Alex Murdaugh trial — live: Prosecution rests rebuttal case as jury prepares to visit scene of murders

Prosecutors in Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial have rested their case after a day of calling rebuttal witnesses to the stand.

It was another day of gruesome autopsy details, bullet trajectory analysis, and physical reenactments, as key witnesses returned to explain how they believe the defence’s theory for how the murders unfolded does not add up.

Earlier in the day there were heated scenes between lead defence attorney Dick Harpootlian and former-Murdaugh friend Ronnie Crosby as he felt he had been accused of testifying against his former law firm colleague because of the money Murdaugh stole.

Tomorrow, jurors will be taken on a field trip to the Moselle property to see the crime scene for themselves. At the property, jurors will tour the dog kennels and feed room where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot dead back on 7 June 2021.

The defence rested its case on Monday after calling 14 witnesses to try to convince jurors of Mr Murdaugh’s innocence.

Closing arguments will begin tomorrow at approximately 11am ET.

Alex Murdaugh murder trial

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• Jury to visit scene of murders at Murdaugh family property

• Alex Murdaugh defence rests case

• Two defence experts refute autopsy findings

22:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Newman says that the jury will hear closing arguments tomorrow.

Jury deliberations might start as early as tomorrow, though that might possibly be delayed until Thursday morning, depending on the length of closing arguments.

22:22 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is brought back in and Judge Newman tells them that when they return in the morning they will be taken to visit the crime scene at Moselle.

He reminds them they cannot discuss the case when they visit nor ask any questions of anyone except him.

“It has been a year and a half or more since June 7, 2021, since the alleged crime occurred. Things have most likely changed. We’re in a different season of the year.”

Once the visit to Moselle is complete they will hear closing arguments and then Judge Newman will instruct them as to the law they should apply to the case.

They will then begin their deliberations.

The jury is dismissed for the day.

21:52 , Oliver O'Connell

There will be no sur-rebuttal from the defence.

Both sides are now conferring with Judge Newman outside of the court room. The jury has been sent out on a break. It appears it is too late in the day for the visit to Moselle which will likely happen tomorrow morning.

21:51 , Oliver O'Connell

AG Wilson says of the scene: “The shooter is running around, and so is the victim. It’s chaotic. It’s crazy.”

Dr Kinsey says: “There’s no way to know how the gun is being held, it’s shouldered, it’s angle.”

Wilson says that we can’t be sure of how exactly the shootings took place.

Dr Kinsey agrees and his testimony concludes.

The state rests its rebuttal case.

21:48 , Oliver O'Connell

As cross-examination concludes, Griffin and Harpootlian demonstrate a version of the murder of Paul in which the shooter did not have to stand inside the feed room to fire into the back of his head.

Redirect begins with AG Wilson asking which pathologist opinion did he liked better, Dr Riemer who performed the autopsies, or the defence expert who did not.

Dr Kinsey says he doesn’t want to argue with a pathologist as it is not his area of expertise. He generally agrees with Dr Riemer but does disagree slightly with her evaluation of the distance of the second shot that killed Paul.

21:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Griffin and Dr Kinsey spar over testimony regarding the shooting of Paul and the trajectory of the second shot.

Dr Kinsey appears at times incredulous at some of the questions he is being asked as to him the upward trajectory of the shot is a certainty.

Griffin is trying his hardest to pick holes in the positioning of blood spatter and shot pellets. Dr Kinsey calmly reiterates why Griffin’s theories do not add up.

Court resumes

21:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Griffin continues his cross-examination of Dr Kinsey.

We learn that he is being compensated in the region of $7,500 to $10,000 for his work and testimony.

20:49 , Oliver O'Connell

In cross-examination, Griffin tries to reassert some of the defence theories regarding angles and trajectories of the shots fired at Maggie.

Dr Kinsey stands by his testimony and Mr Sutton’s conclusions regarding the shootings.

He says he doesn’t disagree with what Mr Sutton tried to do. He does disagree with the degree of certainty with which he claimed the shooter couldn’t have been 6’4”.

The court takes a 15-minute break.

20:33 , Oliver O'Connell

After referring back to John Marvin Murdaugh’s testimony that he cleaned up the crime scene, Dr Kinsey explains there are specialist companies to clean up crime scenes so the family does not have to. It is not a failure on the part of law enforcement.

In closing, Dr Kinsey says that I see “nothing that could exclude a 6’4” shooter”.

He is asked if in his expert opinion, he can exclude two shooters.

“I cannot include or exclude two shooters.”

Asked if the defence can definitively say there were two shooters, Dr Kinsey replies: “Absolutely not.”

20:23 , Oliver O'Connell

He adds that it is impossible for pellets to be found in the door and frame if the shot was fired from behind Paul.

He says in the totality of the scene, it doesn’t make sense for someone to fire the first shot from outside the feed room and then to squeeze behind Paul to fire the second.

20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Dr Kinsey and AG Wilson act out the defence’s theory that Paul was shot in the back of the head.

The witness describes the theory as “preposterous” and that there is no evidence showing biological evidence consistent with such a shot. That evidence is on the door behind where the alleged shooter would be in the defence’s theory.

20:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Dr Kinsey is asked about what happens to a person if they get shot at point-blank range. Again the jury hears about the horrifying impact of such a shot to a person.

He is asked if the wounds Paul suffered are consistent with a contact shot to the head. Dr Kinsey says they are not.

20:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Moving on to the shotgun used to kill Paul and how buckshot from the first shot fired at him in the feed room went through the glass window and embedded into the tree outside, he explains that again there are too many variables that are unknown.

Again he arrives at the conclusion that there is no evidence to exclude a 6’4” person from being the shooter and that they could have been on their knees.

“There is so much we can’t know.”

20:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Referring to the defence expert’s recreation of the crime scene, Dr Kinsey says this relies on the shooter remaining static and a lot of other variables are not considered.

Dr Kinsey says the rather than this being a static crime scene, there was lots of movement. You can therefore not use the position of the shell casings to determine exactly where the shooter was standing — the casings are spread of a relatively large area.

As the 300 Blackout rifle is missing it is impossible to test fire it to recreate where the casings would land.

Therefore, he testifies a 6’4” shooter (Murdaugh’s height) could have fired the shots that killed Maggie at the angles shown in the defence expert’s evidence, either by kneeling or firing from further back.

He notes that a 7’4” shooter could’ve done it.

19:51 , Oliver O'Connell

Moving on to the angle in the bullethole in the doghouse, he notes it is made of wood about half an inch thick, so gives a much more reliable impression of the angle as well as the direction from which the bullet was fired.

He is more confident of the angle of the shot into the doghouse because of the material into which it was fired.

19:49 , Oliver O'Connell

Looking at the bullethole in the carboard side of the quail cage at Moselle, Dr Kinsey says he is confident of the direction from which the bullet came, but not the angle.

The angle could be altered by the barrel of the gun or a similar firearm issue. He says an analogy would be throwing a football — it may go in the same direction, but it could spin in the air.

