Defense to cross-examine SLED agent in Alex Murdaugh’s roadside shooting

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The jury in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial will continue hearing evidence Friday about his September 4, 2021, roadside shooting in a botched suicide-for-hire scheme.

Murdaugh is accused of killing his wife Margaret and youngest son Paul at their family property in June of 2021.

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The decision to allow the roadside shooting testimony came after Judge Clifton Newman previously ruled it would not be allowed because it lacked sufficient relevance to this case. After questioning by the defense brought up Curtis Eddie Smith, Judge Newman reversed the decision, saying the door had been opened.

SLED agent Ryan Kelly, who investigated the roadside shooting, testified Thursday, and a recording of a September 13, 2021 interview he conducted with Murdaugh and Murdaugh’s lawyers was played in court. During that phone call, Murdaugh admitted to orchestrating the scheme. It was the same weekend he was fired from his law firm for stealing client funds and the same day he was confronted by Chris Wilson about the missing Farris fees. Murdaugh said that he knew he was about to lose everything and he thought his family would be better off without him, so he asked his longtime drug dealer, Curtis Eddie Smith, to shoot him on the side of the road.

The prosecution hopes to show a pattern of violence and deceit by Murdaugh, especially when he is backed into a corner. They also hoped portions of the testimony would debunk a theory introduced Wednesday by the defense suggesting a local drug gang killed Maggie and Paul. In the interview, Kelly asks Murdaugh if he owes money to any drug gangs and if there may be a threat to Buster. Murdaugh says no.

However, Griffin is quick to point out in the interview that whether Murdaugh owes someone money is dependent upon whether Smith was paying all of what Murdaugh gave him.

Defense is expected to pick up cross-examination of Kelly at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

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10:04 a.m. – In redirect, State Prosecutor Creighton Waters asks Kelly if Murdaugh gave consistent, coherent answers when he was interviewed multiple times in the hospital. Kelly says yes.

Waters asks if a phone interview was the preferred method for the September 13 interview. Kelly says that they wanted to go to wherever Murdaugh was, they didn’t know and interview him in person, but that was not an option. Murdaugh’s lawyers offered a phone interview, so they took what they could get.

Harpootlian asks if Kelly at any point in time told Murdaugh’s family that they only wanted to talk to Murdaugh while he was in rehab to show him a picture of the truck. Kelly says they wanted to ask him about that, among other things. Harpootlian

9:35 a.m. – Court is in session. Defense begins cross-examining SLED senior special agent Ryan Kelly, who investigated Murdaugh’s roadside shooting.

Harpootlian goes over Murdaugh’s medical records confirming he suffered a brain bleed. He shows Kelly photos of Murdaugh taken by medical personnel.

They discuss the phone interview Kelly conducted with Murdaugh and his lawyers on September 13, 2021.

After Murdaugh admitted to the scheme, it was agreed that he would be brought directly from the rehab facility in Orlando to Hampton County to be charged. Kelly says the agreement was that Griffin and Harpootlian would bring Murdaugh directly to Hampton with no stops, but SLED “encountered” Murdaugh and Buster at Alameda, and he was arrested there. Kelly says he doesn’t fault Buster and that he didn’t know he was doing anything wrong, but it was out of the scope of the agreement.

Murdaugh was allowed to return to rehab in Orlando after his arraignment, then was extradited from Orlando again.

Harpootlian hones in on the fact that Murdaugh willingly admitted to all of his crimes and was indicted upon that admission. Kelly says they already knew about the crimes, Murdaugh just confirmed them.

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