more apologetic about bringing it up. He reiterates he was not concerned about it.

“I had the impression that there was concern that maybe … I was hiding fees because of the civil boat case. That conversation was so quick. You keep using the term confrontation. I didn’t take it as a confrontation.”

Watch: That testy exhange in the courtroom

15:41 , Oliver O'Connell

ICYMI: Murdaugh admits he lied about being at kennels and his alibi on night of murders

15:40 , Oliver O'Connell

In case you missed yesterday’s testimony, here’s what Murdaugh said in the stand on Thursday.

Alex Murdaugh admits he lied about alibi on night of murders in bombshell testimony

15:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters confronts Murdaugh with his changing story noting that yesterday was the first time his friends and family heard his new version of events from the night of 7 June 2021.

“Yesterday is the first time that I have said that openly.”

Waters says that Murdaugh changed his story after watching numerous family and friends identify his voice on the kennel video. He accuses Murdaugh of having to back up and make a new story to fit the facts, “as you have done so many times in your life”.

Murdaugh says no.

“The second you’re confronted with facts you can’t deny, you immediately come up with a new lie. Isn’t that correct?”

Waters notes that as recently as November 2022 his lawyer Jim Griffin was on HBO retelling Murdaugh’s original version of events (it is clarified that the interview was done sometime before November).

15:29 , Oliver O'Connell

There was a testy exchange in which Murdaugh claims to have wanted to meet with prosecutors to tell them everything.

15:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh explains about the time on 6 May 2021 that Maggie had found pills in his computer bag.

He was having cataract surgery and Maggie was sitting in the car outside as she couldn’t come into the doctor’s office due to Covid restrictions. At some point, she went into his computer bag while waiting.

He downplays this discovery by saying the family had been watching him like a hawk for years before then and that the May incident was just one time he let them down.

Murdaugh says he promised Paul he would go to rehab after the boat crash criminal case was over.

15:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh says he kept pills on him at all times in case someone found where he was keeping them.

“I had a pocket full of pills on June 8th when I was sitting in David Owen’s patrol car,” he says.

He would take pills whenever he felt paranoid (even seeing a police patrol car would trigger him).

Murdaugh says Maggie, Paul, Buster, and his father had seen him suffer severe withdrawals.

15:13 , Oliver O'Connell

Murdaugh says he would feel agitation from not taking pills.

“Agitation is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to opioid withdrawals.”

Waters says that Murdaugh had said that when he was having withdrawal from opioids he would do anything to make the symptoms stop.

“Almost anything,” says Murdaugh.

He explains that he had tried detoxing at home dozens of times.

15:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Questioning moves on to Murdaugh’s opioid use.

He testifies that he was using more than 60 pills of 30mg oxycodone a day (!) which totals 2,000mg.

I’m no expert in prescription pill abuse, but that seems like a vast amount of medication of any type. Murdaugh says he would take pills as soon as he woke up.

“Opiates gave me energy. Whatever I was doing, it made it more interesting. It made me want to do it longer. … In the beginning, it made it better.”

CONTEXT: Maggie and Paul had found bags of pills in Murdaugh’s computer bag a month before the murders and confronted him over them.

15:05 , Oliver O'Connell

The specific cases brought up by Waters include Murdaugh’s good friend Barrett Boulware (with whom he entered failed property deals) and the Satterfield brothers (whose mother, the Murdaughs’ housekeeper, died after falling down the stairs).

Of Mr Boulware, Murdaugh says: “Barrett had owed me so much money that when I took his money, I just didn’t tell him. It was a lie by omission.”

Murdaugh explains that he lied to himself about what he was doing, just to be able to look in the mirror.

15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters continues to press Murdaugh about the specifics of his financial crimes. This is presumably to paint him as a despicable person in the eyes of the jury.

We are now approaching hour three of this line of questioning. It should be pretty clear by now.