Dr Kinsey goes on to explain how using dowel rods to measure bullet trajectories in a material like cardboard also results in damage to the surface as the rod is inserted and pulled out.

He says he is confident in the direction of entry of the bullet into the cardboard side of the cage, but he has zero confidence in the angle.

19:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Dr Kinsey will first look at the testimony given by bullet trajectory analyst Mike Sutton.

Last week, Mr Sutton testified Maggie’s killer was 5’2” to 5’4”, approximately 12 inches shorter than Murdaugh.

“I think his intentions were well, but I think his methods were flawed,” says Dr Kinsey.

19:36 , Oliver O'Connell

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is questioning Dr Kinsey.

Sixth rebuttal witness: Dr Kenny Kinsey

19:35 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is brought back into the courtroom and the prosecution introduces its sixth rebuttal witness, Dr Kenny Kinsey, who testified as an expert witness last week.

He focused on crime scene forensics and has extensive experience with firearms.

His testimony this week will rebut several specific pieces of testimony from defence witnesses last week.

Last witnesses in Murdaugh case before jury sees crime scene

19:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Murdaugh’s former law partner said Tuesday that he is past his anger over millions of dollars stolen from the firm as the final witnesses in the South Carolina double murder trial testified and the court prepared to bring jurors to the scene of the killings.

Ronnie Crosby had a testy exchange with defense attorney Dick Harpootlian as prosecutors got a chance to reply to the defense’s case, including by rebutting their experts who suggested two different shooters killed Murdaugh’s wife and son with two different weapons.

Read on:

Last witnesses in Murdaugh case before jury sees crime scene

Voices: Why no one will ever pronounce the Murdaugh name wrong again

18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Rachel Sharp takes a look at how much weight the Murdaugh family name carries in the lowcountry of South Carolina.

Why no one will ever pronounce the Murdaugh name wrong again

Moment defence attorney shouts at Murdaugh’s friend of 25 years

18:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Tensions erupted during Alex Murdaugh’s double murder trial on Tuesday morning when his defence attorney began shouting at his former friend of 25 years in the courtroom.

The disgraced legal dynasty heir’s attorney Dick Harpootlian lost his temper and grew increasingly fiery during his cross-examination of the state’s first rebuttal witness Ronnie Crosby.

Rachel Adams reports.

Moment Alex Murdaugh defence attorney shouts at his friend of 25 years

18:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Ball steps down.

The jury is sent out until 2.15pm.

Waters tells the court that the prosecution has one more rebuttal witness for after lunch.

Judge Newman says the jury visit to the Moselle property could take place this afternoon depending on when the prosecution rests.

Defence tries again to get Mr McManigal’s testimony about the iPhone “raise to wake” feature be struck due to its unscientific nature.

Judge Newman rules that the defence had the opportunity to reject him as an expert witness but did not.

The objection is noted for the record though Judge Newman acknowledges that the testimony speaks for itself.

Harpootlian asks to have their pathologist back as a sur-rebuttal witness. Judge Newman says he will not consider that at this time but does not anticipate allowing it.

Court breaks for lunch.

17:53 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Ball is asked about the Colleton County Sheriff’s office releasing the statement with SLED saying there was no threat to the public after the murders.

He says it concerned him very much and he called Sheriff TC Smalls who told him they had no knowledge of credible threats to anyone.

He was worried someone might try and shoot up PMPED and so they began locking the doors.

17:47 , Oliver O'Connell

On cross-examination, Griffin asks about Murdaugh’s apparent lack of distrust of SLED and asks if he also believed that Paul had been wrongfully charged in the boat crash case.

Mr Ball agrees that Murdaugh believes that.

Griffin also brings up that the Murdaughs were under a SLED investigation in the spring of 2021 over possible obstruction in the boat crash case.

It is also established that both Murdaugh and his father thought their friend Greg Yemassee had been wrongfully charged years before.

17:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Ball testifies that he has never heard Murdaugh expressing distrust of SLED and that he was told by the defendant that he checked both bodies before calling 911.

The first time he was told he said he check Maggie first, then Paul. The second time he said he checked Paul first, then Maggie.

Asked if he thought his friend of 34 years was able to lie convincingly, he says that he didn’t know about the stealing from clients.

Fifth rebuttal witness: Mark Ball

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The state’s fifth rebuttal witness is Mark Ball. Here is what he testified last week as a witness for the defence:

Mr Murdaugh’s former law firm partner at PMPED Mark Ball described a chaotic crime scene on both the night of the murders and the next day – with evidence left out in the elements or left behind altogether.

Mr Ball, who knew Mr Murdaugh for three decades and was close to the family, said that SLED had released the crime scene back to the Murdaugh family by the morning of 8 June 2021 – just hours on from the murders.

He said he went down to the dog kennels of the family’s Moselle estate in Islandton and made a grim discovery.

“A piece of Paul’s skull the size of a baseball was there,” he said.

“It really infuriated me,” he said, adding that “it was still a pretty raw scene”.

The defence’s case has repeatedly sought to cast doubts on the preservation and collection of evidence from the crime scene – indicating that the investigation into the murders may have been botched from the get go.

On the night of the murders, Mr Ball testified that the area wasn’t taped off and law enforcement officials, friends and family were walking all over the crime scene.

The defence witness appeared to do a favour for the prosecution when he said he now has “no doubt” that the third voice in the kennel video is Mr Murdaugh’s.

Mr Ball testified that Mr Murdaugh told him on the night of the murders that he had never been down to the kennels that day. He then continued to tell him that version of events “at least three times” over the coming days and weeks.

When asked about the video from the kennels, he said he has “no doubt” at all that the three voices were “Alex, Maggie and Paul”.

He said that he had not seen the kennel video until about a month ago but, now that he has, he knows his friend lied to him.

17:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Newman sides with the prosecution and the witness’s testimony is not struck from the record.

Barber continues to press Mr McManigal that he is not an expert.

17:20 , Oliver O'Connell

In cross-examination, Mr McManigal is challenged for not recording the results of his tests, which he conducted on Friday and Saturday.

Defence attorney Phillip Barber asks: “You just played with the phone, and you’re coming here to express your observations?”

Mr McManigal confirms.

“So you were alone in your office, recording no measurements, throwing your phone around, and now you’re coming in here and testifying as an expert?

Mr McManigal confirms that this is correct.

Mr Barber moves to strike the witness as not an expert.

“Your honour, based on the previous answer, I would move to strike the expert opinion. The witness just testified he has no expertise on this. … He has no more knowledge about this than anyone in the courtroom.”

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr McManigal testifies that if the phone is picked up gently the screen will come on as governed by the phone’s internal accelerometer. If the phone is moved quickly or violently the screen does not come on.

This is so the phone screen does not come on when in a pocket if a person is walking or jogging and the phone is jostled.

Mr McManigal ran tests on an iPhone of the same model as Maggie’s.

