Who is Mushelle Smith? 'Fidgety' Alex Murdaugh allegedly offered mom Libby's caretaker money to support fake alibi
WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA: Mushelle Smith, the caretaker of Alex Murdaugh's mother, Libby Murdaugh, testified in court on Monday, February 6 that he had asked her to claim that he was present at his mother's home the night his wife and son were killed. Three days after Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were killed in the family's Colleton County home, Alex's father, Randall Murdaugh III, died.
Smith testified in court that Alex came to his mother's house in Varnville on the day of Randall's funeral and informed her that he had been there for 30 to 40 minutes the night of the killings. The caretaker, however, asserted that Alex was only present for 20 minutes on the contested night, not counting the five minutes it took him to enter the house. She claimed that Alex withheld the purpose of his desire for her to know this information from her. The conversation allegedly alarmed Smith, who worked an 8 pm to 8 am shift at the Libby Murdaugh residence, so much that she allegedly contacted her brother, the assistant chief of the Varnville police.
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'A good family and I love working there, I am sorry all this happened'
Smith claimed when testifying that Alex arrived at her house the night of the killings at 9 pm, which she believed to be an exceptionally late time. Even though he was standing right outside the house, he allegedly contacted the house phone to let them know he was there.
HUGE!
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) February 6, 2023
At the visitation following #AlexMurdaugh's father's funeral, Murdaugh told Smith (basically) to say that he was at the house visiting his mother for 30-40 mins the night of the murders. She says he was not there. Smith start crying on the stand. pic.twitter.com/vo28o4JuIh
Smith testified that Alex appeared "fidgety" and had made an unusual decision to visit his mother the night of the killings, during cross-examination. Following the killings, he then seemed to be attempting to bribe Smith for verifying the claim of his visit by offering to assist her financially and provide her with another job.
Smith stated that during one of their subsequent conversations, he inquired about her upcoming wedding—something he had never done before—and offered to "help her out" with the expense. However, she claimed that in addition to trying to assist her with wedding costs, he also offered to pull strings to help her get a better position at the school where she was already employed.
The caretaker of Alex Murdaugh's mother testified to seeing the defendant on the night of the murders carrying what appeared to be "a blue tarp."
— Court TV (@CourtTV) February 6, 2023
WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/SvZDNMtns4 pic.twitter.com/Be3NHg9yRL
Smith claimed that Alex returned to his mother's home a few days after his initial offer to cover the wedding expenses and left behind what seemed to be a blue tarp. She stated that he arrived at 6.30 am, which was a time he had never previously visited. When asked if Alex checked on his mother during the brief visit, Smith replied she couldn't remember.
Prosecutors claimed that when they searched the house, they found a blue raincoat that was covered in gunshot wounds. Smith insisted during cross-examination that the blue object was a tarp and not a raincoat.
Smith broke down in tears and referred to Alex and his family as "a good family" when she testified in court about caring for Libby, who has Alzheimer's. She said, "A good family and I love working there. I am sorry all this happened."
Who is Mushelle Smith?
Mushelle Smith, the caretaker for Alex Murdaugh's mother, was born in Hampton County, South Carolina. She married after completing her graduation from high school at Wade Hampton and had four children, all of whom are now adults. She began working for the school district in 1995 and has remained employed there while raising her children.
In addition, Smith has been working on the church's kitchen ministry in Fairfax, South Carolina, and she still does so today. Smith, who has eight grandchildren, eventually began working in the private homecare sector approximately ten to twelve years ago. For the past 28 years or more, she has provided full service in the Hampton County district. She had been working as a caregiver to Libby since October 2019