Further, the financial crimes form part of the state’s theory regarding the motive for killing Paul and Maggie — that the entire financial house of cards built on stolen funds and borrowed money was about to come crashing down and that he saw no way out.

14:55 , Oliver O'Connell

As my colleagues Megan Sheets and Rachel Sharp have pointed out (as well as many others following this trial - see below), Murdaugh pleaded not guilty to all of his financial crimes, and yet is currently testifying under oath that he did indeed steal all of this money...

14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

In addition to stealing from clients, it is established that Murdaugh also borrowed large sums of money from Palmetto State Bank, a law partner at PMPED, and his father.

Murdaugh says he does not dispute that he paid that money back with money stolen from clients.

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters resumes his cross-examination by trying to find facts on which he and Murdaugh can agree. First, that the money stolen from clients was to pay for more than drugs.

Murdaugh agrees.

Waters asks if the amount of money he stole increased over the years moving toward June 2021.

Murdaugh agrees.

Waters asked if it increased in particular after the 2019 boat crash.

Murdaugh disagrees.

Waters asks if he would agree that in 2019 alone he stole about $3.7m.

Murdaugh agrees and admits that it is more than in any year before.

Court resumes

14:36 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is being brought in and Alex Murdaugh is back on the stand for the continuation of his cross-examination by prosecution attorney Creighton Waters.

Judge Clifton Newman presiding.

What to expect in court today:

14:10 , Rachel Sharp

It is likely to be another dramatic day in Colleton County Courthouse on Friday as Alex Murdaugh returns to the witness stand for cross-examination.

During Thursday’s cross-examination by prosecutor Creighton Waters, the two men sparred over Mr Murdaugh’s family’s power over the lowcountry, his alleged attempt to influence the boat crash investigation by wielding his legal badge, and his string of financial crimes – where he stole millions in settlement money from “real people” including a quadriplegic.

But, there was a topic glaringly missing from the combative exchange: the murders.

In court on Friday, it is likely that Mr Waters wil grill Mr Murdaugh and confront him head on about the brutal slayings of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Meanwhile, the defence said it has two more expert witnesses that they said they plan to call on Friday.

Earlier in the week, the defence said that it expected to wrap up its case before the weekend.

What happened in court on Thursday when Alex Murdaugh took the stand :

13:50 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh confesses to lies – As soon as he takes the stand Murdaugh confesses to lying for the past 20 months about his alibi on the night of the murders. He admits that he was at the dog kennels at 8.44pm with Maggie and Paul – minutes before prosecutors say they were shot dead.

Murdaugh denies killing wife and son – Murdaugh insists he did not kill Maggie and Paul and pays tribute to them both. He sobs as he describes the moment he claims he found their bodies by the kennels.

Murdaugh admits to other crimes – Murdaugh admits to his string of financial crimes as well as orchestrating the September 2021 botched hitman plot.

Disgraced attorney grilled by state – Under cross-examination, Murdaugh is confronted about the prominence his family has in the lowcountry, his alleged attempts to influence the boat crash investigation and his schemes stealing millions in settlement money from victims including a quadriplegic.

RECAP Day 23: Murdaugh snaps in tense cross-examination about faking police power, stolen funds and lavish lifestyle

13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh snapped during a tense cross-examination on Thursday about his family’s prominence in the lowcountry, his alleged abuse of power, and about the string of legal clients who he stole millions of dollars from.

The disgraced legal dynasty heir was confronted by prosecutor Creighton Waters as he took the witness stand in his high-profile trial for the 7 June 2021 murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Mr Waters pressed the accused killer again and again to recount just one time that he could recall sitting down with one of his legal clients and lying to their faces as he secretly stole every dime of their settlements.

Mr Murdaugh was unable to give even one example.

Rachel Sharp reports on a bombshell day in court.