When moved violently, the screen does not come on the majority of the time. If thrown like a frisbee (as if from a moving vehicle) the screen does not come on nine out of ten times.

Fourth rebuttal witness: Paul McManigal, Charleston County digital forensics examiner

17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The fourth rebuttal witness is Paul McManigal, the Charleston County digital forensics examiner who testified early in the trial about redacting Murdaugh’s phone records for attorney-client privilege.

He is accepted by the court as an expert and is asked about the raise-to-wake function on an iPhone when the screen comes on as the phone is picked up. This is to allow for facial recognition to unlock the phone or to read an on-screen notification.

17:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Defence attorney Jim Griffin begins cross-examination by asking if then-Captain Anthony Russell gave Murdaugh permission. Mr Russell became Sheriff after Mr Smalls.

He says he cannot answer that.

Mr Smalls testifies that he has no knowledge if Murdaugh had blue lights on any vehicle.

In a brief recross, Waters establishes that Mr Smalls retired just a couple of months ago, to be succeeded by Mr Russell. Murdaugh had been detained for many months at this point.

Third rebuttal witness: Sheriff Thomas (TC) Smalls

17:01 , Oliver O'Connell

The next prosecution rebuttal witness is retired Hampton County Sheriff TC Smalls. He retired after 39 years in law enforcement back in December.

He is asked by Waters if he ever had a conversation with Murdaugh about him being allowed to install blue lights in his personal vehicle — as he testified last week.

Mr Smalls says he did not.

He also says he did not have any reports of harassment after the boat crash case.

No further questions.

16:57 , Oliver O'Connell

After a brief redirect from Waters, Dr Riemer is allowed to step down from the stand.

16:46 , Oliver O'Connell

Under questioning from Harpootlian, Dr Riemer has said that in hindsight she would have taken more photos and x-rays but it would not have changed her determination of the cause of death from her examination of the totality of the body.

She says that in the process of examining a body, she always questions herself to determine if further investigation is required.

16:34 , Oliver O'Connell

Harpootlian asks whether Dr Riemer took an x-ray of Paul’s brain to determine if it had pellets in it.

She says she decided it was not necessary to support her conclusion and that in hindsight she would have done so.

16:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Court is back in session and the cross-examination of Dr Riemer continues.

Harpootlian asks her about “packing material” deposits on the skin. Packing material is material ejected from a shotgun blast as the pellets disperse and is frequently found in wounds.

She explains that it supports the conclusions of the direction of the shot into Paul’s shoulder.

16:01 , Oliver O'Connell

More very combative questioning from Harpootlian regarding the point of entry of the gunshot wounds to Paul.

Dr Riemer stands firm regarding her work procedures and experience.

The court takes a 10-minute break.

15:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Questioning of Dr Riemer concludes with her forceful assertion that she disagrees with the conclusion of the defence pathologist.

Harpootlian begins cross-examination.

15:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Regarding Maggie’s body, Dr Riemer say the use of skin tags to determine the direction of the shot is not reliable.

Turning to the fatal shot to Paul’s head, the defence witness testified that the shot came from a contact wound to the back of the head.

Dr Riemer explains that if that were the case, his eyes would have been displaced and the fragile bones of the faces would have been broken. Paul’s face was intact.

She also reiterates that wounds on his neck and shoulder are entry wounds not exit wounds, meaning the shot came from below the head, not above.

Second rebuttal witness: Dr Ellen Riemer, pathologist

15:32 , Oliver O'Connell

The second rebuttal witness called by the state is Dr Ellen Riemer who performed the autopsies of Maggie and Paul at the request of the Colleton County coroner.

She tells the jury she has performed over 5,500 autopsies and will respond to yesterday’s testimony of the defence pathologist, who drew different conclusions.

Waters reminds the jury that Dr Riemer examined the bodies, while the defence pathologist did not.

15:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Harpootlian riled up Mr Crosby with the implication that he was testifying against Murdaugh out of anger for his financial crimes.

Mr Crosby took extreme offence to that as he is under oath and has worked hard to come to terms with what Murdaugh did.

It is unclear how the jury will feel about this combative line of questioning from the defence.

15:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Harpootlian gets into a testy exchange with Mr Crosby about whether he is angry with the defendant over the money stolen from the victims and how the law firm had to pay them what was owed.

Mr Crosby says they had to borrow millions to pay back the victims and can’t say how much.

He adds that if Harpootlian is implying that he could come into court and somehow shade the truth because of that, he takes high offence to that.

The two raise their voices.

Harpootlian asks Mr Crosby if he thinks Murdaugh committed the murders.

“I don’t have an opinion. I don’t have the benefit of the materials you have.”

“Even though it has cost your firm, and it’s cost millions of dollars to you, you’ve forgiven him,” asks Harpootlian.

“I didn’t say I forgave him. I said I had no feelings. I’ve had to work on that,” says Mr Crosby.

15:16 , Oliver O'Connell

In cross-examination, Harpootlian — who has objected on multiple occasions throughout the first 20 minutes of today’s testimony — gets into the details of what firearms you would take around the property when hunting various animals or birds.

15:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Crosby describes Murdaugh’s courtroom style as “a theatrical type presence” and that he could get “very emotional during closing arguments in front of a jury”.

15:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Crosby is asked about Murdaugh’s relationship with Barrett Boulware and testifies he was also friends with him and helped him with land sales to finance his wife staying with him as he was treated for cancer at the Mayo Clinic.

He recalls talking to Murdaugh about Mr Boulware and saying it looked like he would die. Murdaugh praised him for helping him out financially.

Mr Crosby later found out that Murdaugh stole $75k in insurance money from Mr Boulware.

15:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Mr Crosby says Murdaugh had a very good relationship with local law enforcement.

When asked, Mr Crosby says it was his understanding that Murdaugh checked the bodies of Maggie and Paul before calling 911.

“That was clear to me.”

Mr Crosby also says that Murdaugh specifically told him and others that he didn’t believe anybody on the boat at the time of the 2019 boat crash was involved in the murders.

Murdaugh has argued since the initial 911 call that the murders had something to do with the boat crash.

15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Waters asked Mr Crosby about earlier testimony in which it was said that you wouldn’t go looking for hogs on either his property or at Moselle in the daytime and whether they would be armed when doing so.

Mr Crosby says if you went looking for hogs, day or night, you would be armed. Paul would take his Blackout rifle with him.

Harpootlian objects that Mr Crosby is giving an opinion and is not a qualified expert. Judge Newman overrules the objection.

Mr Crosby says he would actually disagree with Mr Harpootlian and state that he is an expert in killing hogs, having killed hundreds of them.

“Objection, your honour. I apologise to the witness,” says Harpootlian.

First rebuttal witness: Ronnie Crosby

14:55 , Oliver O'Connell

The state’s first rebuttal witness is Ronnie Crosby.

