Alex Murdaugh Trial Begins: Jury Selection Underway for Double Homicide Case
Disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh faces trial this week on charges of murdering his estranged wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and their youngest son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, at the family’s property in Colleton County, South Carolina, in June 2021.[0] Jury selection began on Monday, January 23, 2023, as hundreds of potential jurors were interviewed for the historic case.
The prosecution claims that Murdaugh sent a Snapchat video to several friends just minutes before he was killed, and is asking that a representative from the social media platform testify that the video is a true and accurate record kept in the normal course of business activity.[1]
The autopsy report states that Maggie Murdaugh had five gunshot wounds, but one of the five might have been a continuation of one of the other shots.[2] Two shots, one to the left torso and another to the back of the head, were believed to be fatal.[3] The report states she appeared to have been shot with a rifle.[3]
Testing at a State Law Enforcement Division facility produced evidence that the .300 blackout cartridges found at the shooting range and near the residence were “loaded into, extracted and ejected from the same firearm at some previous time.”[4]
At issue is a T-shirt worn by Murdaugh on the night of the murders.[5] The prosecution claims that at least some of the blood is high-velocity impact spatter from one or both of the victims, while the defense says any blood on the shirt was transferred there when he “frantically checked them for signs of life”.[5]
The court made it through three panels of jury qualification on Monday, and is narrowing down its final candidates from a fourth panel on Tuesday.[6] The trial is expected to last three weeks, and a final jury of 18 people (12 primary, 6 alternate) will be selected after select individuals are stricken from service at the request of defense and prosecution attorneys.[6]
The case has captured nationwide attention, with wild allegations of dark family secrets, financial ruin and hedonistic excess. Murdaugh has denied his guilt on the charges of two murders, as well as two counts of being in possession of a weapon while committing a violent crime, related to the double homicide.[7] If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.
0. “Jury selection in Alex Murdaugh double murder trial trudges on after day 1 of questions” Charleston Post Courier, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.postandcourier.com/murdaugh-updates/jury-selection-in-alex-murdaugh-double-murder-trial-trudges-on-after-day-1-of-questions/article_6fe20bca-9b6b-11ed-8a39-b7243ed734eb.html
1. “Prosecutors: Snapchat video sent by Paul Murdaugh the night he was killed is critical part of case” WJCL News Savannah, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.wjcl.com/article/paul-murdaugh-snapchat-crime-scene/42623096
2. “Maggie and Paul Murdaugh’s injuries detailed in court filing, possible murder weapon disclosed” The State, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article271535447.html
3. “Murdaugh defense asks court to block testimony on blood evidence from T-shirt” Live 5 News WCSC, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.live5news.com/2023/01/23/murdaugh-defense-asks-court-block-testimony-blood-evidence-t-shirt/
4. “‘Murdaugh Murders': Latest Eleventh-Hour Defense Motion Points To Possible Murder Weapon” FITSNews, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.fitsnews.com/2023/01/23/murdaugh-murders-latest-eleventh-hour-defense-motion-points-to-possible-murder-weapon/
5. “The Murdaugh trial begins: the family murders that rocked South Carolina” The Guardian US, 21 Jan. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/21/alex-murdaugh-trial-family-murders-south-carolina
6. “LIVE BLOG | Murdaugh Murder Trial, Day 2: Jury selection continues, evidence hearings loom” WLOS, 24 Jan. 2023, https://wlos.com/news/local/alex-murdaugh-murder-trial-live-blog-day-2-jury-selection-evidence-hearings-walterboro-south-carolina-wciv
7. “Alex Murdaugh Fights to Bar Blood Spatter Evidence From Murder Trial” The Daily Beast, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.thedailybeast.com/alex-murdaugh-fights-to-bar-blood-spatter-evidence-from-murder-trial