Two jurors dismissed due to COVID-19 in Alex Murdaugh murder trial

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Witness testimony will resume Monday as the Alex Murdaugh murder trial enters its fourth week.

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

WATCH: ALEX MURDAUGH MURDER TRIAL: DAY 15 RECAP

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Sparks flew Friday as Murdaugh’s defense team moved for a mistrial, which was quickly denied by Judge Clifton Newman.

The motion came as prosecutors examined Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, who worked as a housekeeper for the Murdaughs. She described a conversation she had with Maggie months before the murders when Maggie broke down in tears over the boat crash lawsuit.

The state is hoping to use that testimony, along with the testimony of Mark Tinsley — an attorney for the boat crash victims — to prove that investigations connected to the boat crash case put Murduagh in a corner. They claim he murdered Maggie and Paul to distract from his other crimes.

Murdaugh’s defense team says the theory is unfounded and that Murdaugh was a loving father and husband. They also used Simpson’s testimony to highlight what they claim was a botched investigation from the start, noting that SLED let Simpson go into the home alone the day after the murders and clean up.

The jury also heard from a caregiver for Murdaugh’s mother and an FBI expert in historical cell phone location analysis who plotted out the movements of Paul, Maggie, and Alex’s phones the night of the murders.

Court is set to resume at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

ALEX MURDAUGH MURDER TRIAL LIVE BLOG:

10:09 a.m. – The jury is brought in.

10:02 a.m. – Waters says that additional information from GM came in regarding a search warrant on Murdaugh’s vehicle over the weekened. He says it is a “substantial amount of information” and it includes GPS data, including specific location points. Waters says it is “confirmatory of the timeline” that has already been presented to the jury.

Defense also had a chance to look at the data. Harpootlian says it is a massive amount of information. It shows car speed, location, etc. He says a lot of the evidence is in the defense’s favor. However, Harpootlian says defense will not be ready to cross-examine the state’s expert until defense’s experts examine the data on a granular level. He says he hopes that will be done in two to three days.

9:47 a.m. – Court is in session. Judge Clifton Newman alerts the court that two jurors have tested positive for COVID-19. Those jurors were dismissed and alternates were brought in.

Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian, having recently had COVID-19 himself, asks if the rest of the jury could have been exposed and is just not showing positive yet? State prosecutor Creighton Waters echoes the concern. They say they worry that the jury will continuosly infect themselves and it will result in a mistrial and ask if delaying a few days then retesting would be better.

Judge Newman says a doctor addressed those concerns. He says the jurors were tested Monday morning and will be retested Wednesday. He also says everyone in the court room should probably be wearing masks.

As of Monday, there are only three alternate jurors left. One was dismissed previously after being admitted to the ER. The other two were called in as jurors after the two jurors with COVID-19 were dismissed. Judge Newman says that the longer the trial goes on, the higher the likelihood of attrition.

Harpootlian and Waters together raise the concern of the large galley. Judge Newman asks if he should issue a mask mandate in the courtroom. Waters says yes and suggests considering some level of social distancing or reducing the number of people in the courtroom. Newman says that he is not going to order social distancing, and at this point he is going to strongly suggest masks, but he may issue an order if one becomes necessary.

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