Alex Murdaugh snaps in tense cross-examination about family power, stolen funds

RECAP Day 23: Murdaugh admits he lied about being at kennels and his alibi on night of murders

13:10 , Rachel Sharp

Embattled legal dynasty heir and accused killer Alex Murdaugh has confessed to lying about his alibi on the night of the murders in bombshell courtroom testimony.

In a hotly-anticipated moment – in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Thursday morning, the 54-year-old took the witness stand in his trial for the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

The disgraced attorney insisted that he is innocent of the horrific slayings but dramatically confessed that he had lied about not going to the dog kennels with Maggie and Paul on the night of 7 June 2021.

He blamed his opioid addiction for giving him “paranoid thinking” and his distrust of SLED which together led him to lie to law enforcement agents, family members and friends on multiple occasions and for the past 20 months.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave. Once I told the lie, and I told my family, I had to keep lying,” he testified.

This is the first time that Mr Murdaugh has ever confessed publicly or to law enforcement that he had lied.

Rachel Sharp has the full details on his direct testimony:

Alex Murdaugh admits he lied about alibi on night of murders in bombshell testimony

Day 23 in pictures:

12:50 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh tells judge he will testify at his murder trial:

Alex Murdaugh sobs as he testifies at his murder trial – insisting he didn’t kill his wife and son :

Buster Murdaugh listens as his father Alex Murdaugh testifies in his own trial:

Lynn Murdaugh Goette, Alex Murdaugh’s sister, becomes emotional as her brother gives testimony:

Murdaugh’s financial crimes victims slams ‘disrespectful’ testimony

12:31 , Rachel Sharp

One of Alex Murdaugh’s financial crimes victims has slammed his “disrespectful” courtroom testimony.

“Mr Alex Murdaugh you just highly disrespected my brother who died in the wreck along with my mother. you represented them .. you made millions .. and you couldn’t remember he also died,” tweeted Alania Spohn.

Ms Spohn and her sister Hannah Plyler were just children when they were involved in a major car crash which killed their mother and brother back in 2005.

Mr Murdaugh became their attorney and won them a significant settlement.

As they were minors at the time, the sisters needed a conservator and Mr Murdaugh set them up with former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte.

Mr Murdaugh is accsued of stealing more than $1m in settlement money from the sisters.

Mr Murdaugh was asked about the case under cross-examination on Thursday as prosecutor Creighton Waters listed off several of the people who had trusted him – only to be swindled.

Who’s who in the Murdaugh murders case?

12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Disgraced legal scion Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial for the grisly double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul, who were found shot dead at the family’s sprawling estate in Islandton, South Carolina, on 7 June 2021.

The brutal double murders also brought to light a series of scandals surrounding Mr Murdaugh including unexplained deaths, a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme and a botched hitman plot – in a sprawling saga that touches many across the lowcountry.

Throughout the trial, several names have cropped up in and out of the courtroom.

Here’s some of the key players you should know about:

Who are the attorneys and judge in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial?

Watch: Tearful Alex Murdaugh declares love for wife and son

11:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Tearful Alex Murdaugh declares love for wife and son during cross-examination

Paul Murdaugh advised friends ‘be present’ after boat crash killed Mallory Beach

10:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Paul Murdaugh encouraged friends “to be present” after one of his friends died when he crashed a boat, Alex Murdaugh told his trial.

Testifying in his own defence at Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, Mr Murdaugh recounted how a friend of his son shared in his eulogy that Paul had encouraged friends to be appreciative in life.

Andrea Blanco has the story.

Alex Murdaugh says Paul told friends to ‘be present’ after boat crash killed friend

Murdaugh sobs and whimpers as he describes finding bodies of wife and son

09:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh broke down in tears on the witness stand as he described the moment that he claims he discovered the bloodied bodies of his wife Maggie and son Paul by the kennels of the family’s estate.

In dramatic testimony, the accused killer sobbed as he faced the jury and repeated the same phrase he was heard making on the night of the 7 June 2021 to describe the scene of the murders: “It was so bad.”

Rachel Sharp reports on his testimony.

