Jurors returned to the Colleton County Courthouse on Wednesday morning as prosecutors continued their case against attorney Alex Murdaugh over the double murder of his wife and son at the family’s storied and massive hunting lodge in June 2021.
The 54-year-old disgraced legal scion – disbarred soon after murder allegations and various alleged financial improprieties came to light – is accused of shooting and killing his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and their youngest son Paul Murdaugh, 22.
Action in the case on Tuesday afternoon continued after jurors left, as the prosecution signaled their lack of interest in calling the defendant’s former client, often referred to as Curtis Edward “Cousin Eddie” Smith, to the stand. That former client is also Alex Murdaugh’s co-defendant in a related insurance fraud case.
Here is the exchange between the judge and prosecutor Waters about Eddie Smith testifying:
Waters: Well, he is on the witness list. I didn’t say necessarily that we’re calling him.#AlexMurdaugh pic.twitter.com/xiDDSBnpR8— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) February 14, 2023
In September 2021, Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head on the side of the road. At the time, defense attorney Jim Griffin said his client had stopped to assess car trouble when a truck passed him, doubled back, and then an assailant got out and fired a single shot. The wound was superficial, authorities would later say. Days later, law enforcement says, Alex Murdaugh confessed to hiring Smith to shoot and kill him to secure a $10 million life insurance payout for his oldest son, Buster Murdaugh.
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian later said his client, under the influence of opioids, mistakenly believed that the policy had a suicide clause that would have limited or prevented payments if he died by his own hands.
The defense has signaled the opposite in pre-trial motions: they would love to have Smith on the stand and cross-examine him. Described as Alex Murdaugh’s alleged drug dealer and check casher, the defense claims Smith failed a lie detector test when asked about the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.
“The cross-examination of Mr. Smith is something I’m looking forward to,” Harpootlian said Tuesday evening.
But it may not come to pass.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
