(CNN) Disgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdock returns to the stand Second day of cross-examination In a South Carolina courtroom Friday morning, after telling prosecutors he lied about not being where his wife and son died before he was killed.
Murdock has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and two counts of weapons charges Deadly shooting The bodies of his wife Margaret “Maggie” Murdock and son Paul Murdock were found in their family garden on June 7, 2021.
On Friday, prosecutor Creighton Waters continued to focus on the alleged financial crimes that motivated Murdoch to commit murder, asking the former attorney during cross-examination if the clients he stole from were “real people.”
“They’re real people. They’re good people. They’re all people I care about … and a lot of them I love and I’ve been wronged by them,” Murdock said.
“Everyone, have you seen eye to eye at least once? Is that fair?” Waters asked at one point.
“Every client I’ve had at some point, I’ve looked him in the eye, and I believe I’ve had the trust of my clients,” Murdock said.
“Whether it caught my eye or not, I can’t answer that. But I confess that I looked every customer in the eye, and I believe they stole money from everyone. Those years convinced me.”
Murdock took the stand Thursday to deny killing them and admitted to his hoax in interviews with South Carolina state officials about his whereabouts that evening.
“I lied to them,” he told investigators about his comments, adding that he didn’t come to the garden’s dog kennels where Maggie and Paul’s bodies were found until he was found dead. He said that he lied because of his “ideal thinking”. Addiction to opiate pain relievers.
Paul recorded a video on his phone of being in the kennel at 8:44 p.m. on the day of the murder. Witnesses have testified that Alex’s Murdock’s voice can be heard in the background of the video, and Murdock confirmed it was him in testimony Thursday.
After visiting the kennels, Murdock testified, he went into his home and lay down on a bed for a while before deciding to visit his sick mother in a nearby town. Murdock testified that he spoke to one of his caregivers that day, who asked him to stop. So he briefly visited his mother that night, then returned home, where he eventually found the bodies in cribs, he testified.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Investigator He testified Murdock called 911 from her residence at 10:06 p.m
Murdoch was under severe financial pressure at the time of the murders, prosecutors said, and Murdoch admitted to stealing funds from his law firm and clients. Prosecutors argue that the alleged misconduct would come to light, and accuse Murdoch of killing his wife and son to prevent those revelations.
On September 4, 2021, nearly three months after the murders, Murdock announced that he was fired A roadside victim was treated for a “superficial gunshot wound to the head,” authorities said.
A series of events ensue, including Murdoch’s resignation from his law firm, his firing, and revelations about his firing. Life Insurance Benefit Scheme to his surviving son, and he was eventually arrested in connection with the financial crimes and murders.
Defense attorneys point out what they describe A false police investigationMurdock is a troubled but loving father and husband whose other misdeeds Don’t count him as a murderer yet.
“I never shot my wife or my son, at any time, ever,” Murdock said on the stand Thursday.
An emotional Murdoch admits to financial wrongdoing
Before Murdock could testify Thursday, a motion from the defense to limit the scope of the questioning he faced was denied by Judge Clifton Newman — specifically, allegations of financial misconduct.
Murdoch admitted Thursday to stealing millions of dollars from his clients and the law firm, then called PMPED and renamed Parker Law Group, telling attorney Creighton Waters, “I took money that wasn’t mine and I shouldn’t have done it.”
“I hate that I did it. I’m ashamed of it. I’m ashamed of my son. I’m ashamed of my family,” she said.
Murdoch said he had been addicted to the pill for nearly two decades but was able to maintain his legal practice, adding that “none of my partners knew I was addicted.”
Murdock testified that his opioid use was “certainly a cause” of his financial problems, but not the only cause. He said he used some of the money he stole from customers to buy pills, but not all of it. Some of the money was used to fund what the lawsuit called a “rich lifestyle,” a term Murdoch said he would not take issue with.
During Thursday’s testimony, the former attorney broke down several times while talking about his wife and son.
“You can’t be around him and not have a good time,” Alex Murdock said of Paul.
“Were you intimate with Paul?” asked defense attorney Jim Griffin.
Still crying, Murdock replied, “You couldn’t be closer” than with Paul and his surviving son, Buster.
Murdock was asked about when he found the bodies in the kennels.
“I saw the pictures you all saw,” he told his defense attorney, pausing to cry before adding, “Too bad.”
CNN’s Elise Hammond, Alta Spells, Dianne Gallagher, Randi Kaye, Emma Tucker and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.
