Jury visits crime scene, hears closing arguments in Alex Murdaugh murder trial

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The jury will take a trip to Moselle first thing Wednesday morning to visit the scene of the crimes.

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

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Witness testimony finally ended Tuesday evening, just over a month after it first began.

The state called six rebuttal witnesses, and most of the day’s testimony was focused on disproving theories put forth by the defense about how the crime happened.

Dr. Ellen Riemer, the MUSC pathologist who conducted Maggie and Paul’s autopsies, contradicted the defense’s narrative that Paul was shot at contact range in the back of the head. She said that in over 20 years and thousands of autopsies, she has never seen a contact-range shot that did not blow the victim’s face off. She said Paul’s injuries were consistent with the wound to his head being an exit wound.

Dr. Kenneth Kinsey debunked several suggestions by a defense witness, including that the shooter was inside the feed room and that the shooter couldn’t have been taller than around 5’2. Attorney general Alan Wilson made his first appearance in the case to question Kinsey.

The defense worked to discredit state witnesses, at one point even moving to have the expert qualifications of Paul McManigal revoked. McManigal was asked by the state to conduct physical tests on an iPhone investigating the raise to wake feature. Defense argued he was qualified as an expert in cell phone forensics such as extracting data, not conducting physical tests on phones. That motion was denied.

Defense also called into question several witnesses’ motives for testifying against Murdaugh, including his longtime friend and former law partner, Ronnie Crosby. Harpootlian suggested that Crosby was testifying against Murdaugh because he was angry about having to help pay back all the money Murdaugh stole, and for the havoc he wreaked on their law firm. Crosby denied the accusation and said he found it very offensive.

The state also called another former law partner of Murdaugh, Mark Ball, and former Hampton County Sheriff TC Smalls to the stand.

The jury will visit Moselle first thing Wednesday morning. Jurors were instructed not to discuss the case on the way to and from Moselle and will not be allowed to ask anyone other than Judge Newman questions while at the property. Judge Newman hopes to resume court by around 11:00 a.m., at which point the jury will be charged and hear closing arguments. Depending on how long closing arguments take, the jury could begin deliberations as soon as Wednesday evening.

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