Certification ended on Tuesday South Carolina double murder trial for Alex MordeauAs the court prepares to bring the jury to the scene of the killings on Wednesday.
The judge granted a defense motion to allow jurors a 40-minute ride to see the sprawling Colleton County property where the Murdaughs live.
Murdo’s former legal partner testified earlier Tuesday that he was beyond angry about the millions of dollars stolen from the company.
Ronnie Crosby had a heated exchange with defense attorney Dick Harbotlian as prosecutors got a chance to respond to the defense case, including by refuting their experts who suggested two different shooters killed Murdaugh’s wife and son with two different weapons.
Prosecutors have put Crosby back on the stand to talk more about him Murdo steals millions of dollars From his customers and from the company the Mordo family founded more than a century ago. Prosecutors contend that Murdaugh thought he was about to be caught robbing and killing 52-year-old Maggie Murdow and 22-year-old Paul Murdow near the kennels on June 7, 2021, to buy time to cover up the trail of the money.
During cross-examination, Harpootlian asked Crosby, who often represents accident victims, if going through trauma could cause people to forget details or make mistakes at times. Prosecutors bombarded Murdaugh for numerous inconsistencies and falsehoods, including not saying he was in the kennels the night of the murders when he could be heard on a videotape his son recorded.
“You’re trying to take me somewhere you probably don’t want,” Crosby said, starting a tense dialogue between the two lawyers.
“You’re mad at him for stealing your money,” Harbotlian said.
“I got angry with him, very angry, Mr. Harbotlian, because what he did to my law firm, my partners, his clients, our clients — what he did to his family. And what he did to so many people,” Crosby said Roughly. “But you can’t walk around with anger.”
Harbotlian then asked Crosby if he thought Murdaugh had killed his wife and son.
Crosby said, “I have no opinion. I have no use for the material you have.”
Murdue is awaiting trial about 100 other charges including financial crimes. Mardo, who was expelled from the taboo, confessed to thefts that could lead to decades in prison. on the platform last week.
Prosecutors also summoned to the stand the forensic doctor who performed autopsies on the bodies of the victims and their expert who examined the crime scene.
Kenneth Kinsey said a defense expert who measured the angles of the shots and concluded they were fired close to the ground or by someone much shorter than the 6-foot-4 (1.93 m) Murdaugh did not consider the shooter and Magee. Murdo was both moving and the gun could have been fired from different positions.
“I think his intentions were good, but his methods were flawed,” said Kinsey.
The defense also used their experts to point to the presence of two shooters, based in part on common sense that the victims stopped using their cell phones within seconds of each other. Both victims seemed surprised with their hands lowered.
Kinsey testified that his opinion was also based on ensuring that Paul Murdough’s fatal gun wound was fired low from below and directed upward through his head rather than having the gun pressed against his head. The defense expert noted that the blast of the gun barrel would have stunned the shooter with bone fragments, blood, and other blood, delaying the time the shooter would have gone after Maggie Mordo.
Dr. Ellen Rimmer testified on Tuesday that, standing by her autopsy findings, the fatal shot was fired upwards. A defense expert said Rimmer failed to shave Paul Mordeau’s wound hair or X-ray his brain after he was blasted from his body to confirm her findings.
“The reason you haven’t taken brain X-rays is because you’ve already come to a conclusion,” Harbotlian said.
“I didn’t do it because I felt comfortable designing it,” Rimmer said. “I don’t always take x-rays of every organ.”
The prosecution also called cell phone expert Paul McManigal, a sergeant with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.
The goal was to disprove a defense expert who said moving the iPhone causes the background to light up. Maggie Murdaugh’s iPhone was found on the side of the road outside the property, and the backlight came on about two minutes before GPS data showed Alex Murdaugh’s SUV passing by.
McManigal said he tested a similar iPhone in his office last week and determined that the backlight comes with a nice motion, but not quite as often as the purple motion.
Defense attorney Philip Barber asked if McManegal took any notes or videotaped his experiences.
“So you’re all alone in your office, walking around with the phone, taking no measurements, not recording anything over the weekend, and coming in here and vouching like an expert about what the phone’s going to do?” said the barber.
Defense attorneys requested that the jury be able to visit the scene of the killings to help them understand how small the storage room was where Paul Mordeau was killed and the distance between the two bodies. Prosecutors have opposed the visit, saying the scene looks different than it did in June 2021 as trees and vegetation have grown and no one has lived on the property since the killings.
Only the jury, attorneys on both sides, security, police, and a court reporter are allowed to be present by Judge Clifton Newman. He has banned drones from flying over it. Once the jury leaves, a reporter, photographer and videographer will be able to see the property.
Andrew J. Whitaker / AP
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