Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Murdaugh Murders: GUILTY

Episode Date: March 3, 2023

The verdict watch lasted just over three hours, and then the jury let the judge know a verdict had been reached. There was no emotion visible from accused Alex Murdaugh as a unanimous decision of guilty was read by the appointed jury foreperson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. The verdict is in. Alex Murdoch has been found guilty on all counts. That's two counts of murders as well as weapons charges. The verdict watch is over. Finally, an end to a saga that started many, many months ago when the bodies of Maggie and Paul Murdoch were found dead and bloodied, riddled with bullets at the kennel of their hunting lodge known as Moselle. So let's hear what the judge has to say. I understand that there is a verdict. You may bring the jury.

Thank you. Madam Freud, if you'll stand for me. Have you reached a verdict? Yes, sir, we have. Is it unanimous? Yes, sir, it is. All right, if you will pass it up to the clerk who will pass it to me. And you may be seated. The defendant will rise. Docket number 2022, GS15-00592, the state of South Carolina, County of Colleton.

In the Court of General Sessions, in the term of 2022, July, the state versus Richard Alexander Murdoch defendant, indictment for murder, SC code 16-3-0010, CDR code 0116. Guilty verdict, signed by the forelady, 3-2-23. Docket number 2022-GS-15-00593. The state of South Carolina, County of Colleton, in the Court of General Sessions, the July term of 2022, the State v. Richard Alexander Murdoch, defendant, indictment for murder, SC Code 16-2-23. Docket number 2022-GS15-00595. The State of South Carolina, County of Colleton, Court of General Sessions, July Term 2022. The State v. Richard Alexander Murdoch, Defendant.

Indictment for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. SC code dash 16 dash 23 dash 0490. CDR code 0549. Verdict guilty. Signed by the foreperson of the jury. Date 3-2-23. Docket number 2022GS-15-00594. The State of South Carolina, County of Colleton, Court of General Sessions, July term 2022. The State v. Richard Alexander Murdoch, defendant.

Indictment for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. SC code 16-23-0490. CDR code 0549. Verdict guilty. Signed by the foreperson of the jury, 3-2-23. Alex Murdoch is the one who called 9-1-1. At this hour, there are police officers and sheriffs circling the courthouse around me with their blue lights on. The lawn is crowded with spectators, with news people, with people from the community, people that have driven from states far away,

as far away I know as Ohio, to here in South Carolina for the Murdoch trial. Why? Why has everyone been so intrigued with whether or not Alex Murdoch did it? I'll tell you why. Because it's as if the mind is tricking the eye. You see a beautiful, seemingly happy family, a wealthy, educated, seemingly adjusted in their society, happy with each other. How can it be that double murder has occurred within that family? And for that outward picture, many people believed Alex Murdoch was innocent. But one layer after the next, after the next, after the next, proved Alex Murdoch is guilty of a crime that is practically unthinkable.

A man with so much, the legal heir in Colleton County, millions of dollars, three homes, a beautiful wife, two sons to follow in his footsteps if they wish. Why? That was the question that plagued this jury. But in a very quick turnaround, this jury has handed down a verdict, guilty on all counts, read out by the court clerk, Ms. Becky. Straight out to Cheryl McCollum, who has been watching the trial from the very beginning, forensic expert and founder of the Cold Case Research Institute. Are you surprised?

Because Alex Murdoch did not look surprised. I am right with him. I wasn't surprised at all. I even said the jury would crack in three hours. This is the right call. Justice has been served. You know, as we were looking out over the jury, over and over and over,

watching their every move, their facial expressions, Kelly, they never gave it away. Not once. Not once. In fact, many court spectators were torn as to whether this jury would ever reach a verdict. I think I've got Kelly skiing with me. When you get her back on her satellite, let me know. To you, Dale Carson, what do you make of it? Evidence, uncontrovertible evidence. He was the only person there.

And when I watched the testimony of the woman who was taking care of the dying mother, his mother. I watched him and you could see just the constant sort of deflection. He was scratching his face when the prosecutor was bringing up the fact that the caregiver was crying on the stand because it was a good family and she didn't want to tell the truth about him asking for the additional 40 minutes or 20 minutes to help shore up his alibi when when you watched murdoch you could see the stress bleeding out of his face because he knew that was the last person who should have believed him and clearly did not believe him and had to tell the truth. And it was fascinating for me to watch that. And it cleared to me, and as Cheryl McCullum will say, you know, it's what he didn't do.

So at the very beginning when SLED showed up on the scene and he's not saying to them, why aren't you all out looking for the people who did this horrible deed? Those kinds of things are an indication that he knew there wasn't anybody else out there because he knew who the shooter was. It was him.

