Jurors hear forensics, autopsy testimony in Murdaugh murder trial

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - Two jurors in the double murder trial of former Lowcountry attorney Alex Murdaugh tested positive for COVID-19 before testimony could get underway Monday.

The rest of the jury and the five alternates all tested negative and will be retested on Wednesday. The clerk of court also tested positive for the virus.

Judge Clifton Newman says jurors agreed to wear masks. He rejected suggestions from both prosecutors and the defense to delay the trial a few days until more COVID tests are done, require masks throughout the courtroom or limit the more than 200 people allowed inside to watch the trial each day.

“My only concern is we don’t create a trainwreck for this jury that’s testing negative now,” Murdaugh attorney Dick Harpootlian said.

Using posterboards with male and female diagrams, Dr. Ellen Riemer, a forensic pathologist from the Medical University of South Carolina, detailed to jurors the wounds on Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. She performed the autopsies on both bodies.

Riemer testified that Paul could have survived the first shotgun blast to the chest had he received medical treatment. The second shot to Paul was a severe fatal injury to the head.

GRAPHIC: Deputies’ bodycam video released showing Murdaugh crime scene

“A shotgun wound is entering the top of the left shoulder, and let’s say his head is turned like that,” Riemer said. “It’s going to go right through the face, but if his head is turned like that it’s going to spare the face and be able to go behind the face.”

Paul Murdaugh would have had his arms by his side when the first shot was fired and showed no defensive wounds, Riemer said. Pauls’s face had scratches consistent with a forward fall where he was unable to brace himself. The jury was shown autopsy photos of Paul Murdaugh. When Riemer finished her explanation of the photos taken during the autopsy the jury was sent to the jury room for a quick break.

Riemer explained Maggie Murdaugh’s injuries in just as much detail, telling jurors that she had five gunshot wounds from at least four gunshots.

Stippling around Maggie Murdaugh’s wounds indicated the first two shots had been fired from within three feet, Riemer said.

Riemer testified at a shot fired into Maggie Murdaugh’s abdomen while she was standing likely would have caused her to bend over or fall to her hands and knees setting up the first of two fatal shots to the head.

“So this was an exit and we have like a reentrance. So we have a series of defects, so we have an entrance, an exit and then the bullet continued through the left side of the face and lower ear area,” Riemer said. A second shot to the head entered at the top of the head and exited through the shoulder. Both shots to the head would have been instantly fatal, Riemer said.

Riemer noted no signs of defensive wounds on Maggie Murdaugh’s body.

Court was sent to recess for the day before the defense had the chance to cross examine Riemer.

Jurors also heard from two forensics experts from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division about swabs and cuttings taken from the crime scene, Murdaugh’s clothing, his Chevy Suburban and the controversial blue raincoat.

SLED Agent Rachel Nguyen tested several items for potential blood. She said she tested the casings and shells recovered from the crime scene for touch DNA. She also tested the swabs taken from a camouflage shotgun and Murdaugh’s SUV for the possibility of blood.

SPECIAL SECTION: The Murdaugh Cases

Nguyen said all the swabs from Murdaugh’s SUV tested negative for blood except the swab taken from the steering wheel.

Nguyen tested the shirt and shorts recovered from Murdaugh and the blue raincoat located at Murdaugh’s parents’ house.

The raincoat tested negative for blood before being processed for DNA in an effort to identify the jacket’s owner.

The defense has argued that the raincoat has no connection to Murdaugh since it was found at his parents’ home and not Moselle. Prosecutors have argued the raincoat may have contained at least one of the murder weapons after Murdaugh showed up at his parents’ home carrying a blue tarp or the raincoat based on earlier testimony.

SLED Forensic Scientist Sara Zapata testified Monday that she was unable to create a DNA profile from the raincoat.

Zapata also testified testing on the shirt came back negative for human blood. DNA analysis from the shirt found profiles that were likely from Alex Murdaugh and Maggie Murdaugh.

Analysis of the steering wheel was also found to likely be a mixture of DNA from Alex and Maggie Murdaugh.

The defense questioned the analysis of Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails after Zapata testified that DNA from an unknown male was found under her fingernails. She had gotten her nails done earlier in the day.

“Possible that somewhere at the nail salon there was DNA that she picked up under her fingernails,” Zapata said. “Can’t tell how or when DNA got there. Anytime between getting nails done and arriving home, she could touch an object and potentially DNA from the object under the fingernails or touch an individual and their DNA be under her fingernails in that way.”

Prosecutors received data from General Motors on Friday that contains more location data from Murdaugh’s Chevy Suburban.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters said the data had been shared with the defense and they were planning to incorporate that data into a testimony later this week.

Harpootlian, worried that it could extend the state’s case that has stretched into its fourth week, asked Waters about the prosecution’s timeline.

Waters assured him that it would not add time to their case and that the data was confirming other data already submitted.

The prosecution has repeatedly said they expect to rest their case on Wednesday.

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