The 17th day of the Murdaugh trial continued with testimony from Alex Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie Murdaugh’s sister.
Paul Murdaugh, their son, was identified as having been shot twice with a .12-gauge shotgun at a range of three feet.
While covering these facts, attorney Dick Harpootlian asked if that necessarily meant the shooter was also three feet away.
In response, Dr Ellen Riemer clarified by stating that only the barrel of the gun was three feet away and not necessarily the shooter himself.
As more details are revealed in this high stakes case, all sides eagerly await the final verdict on whether or not Alex Murdaugh is guilty of double murder at his family’s hunting estate in June 2021.
On the day of the trial of the Murdaugh estate murders, Marian Proctor’s testimony provided powerful insight into Maggie Murdaugh’s life prior to her death.
Proctor, Maggie’s sister, testified of her love for family and her two boys; she spoke with great emotion as she talked about encouraging Maggie to go to Moselle, the hunting estate where she would die.
Dr. Leslie Riemer had performed the autopsies on both Wilbur and Alex Murdaugh, who were found shot in cold blood at their family’s estate.
The coroner testified that all three died from single gunshot wounds—one to Wilbur and two to Alex—giving him credence to the prosecution’s theory as to why these murders occurred.
Despite this evidence, however, it was still clear that Proctor’s testimony was receiving a lot of attention as it offered a poignant look at what led up to those fateful events on June 7.
After the fatal boating accident and subsequent death of Mallory Beach, Proctor found Alex Murdaugh had shifted his focus to clearing Paul’s name.
His main priority was not to seek justice for her sister, but to exonerate her boyfriend Paul of any wrongdoing he may have been accused of in connection with the accident.
Surprisingly, Proctor found this answer odd, given the circumstances.
When asked if Murdaugh was acting fearful in regards to finding those responsible for her sister’s murder, Proctor assured that “everyone was afraid” but expressed uncertainty about the extent to which it affected Murdaugh’s thinking around the boat case affected.
In the end, she thought his focus was too focused on achieving justice through Paul’s acquittal rather than finding closure from her own pain and trauma.
Defense attorney Jim Griffin handled the cross-examination, focusing their questions on how special Maggie and Alex’s relationship was and how determined Maggie had been to clear Paul’s name.
Griffin’s questions flowed smoothly from one point to the next, appearing both professional and compassionate as he sought Proctor’s cooperation.
Throughout the exchange, Griffin Proctor subtly recalled the special bond and strong devotion between Maggie and Alex, creatively crafting his lines to achieve the desired end result.
It was clear that throughout this process, Griffin had the utmost respect and admiration for the band and the selfless mission of the dynamic duo.
As Matthew Murdaugh’s case continues, the prosecution has expressed concern that his alleged killer is still on the loose, even after revelations that Murdaugh had, in fact, stolen money from his company and was charged with insurance fraud.
The trial will resume on Wednesday, with a set time of 9:30 am. It’s going to be an interesting day in court as more details are revealed and things start to heat up in the courtroom.
Many eyes will be on the jurors as they decide whether or not Murdaugh was involved in these criminal activities – but come what may, one thing remains certain: justice must be served.