Alex Murdaugh sobs as he describes finding bodies of wife and son

Murdaugh denies searching for local restaurant minutes after making 911 call

08:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced legal scion Alex Murdaugh has denied prosecutors’ claims that he searched a local restaurant online moments after finding his son and wife’s bodies.

Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) had previously shared records from the disbarred lawyer’s phone with the court. The information collected from 6pm to 11pm on the day of the shootings showed a bizarre search by Mr Murdaugh at 10.40pm.

Andrea Blanco explains.

Alex Murdaugh denies searching for restaurant minutes after calling 911 about murders

Timeline of murders, financial fraud, unexplained deaths and arrest

07:45 , 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 20 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:

Alex Murdaugh: A timeline of murders, financial fraud, crime scene and arrest

Watch: Murdaugh denies disposing of murder weapons

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh denies disposing of murder weapons and bloody clothes

Murdaugh describes final day with son Paul before murders

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced legal scion Alex Murdaugh gave a detailed account of how he spent his final day with his son Paul as he testified in his own defence at his double murder trial.

Taking the stand at the Colleton County Courthouse on Thursday, Mr Murdaugh recounted spending the day of 7 June 2021 planting fields with Paul before the 22-year-old and his wife Maggie were murdered at the family’s estate in Islanton, South Carolina.

Andrea Blanco reports on what he told the court.

Alex Murdaugh describes how he spent final day with son Paul before murders

Watch: Murdaugh sobs during testimony

04:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh sobs while giving testimony during double murder trial

Murdaugh admits he lied about being at kennels and his alibi on night of murders

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In a dramatic – and hotly-anticipated moment – in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Thursday morning, the 54-year-old took the witness stand in his trial for the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

The disgraced attorney insisted that he is innocent of the horrific slayings but, in a dramatic moment, confessed that he had lied about not going to the dog kennels with Maggie and Paul on the night of 7 June 2021.

“I did lie to them,” he said.

Rachel Sharp reports on his testimony.

Alex Murdaugh admits he lied about alibi on night of murders in bombshell testimony

Tearful Alex Murdaugh declares love for wife and son at trial

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Tearful Alex Murdaugh declares love for wife and son during cross-examination

Murdaugh advised friends to ‘be present’ after boat crash

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Paul Murdaugh encouraged friends “to be present” after one of his friends died when he crashed a boat, Alex Murdaugh told his trial.

Testifying in his own defence at Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, Mr Murdaugh recounted how a friend of his son shared in his eulogy that Paul had encouraged friends to be appreciative in life.

Andrea Blanco has the story.

Alex Murdaugh says Paul told friends to ‘be present’ after boat crash killed friend

Murdaugh trial viewers incorrectly claim to spot author John Grisham in court

00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eagle-eyed viewers following the explosive Alex Murdaugh murder trial sparked frenzied — but incorrect — speculation that acclaimed author John Grisham was in the courtroom.

Screenshots of a man bearing striking resemblance to Mr Grisham began circulating on Twitter on Thursday as Mr Murdaugh testified in his own defence about the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Alex Murdaugh trial viewers claim to spot author John Grisham in the courtroom

Murdaugh confesses to stealing from law firm in bid to discredit prosecution’s motive

00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh has confessed to stealing money from his law firm – but continues to deny killing his wife Maggie and son Paul in cold blood on the family’s sprawling estate.

Read on:

Alex Murdaugh confesses to stealing from law firm in trial testimony

Murdaugh snaps in tense cross-examination about faking police power, stolen funds and lavish lifestyle

Thursday 23 February 2023 23:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh snapped during a tense cross-examination on Thursday about his family’s prominence in the lowcountry, his alleged abuse of power, and about the string of legal clients who he stole millions of dollars from.

The disgraced legal dynasty heir was confronted by prosecutor Creighton Waters as he took the witness stand in his high-profile trial for the 7 June 2021 murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Mr Waters pressed the accused killer again and again to recount just one time that he could recall sitting down with one of his legal clients and lying to their faces as he secretly stole every dime of their settlements.