Mr Crosby was a PMPED partner and Murdaugh’s friend of 25 years. In his previous testimony, he revealed that the accused killer lied to him about going to the dog kennels that night, as he became the third state witness to say he is “100 per cent” sure that the voice captured in Paul’s cellphone video belongs to Murdaugh.

Mr Crosby testified that he rushed to Moselle as soon as he learned about the murders and stayed with Murdaugh until around 3.30am the following morning.

During that time, he had “multiple conversations” with his friend about his movements that night including where Murdaugh told him personally that he had never gone down to the kennels that night.

“That came up in one of the conversations, and he specifically said that he did not,” he testified.

Instead, Murdaugh gave him the same alibi story that he gave to law enforcement – that he was napping at the family home, woke up and drove to his parents’ home to visit his sick mother.

Mr Crosby also testified how he learned that Murdaugh had been stealing millions of dollars from PMPED clients – and how the probe into missing payments was put on hold because of the murders.

14:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Newman says the state cannot retry the entire case, but the state can reply to contradict certain issues presented by the defence, including issues of credibility.

He stresses: “It has to be finely tailored such that we don’t create a situation where the court will be compelled to allow sur-rebuttal, which is almost unheard of.”

Judge Newman says he is surprised by the number of rebuttal witnesses, but can’t say in advance if their testimony is appropriate. They will do this on a case-by-case basis.

The jury is brought back in.

14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters says the purpose of the repeat witnesses is to rebut specific testimony from defence witnesses.

“There are actually a number of issues in which their pathologist challenged the findings of Dr Riemer,” says Waters, adding that she should return to the stand to explain these.

“It’s not just mere repetition of testimony that has already been received,” explains Waters.

Harpootlian accuses the prosecution of dragging the trial out.

Court resumes

14:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Before the jury is brought in, lead defence attorney Dick Harpootlian reveals they have been informed that there are seven rebuttal witnesses for the prosecution.

He tells Judge Clifton Newman that he objects that some of the witnesses have already testified and he specifically seems to have a problem that the pathologist Dr Riemer may appear again.

Harpootlian asks for the prosecution to explain why these witnesses are being repeated.

Watch the Alex Murdaugh trial LIVE from Colleton County Courthouse

14:38 , Oliver O'Connell

Day 26: What to expect in court today?

14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial will resume at 9.30am ET on Tuesday in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina.

The prosecution will begin its rebuttal case today, with prosecutor Creighton Waters telling the court on Monday that the state plans to call four or five witnesses to the stand.

Mr Waters said that he expects to conclude the rebuttal by the end of Tuesday – something Mr Murdaugh’s attorneys cast doubts on due to the length of the trial to date.

It is not clear who the state’s rebuttal witnesses are.

After the rebuttal case, jurors will be taken on a field trip to the Moselle property to see the crime scene for themselves.

Then, closing arguments will take place before the case is handed to the jury to deliberate.

It is possible that, by the end of the week, the disgraced attorney and accused killer will know his fate.

Day 25 in a snapshot:

13:40 , Rachel Sharp

Jury to visit crime scene – Judge Clifton Newman agreed to the defence’s request to send the jury to Moselle to tour the dog kennels and feed room where Maggie and Paul were killed. The visit will take place after the state’s rebuttal case.

Paul shot at point blank range – Two defence experts gave gruesome testimony saying that Paul was shot in the back of the head at point blank range. Forensic pathologist Dr Jonathan Eisenstat and crime scene analyst Tim Palmbach both cast doubts on the prosecution’s theory of how the murders unfolded. They said the killer would have been covered in the victim’s blood and other bodily substances.

Two shooters’ theory – Mr Palmbach testified that the evidence supported the defence’s theory that two shooters may have been responsible for the murders.

Murdaugh’s brother takes stand – John Marvin Murdaugh was the last witness for the defence. He described how he cleaned up “what was left” of his nephew Paul the morning after the gruesome murders, after SLED failed to clean the scene of his blood, brain tissue and skull fragments. He said that his brother had a “great relationship” with his wife and son.

False blood spatter evidence – John Marvin gave testimony critical of the investigation including what he described as a “baffling” statement released by law enforcement saying the community was in no danger and an apparent lack of urgency to locate Maggie’s cellphone. He also said a SLED agent told him that they knew his brother was responsible for the murders because of blood spatter evidence found on the white t-shirt he was wearing the night of the murders. This later turned out to be false, with forensic tests finding no human blood on the shirt.

Defence rests case – The defence rested after spending a week calling 14 witnesses to the stand.

RECAP Day 25: Defence rests its case

13:20 , Rachel Sharp

The defence has rested its case in Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile trial for the double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul, after hearing emotional testimony from the accused killer’s younger brother.

The disgraced attorney’s legal team wrapped up its case on Monday afternoon, after spending a week calling 14 witnesses to the stand in an effort to convince jurors of his innocence in the 7 June 2021 shootings.

The final defence witness was Mr Murdaugh’s younger brother John Marvin Murdaugh who took the stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, and described his brother’s “great relationship” with his wife and son, criticised key components of the investigation and insisted that he still does not know who killed his nephew and sister-in-law.

In emotional testimony, John Marvin, the youngest of the Murdaugh siblings, broke down in tears at one point as he revealed how he cleaned up “what was left of Paul” the morning after the gruesome murders.

His testimony brought to a close the defence’s week-long case, where it has sought to present Mr Murdaugh as a loving father and son who could never have killed his child and wife.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Alex Murdaugh’s defence rests case in disgraced attorney’s double murder trial

RECAP Day 25: Alex Murdaugh’s younger brother tells jurors how he ‘cleaned up’ crime scene

13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh’s younger brother broke down in tears on the witness stand as he revealed how he cleaned up “what was left” of his nephew Paul the morning after the gruesome murders.

John Marvin Murdaugh, the youngest of the Murdaugh siblings, took the witness stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon where his older brother is standing trial for murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul.

John Marvin told jurors how he cleaned up his nephew’s “blood, brain matter and skull fragments” from the crime scene after law enforcement officials left behind parts of the 22-year-old on the Murdaugh’s Moselle family estate.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my life,” he said.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Alex Murdaugh’s brother testifies that he ‘cleaned up’ what was left of nephew Paul

RECAP Day 25: Defence experts say Paul was shot in back of head at point-blank range

12:40 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh sobbed and rocked back and forth as two defence experts gave gruesome testimony detailing how his son Paul was shot in the back of the head at point-blank range.

Forensic pathologist Dr Jonathan Eisenstat and crime scene analyst Tim Palmbach were called as witnesses for Mr Murdaugh’s defence team on Monday, where they both cast doubts on the prosecution’s theory of how the murders unfolded.

Both experts testified that the killer held a shotgun to the back of Paul’s head and pulled the trigger, with the force causing the 22-year-old’s brain to “explode” out of his skull.

