Snapchat video sent by Alex Murdaugh's son Paul to pals before death 'critical' to case, claim lawyers
COLLETON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: Prosecutors in South Carolina claim that Paul Murdaugh, 22, sent a Snapchat video to his pals just moments before he was shot and died. The trial for Paul's father Alex Murdaugh, a member of one of the most illustrious legal families in the state, who is accused of killing his son, Paul and wife Maggie Murdaugh will begin on Monday, January 23.
Paul, 22, and Maggie, 52, were found dead in June 2021 at the hunting lodge owned by the Murdaugh family. Authorities claim that Alex, 65, lured his wife and son to the 1,700-acre lodge and shot them because his life was out of control due to years of opioid abuse and mounting debts. The trial of Alex, who pled not guilty in June, is anticipated to last three weeks and will be closely watched around the country due to the outrageous allegations of dark family secrets, financial collapse, and hedonistic excess. On Wednesday, January 18, prosecutors claimed that the Snapchat video Paul shared with his pals was "critical to the case."
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Paul had sent the video to his pals on the evening of his death just before 8 pm. Investigators believe that he and his mother were killed between 9 and 9.30 pm. The prosecutors are seeking permission to call a Snapchat executive to testify on the legitimacy of the video.
Creighton Waters, senior associate deputy attorney general, wrote, "Amongst other things, critical to the case is a video sent out to several friends at approximately 7:56 p.m. on the night of the murders. The contents of this video is important to proving the State's case in chief," as reported by the Daily Mail.
Waters stated, "Because this video was provided by Snapchat, a Snapchat custodian is required to testify in person that the video is a true and accurate record kept in the normal course of business activity." Judge Clifton Newman granted Waters' request for the Snapchat executive to appear in court by approving the order.
The contents of the Snapchat video have been kept private. A grand jury filed charges against Alex in July 2022. Jury selection will kick off the trial in Colleton County, which is slated to last through February 10, and will begin with jury selection.