Murdaugh trial memories: Zen, 5-foot-2 vigilantes and the power of the powerless | Opinion

Things still ringing in my ears after “The Trial” that resulted in two life sentences for the once pampered Alex Murdaugh, now convicted of killing his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul.

ZEN: “Bring the jury.” Judge Clifton B. Newman is America’s new Zen master. He brought a soothing voice and demeanor to the sordid proceedings during six weeks of trial in Walterboro.

He called for the jury’s comings and goings as calmly as he periodically asked those gathered in the Colleton County Courthouse to rise and stretch.

He was like our preschool teacher inviting us to take a nap. What a welcome break from the wounding words that sometimes flew like bullets from the witness stand, like “his face was intact” or “the brain pops out.”

The 71-year-old judge has emerged as almost a pop star. Unlike the defendant, whose family controlled justice in the lower end of the South Carolina Lowcountry for a century, Judge Newman was not born on third base with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was valedictorian of a segregated high school in a poor South Carolina county, a school separate and decidedly NOT equal to the one for white children. He too is from a prominent family. And he walked out of the antebellum courthouse, into the freedom of sunshine, wearing a black robe, not a county-jail jumpsuit.

A friend tells me this is proof-positive there’s no such thing as white privilege.

Whatever, we all can hope that someone steps into the mayhem of our lives and several time a day calmly says, “Bring the jury.”

JUSTICE DUE: Judge Newman ordered that an oil portrait of Alex Murdaugh’s grandfather, Randolph “Buster” Murdaugh Jr., who was solicitor in this five-county area for 46 years, be removed from the back wall in the courthouse during the trial. It was to help ensure a trial fair to all, he said.

The folks of Colleton County, who distinguished themselves under trying circumstances, should leave old Buster in the closet. They should fill that space with an oil portrait of Bubba with a chicken in his mouth.

A video that revealed Alex Murdaugh was at the murder scene minutes before it happened featured the family yellow Lab dog running into history with a chicken in his mouth. It proved Murdaugh’s alibi to be a lie. Bubba now stands as a pillar of Lowcountry justice, despite his hen house iniquities.

BRING THE MEDIA: “The Trial” was shared with the world in today’s media, by podcast, Twitter and TikTok.

But a single tweet from Michael DeWitt, editor of The Hampton County Guardian in the home of the Murdaughs, stands out. He was in the courthouse every day, cranking out 750-word stories during the lunch break, and much more each night.

He tweeted on Feb. 1, the day the kennel video was revealed, DeWitt tweeted:

“Today’s video evidence and testimony really brought emotions for not only the Murdaugh family, but my fellow Hampton County residents in attendance. It is finally sinking in for some that the allegations may be true.”

“PAUL PAUL”: Alex Murdaugh took the stand, introducing the world to his pet name for his slain son, Paul. He called him “Paul Paul” it seemed like thousands of times. You could say that “Lie Lie” thought he could endear himself to the jury with “Paul Paul,” but it didn’t work.

COURAGE: In a sea of so-called experts, high-powered lawyers, family friends and even family members on the witness stand, the one person who rings most true is Mushell “Shelley” Smith, a caregiver to Alex Murdaugh’s mother, “Miss Libby.” She tearfully testified that Alex tried to manipulate her version of what she witnessed on the night of the murders.

Sometimes the powerful don’t count on the powerless to exercise the true power of courage and truth.

THE TIMELINE: The state’s case depended in large part on tracking every move of the defendant and the victims on the day of the murders, June 7, 2021.

They did it with stone-cold, emotionless time stamps, text messages and counts of steps taken – all recorded in cell phones. They also depended on cold data that can be gleaned from a vehicle, like Alex Murdaugh’s company car, a big, black Chevrolet Suburban.

A defense attorney tried to diminish that data and the crisp timeline it revealed, saying it was a concoction.

Note to the defense: You don’t need a bloody axe anymore to prove a murder.

QUOTATIONS: “People can dispute it, but it doesn’t change the truth.” – MUSC forensic pathologist Dr. Ellen Reimer’s response one of many challenges to her findings offered by the defense and its paid expert witnesses.

“Five-foot-two vigilantes.” Chief prosecutor Creighton Waters’ description of who had to do the killings based on testimony of a defense expert witness will live with Bubba in Lowcountry infamy.

“I’m sure Maggie and Paul visit you every night when you try to go to sleep. They will continue to do so and will reflect on the last time they looked you in the eye.” – Judge Newman in his 15-minute admonition to disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh prior to announcing his two life sentences.

David Lauderdale may be reached at LauderdaleColumn@gmail.com.