CNN
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The homicide trial of disgraced South Carolina legal professional Alex Murdaugh is underway on the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, a small city about 40 miles east of Charleston. The case goes again to June 2021, when Murdaugh’s spouse and son have been discovered shot to loss of life on the household’s Islandton property, generally known as Moselle.
Murdaugh has pleaded not responsible to 2 counts of homicide and two counts of possession of a weapon through the fee of a violent crime associated to his spouse and son’s deaths. Separate from the homicide costs, he’s additionally going through 99 costs stemming for alleged monetary crimes.
Listed below are the important thing gamers within the homicide trial:
Now disbarred, Murdaugh is a member of a distinguished authorized household within the South Carolina Lowcountry. Three generations of his household over 87 years have served as solicitor for the 14th Circuit, which oversaw prosecutions all through the realm. A portrait of his late grandfather, one of many solicitors, had held on the wall of the courtroom; it was eliminated earlier than trial. Murdaugh has pleaded not responsible to the costs.
Alex Murdaugh’s spouse, who was 52 when she was discovered fatally shot with the couple’s youthful son on the household’s Moselle property on June 7, 2021.
Alex Murdaugh’s 22-year-old son, who was discovered fatally shot together with his mom on the household’s Moselle property on June 7, 2021. On the time, he was going through costs of sailing below the affect, inflicting nice bodily hurt and inflicting loss of life in connection to a 2019 boat crash that claimed the lifetime of 19-year-old Mallory Seaside, courtroom information present. He had pleaded not responsible, and the costs have been dropped after his loss of life.
South Carolina senior assistant deputy legal professional common and lead prosecutor. He has been concerned with the case since 2021. The state legal professional common’s workplace is prosecuting the case due to the Murdaugh household’s shut ties to the native solicitor’s workplace.
One in every of Alex Murdaugh’s protection attorneys, together with Jim Griffin. Harpootlian is a South Carolina state senator and legal professional whose Columbia-based apply focuses on felony protection.
One in every of Alex Murdaugh’s protection attorneys, together with Dick Harpootlian. A former federal prosecutor, he now works as a state and federal felony protection legal professional primarily based in Columbia, South Carolina.
The South Carolina Circuit Courtroom choose listening to the case. He has been on the bench since 2000. Newman has presided over varied proceedings within the Murdaugh case since 2021.
A former shopper of Alex Murdaugh. Murdaugh instructed authorities he conspired with Smith to kill Murdaugh as a part of an insurance coverage fraud scheme, per courtroom paperwork, purportedly so Murdaugh’s surviving son, Buster, may acquire a $10 million life insurance coverage payout. Smith admitted in 2021 to being current on the capturing and disposing of the firearm afterward, in line with an affidavit.
Alex Murdaugh’s surviving son. He was in courtroom for opening statements – the primary time he has appeared at authorized proceedings for his father – and is listed as a witness at trial. His father’s scheme for Smith to kill Murdaugh was “an try on his half to do one thing to guard his youngster (Buster),” Harpootlian, the legal professional, stated.
Alex Murdaugh’s youthful brother. He’s listed as a witness at trial and accompanied Buster Murdaugh to courtroom this week.
The Murdaugh household’s longtime housekeeper who died in 2018 in what was described as a “journey and fall accident” at their residence. Murdaugh is accused of misappropriating funds meant for Satterfield’s household as a part of a wrongful loss of life settlement.
An skilled in bloodstain sample evaluation who analyzed the shirt worn by Alex Murdaugh on the night time his spouse and son have been killed. In a movement filed simply earlier than the trial, the protection requested the courtroom to ban Bevel from testifying.
