Alex Murdaugh’s defense to give closing arguments as trial nears conclusion

Alex Murdaugh murder trial: Defense gives closing arguments to jury - The Washington Post
The defense attorneys for Alex Murdaugh, the disbarred South Carolina lawyer accused of killing his wife and son in a case that has gained worldwide attention, will deliver closing arguments Thursday after prosecutors described Murdaugh as a “family annihilator” who repeatedly lied to salvage his family’s legal dynasty. Closings began Wednesday after jurors returned from visiting Moselle, the sprawling hunting estate in Islandton, S.C., where Murdaugh found his wife, Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, dead on June 7, 2021. Murdaugh’s defense attorneys have argued during the murder trial that no physical evidence connects Murdaugh to the scene of the crime, and prosecutors have staked their case on what they say are his years of financial shadiness, opioid addiction, lies to authorities and struggles to recall key events. Murdaugh, 54, who has pleaded not guilty but admitted to lying to authorities after he found their bodies, could face up to life in prison if he is convicted. Murdaugh also faces 99 charges related to alleged financial crimes that will be tried separately at a later date. The case has enthralled the public and become a point of cultural fascination, including docuseries on Netflix and HBO Max and the trial being carried live on cable news since it began Jan. 25. In roughly three hours’ worth of closing arguments Wednesday, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters argued that Murdaugh’s motive was to delay and distract from the investigations into his family’s financial problems. Waters told jurors that “there was a gathering storm” and “the hounds were at the gate” for Murdaugh when he allegedly killed his wife and son, evoking the same storm language that he used during his opening statement. “After an exhaustive investigation, there is only one person who had the motive, who had the means, who had the opportunity to commit these crimes, and also whose guilty conduct after these crimes betrays him,” Waters said. “This defendant is the one person who is living a lie. The defendant is the person on which a storm was descending … and the defendant is Richard Alexander Murdaugh.” He added to the jury, “People lie because they know they did something wrong. That’s why he lied, ladies and gentlemen.” Waters argued that both Murdaugh and his family’s legal dynasty were in danger of unraveling because of a February 2019 boat collision that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach. When Paul Murdaugh was indicted by a grand jury in Beach’s death, Waters claimed, the pressures faced by Alex Murdaugh stemming from the criminal and civil charges pushed him to become a “family annihilator.” “That legacy was in danger and it was threatening to expose who he truly was, which would destroy that part of the legacy,” Waters said. Hours before closing arguments began Wednesday, the jury traveled more than 20 miles to Moselle. Jurors and law enforcement arrived at the 1,772-acre property after Newman ruled in favor of Murdaugh’s defense team, granting its request to have the jury visit so they could better visualize the testimony. When the jury returned to the court afterward, Waters reminded jurors how testimonies have highlighted that “no one knew who [Murdaugh] was.” Waters also pointed to Murdaugh’s years of experience as a prosecutor, and the skill set that would give him as a defendant. . “He understands the law. He’s given closing arguments to juries before,” Waters said. “When you have a defendant like that, think about whether you have an individual who is constructing defenses and constructing alibis.” Waters added: “He knows what to do to try to prevent evidence from being gathered.” Also in his closing argument, Waters emphasized how Murdaugh lied about being at the crime scene shortly before Maggie and Paul were killed. “Why in the world would an innocent, reasonable father and husband lie about that?” the prosecutor asked the jury.