Alex Murdaugh greets jury pool during second day of selections

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh greeted a pool of potential jurors Tuesday morning as the second day of selections began inside a Colleton County courtroom.

The fourth and final group of prospective jurors arrived at the courthouse to answer questions from Judge Clifton Newman as he worked to sift out those who he deemed ineligible to serve during the double murder trial.

Murdaugh, wearing tan pants and a gray plaid dress shirt, closely watched each potential juror as they stood one by one to answer questions asked by the judge. News 2’s reporter in the courtroom, Riley Benson, said Murdaugh remained engaged and discussed each response with his legal team.

But one moment that caught a lot of attention in the courtroom was when Murdaugh stood up, turned around to face the jury, and told them “good morning” after being addressed by Judge Newman. Some members returned the greeting.

It was something Murdaugh had not done with the previous three juror panels.

“It’s still his people. This is his town, his county – this is why we are in Colleton County,” remarked attorney Ronnie Richter, one of the attorneys for the Estate of Gloria Satterfield, in an interview with News 2. “He had the right to be here. If I were on the defense team, I would insist to be here as well – so, I’m not surprised at all to see Alex feel comfortable in front of his own people.”

Much smaller groups of potential jurors will reconvene at the courthouse on Wednesday morning where they will be narrowed down to a group of 12 and some alternates.

Judge Newman is expected to review some pre-trial motions on Tuesday afternoon which could play a major role in the future of the double murder trial including blood spatter, ballistics analysis, and motive.