Photo: Grace Beahm Alford/USA Today
WhenAlex Murdaughtook the stand on February 23 to answer questions about the murders of his wife,Maggie, and son,Paul, a hush fell over the packed courtroom.
Murdaugh quickly grew emotional during his testimony in which he vehemently denied killing his family. “I didn’t shoot my wife or my son. Anytime. Ever,” he told the jury, fighting back tears. “I would never do anything to hurt them.”
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Murdaugh is accused of shooting Paul, 22, and Maggie, 52, on the evening of June 7, 2021. While the state has not presented a definitive motive, prosecutors believe that he committed the murders as he battled a mountain of personal and financial issues.
Paul was shot in the chest and head with a shotgun at close range. Maggie was shot multiple times, including one shot in the back and additional shots while she was lying on the ground. She had been shot with 300 Blackout ammo from an AR-style rifle. Both of them were pronounced dead at the scene.
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As South Carolina residents heard the testimony, even those who were once friends with the Murdaughs began to question what they thought they knew about Alex, who was the scion of one of the most influential and powerful families in the region.
“I think people are still blown away at how big this is and how sick and greedy he really was,” a former Murdaugh family friend tells PEOPLE. “How did he just think he’s going to get away with all of this?”
From left, Buster Murdaugh, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, Paul Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh.Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook
Murdaugh, 54, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two related weapons charges. He has pleaded not guilty and is in the midst of a protracted trial.
Once a prominent attorney in South Carolina, Murdaugh has been disbarred from practicing law. He faces more than 85 criminal charges in addition to the murder counts, many of which were uncovered after police began investigating the family after the murders. Those cases will be tried after the murder case is resolved.
As Murdaugh’s life has crashed down around him, some people close to him are wrestling with conflicting emotions.
“I knew Alex for more than 25 years,” says a former law partner. “He was a friend. But hearing everything that he is accused of doing – from the murders to the fraud to the drugs to the theft – it just feels so personal. Like he betrayed everyone. And no matter what happens in this case, I’ll never forgive him for that.
source: people.com
