I know there are a few trial watchers/followers here…Alex Murdaugh is going to testify in his own defense this AM

[pinball]

Trial is short break now.

pretty sure he taking stand when they come back

it is now Thurs AM at 1024 am

[pinball]

I want to say I don’t think the State proved their case.

And I’m leaning towards Murdaugh is innocent of murdering his wife and son

[lauraw4321]

1 hour ago, pinball said:

I want to say I don’t think the State proved their case.

And I’m leaning towards Murdaugh is innocent of murdering his wife and son

Whoa. I definitely think they did. I’m shocked they are letting him take the stand. Will be very interesting. 

[Annie G]

I’m more interested in wrongful conviction cases, and have never watched a trial before until this one. Not even the OJ one!

However, this guy and his family have grabbed my attention ever since the boat accident. I don’t think the state proved HE killed Maggie and Paul, but I absolutely think he is involved, likely hiring it done.  We’ve been gone all day and are just now tuning  in. Recorded this morning’s proceedings in anticipation of seeing Alex testify. 
‘Look forward to hearing what you guys think.

[pinball]

1 hour ago, lauraw4321 said:

Whoa. I definitely think they did. I’m shocked they are letting him take the stand. Will be very interesting. 

One of the biggest issues…they never found the gun that killed Maggie and had no explanation about what Alex could have done with it, had he been the murderer 

[lauraw4321]

2 minutes ago, pinball said:

One of the biggest issues…they never found the gun that killed Maggie and had no explanation about what Alex could have done with it, had he been the murderer 

He ditched it somewhere or had help ditching it. He had time to, it seems and it’s not a required element that they have to prove. 

[pinball]

6 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

He ditched it somewhere or had help ditching it. He had time to, it seems and it’s not a required element that they have to prove. 

Where? Who? Prosecution has not indicated anyone else is involved. 
 

if they can’t produce the weapon or give an explanation why ( which they didn’t)…that’s a big hole

[lmrich]

My dh grew up near  there and knows the family.  I can't believe Alex would have done it, but the timing for anyone else to do it is awfully tight. And, wow, that man lies and  lies and lies... If he was on drugs and all the information about him stealing millions had come   out... I don't know. 

Still can't believe the trial is in  Hampton County. That family was well-known by so many people; it still has a small -town feel. The good old boys way is the way and creates a toxic environment.  

[lauraw4321]

1 hour ago, pinball said:

Where? Who? Prosecution has not indicated anyone else is involved. 
 

if they can’t produce the weapon or give an explanation why ( which they didn’t)…that’s a big hole

He probably threw it on the side of the road as he drove to Almeda. Could take years to find, if it’s ever found. 

[pinball]

21 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

He probably threw it on the side of the road as he drove to Almeda. Could take years to find, if it’s ever found. 

If I was on the jury, that would NOT be a good enough explanation

Edited February 23, 2023 by pinball

[lauraw4321]

1 minute ago, pinball said:

If I was on the jury, that would be a good enough explanation

They can’t present evidence of some thing that they don’t have evidence of. They can’t speculate like that, except maybe in closing argument, but I would object if I were the defense. But jurors are allowed to use common sense to fill in blanks. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by lauraw4321

[pinball]

4 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

They can’t present evidence of some thing that they don’t have evidence of. They can’t speculate like that, except maybe in closing argument, but I would object if I were the defense. But jurors are allowed to use common sense to fill in blanks. 

Right…and I’m saying it is a huge chunk of the crime…the murder weapon! And the prosecution doesn’t have it.

 

[pinball]

Short break then prosecution starts to question Murdaugh 

it is 338 PM on Thursday

[lauraw4321]

30 minutes ago, pinball said:

Right…and I’m saying it is a huge chunk of the crime…the murder weapon! And the prosecution doesn’t have it.

 

Sorry, I see you added the NOT.

Most criminal cases have far less evidence of guilt than this one. The state expended more than enough resources in gathering the evidence it did. It would be wasteful to spend even more trying to find the gun.

Essentially no one knew M&P were there. He was with them (after repeatedly, repeatedly saying that  he wasn't) minutes before they were murdered. He pressured the caretaker at Almeda to lie. He pressured Bianca to lie. He showered and changed clothes. He would have heard the shots. It doesn't make sense for him to not go by the kennels on his way out. He claimed to have touched them yet he had no blood on them. 

If the jury doesn't convict, my guess is jury tampering.

[pinball]

13 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

Sorry, I see you added the NOT.

Most criminal cases have far less evidence of guilt than this one. The state expended more than enough resources in gathering the evidence it did. It would be wasteful to spend even more trying to find the gun.

Essentially no one knew M&P were there. He was with them (after repeatedly, repeatedly saying that  he wasn't) minutes before they were murdered. He pressured the caretaker at Almeda to lie. He pressured Bianca to lie. He showered and changed clothes. He would have heard the shots. It doesn't make sense for him to not go by the kennels on his way out. He claimed to have touched them yet he had no blood on them. 

If the jury doesn't convict, my guess is jury tampering.

Yeah, I tried to edit after I saw left out NOT…too slow by 1 minute.

I think her name is Blanca…I saw her testimony and don’t remember her sayingg she pressured him. I found this on Today show site. If he pressured her,and she testified to it, it wasn’t included in this article. And it’s pretty important if it happened so I’d think it’d be here:

Simpson said in the months after the murders, Murdaugh asked her if she recalled what he was wearing and said, “‘I got a bad feeling.’” She said he asked her if she remembered the shirt he was wearing and that it was the brand “Vinny Vines.”