“This explosive nature… you never see that unless you have a high-energy source contact wound,” testified Mr Palmbach.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Alex Murdaugh sobs as experts say son was shot in back of head at point-blank range

RECAP Day 25: Judge says jury can visit murder scene

12:20 , Rachel Sharp

The jury in Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile murder trial will visit the scene where his wife Maggie and son Paul were brutally gunned down in the summer of 2021.

Judge Clifton Newman agreed on Monday to send the panel on a jury visit to the Murdaugh family’s sprawling 1,700-acre Moselle estate before they decide the fate of the disgraced legal scion and accused killer.

As part of the visit, jurors will tour the dog kennels and the feed room where Mr Murdaugh is accused of shooting dead his wife and son back on 7 June 2021.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Alex Murdaugh trial jury to visit scene of wife and son’s murders

WATCH: Alex Murdaugh’s brother John Marvin testifies in his defence

12:00 , Rachel Sharp

Discrepancies in Alex Murdaugh’s testimony: Why wasn’t he covered in blood?

11:30 , Rachel Sharp

One of the key questions that remains unanswered is how Mr Murdaugh appeared to have no blood on him, when he claimed to have moved both his wife and son’s bodies.

In the 911 call and in multiple police interviews, Mr Murdaugh claimed he touched both Maggie and Paul to check for signs of life.

He claimed that he tried to turn Paul over, causing his son’s phone to “pop out” of his pocket. He claimed he picked it up and put it back down on his son.

This raised the expectation that he would be covered in their blood. After all, the crime scene was especially violent and bloody, with Paul’s brain shot out of his skull and both he and Maggie lying in pools of their own blood.

Jurors have previously heard testimony from multiple law enforcement officers on the scene that – despite his claims that he touched the victims’ bodies – Mr Murdaugh did not appear to have any blood on his hands or clothing.

Bodycam footage from the first officer on the scene also shows him dressed in a clean white t-shirt which did not test positive for human blood.

Prosecutors have suggested Mr Murdaugh killed his wife and son and then changed his clothing – disposing of the bloody clothes.

During testimony, Mr Murdaugh stuck to his story that he touched the bodies – but offered no explanation as to why he was not covered in their blood.

Who are the key players in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial?

11:00 , 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 husband and father – who comes from a long line of prominent attorneys in South Carolina – is accused of shooting Paul twice with a shotgun and Maggie five times with an AR-15-style rifle.

Prosecutors claim that he was motivated by desperation to distract from his string of alleged financial crimes which were on the brink of being exposed.

For years, the Murdaughs reigned over the local justice system and mingled in powerful circles.

Now, the brutal double murders have 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.

Here’s some of the key players in the case:

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

Who is Alex Murdaugh?

10:00 , Rachel Sharp

Prosecutors claim that Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son to distract from his string of alleged financial crimes – at a time when his multi-million-dollar fraud scheme was on the brink of being exposed.

Meanwhile, the defence is seeking to paint him as a family man who could not have carried out the brutal murders because he loved his wife and son.

As a case that has captured national and international attention, it’s about so much more than the double murders.

The prominent legal scion is now at the centre of a series of wild allegations of an alleged hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes and unexplained deaths and is facing a slew of more than 100 other charges.

So who is the man at the heart of the saga?

Who is Alex Murdaugh?

Who are Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys?

09:00 , Rachel Sharp

Dick Harpootlian

Dick Harpootlian, 74, is one of Mr Murdaugh’s lead defence attorneys in his murder trial.

Prior to representing Mr Murdaugh, he has had a long career as a prosecutor.

He has prosecuted several high-profile cases including the corruption trial of former University of South Carolina President Jim Holderman and the murder trial of serial killer Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins.

As well as being a prominent lawyer, Mr Harpootlian is also a state senator, representing South Carolina’s 20th district.

Jim Griffin

Jim Griffin, 60, is Mr Murdaugh’s other lead defence attorneys in his murder trial.

Mr Griffin has also had a long career focused predominantly on working as defence attorney in white-collar crime cases.

Alex Murdaugh, Maggie Fox, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin talk while on a break during the trial

As well as the murder case, both Mr Harpootlian and Mr Griffin are representing Mr Murdaugh in his slew of other charges including his financial fraud trial.

The duo – who like Mr Murdaugh attended University of South Carolina School of Law – was also previously hired to represent Paul in the boat crash case.

Rumours of Murdaugh having stroke in prison debunked

08:00 , Rachel Sharp

Rumours have been swirling on social media that Alex Murdaugh had a stroke or a medical emergency over the weekend while behind bars.

Local outlet FITS News reported that there was a “lot of buzz” about the accused killer being taken to hospital on Sunday.

Sources – both close to Mr Murdaugh and Colleton County detention center – dismissed the rumours as false.

Alex Murdaugh trial jury to visit scene of wife and son’s murders

07:40 , Rachel Sharp

The jury in Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile murder trial will visit the scene where his wife Maggie and son Paul were brutally gunned down in the summer of 2021.

Judge Clifton Newman agreed on Monday to send the panel on a jury visit to the Murdaugh family’s sprawling 1,700 Moselle estate, before they decide the fate of the disgraced legal scion and accused killer.

As part of the visit, jurors will tour the dog kennels and the feed room where Mr Murdaugh is accused of shooting dead his wife and son back on 7 June 2021.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Alex Murdaugh trial jury to visit scene of wife and son’s murders

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

07:00 , Rachel Sharp

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.

In a bombshell move, Mr Murdaugh has now admitted that he was at the kennels with his wife and son that night, confirming it is him in a video Paul took at 8.44pm – just six minutes before prosecutors say the shootings unfolded at 8.50pm.

When asked what he did at the kennels, he said that he was “talking to Mags”.

According to his version of events, this was the last time he ever saw his wife and son alive.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

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

Alex Murdaugh: Timeline of murders, financial fraud, unexplained deaths and arrest

06:00 , 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 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

Where was Buster Murdaugh during the murders?

05:01 , Megan Sheets

Buster Murdaugh’s constant presence in the Colleton County Court has led to many viewers asking where he was during the murders.

During his own testimony last week, Buster said he was at the home he shared with his girlfriend Brooklynn White when his father called to give him the horrifying news.

“He asked me if I was sitting down, and I was like, yeah, then he sounded odd, then he told me that my mom and brother had been shot,” Buster said of his father.

He continued: “Brooklynn, my girlfriend, was with me ... she could hear my conversation over the phone, and she started packing stuff.

“I kinda just sat there for a minute, I was in shock. But, eventually, we got our stuff together and drove down to Moselle.”

Here, The Independent’s Rachel Sharp recaps Buster’s full testimony:

Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster gives stoic testimony in murder trial

Alex Murdaugh hit with new misdemeanour charge

04:00 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh has been hit with a new misdemeanour charge – adding to the more than 100 charges he will still face once his murder trial is over.

On Friday, SLED charged the accused killer and disgraced attorney with a new charge for a misdemeanour but gave no details about the alleged crime.

The Independent has reached out to SLED for further information.

