Lawyer cries as he claims he used ‘family weapon’ to kill wife and son

A disgraced lawyer wept early in his trial over the murders of his wife and son, when prosecutors said a “family weapon” was used in part of the crime.

Alex Murdaugh, formerly a high-profile South Carolina attorney, broke down in tears when his attorney, Dick Harpootlian, said he came home to “find his son (Paul) lying in his own blood, with his brain at his feet.” – shot to hell”. Paul’s “head literally exploded,” according to Harpootlian.

Murdaugh, 54, is accused of shooting dead his wife Maggie, 54, and their younger son Paul, 22, at their home in Islandton in June 2021. A grand jury indicted him in July.

During Wednesday’s opening statement, prosecutor Creighton Waters said Murdaugh shot his son with a buckshot and then shot his wife twice with an AR-15 rifle.

“It was a family gun that killed Maggie Murdaugh,” Waters said.

According to Waters, gunshot residue was found on the seat belt of Murdaugh’s vehicle and on a raincoat at his mother’s home after the murders.

Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and possession of a weapon.

Harpootlian called Murdaugh a “loving father” and argued it was “not credible” that he killed his wife and son.

‘He didn’t do it. He didn’t kill… slaughter his son and his wife,” said Harpootlian.

“He is presumed innocent.”

Harpootlian said there was no forensic evidence, such as blood or footprints, linking Murdaugh to the double murder.

“Their mental state is, he didn’t do it, they have to prove it to me beyond a reasonable doubt,” said the defender.

Murdaugh’s older son, Richard, is set to testify against him. On Wednesday, he sat in the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro and listened to the evidence presented.

The trial will resume at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, Visit our news page.