Jury selection begins as Alex Murdaugh stands trial for murder of wife, son

There will be no live video feed from day one of the Alex Murdaugh murder trial. News 2 will provide updates as information becomes available. Follow reporter Riley Benson @realrileybenson on Twitter for live updates from the courtroom and tune in to News 2 at 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. for full coverage. Scroll down for live blog.

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh will stand trial for the brutal June 7, 2021 murders of his wife Margaret and youngest son Paul at their Colleton County property.

BACKGROUND:

The shootings were the first thread in the unraveling of Murdaugh’s decades-long web of crimes. In addition to the murders, he has been indicted on around 100 white-collar and financial crimes, including tax evasion, and stealing money from former law clients and his family’s law firm. State prosecutors have claimed that impending financial and legal doom pushed Murdaugh to snap and murder his wife and son.

He is also connected to at least three other death investigations, including that of his former housekeeper, a teen thrown from a boat allegedly driven by a drunk and underaged Paul Murdaugh, and a teen found dead under suspicious circumstances in the middle of a rural Hampton County road.

Monday’s trial focuses solely on the indictments for Margaret and Paul’s murders. Murdaugh has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

News 2 will provide live updates from notable moments in the trial below:

ALEX MURDAUGH MURDER TRIAL LIVE BLOG:

9:00 a.m. – Before the court could gavel into session, Judge Clifton Newman had to set media protocols for the jury selection process. He decided no video feed was allowed for jury selection, but as of 9:10 a.m. was still deciding whether reporters would be allowed to have phones in the courtroom.

Jury selection could prove difficult in such a small, tight-knit community over which the Murdaugh family has historically exercised significant influence.

9:04 a.m. – Alex Murdaugh arrived in a large black van. He was wearing dress clothes and appeared to hide his shackled hands under a blazer. As was helped out of the van and escorted inside by multiple armed security guards.

The courthouse lawn and surrounding area were packed with media.