FITS News reported that the charge is in connection to a family member passing Mr Murdaugh contraband in the courtroom during his trial – which could also mean charges against the family member in question.

Earlier in the trial, sources also told the local outlet that Mr Murdaugh’s sister Lynn passed the disgraced attorney an undisclosed item.

When she was told to stop, Lynn allegedly didn’t take it well, becoming “demonstrative” with court staff.

The incident is said to have prompted the court to order a drug test for Mr Murdaugh, who has previously revealed he has been addicted to opioids for the last two decades.

Murders, million-dollar fraud and mystery deaths: The story of Alex Murdaugh’s spectacular fall from grace

03:00 , Rachel Sharp

The ‘trial of the century’ is now under way in a courtroom in South Carolina where powerful legal scion Alex Murdaugh is charged with the brutal double murder of his wife and son.

But this is far from the only twist in a bizarre and sprawling tale of unexplained deaths, hitman plots and multi-million-dollar fraud schemes.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Is Alex Murdaugh taking the stand? Journey to trial and murder case

WATCH: Defence witness testifies that there were likely two shooters

02:30 , Rachel Sharp

Who was Paul Murdaugh?

02:00 , Rachel Sharp

Paul Murdaugh, 22, was the younger son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh who, at the time of his death, was facing trial over the death of Mallory Beach, 19.

On the night of 24 February 2019, Paul was allegedly drunk driving the Murdaugh family’s boat with several of his friends on board.

The boat crashed into some rocks and threw the passengers overboard.

Beach’s body washed up on shore around a week later.

In April 2019, Paul was charged with three felonies over Beach’s death including boating under the influence and was facing up to 25 years in prison.

Paul was shot twice with a shotgun – once in the chest and once in the shoulder.

Investigators in the boat crash case had no choice but to drop the charges when he died. Beach’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Murdaughs – which was finally settled in January 2023.

Who was Maggie Murdaugh?

01:30 , Rachel Sharp

Maggie was Alex Murdaugh’s wife and the mother of their two sons Buster and Paul.

The 52-year-old met her husband when they were both students at the University of South Carolina.

She was shot five times with an AR-15-style rifle on the night of 7 June 2021.

According to testimony from the Murdaugh housekeeper Blanca Simpson, Maggie was concerned with the family’s finances – and feared her husband was not being truthful with her about the extent of their situation.

Ms Simpson testified that Maggie had got upset and confided in her a few months before the murders, saying that the family was being sued for $30m in the boat crash lawsuit.

Maggie told her that she felt “Alex was not being truthful to her about the lawsuit... she said ‘he doesn’t tell me everything’,” testified Ms Simpson.

Maggie’s sister Marian Proctor testified that Mr Murdaugh had an affair about 15 years ago – and Maggie found out about it.

While it was years ago and the couple worked through it, she said it “bothered” Maggie and she had brought it up again around the time of the murders.

She also revealed that the family knew about Mr Murdaugh’s opioid abuse.

Key revelations from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial... so far

01:00 , Rachel Sharp

Legal dynasty heir Alex Murdaugh is currently on trial in a South Carolina courtroom for the brutal double murder of his wife and adult son.

Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, were both shot dead at the family’s sprawling 1,700-acre property in Islandton, South Carolina, on the night of 7 June 2021.

Mr Murdaugh, 54, claimed that he returned home from visiting his elderly mother to find the victims’ bodies at the dog kennels on the land.

No arrests were made for more than a year, until – in July 2022 – Mr Murdaugh was charged with their murders.

It’s a dramatic saga that now includes murder, a botched hitman plot, multi-million-dollar fraud schemes and a series of unexplained deaths.

Here are the key revelations from the trial so far:

Key revelations and updates from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial

Alex Murdaugh rocks and sobs as defence experts say son was shot in back of head at point-blank range

00:30 , Rachel Sharp

Alex Murdaugh sobbed and rocked back and forth as two defence experts gave gruesome testimony detailing how his son Paul was shot in the back of the head at point-blank range.

Forensic pathologist Dr Jonathan Eisenstat and crime scene analyst Tim Palmbach were called as witnesses for Mr Murdaugh’s defence team on Monday, where they both cast doubts on the prosecution’s theory of how the murders unfolded.

Both experts testified that the killer held a shotgun to the back of Paul’s head and pulled the trigger, with the force causing the 22-year-old’s brain to “explode” out of his skull.

“This explosive nature… you never see that unless you have a high-energy source contact wound,” testified Mr Palmbach.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story from today:

Alex Murdaugh sobs as experts say son was shot in back of head at point-blank range

Alex Murdaugh trial jury to visit scene of wife and son’s murders

00:00 , Rachel Sharp

The jury in Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile murder trial will visit the scene where his wife Maggie and son Paul were brutally gunned down in the summer of 2021.

Judge Clifton Newman agreed on Monday to send the panel on a jury visit to the Murdaugh family’s sprawling 1,700 Moselle estate, before they decide the fate of the disgraced legal scion and accused killer.

As part of the visit, jurors will tour the dog kennels and the feed room where Mr Murdaugh is accused of shooting dead his wife and son back on 7 June 2021.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Alex Murdaugh trial jury to visit scene of wife and son’s murders

What comes next in the Alex Murdaugh trial?

Monday 27 February 2023 23:30 , Megan Sheets

Alex Murdaugh’s defence rested its case on Monday afternoon after testimony from 14 witnesses across six days.

Next, the prosecution will present its rebuttal case targeting the evidence presented by the defence.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters said he expects the rebuttal to take a day, with the state calling “four or five” brief witnesses.

After that, both sides will give their closing arguments. They are expected to take place on Wednesday.

Then, the case will be sent out to the jury.

Jurors will visit the Murdaugh family’s Moselle property following closing arguments, before proceeding to deliberations.

How long those deliberations will take cannot be predicted - but it’s possible Mr Murdaugh will know his fate by the end of the week.

In pictures: Day 23 of the Alex Murdaugh trial

Monday 27 February 2023 23:00 , Megan Sheets

Here’s a look at the 23rd day of Mr Murdaugh’s murder trial, told in photos from inside the courtroom:

WATCH: John Marvin Murdaugh breaks down describing murder scene

Monday 27 February 2023 22:40 , Megan Sheets

FULL STORY: Defence rests case after testimony from 14 witnesses

Monday 27 February 2023 22:18 , Megan Sheets

Alex Murdaugh’s defence has rested its case in his trial for the double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul.

The disgraced attorney’s legal team wrapped up its case on Monday afternoon, after spending a week bringing 14 witnesses to the stand in an effort to convince jurors of his innocence in the 7 June 2021 shootings.

The final defence witness was Mr Murdaugh’s younger brother John Marvin Murdaugh who took the stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, and described his brother’s “great relationship” with his wife and son, criticised key components of the investigation and insisted that he still does not know who killed his nephew and sister-in-law 20 months on.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

Alex Murdaugh’s defence rests case in disgraced attorney’s double murder trial

Prosecutors plan to call four or five more witnesses

Monday 27 February 2023 21:59 , Megan Sheets

Prosecutor Creighton Waters has said the state is planning to call four or five witnesses in its rebuttal case, beginning tomorrow.

