Inside of raincoat had ‘significant amount’ of gunshot residue, expert says

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCSC) - Prosecutors in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial said a blue raincoat could have been used to transport a recently fired gun after the inside and outside of the jacket tested positive for gunshot residue.

Murdaugh is on trial in Colleton County for the murders of his wife, Maggie; and their youngest son, Paul, on June 7, 2021. The jury will also hear about the nearly 100 charges that range from money laundering, to stealing millions from clients and the family law firm and tax evasion.

In testimony heard Tuesday afternoon South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigator Megan Fletcher said a blue raincoat found at Murdaugh’s parents’ house was tested on Oct. 5, 2021, and tested positive for more than 30 particles of gunshot residue on the inside.

Fletcher called the number of particles a “significant amount” and said it was consistent with someone wearing the jacket inside out.

When asked by Prosecutor John Meadors if the jacket could have been used to carry a recently fired gun she said that was also a possibility.

Mushelle “Shelley” Smith, Murdaugh’s mother’s caretaker, testified Monday that Murdaugh had arrived at Almeda carrying something blue that looked like a tarp in the days after the murders.

Prosecutors say that object was the blue raincoat later found in an upstairs closet in the home.

The defense has moved several times to either have Smith’s testimony thrown out or to block the testimony of Fletcher.

Tuesday morning Judge Clifton Newman rejected the defense’s calls and allowed the raincoat and Smith’s testimony to remain.

Fletcher also testified that gunshot residue particles were found on the t-shirt and shorts collected from Murdaugh on the night of the murders as well as a single particle on Murdaugh’s hands.

Fletcher said the seatbelt from Murdaugh’s Chevy Suburban also had gunshot residue on the buckle and noted it was probably from a transfer.

The jury heard testimony on Murdaugh’s alleged financial crimes from the Chief Financial Officer of his former law firm and another lawyer from the firm.

Parker Law Group CFO Jeanne Seckinger told the court that Murdaugh’s success as a lawyer stemmed more from building relationships.

Seckinger said he could “manipulate people into settlements and clients into liking him.”

“He did it through the art of bulls---, basically,” Seckinger said.

Seckinger confronted Murdaugh on the afternoon of the murders about $792,000 in fees that were never paid to the firm and instead paid directly to Murdaugh.

The initial investigation into the missing fees was originally a concern after Murdaugh had mentioned putting money in Maggie Murdaugh’s name to essentially hide it from discovery in the 2019 boat crash lawsuit, Seckinger said.

It wasn’t until much later that the full scope of Murdaugh’s alleged financial fraud would be discovered by the firm.

“He managed to fool a lot of people, including myself,” Seckinger said.

Seckinger has known Murdaugh since she was 16 years old she told the court Monday.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters asked if, after knowing Murdaugh so long, she felt like she knew him.

“I don’t think I ever really knew him,” Seckinger said. “I don’t think anybody knows him.”

Attorney Ronnie Crosby was also questioned about the missing money from the law firm.

Crosby says he was called to Danny Henderson’s house in late August or early September and was handed a folder with copies of some of the fake Forge checks.

Crosby told them they “have to terminate Alex.”

Crosby was also questioned about his relationship with the Murdaugh family, specifically Paul Murdaugh.

Paul and Murdaugh’s other son, Buster would hunt on Crosby’s Colleton County property, Crosby said.

Crosby said he had known Paul since he was a baby and Paul regularly took his son hunting with him.

When remembering Paul, Crosby became visibly upset on the stand.

“I didn’t think it would be this hard,” Crosby said.

Crosby is shown the video taken at the kennels on the night of the murders and asked to identify the voices that can be heard.

Crosby said he was 100% certain the voices were Alex, Paul and Maggie.

Crosby was asked if he knew Paul’s favorite shotgun and he replied a camouflage Benelli Super Black Eagle.

Griffin shows Crosby the gun collected from Murdaugh on the night of the murders and asks if that’s the gun.

Crosby said it looked like a similar gun, but he would not say for certain that it was Paul’s gun.

Crosby was at Moselle on the night of the murders, testifying that he arrived around 11 p.m.

Crosby said he and others were at the kennels until crime scene photographers sent them to the house.

The judge presiding over the Alex Murdaugh murder trial told the courtroom Tuesday that a juror had to go to the emergency room but that it would not affect the trial.

Judge Clifton Newman did not specify the nature of the medical emergency but said it was one of the six alternate jurors. The trial will go on without that person, he said.

Wednesday’s testimony begins at 9:30 a.m. with the cross examination of Fletcher.

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