With me, Dr. Michelle Dupree, medical examiner, pathologist, detective, and author. Dr. Dupree, question to you. This is your jurisdiction. What do you make of the medical examiner on the stand? She was under attack, Dr. Reamer, but she withstood a very intense cross-examination, and that jury was sitting on the edge of their seats throughout her testimony. I can't help but believe her testimony along with the forensic technology was the straw that broke the camel's back for the defense. Nancy, I totally agree with you. She was amazing. She stood there and she took it. She got a little bit unearthed there at a moment, but she was actually being attacked. You're right. And she stood her ground. She said, I am the one that did the autopsy. I know what I saw.

And I think that made an impact. I have to admit, I'm a little bit surprised in this jurisdiction that it was not a hung jury. Why do you say that? Because my family is sexy. I still have a lot of friends in the community. You know, the evidence to me was absolutely overwhelming, but all it takes, as you know, is one juror by the state was made by matters. Christine, I want to play our cut three. This is a very moving last argument, a Hail Mary, by the state. This is just before the jury goes out to begin their deliberations. Listen.

You know something else I don't understand. Your wife and your son have just been killed, and you're worried about having a lawyer around? Everybody says, well, you know, they're just sled agents. We need to have a lawyer around. Really? My wife and son have just been butchered, and I'm worried about having a lawyer? From the alibis that he's created, that he's doingered and I'm worried about having a lawyer. But the alibis that he's created,

that he's doing, and he says, I went and ran. You might get on my knees over here. Went and ran and I tried to take the pulse of Paul. I'd still be on the ground, I'll give my son. And I tried to turn him over. I tried to check his pulse. Really?

I went to Maggie, checked her pulse. And you can't do that in 20 seconds. You know something else I don't understand Your wife and your son have just been killed And you're worried about having a lawyer around Everybody says well you know it's just slag agents We need to have a lawyer around Really? Everybody says, well, you know, it's just sled edges. You need to have a lawyer around you. Really? My wife and son have just been butchered, and I'm worried about having a lawyer?

But the alibis that he's created, that he's doing, he says, I went and ran. You might get on my knees over here. I went and ran, and I tried to take the pulse of Paul. I'd still be on the ground, I'll give my son. And I tried to turn him over. I tried to check his pulse. Really? I went to Maggie,

checked her pulse. And you can't do that in 20 seconds. Guys, you are hearing Attorney Meadors as he is making that final plea to the jury. And when he was doing that, I think I've got Kelly Skian back up, a Fox News senior producer. When he was making that argument, Kelly, you could have heard a pin drop in the courtroom. And those are some of the last words from either side the jury heard. After that, all they heard was the judge's charges and they began deliberations, Kelly. Yeah, Nancy, and we heard in closing arguments today from the

prosecution, the directions to the jury was used common sense. This isn't complicated. There is one person that lied about not being at the murder scene. There, it was family weapons. There was gunshot residue. The facts don't lie here. And ultimately, the jury did find Alec Murdoch guilty. And from what I saw, he did not show much emotion when those charges were read. Guys, you're seeing behind Kelly what's happening at the courthouse right now. The defense team is just coming out of the courthouse. People are chasing them down, trying to speak to them. So far, what we know is they are not giving any interviews.

They're continuing on their way. They're trying to get the family out of the courthouse. But, Christine, if you could play back, Lauren, if you could play back what we were seeing when the verdict went down and when they were taking Alex Murdoch out of the courtroom. For those of you just joining us, the verdict has been handed down by a Colleton County jury. Alex Murdoch guilty on all counts. He didn't seem surprised. No one in the courtroom seemed surprised. And the only really heartbreaking moment of any of this is right when you see Alex Murdoch walking out and his son, his only surviving son, is looking after him, looking after his father as he leaves the courtroom. Sentencing set for

tomorrow morning. Cheryl McCollum, the judge, of course, there's Buster who broke down in tears in the courtroom. Cheryl McCollum, the judge's hands are tied somewhat. He's facing 30 to life without parole behind bars, plus the two gun charges, and he has yet to answer up for all the financial crimes. Correct. Nancy, he will probably most likely get the 30 years life without parole. He's not going anywhere just on these crimes, much less the financial crimes. But I think everybody right now is focused on Buster. He has essentially lost every member of his immediate family. And, you know, that's one of those things, this ripple effect people talk about with homicides. It affects the family, the friends,

the neighbors, co-workers. You know, this thing has really, truly ripped through this whole community. Everybody in some way is tied to this family. They either worked with them, had a legal deal with them, went to school with one of them, was friends with them. I mean, it's just really a sad, sad day. But again, justice was served. It's the sad day, but again, justice was served. It's the right call. I kept looking, Cheryl, to see if Murdoch would look back at Buster when he left the courtroom.