He said he expected the rebuttal to take one day.

Mr Harpootlian replied by saying Mr Waters’ past predictions on how long things would take have been “mushy”.

The plan is now for closing arguments to take place on Wednesday.

Defence rests

Monday 27 February 2023 21:57 , Megan Sheets

The defence has rested its case in support of Alex Murdaugh’s innocence.

John Marvin marked the 14th and final witness for the defence team.

Judge Newman dismissed the jury for the day before defence attorney Dick Harpootlian re-upped a motion for a direct verdict - meaning the case wouldn’t be sent to the jury.

That motion was denied.

Confusion over mention of blue raincoat during SLED interview

Monday 27 February 2023 21:51 , Megan Sheets

Asked about his earlier testimony that police chief Greg Alexander had picked him up on the night of the murders, John Marvin testified that he was unaware Mr Alexander had loaned Alex money.

He also said that Alex was functioning normally on a daily basis despite his opioid addiction.

Mr Conrad went on to probe John Marvin about how he sat in on SLED interviews with Buster and his wife on 12 October 2021.

He said he does not recall SLED bringing up the blue raincoat on that date. According to Mr Conrad, it did come up during an interview with Buster that day.

As Mr Conrad continued to push, John Marvin insisted that he doesn’t remember discussions of the jacket in that interview.

John Marvin acknowledges Alex’s lies about night of murders

Monday 27 February 2023 21:40 , Megan Sheets

Jim Griffin concluded his questioning of John Marvin by asking about what he was thinking when he cleaned up remnants of Paul’s body at the scene on 8 June 2021.

He said he promised Paul he would find out who killed him and Maggie.

“Have you found out?” Mr Griffin probed.

John Marvin replied: “I have not.”

Prosecutor John Conrad then stepped up to begin cross-examination.

John Marvin affirmed that he, Alex and everyone in their family have provided full cooperation to SLED.

Mr Conrad went on to ask about how Alex lied for 20 months - until his testimony last week - about being at the kennels minutes before the murders.

John Marvin conceded that Alex lied and that did not constitute “full cooperation”.

Testimony resumes

Monday 27 February 2023 21:33 , Megan Sheets

John Marvin is continuing his testimony after Judge Newman overruled an objection from the state.

He is now describing a conversation with a SLED agent regarding “blood spatter” on Alex’s shirt.

John Marvin told how he, his brother Randy and sister Lynne had met with the agent to talk about the blue raincoat and video placing Alex at the scene.

He said the agent told the siblings that investigators found blood spatter on Alex’s shirt, and that he had wiped his face with it.

“That’s how they knew he was involved. That’s how they knew he was there,” John Marvin said of SLED.

Where was Buster Murdaugh during the murders?

Monday 27 February 2023 21:25 , Megan Sheets

Buster Murdaugh’s constant presence in the Colleton County Court has led to many viewers asking where he was during the murders.

During his own testimony last week, Buster said he was at the home he shared with his girlfriend Brooklynn White when his father called to give him the horrifying news.

"He asked me if I was sitting down, and I was like, yeah, then he sounded odd, then he told me that my mom and brother had been shot,” Buster said of his father.

He continued: "Brooklynn, my girlfriend, was with me ... she could hear my conversation over the phone, and she started packing stuff.

“I kinda just sat there for a minute, I was in shock. But, eventually, we got our stuff together and drove down to Moselle."

Here, The Independent’s Rachel Sharp recaps Buster’s full testimony:

Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son Buster gives stoic testimony in murder trial

Judge allows John Marvin to speak about ‘blood spatter'

Monday 27 February 2023 21:16 , Megan Sheets

The prosecution has raised an objection to John Marvin’s descriptions of conversations with law enforcement - claiming hearsay and lack of relevance.

Prosecutors accused the defence of trying to open a “back door” surrounding Alex Murdaugh’s clothing.

The objection arose after Jim Griffin asked John Marvin if SLED ever gave him information that turned out to be false.

John Marvin said yes, and began talking about blood spatter.

He was understood to be launching into an explanation of early reports that there was blood spatter on the shirt Alex was wearing when police arrived at the scene of the murders.

Final testing later found there was no blood on the shirt in question.

Judge Newman denied the state’s objection before calling a 10-minute break.

After that break, defence attorneys will have a chance to reintroduce their narrative of investigators botching the case and unfairly targeting Alex.

RECAP: John Marvin breaks down describing how he cleaned crime scene

Monday 27 February 2023 21:11 , Megan Sheets

Alex Murdaugh’s younger brother broke down in tears on the witness stand as he revealed how he cleaned up “what was left” of his nephew Paul the morning after the gruesome murders.

John Marvin Murdaugh, the youngest of the Murdaugh siblings, took the witness stand in Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon where his older brother is standing trial for murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul.

John Marvin told jurors how he cleaned up his nephew’s “blood, brain matter and skull fragments” from the crime scene after law enforcement officials left behind parts of the 22-year-old on the Murdaugh’s Moselle family estate.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my life,” he said.

John Marvin said he had gone down to the dog kennels on the family’s sprawling Moselle estate on 8 June 2021 – the morning after the murders – and came across a horrific scene.

“I just felt like I needed to go down, I needed to see for myself what had gone on and just kind of take it in,” he said.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

Alex Murdaugh’s brother testifies that he ‘cleaned up’ what was left of nephew Paul

Mystery blue raincoat makes a new appearance

Monday 27 February 2023 21:09 , Megan Sheets

John Marvin’s testimony transitioned to address the blue raincoat found at his parents’ house - which prosecutors allege Alex used to hide the guns that killed Maggie and Paul.

He said the closet where the raincoat was found was mainly used for “junk” storage, not for everyday items, and that he told investigators he believed it belonged to his father.

As for why there would be gunshot residue on the raincoat, John Marvin explained that he “never” saw his father clean his gun - a shotgun named “Bo-Whoop”.

John Marvin also accused investigators of telling the family two different stories about where they found the raincoat.

Judge Newman then sent the jury out for a brief recess, while John Marvin is still on the stand.

John Marvin addresses botched hitman plot

Monday 27 February 2023 21:03 , Megan Sheets

John Marvin has moved on to talk about the day Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head in a botched hitman plot.

Alex had been shot in the head on the side of the road in September 2021 while he claimed to be changing a tire.

Days after the shooting, Alex confessed that he had hired a hitman - Curtis “Cousin Eddie” Smith - to shoot and kill him so Buster would get his life insurance windfall.

It’s since been alleged that Alex staged the shooting for other reasons - perhaps to make it look like whoever killed Maggie and Paul had come back to kill him.

John Marvin testified about how he drove his brother to a detox centre in Atlanta to get treatment for opioid withdrawal following the shooting.