But she said she only remembered a blue-colored polo shirt.

“In my mind, I was saying I don’t remember a Vines shirt. It was the polo shirt,” Simpson said. “I didn’t say anything, but I was kind of thrown back because I don’t remember him wearing that shirt that day.”

Have you ever, ever, ever seen that shirt again?” Meadors later asked.

“Not to my knowledge,” Simpson said.

Under cross-examination, Simpson testified that she never saw blood on the khaki pants she had cleaned.

[pinball]

Social media is talking about verdict being in…

But where I watch the trial, the trial stream hasn’t started

grain o’salt…

It is Thurs PM at 651 PM

Edited March 2, 2023 by pinball

[pinball]

Guilty on all counts

[Annie G]

I’m shocked that they returned a verdict so quickly,  it glad it’s over. 

[teachermom2834]

I’m shocked. I followed it and definitely thought he was guilty but really thought he was a good enough witness for himself to plant reasonable doubt in the mind of one juror. Shocked it was guilty so quickly. 

[Sneezyone]

And, he was found guilty. Done and done. End of a criminal family/toxic line imo.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Sneezyone

[lmrich]

Wow! Just three hours and guilty. I just  could not understand the  timeline nor how you sleep  through  that  many loud gunshots! 

[Sneezyone]

2 minutes ago, lmrich said:

Wow! Just three hours and guilty. I just  could not understand the  timeline nor how you sleep  through  that  many loud gunshots! 

I don’t think we give jurors enough credit. The defense was counting on ‘standing’ to excuse the discrepancies. His cross exam was devastatingly bad.

[Grace Hopper]

Just now, Sneezyone said:

I don’t think we give jurors enough credit. The defense was counting on ‘standing’ to excuse the discrepancies. His cross exam was devastatingly bad.

I heard the defense also made an awful summation - and that it was like 3 hours long? Is that true?

[Sneezyone]

1 minute ago, Grace Hopper said:

I heard the defense also made an awful summation - and that it was like 3 hours long? Is that true?

It was estimated to last 90 minutes. It exceeded that and didn’t help. I think most people can see thru foolery. This defense was all about ‘squirrel’!  I’m often disappointed with jury verdicts that rest on technicalities vs justice or truth but don’t think this is one of those questionable verdicts.

[lmrich]

Just now, Grace Hopper said:

I heard the defense also made an awful summation - and that it was like 3 hours long? Is that true?

and what else  could they say  -  our  client lies  and has  stolen  from his needy and injured clients but somehow  you need to believe him and not common sense nor cell phone  data. So glad the jury was able to deliver their  verdict. I was kind of suprised of what the judge said to  them. He basically said that they got it right.

[Grace Hopper]

1 minute ago, lmrich said:

and what else  could they say  -  our  client lies  and has  stolen  from his needy and injured clients but somehow  you need to believe him and not common sense nor cell phone  data. So glad the jury was able to deliver their  verdict. I was kind of suprised of what the judge said to  them. He basically said that they got it right.

I did catch the ending there when the defense asked for a mistrial (I think). The judge pretty quickly squashed that. 
 

I was cooking when it was on the radio. Did I hear correctly that sentencing will be tomorrow morning? That seems really quick. 

[lmrich]

53 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

I did catch the ending there when the defense asked for a mistrial (I think). The judge pretty quickly squashed that. 
 

I was cooking when it was on the radio. Did I hear correctly that sentencing will be tomorrow morning? That seems really quick. 

Yes sentencing tomorrow at 9:30.

[lauraw4321]

I’m shocked. I expected weeks of deliberation and a hung jury. I’m glad that justice was served. 

[Mothersweets]

Wow! Wow! Wow! That was quick! I was NOT expecting the jury to come back with a verdict so quickly. I think they gave the correct verdict but the whole thing is so sad. 

[lauraw4321]

1 hour ago, Mothersweets said:

Wow! Wow! Wow! That was quick! I was NOT expecting the jury to come back with a verdict so quickly. I think they gave the correct verdict but the whole thing is so sad. 

It is so sad. I feel so sad for Buster. 

[Chelli]

2 hours ago, lauraw4321 said:

It is so sad. I feel so sad for Buster. 

Considering there have been rumors that he was involved in a death back in 2015, I'm skeptical about where he fits in the whole messed up family. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by Chelli

[pinball]

On 2/23/2023 at 4:12 PM, lauraw4321 said:

If the jury doesn't convict, my guess is jury tampering.

 

10 hours ago, lauraw4321 said:

I’m shocked. I expected weeks of deliberation and a hung jury. I’m glad that justice was served. 

At least there wasn’t jury tampering, huh? 

[pinball]

5 hours ago, Chelli said:

the whole messed up family. 

The reason southern gothics are a thing

[lauraw4321]

5 hours ago, Chelli said:

Considering there have been rumors that he was involved in a death back in 2015, I'm skeptical about where he fits in the whole messed up family. 

I know about the Smith case. Regardless of his involvement, he didn’t deserve to have his family annihilated. While he probably thinks his dad is innocent, there has to be some bit of doubt. Can you imagine? 

[pinball]

Sentenced to two (2) consecutive life terms…

No possibility of early release in SC

[Annie G]

It was interesting to listen to the judge during sentencing. The whole sentencing was so quick, but the judge took his time basically telling Alex what a monster he is. 
 

Also heard the judge’s 40 year old son passed away in January after a cardiac event. Hasn’t had much time to grieve, and I’m sure it was extra difficult to sit there day after day listening to testimony about a man murdering his son.