How Alex Murdaugh's slain son Paul 'helped solve his own murder' as lawyer set to serve life in prison
WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA: A juror in Alex Murdaugh's homicide trial has said he believes the disgraced lawyer's murdered son Paul helped solve his own murder. A video from Paul's cell phone, which placed his father at the crime scene, was a major piece of evidence that helped prove Murdaugh guilty.
The juror told Fox News Digital that the dog kennel video was a "crucial piece of evidence" as they deliberated the case. James, who did not reveal his last name, said the panel prayed together before entering the courtroom. "We prayed together. We prayed before we went in, we prayed before we came out to give the verdict," said James, who was known as juror No. 530. "That was a huge factor in us being able to sit comfortably with our decision," the juror added.
RELATED ARTICLES
James said that in a way, Paul helped solve his own murder. "It says a lot that somebody that couldn't speak, somebody that couldn't be a witness was able to be a witness even after they passed away," he said.
Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul after jurors deliberated for three hours Thursday, March 2, 2023. The 54-year-old trembled as the verdict was read at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina. This came after six weeks of testimony. He was later sentenced to life in prison.
The murders of Maggie and Paul
Murdaugh, who was already in prison for charges relating to embezzlement and fraud, allegedly shot Paul once in the head and once in the chest. Maggie, on the other hand, was shot multiple times with an assault rifle. According to reports, the gunshot wounds were inflicted "execution-style." According to sources, Paul's body was found partially inside one of the kennels, but Maggie's body was found several feet away. This suggests that she may have been running from her killer when she was attacked. Murdaugh had told investigators after the murders that he was visiting his dying father and mother about 11 miles away at their home in Varnville when the crime occurred.
How Paul helped solve his own murder
However, it was revealed that audio and video obtained from Paul's cellphone, which was found near his body, indicated that Murdaugh was speaking with Maggie at the time of her death. Not only that but "high-velocity impact spatter" of blood found on his clothing that night places him at the crime scene when at least one of the victims died, according to FITSNews. Patterns in bloodstains and other bodily fluids can help investigators understand what happened at the time of violent death as it relates to the positioning of the victim and the suspect.
Murdaugh's statements from the stand last week where he admitted to lying about his whereabouts on the night of the slayings was reportedly one of the state's strongest pieces of evidence. While he initially said he was not at the dog kennels before the murders, he changed his account after jurors listened to an audio tape that placed him at the crime scene moments before the murders took place.