On that car ride, he said of Alex: “I’d never seen anything like it. I’ve seen television shows talking about the leg twitching and the squirminess. You could just tell, he was sweating. He was thrashing about.”

In an increasingly graphic description, he said: “He messed himself. He had diarrhea. He just couldn’t control it. I’m not talking about in the restroom. I mean, in his pants.”

Alex Murdaugh told John Marvin of potential link between murders and 2019 boat crash

Monday 27 February 2023 20:54 , Megan Sheets

John Marvin was also asked about the deadly 2019 boat accident for which Paul was facing charges at the time of his death.

He confirmed that Alex had mentioned a potential link between the crash and the murders.

He said the media was deeply unfair to both Paul and Alex in coverage of the crash that killed Paul’s friend Mallory Beach. Paul was allegedly driving drunk behind the wheel when the boat crashed, throwing his group of friends overboard. Beach’s body washed up days later.

John Marvin stopped short of suggesting a direct link between the crash and the murders.

John Marvin recounts the days after the murders

Monday 27 February 2023 20:49 , Megan Sheets

Asked about a news release from authorities in the days after the murders declaring that there was no threat to the public, John Marvin said he found it “quite baffling”.

“It still is,” he said. “Two people have been killed, and you’re telling me that everybody’s safe. That tells me that whoever’s done this is in jail, and they are 100 per cent positive.”

He then described how he helped SLED Agent Katie McCallister perform a search of the Moselle house by walking her through each room.

Ms McCallister told him they were searching for a 12-gauge shotgun and a .300 Blackout rifle.

But, John Marvin said he could tell that wasn’t all she was looking for, as she also checked small cabinets that couldn’t fit a gun.

To his knowledge after years of hunting trips, John Marvin said he didn’t think Alex had a “go-to gun”.

John Marvin said he became somewhat of a conduit between SLED and the family, working closely with Agent David Owen.

He said Alex gave police “carte blanche” to search anywhere they wanted, and that he himself consented whenever investigators asked.

On 10 June 2021, the family met with investigators at the family’s Greenfield property - where everyone gave concurrent interviews with police inside law enforcement vehicles.

John Marvin confirmed he has seen the video of Alex’s interview at that time - and insisted that he said “they did him so bad” in reference to Paul.

That video has been central to the trial, as prosecutors contend that he in fact said: “I did him so bad.”

John Marvin said he knows Alex’s voice well and knows he said “they” - and that he’d made the same remark in many other instances.

He struggled to describe his brother’s demeanour in the immediate aftermath of the murders, saying he would have to create a new word to capture Alex’s devastation.

“There are no words,” he said.

John Marvin tells how he helped find Maggie’s phone

Monday 27 February 2023 20:37 , Megan Sheets

John Marvin went on to describe learning that Maggie’s phone was missing, and how he asked Buster to check for it on Apple’s “Find My” app.

The app showed Maggie’s phone near the edge of the property.

He said he immediately contacted SLED agents, saying: “Let’s go get it.”

An agent brushed him off, he said, saying they would handle it themselves.

John Marvin expressed surprise, and then went with a SLED agent to where the app showed Maggie’s phone. “We found it in a matter of minutes,” he said.

He said agents took photos of the phone before picking it up with gloves and taking it to the car.

He then called Alex to get the passcode for the phone.

John Marvin describes cleaning the crime scene

Monday 27 February 2023 20:32 , Megan Sheets

Oh his way over to Moselle after the murders, John Marvin’s truck broke down. He was driving Paul’s “farm truck” after trading cars with him earlier in the day.

He was picked up by Yemassee Police Chief Greg Alexander, who drive him the rest of the way to Moselle, he said.

When they arrived, John Marvin said he immediately jumped out of the car and ran to hug his brother.

“He was just broken, distraught. Everybody was,” he said. “All we did was hug and cried. I don’t even know that we talked.”

At some point after investigators left Moselle, John Marvin said he went down to the kennels to see the scene of the murders.

He said he had been unsure whether he was allowed to go since it was a crime scene, but he was ultimately granted permission.

John Marvin struggled to describe the state of the scene, telling how he saw skull fragments and where Maggie’s body had been.

He said he took it upon himself to clean up the scene because he “owed it to Paul”.

“No mother, father, aunt or uncle should ever have to see and do what I did that day,” he said through tears. “I’m not blaming anybody. But I was just so overwhelmed.”

John Marvin said he spoke to Randy, who told him to stop cleaning, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” he said.

John Marvin recalls learning about murders

Monday 27 February 2023 20:19 , Megan Sheets

John Marvin went on to describe how he, Alex and Randy texted family members with an update on their father’s condition after a doctor’s appointment on the day of the murders.

He choked back tears recounting how Randy called him to say that their father would be entering hospice care. He died three days later on 10 June 2021.

John Marvin also gave a lengthy explanation of how the brothers worked together to get their father medical care in his final days.

He said the last time he saw Paul was at his home on the day of the murders, where he picked up a truck that had been swapped during collaboration over his father’s care.

At that time, John Marvin said Paul didn’t seem any different from usual.

He then described how Alex called him on his way to see his mother on the night of the murders - minutes after prosecutors say Maggie and Paul were killed.

At that point, Alex’s demeanour was normal, he said.

Things changed dramatically when Alex called again after having reported the killings to 911.

John Marvin said Alex told him his wife and son had been hurt badly. He said he immediately jumped in the car to go to Moselle.

Alex Murdaugh becomes emotional as John Marvin describes family bonds

Monday 27 February 2023 20:07 , Megan Sheets

Alex Murdaugh is also becoming emotional during John Marvin’s testimony.

The father nodded emphatically as his brother described Paul as an “excellent worker” and said Alex had a great relationship with his sons.

He said whenever he and Alex went hunting, Paul and Buster were there. If the boys weren’t coming, Alex didn’t come either, John Marvin said.

Of Alex’s relationship with Maggie, he said: “It was a good marriage.”

He described a double date he and his wife went on to a Darius Rucker concert, where Alex and Maggie held hands and “swayed” together.

“They had a great relationship, that’s just one of many [examples],” he said.

John Marvin also smiled as he confirmed prior testimony about how Paul was “notorious” for leaving guns around everywhere.

John Marvin becomes emotional speaking about nephew Paul

Monday 27 February 2023 20:00 , Megan Sheets

Asked to describe his family, John Marvin said they are “very close” and “a normal family doing normal family things”.

He confirmed that his father died in the days after Maggie and Paul were murdered, but their mother “Miss Libby” is still alive.

In fact, he said, he and his children went to visit their grandmother yesterday for her birthday.

While his father was sick and in the hospital prior to the murders, John Marvin said he frequently stopped in to check on his mom. He said it was “routine” for his brothers to do that as well.

He said his brothers visited more often than he did because they live closer to their parents.

John Marvin became emotional when asked to talk about his relationship with his nephew Paul - who went by the nicknames “Lil Rooster” and “PawPaw”.