Mr Murdaugh was unable to give even one example.

Rachel Sharp reports on a bombshell day in court.

Alex Murdaugh snaps in tense cross-examination about family power, stolen funds

Watch: Murdaugh says he remembers lying to clients

Thursday 23 February 2023 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Court adjourns for the day

Thursday 23 February 2023 22:37 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Clifton Newman calls a halt to proceedings for the day and the jury is excused.

Defence attorney Dick Harpootlian asks to have two witnesses from out-of-state testify in the morning, interrupting Waters’ cross-examination.

Judge Newman says no.

Thursday 23 February 2023 22:32 , Oliver O'Connell

In summary:

Waters wants Murdaugh to recall a specific time he looked into a client’s eye and lied to them as he stole their money.

Murdaugh is basically refusing to do that, saying he can’t recall specifics.

“These are real people, weren’t they?” says Waters.

Murdaugh: “These are people that I still care about, and I did them this way.”

He later adds: “I remember all of these people that I did wrong.”

“Most of the money that I’ve been accused of stealing, I stole,” he concedes again.

Thursday 23 February 2023 22:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters continues to press Murdaugh about specific cases — as well as his interactions with Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte —he continues to respond by saying that he did these things and that it was wrong.

Waters asks: “How many times did you practice that answer before your testimony today?”

Murdaugh responds: “I didn’t practice, you keep asking me...”

Thursday 23 February 2023 22:02 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters asks Murdaugh whether he was living a wealthy lifestyle and whether this theft was funding this lifestyle and not just pills.

Watch: Audible gasp in court druing cross-examination about financial crimes

Thursday 23 February 2023 22:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Thursday 23 February 2023 21:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Things get a little heated between Waters and Murdaugh.

Murdaugh says that Waters has charged him with murdering his wife and son, and he has sat in court for weeks and listened to all this financial evidence. He says he is happy to talk about it but cannot remember all the specific details.

Waters says that the point he is making is not as simple as the fact that he stole money, but he had to sit with each client and lie to their faces as he stole from them.

Waters continues to bring up individual cases in which people were injured and Murdaugh stole their settlements. There are huge amounts of money mentioned and details of victims including one who was rendered a quadriplegic after his accident.

Murdaugh is humiliatingly asked to confirm how much he took from each of them.

Thursday 23 February 2023 21:51 , Oliver O'Connell

In the first case that Waters brings up, Murdaugh is asked about a teenage client from whom he stole a $2m settlement when he had already been paid $800k in fees.

Waters makes a point that he had to look these clients in the eyes and tell them he was on their side before he stole their money.

Murdaugh says: “I admit candidly in all of these cases that I took money that was not mine, and I shouldn’t have done it. I hate the fact that I did it. I’m embarrassed by it. I’m embarrassed for my son. I’m embarrassed for my family. I don’t dispute it.”

Thursday 23 February 2023 21:46 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters moves on to Murdaugh’s addiction to opioids.

“You had a pill addiction for 20 years?” he asks to which Murdaugh agrees.

“When did you start stealing money from clients? How long did it take before you started doing that? asks Waters.

Murdaugh responds that he is not sure when the first time was. He says he doesn’t remember as he has been in rehab and jail.

Waters begins to ask about specific cases in which Murdaugh stole money from client settlements.

Thursday 23 February 2023 21:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Turning to the boat crash, Waters asked if he had his assistant solicitor badge with him on the night of the boat crash and whether he took it to the hospital with him that night.

Murdaugh says he does not remember. He confirms he was not at the hospital that night in an official capacity.

Murdaugh is shown a photo of him at the hospital that night with his badge hanging out of his pocket.

Murdaugh concedes: “A badge has a warming effect with other law enforcement. If I was seeking an advantage as you say.”

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website