The documents released by authorities do not present evidence of his motive or how the murders are believed to have taken place, except to say that Maggie Murdaugh was killed with a rifle and Paul Murdaugh was killed with a shotgun. He faces charges in connection with a Sept. 4 suicide-for-hire plot. Murdaugh will return to rehab, according to his attorney, and will change to an out-of-state rehab facility afterwards. They don't believe Alex is involved in the murders. "The person that did this is out there.". Sept. 8: Brother "shocked" by Murdaugh allegations; Alex Murdaugh's law license suspended, Alex Murdaugh's older brother Randy Murdaugh, who is also still employed by the firm, released a statement saying he was "shocked" to learn of his brother's "settling of money," as well as "drug addiction.". Alex Murdaughthe attorney from a prominent South Carolina family who is suspected of committing a staggering number of crimes that were revealed after of a fatal 2019 boat crashwas indicted Thursday for murder. John Marvin was the third member of the Murdaugh family to testify, after his nephew, Buster, and Murdaugh himself. Part of HuffPost Crime. Today, he knows that's not true. His mother Maggie, they said, was a "classy person" with a "very dynamic personality" and was the "rock of their family." Sarah Zapata, an agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, testified in detail about DNA and Hematrace analysis she performed on evidence from the scene. He was only able to tell me it was very, very bad. We're no different than anybody else," Randy told ABC News. Her husband, Alex Murdaugh, 53, has faced months of public scrutiny since his wife, 52, and their son Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found shot multiple times on June 7 at the familys home in rural Islandton, South Carolina, about 65 miles west of Charleston. I was outside with the dogs," Randy recalled. I felt like I owed [Paul]. "It was very difficult.". The Murdaughs, a prominent Democratic family, had wielded enormous judicial and political power for over a century. As Murdaugh faces life in prison without parole in the double murder case, which is now in its sixth week, it is unclear when that field trip will occur, however. SLED announced the arrest of Curtis Edward Smith, 61, in connection with the shooting incident involving Alex Murdaugh on Sept. 4 in Hampton County. Hematrace will only test positive for blood from humans, higher primates and ferrets. "I don't know of anybody that would truly be an enemy or truly want to hurt them," Randy noted. I will continue to pursue my client's interests with the highest degree of honesty and integrity, as I always have," he said. Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Murdaugh murder trial to resume at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Murdaugh Trial, Day 26: Testimony gets heated during states rebuttal, Anonymous tip leads investigators to human remains in Spartanburg, Here's what's next for the Murdaugh murder trial, kelli.radcliff@foxcarolina.com - 864-213-2103. It changes you as a family," Randy told ABC News. SLED confirmed they are the law enforcement agency investigating the missing money from the law firm. Alex Murdaughs younger brother took the stand on Monday, tearfully describing how he cleaned the gruesome crime scene the morning after his sister-in-law and nephew were murdered in June 2021. "But we're just regular people that are working hard and trying to do right. In this June 11, 2021, file photo, Buster Murdaugh, center, receives a hug in the rain during the funeral service for his brother, Paul, and mother, Maggie, in Hampton, S.C. Kacen Bayless/The Island Packet via AP, FILE. In April 2019 Paul Murdaugh was charged with operating the boat while intoxicated. Theres no fingerprints. June 17: Alex Murdaugh's brothers speak on "Good Morning America". Alex Murdaugh is in jail on a slew of charges, most of them financial counts. Press J to jump to the feed. Alex Murdaugh enlisted Curtis Smith to shoot and kill him while in his mentally ill, drug-addicted and grieving state, Murdaugh's attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian said in a statement on Sept. 15, a day after Smith was charged. From 1987 to 2005, Randolph held the job as prosecutor for Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties, like his father and grandfather did before him. ", Sept. 6: Murdaugh announces resignation, enters rehab. Rowe, who worked at the property. Defense attorney Phillip Barber asked if the DNA was submitted to CODIS, the FBIs DNA database, but Zapata said it did not meet the requirements for CODIS because the sample contained only three alleles. You can share rumors, but they must be clearly labeled as rumors. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. Hes got theories of this and theories of that.. "On September 4, it became clear Alex believed that ending his life was his only option. Last week, Alex Murdaughs surviving son Buster, 26, testified in the double murder trial of his father. A former federal prosecutor, he now works as a state and federal criminal defense attorney based in Columbia, South Carolina. The vehicle turned around and "someone in the car shot him," the spokesperson said to ABC News. In September 2021 Murdaugh told police he had been shot in the head by an unknown assailant while attempting to change a flat tire. The gunshot wound was only superficial, though, and within two weeks Murdaugh had been charged with hiring an acquaintance to carry out the purportedly random head-shooting. A string of bloody killings and mysteries involving a prominent South Carolina family has sent investigators on a wild chase full of twists and turns. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships," he said. Two days after a judge first denied Alex Murdaugh bond last fall, the disgraced Hampton County attorney called his younger brother and son from Richland County Detention Center and warned them to move quickly. Hey, John, Murdaugh said to John Marvin Murdaugh on Oct. 21, 2021. Buster, he said, told him that he and his mother shared locations with each other and he could ping it. Murdaugh also faces about 100 charges related to other crimes, including money laundering, stealing millions from clients and the family law firm, tax evasion and trying to get a man to fatally shoot him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. John and Randy stayed there for hours, comforting their brother, until they finally convinced him to leave. Mr. Murdaugh, who has since been disbarred, has been held in jail since October 2021, when he was charged with stealing money from the family of his former housekeeper, who died after a fall on the steps of the Murdaugh family home. Her death is being reinvestigated following the filing of the financial charges against Mr. Murdaugh. Murdaugh officially resigned from the law firm Peters,Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, & Detrick based in Hampton, South Carolina, on Sept. 3 but publicly announced his resignation days later. The group soon realized that the phone was further away, so they drove together and found it east of the gates of the property, he said. The alleged conspiracy led to a $505,000 settlement, but Satterfield's sons claim they haven't gotten any of that settlement money, which was agreed upon in December 2018, the lawsuit claimed. Opiates gave me energy, Murdaugh said. Zapata said it was possible the DNA could have been transferred if the victims were checked for signs of life. Randy and John said they have contacts in the investigating agencies but that they have not reached out to them or tried to influence the investigation in any way, nor has anyone in their family. Most of the testimony was focused on detailed forensic evidence in the investigation into the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Once the police opened the phone, they gave me a ride back to my car, he said. Randy, who lives in the nearby town of Hampton, said he arrived at Alex's property about 15 minutes after the telephone call. SLED then said they were opening the investigation into Satterfield's death at the request of the Hampton County Coroner's Office and due to information gathered during the course of other ongoing investigations involving AlexMurdaugh. "I know he's struggling with it, and I just can't imagine what's going through his mind. The whole family is suffering," John told ABC News. A daily report co-sponsored by Arizona State University, Criminal Justice Journalists, and the National Criminal Justice Association, NCJA | 700 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-628-8550 | www.ncja.org | Contact Us | 2023. The documents released by authorities do John Marvin told jurors on Monday that he had not been aware of Murdaughs opioid addiction until after the murders, when his brother attempted a botched suicide scheme in September 2021 so that Buster would inherit his $12 million insurance payout. Though the most significant aspect is that Johns connection with his loved ones ostensibly I didnt think it was a credible threatif it was, I would have tried to do something or notify someone, he said in the 2021 interview. Since the wreck, Paul had been receiving online threats from strangers that were "bothersome" but weren't believed to be "credible," according to Randy and John. In an opening statement, they sketched out a timeline of what they think happened at the Murdaughs house and near the dog kennels on their 1,300-acre (526-hectare) hunting property June 7, 2021. Alex Murdaugh's former law firm filed a lawsuit alleging that he funneled stolen money from clients and the law firm into a fake bank account for years. Read FOX Carolinas full blog of Mondays testimony below: Copyright 2023 WHNS. John Marvin who owns a heavy equipment rental and sales center indicated he wasnt able to find buyers for either piece of equipment and thought he might The saga began when Murdaugh's wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and their son Paul, 22, were found fatally shot in June. The phone, the Packet previously reported, was given to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). "My brother loved Maggie and loved Paul like nothing else on this earth, just like he loves Buster," Randy said, naming Alex's other son. A day later, Smith admitted to being present during the Murdaugh shooting and disposing the firearm afterward. John Marvin Murdaugh said he does not believe Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son, but acknowledged that police may know more than he does. He said that he was told by some of Maggie Murdaugh's immediate family members that the writing is hers and that he believes she made the change during her lifetime. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. He said, Come as fast as you can. No arrests have been made and no suspects have been named. Zapata said the DNA could have been transferred from her touching an object or person. What Was Alex Murdaugh's Motive For Killing His Wife And Son? Alex Murdaugh has been accused of obstructing the investigation into the crash by pressuring witnesses not to reveal Pauls culpability. ", Oct. 15: Lawyer said Murdaugh had drugs in his system day he was shot. In the affidavit, Proctor renounced her right to handle her sisters estate and said she didnt receive any money in relinquishing her right to handle it. "Fortunately, Alex was not killed by the gunshot wound. Id never seen anything like it. So were 0 for 74, Barber said, arguing the shirt was worn for fishing. He told authorities he had been out at the time of the shooting and found his wife and son dead when he arrived home, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said in a later news release. John Marvin Murdaugh said he was sitting inside the house on the Moselle property and asked Alex Murdaugh if he could ping Maggies phone. Alex Murdaugh's attorneys didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. If convicted, he faces 30 years to life in prison. DNA profiles were found on Alex Murdaughs shirt that likely came from Maggie, Pauls friend Nolan Tuten and an unidentified, unrelated person. A forensic accounting firm will be retained to conduct a thorough investigation.". But I guess maybe I made a mistake.. Randy Murdaugh and John Marvin Murdaugh speak out for the first time since their brother, Alex, found his 22-year-old son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, shot to death outside their home last week. John Marvin Murdaugh also described how he got one of the first phone calls his brother Alex had made after discovering the bodies. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Dr. Ellen Riemer, a forensic pathologist with the Medical University of South Carolina, conducted the autopsies for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. Law enforcement agents who testified in the trial also noted that Murdaugh also touted the theory that the boat crash was the possible motivation for the murders moments after they were called to the scene. They said he could not be visually excluded but it is 11 times more likely the sample was from someone else. His attorney, Richard Harpootlian, previously said on NBCs TODAY show that Alex Murdaugh arranged for a man to kill him during a fake car breakdown. He said he believed his insurance policy had a suicide clause, which would leave $10 million for his son, according to Harpootlian. ", "Avarice and betrayal of trust are at the heart of this matter," the families said in a statement through their lawyers. Buster, Murdaughs only surviving son, briefly took the stand last week about his nuclear family dynamics, noting that while the four of them were close there were tensions surrounding his fathers decades-long addiction to opioids. The defense ", "I can tell you he was willing and still is willing to do anything that's asked of him," John added. It was the start of what is expected to be a three-week trial at the Colleton County Courthouse. "The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. Alex pulled over after seeing a low-tire indicator light. He messed himself. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it continues to pursue all leads in the ongoing investigation and that anyone with information should call 803-896-2605, a 24-hour dedicated tip line for the case. Zapata said family members of Mallory Beach, the Cooke brothers, Alex Murdaugh, John Marvin Murdaugh and Buster Murdaugh were excluded as possible sources for the DNA. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. John Marvin is the second family member to testify on behalf of Murdaugh. But like a lot of things that are complicated, we start to put them all together, piecing together like a puzzle all the sudden, a picture emerges.. Alex Murdaugh is the only publicly known person of interest in the murders, which remain unsolved. "And I can't imagine the horror that my brother's experiencing.". Wake up to the day's most important news. Four generations served as the local prosecutor, No mother, father, aunt, or uncle should ever have to see and do what I did that day, John Marvin Murdaugh, the defense teams final witness, told Colleton County jurors on Monday about his decision to clean his brothers hunting estate. He called police to say that he had been shot in the head and that he had suffered a superficial gunshot wound to the head, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, or SLED, said at the time. "So there's no possible way he could have anything to do with this, I can assure you. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. Waters said a video on Paul Murdaughs cellphone has the voices of him, Maggie and Alex Murdaugh in it. Anything that the boys were doing, Alex wanted to do.. I didn't know if something was still happening. Less than five minutes later, Paul Murdaughs phone was never used again. A vehicle sits in the driveway of a home, June 8, 2021, in rural Colleton County, near Islandton, S.C. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Since then, Alex Murdaugh has been at the center of a storm of allegations including accusations that he misused money from his law firm which led to the suspension of his law license. 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