A disgraced South Carolina attorney taking the stand in his own double homicide trial made a bombshell admission in his Thursday testimony.
Alex Murdaugh is facing two first-degree murder charges in connection to the shooting deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh — his wife and son.
Alex Murdaugh admitted that he initially misled police about his location on the June 2021 night in which his family members were murdered.
The disbarred attorney revealed that he was at the dog kennels of his South Carolina family property in the minutes preceding the shootings — having previously claimed he was inside the family home sleeping on a couch, according to WJCL.
“I did lie to them.”
Alex Murdaugh, on the stand, admits to lying to SLED officers on the night his wife and son were murdered.
He says his addiction produced a paranoia that influenced his decision-making.#AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughFamily #Murdaugh pic.twitter.com/0YW47bUB7s
— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@WFLAJB) February 23, 2023
Murdaugh claimed that his mistrust for law enforcement and an addiction to opioids fueled his decision to lie about his location before the shootings.
The defendant also cited his own “paranoia” as a factor in his decision to mislead the police.
Will Murdaugh be found guilty?
Yes: 88% (49 Votes)
No: 12% (7 Votes)
One key piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case involves a video in which a male voice can be heard in the dog kennels — moments before the shootings.
Multiple witnesses have claimed that the voice in question is Alex Murdaugh’s.
Owen asks #AlexMurdaugh about the kennel video where three distinctive voices can be heard. Owen says Rogan Gibson told him that he recognized Murdaugh’s voice. Murdaugh claims it was not his voice in the video. During the trial, many witnesses testified that it is Alex’s voice. pic.twitter.com/e0ggenDGO8
— Joseph Leonard | WSAV (@JLeonardNews) February 15, 2023
The defendant admitted that the voice was his, according to CNN.
However, he denied that he killed his family members, claiming he left the kennels and later discovered the bodies of his wife and son at his Islandton residence.
Murdaugh claimed that a dispute following a fatal boat crash could have led to the retribution killings of his wife and son, according to CBS News.
South Carolina state prosecutor Creighton Waters challenged Murdaugh’s theory of a targeted hit on his family members on the part of their aggrieved enemies during cross-examination.
WHAT A MOMENT! 💯⚖️🎥 This may be the best moment of the cross so far! What do YOU think, #Courties? @CourtTV @CourtTVUK #Murdaugh #MurdaughTrial #AlexMurdaugh pic.twitter.com/XaPKXOzyIP
— Julie Grant (@JulieCourtTV) February 24, 2023
The dramatic homicide trial has been described as South Carolina’s “trial of the century,” according to Fits News.
The prosecution rested its case in the proceedings on Friday.