Who is John Bedingfield? Alex Murdaugh’s cousin reveals he gifted 2 Blackout AR-15 rifles to disgraced lawyer’s sons
WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA: Another shocking revelation has been made during a discussion on Tuesday afternoon, January 31, in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial. Murdaugh's second cousin testified that between 2016 and 2018, he custom-built three AR-style rifles for him. The 54-year-old is accused of shooting his son Paul Murdaugh, 22, at close range with a shotgun, and his wife Maggie, 52, with a rifle. He is also believed to be the sole party in the 2021 murders that took place on their Colleton County family property.
Murdaugh's cousin John Bedingfield took the stand to roll out some more vital information. Bedingfield says that he built two .300 Blackout rifles for Alex Murdaugh at a cost of $9,188 as Christmas gifts for his sons in 2016. He further revealed that he built a basic rifle for Maggie Murdaugh in April 2018 for $875. The weapon in the discussion made for Maggie is similar to the one the investigators found where she was murdered. According to Bedingfield, Murdaugh had a good relationship with his boys. He tells the court, "It was always good. When he called me he was excited about getting these (rifles) for his boys," as per Independent. Alex was reportedly filmed driving away from the lodge an hour before he called 911 to report the slayings and is believed to have carried out the double homicide after visiting his mother.
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Who is John Bedingfield?
Bedingfield is a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources agent and also a custom gunmaker. He also has a firearm license. Bedingfield had made several of these .300 Blackout rifles, He explains that these were used by the locals for hunting hogs. Bedingfield says, "They’re (hogs) a severe nuisance in this region." He claims that he had sold so many of these rifles that he could not give a particular number.
It is explained by Bedingfield that Murdaugh approached him again in April 2018 for a third .300 Blackout rifle saying that Paul had lost his. Alex Murdaugh paid $9,188 for the first two .300 Blackout rifles in 2016 and the third one cost him $875. The change in price was due to the absence of a thermal scope or suppressor. Moreover, Bedingfield further claims that it was Maggie who picked up the guns when they were ready.
What kind of rifles did Alex Murdaugh use in the murders?
Bedingfield provided his brother with .300 Blackout AR-15-style rifles. It is an intermediate cartridge with increased performance in shorter barrels and effective subsonic performance. It is an innovative cartridge that bridges the gap between intermediate calibers and full-power. 30-caliber rounds, providing flexibility and performance in a familiar and lightweight package. It is usually used for target shooting, hunting, home defense, and plinking. As Bedingfield explained, most of his customers used this rifle for hunting hogs.