Maggie Murdaugh’s sister takes stand, questions Alex Murdaugh’s priorities after murders

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCSC) - Alex Murdaugh’s sister-in-law testified she felt his priorities were in the wrong place after the shooting deaths of her sister and nephew.

Marian Proctor told jurors that while the rest of the family was concerned for Alex and Buster Murdaugh’s safety, he seemed more focused on clearing the name of Paul Murdaugh.

Murdaugh is standing trial for the June 7, 2021, murders of his wife, Maggie; and their youngest son, Paul.

“I just thought his priority should have been focusing on finding out who killed Maggie and Paul,” Proctor said.

Defense attorney Jim Griffin asked her how she knew it wasn’t a priority for Murdaugh.

“We never talked about it. We never talked about finding the person who could have done it. It was just odd. We were sort of living in fear because we thought this horrible person was out there,” Proctor said.

Proctor testified that her sister called Paul Murdaugh “little detective” because he would try to keep his dad out of trouble and prevent him from abusing prescription pain medication.

Murdaugh told her Maggie and Paul Murdaugh didn’t suffer when they died, Proctor said. When she asked if he had any idea who could have been responsible for the deaths she said he told her he didn’t.

“But he felt like whoever did it had thought about it for a really long time,” Proctor said.

Proctor testified that the rest of the family was living in fear but “Alex didn’t seem to be afraid.”

Proctor’s testimony was emotional as she recalled speaking to Maggie Murdaugh on the afternoon of June 7, 2021.

Proctor said she encouraged Maggie Murdaugh to go back to Moselle so she could go visit Murdaugh’s father Randolph. She said she thought it was weird that Maggie Murdaugh didn’t go that night since that was the reason she went back to Moselle.

“Last time you talked to her?” Prosecutor Creighton Waters said.

“Yes,” Proctor said.

BLOG: Day 17: Murdaugh defense cross-examines forensic pathologist, kennel caretaker testifies

Jurors also heard from the man who took care of the family’s dog kennels at Moselle.

Roger Dale Davis testified that he had a certain way he would hang the water hose up after cleaning the dog kennels.

Prosecutors showed Davis photos of the kennels taken the night of the murders.

Davis pointed out the hose hanging at the kennels that he had used daily for the past four days, twice a day, and said it wasn’t rolled the way he would have rolled it before he left.

Davis testified he was at the kennels around 4 p.m. on June 7, 2021, just hours before the murders. He said no one else was at Moselle while he was there and he was finished around 4:30 p.m.

Through crime scene photos, Davis pointed out places along the kennel run where water would pool. When asked, he said water wouldn’t pool around the feed room and the kennels directly across from it because the sun would hit and dry it out quickly. Davis was shown a photo of that area and said there was too much water in the photos based on when he left.

Jim Griffin attempted to poke holes in Davis’s testimony by showing him the video taken around 8:44 p.m. at the kennels the night of the murders.

Griffin pointed to the hose in the video and noted it wasn’t hanging in the photo and asked if anyone else was as particular as him in hanging it up.

Davis said Alex Murdaugh only cared about it being out of the way and Paul Murdaugh wasn’t particular at all about it.

The hose can be heard running in the video indicating it was being used at the time. Crime scene photos show it was later placed back on its hanger at the kennels.

Davis testified he had never seen Murdaugh raise his voice to Maggie Murdaugh or their children. He said if they wanted something Murdaugh would try to get it for them.

State forensic accountant testifies on money trail

Carson Burney, a forensic account with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, testified that the money known as the Ferris fees was gone just months after it hit Murdaugh’s accounts.

Burney testified the first deposit from the fees came on March 10, 2021, and the last of the $792,000 was out of the account by May 25, 2021.

Around $500,000 of that money went to Curtis Eddie Smith, Burney said. Smith is accused of attempting to shoot Murdaugh in a failed insurance fraud attempt on Labor Day of 2021.

After the jury had left for the day, the idea of Smith being called to the witness stand was raised with Judge Clifton Newman asking if Smith was on the witness list.

Waters confirmed Smith was on the list for the state but didn’t commit to calling him as a witness.

Harpootlian said he was ready if Smith was called.

“The cross examination of Mr. Smith is something I’m looking forward to,” Harpootlian said.

Defense cross examines medical examiner

After testifying to the severity of the gunshot wounds to Maggie and Paul Murdaugh on Monday, Dr. Ellen Riemer was cross examined by the defense.

Dick Harpootlian questioned Riemer over her examination of the wounds Paul Murdaugh sustained asking if the wound to the back of his head could have been an entrance wound instead of an exit wound as she testified.

Riemer said if that were the case then she would have found soot on the top of Paul Murdaugh’s head and the blast would have done considerably more damage to his head and brain.

Riemer also explained that the entrance wound to Paul’s shoulder was larger than the wound at his head because of the angle of the shot. If the wounds were reversed then the concentration of pellets in Paul’s shoulder would not have been there, she said.

Riemer testified that the shot fired into Paul Murdaugh’s chest was fired from between three feet and six inches based on the wound having stippling but not soot.

The possibility of a bruise on Maggie Murdaugh’s calf was brought up by Harpootlian and Riemer said her notes didn’t indicate bruising and that dirt could have fallen off when they transported the body.

The location of the entrance and exit wounds on Maggie Murdaugh’s body could have been an indication that she, the shooter or both were moving during the shooting.

SPECIAL SECTION: The Murdaugh Cases

On Monday, 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.

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.

The state has been unwavering that they will be ready to wrap up their case by Wednesday. Newman asked the jury to come in at 10:30 a.m. so he can hear from both sides about the admissibility of the Labor Day weekend 2021 shooting.

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