Because Buster's eyes never left his father, not once. But I guess Murdoch is so ashamed of what has happened that he didn't look back at his son. You know, I was looking at them in the courtroom, Kelly at skin. I was sitting directly behind Buster so I could look across the aisle at each witness on the stand. And I could see Buster and Murdoch, really just a few pews apart from each other. And they are so alike. Buster's hair is this vibrant red. And you see Murdoch, and you know, he's going back to law school, we hear. And you see Murdoch, his father, just a few feet away with the same red hair, but now dulled and going gray just a little bit of the red shining through both of them tall both of them dressed to the hilt and designer suits they look so much alike and now kelly buster is left with nobody no No mom, no brother, his father behind bars. You're right.

Yeah, Nancy, we've heard a lot about Buster throughout this trial, mainly that he allegedly plagiarized and got kicked out of law school and his dad tried to pay to get him back in. But at the end of the day, Buster is a victim in all of this, too. He lost his mom, he lost his brother, and now he's lost his father, and he has left with basically the rest of his family to prop him up. And really, now the fact that he has lost his father is at the hands of his own father. So his father destroyed Buster's life and his own. You know, Cheryl McCollum, there really seems to be right now no one representing Maggie and Paul. Right now, I'm sure Buster Murdog is so distraught

over losing his father. Um I I don't know if he can even consider who should be speaking up for Maggie and Paul right now. Because as I watch the courtroom, normally I would have the victim's family seated right behind me prosecuting cases. But that wasn't true in this case. I don't believe we ever saw Maggie Murdoch's family in the courtroom. You know, Nancy, I think that's another reason you are so important to people like you. You have been speaking for Maggie and Paul from day one. And there's a lot of other people on that lawn who do the same thing.

And I think that's what's critical here. They have a voice. They will continue to have a voice because they have advocates all over. And you, again, have been paramount with that fight, and I appreciate it. You know, Dr. Michelle Dupree joining us, who is joining us from here in South Carolina, medical examiner, pathologist, former detective and author, Dr. Michelle Dupree, very often family members do not look at crime scene photos or autopsy photos because that's not the image they want in their minds the rest of their lives. Buster Murdoch has had to sit through this trial. I know he's seen the evidence and now he's going home to a home tonight with no mom, no dad, no brother, and no hope of ever getting them back.

That's right, Nancy. And we actually, you know, encourage the family not to look at things like that because that's not the last memory you want of your loved one. I feel for Buster. I really do. And as far as who's standing up for Maggie and Paul, you have. And I think our justice system did today as well. And the jury did. Guys, in that courtroom, it was totally quiet. I noticed no one was even moving when the verdict was announced.

Complete quiet. We now know we will be back at the courthouse tomorrow morning at 9 30. You know, many people had thought there would be a mandatory sentences. What do you expect the sentence to be, Dale? The maximum. And I can tell you that ordinarily there's a period of time after the conviction where probation and a number of agencies will report give the court a history of the individual but this is rather unusual because we've had 28 days or less of testimony that revealed who this individual is so the judge knows who he is may have known him for some time.

And so the result is, and I was surprised by this, that the court is willing tomorrow morning to impose sentencing. So right now, although the jury has come back, you realize that he's not convicted until the judge makes him convicted and sentences him to whatever term he's going to choose for the individual and of course there will be other potential trials or settlements with his law firm for the money that was misappropriated and stolen by Murdoch and and taken from potential existing clients from the law firm. So none of this is over yet. Guys, speaking of all of the possibilities that the jury was looking at,

I want you to hear our cut four. This is the final argument to the jury before they reached their verdict. Take a listen. You know when the first time he called Buster? About 40 minutes. Well, actually, he texted him, didn't he call him? Wasn't his first thought. Wasn't the thing after he did 9-1-1. It was later. Oh, don't call. No, right off the bat, this happened. Call my son.

Call him. Buster, stay where you are. You with your girlfriend Up there in North Charlotte Go go go We got some people after us That's what's real Don't you go to the police station right there And what else do you do too You don't talk about being real What do you do

Y'all I just left my mama She's with Shelly. Get somebody over there. People are out here to kill us. Get them over there. Go, please, take them right now. They're by themselves. I can't do that.

That's why I took the guns. I can't tell them that. And he brings up the bucket case right away. And right then, he's using it to throw on. For those of you just joining us, the jury has handed down a verdict. Guilty on all counts. That includes two counts of murder and gun charges. A lady foreperson handed over the verdicts, the written verdicts,

to the clerk. The clerk then handed it to the judge. Judge Newman read each page carefully and then had the clerk of the court publish the jury in open court, having the defendant stand to hear the verdict. As Alex Murdoch stood there in the courtroom, he showed no emotion whatsoever. No surprise, no shock, nothing. He stood there and listened, not even a tremor of disappointment crossing his face. It's as if he expected a guilty verdict. Likewise, his lawyers showed no emotion whatsoever. Neither did the state.

Now, the courtroom is completely quiet. The judge had already admonished the courtroom when they had made noises in the past during the trial. Not a word. This is an I Heart podcast.