The biggest breakthrough of the case was her description of the carjacking location. Much of the Osages oil money was swindled, and over time the oil deposits on their land have also diminished. The jurors will visit the property Wednesday morning. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool), Behind the dog kennels at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Islandton, S.C.. Richer reported from Boston. Jurors in Alex Murdaugh s murder trial on Wednesday arrived at the crime scene where the disgraced lawyers wife and son were fatally shot in June 2021. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. What follows is a collection of some of the most revealing photographs, as well as a clip of related film footage. [3] Her defense attorneys, David Bruck and Judy Clarke, called expert witnesses to testify that she had mental health issues that impaired her judgment when she committed the crimes. Is that an aggressive interview? Murdaugh's fear that his decade-long theft would be exposed and his desire to maintain his lofty standing in the community led him to make sure his wife and younger son were at the family's Colleton County home on June 7, 2021, so that he could kill them as part of a clever plan aided by his knowledge of how criminal cases are constructed, prosecutor Creighton Waters told jurors. At the Osage Nation Museum, I discovered this picture of Mollie with her mother and her sister Anna: Mollie had a third sister named Rita Smith. He relied on his family name. The forensic timeline puts him there. The case gained international attention because of Smith's false claim that a black man had kidnapped her sons during a carjacking. Jurors have visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son. 12 pick, A new musical spotlights a Texas bank-robbing legend, This Houston rodeo food vendor wants you to eat his rattlesnake. This is a carousel. Another Osage, Henry Roan, was shot in the back of the head. The lawyer W.W. Vaughan, with his wife and several of their children. All four members of the family were shot in their + one copy of McCandless & Company: Insecurities - The Special Edition. I can see how both sides can benefit from a jury seeing that, Nettles said. But Waters disputed that too, noting that Murdaugh was comforted by officers in his initial police interview. WebThis podcast is an attempt to give the Vaughn family a platform to besmirch their dead daughter in law and grandchildren. Waters portrayed Murdaugh as a desperate man whose years-long scheme of swindling money from his clients and former law firm was finally coming to light. For her family, friends and others in Laramie, Ms. Wileys murder became a festering wound. Trees planted between the Murdaugh home and the kennels have grown taller and thicker over that period blocking the line of sight they allege would have allowed Murdaugh to see the kennel lights when he says he returned from visiting his mother. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison if he is convicted of either murder count. March 1, 2023, 8:22 AM. [4], Smith was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. He lived a wealthy life, Waters said. Testimony concluded on Tuesday after more than 75 witnesses took the stand over about five weeks. The attorneys are typically present but instructed by the judge not to say or point out anything to the jurors, Benjamin said. Other evidence unsealed by the judge includes reports that Vaughn took the murder weapon to a firing range the night before the murders; a statement by an exotic dancer that Vaughn professed affections for her; and his wife's $1 million life insurance policy that listed him as a beneficiary. The tour of the crime scene happened before jurors were to head back to court in Walterboro to hear closing arguments in the closely watched murder trial. Man Accused Of Slaying Family Had Article On Staging Crime Scenes, "making the death appear to be a suicide,", Vaughn shot in the leg, and his wife and children murdered. This conflicted with her statement that she did not see any other cars there when the carjacking took place. Alex Murdaugh faces 30 years to life in prison without parole if convicted of the killings, for which he has pleaded not guilty. No questions can be asked and no talking will be allowed on the trip. Annas body was subsequently found in this ravine on the reservation. Earlier on Wednesday, jurors went to the scene of the crime that has been detailed throughout the six-week trial. Unlike the bloody murder scene described in court, the feed room on Wednesday had no visible signs of trauma after appearing to be redone with paint and new plywood. They were also cautioned to watch for snakes. Waters said Alex Murdaugh has been lying for years to cover up his opioid addiction and the millions of dollars he stole, so it would be easy to lie about being at the kennels and killing his family, and to lie while testifying in his own defense last week. WebTwo aspiring boxers, life-long friends, get involved in a money-laundering scheme through a low-level organized crime group. When the FBI took up the case, in 1923, agents badly bungled the probe. ABC News' Janice McDonald contributed to this report. The Rare Archival Photos Behind 'Killers of the Flower Moon'. In many ways, Mollie, who was born in 1886, straddled not only two centuries but two civilizations. They also briefly headed to the estates main house. Crime scene visits by juries are relatively rare but have occurred in a number of other high-profile prosecutions, including the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Oilmen, such as J.P. Getty and Frank Phillips, would bid in the shade of a stately tree, which became known as the Million Dollar Elm. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison if he is convicted of murder. The footage belowrecorded by an Osage in the 1920s and shared with me by a descendant, Meg Standingbear Jenningsprovides a glimpse of what the region looked like during the oil boom. Once closing arguments are finished, the jurors will get their instructions and begin deliberating what they learned during a trial that has included more than 75 witnesses and lasted more than six weeks. Alex Murdaugh's theft of millions of dollars was about to be revealed so he killed his wife and son to buy time to figure a way out, a prosecutor said Wednesday during closing arguments in the disgraced South Carolina attorney's murder trial. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Id rather follow a set of tracks through a river in the rain than have spend time on a paved road or under a roof. [5], Smith rarely had a stable home life growing up. The timeline puts him there. Heres a look at the practice of having juries view crime scenes and some other notable cases: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A JURY VISITS A CRIME SCENE? But as Will County, Illinois judge Daniel Rozak made evidence in the case public last Thursday, it appears the prosecution has some damning evidence to contradict that theory. Once closing arguments are finished, the jurors will get their instructions and begin deliberating what they learned during a trial that has included more than 75 witnesses and lasted more than six weeks. They asked for jurors to be allowed to visit the property in order to help them understand how small the storage room is where Paul Murdaugh was killed and the distance between the two bodies. (Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool), Buster Murdaugh, the son of Alex Murdaugh, listens as prosecutor Creighton Waters describes his father as a "family annihilator" during closing arguments in Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. Investigators said his 22-year-old son, Paul, was shot twice with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, was shot four or five times with a rifle outside of the kennels on their property. Testimony concluded on Tuesday after more than 75 witnesses took the stand over about five weeks. Kimberly Vaughn was shot once under her chin, the records say. [2], The case gained international attention because of Smith's false claim that a black man had kidnapped her sons during a carjacking. Alex Murdaugh's brother wept Monday as he told jurors that he had to clean what remained of his slain nephew, Paul Murdaugh, at the crime scene and described it as "the hardest thing" he'd ever been through. For nine days, she made dramatic pleas on national television for their safe return. The documents show the Vaughn familys trip to Knights Water Park in Springfield also was planned the night before the murders, after Vaughns wife accused him of spending too little time with their kids. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool), The dog kennels and hanger at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Islandton, S.C. A Drug Hit. Jurors began the day with a visit to the crime scene, where a pool reporter said at least one of them carefully inspected the door frame of a storage closet where Paul Murdaugh was standing when he was killed. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool), A bullet hole is seen from inside of the feed room at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Islandton, S.C. [20], A Season 6 episode of Law and Order was based on her case. The defense vigorously objected, arguing that taking the jurors to the school would play to their emotions and that photos and videos were sufficient. Associated Press reporter Terry Spencer contributed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Prosecutors opposed the visit, saying the scene looks different than it did in June 2021, as trees and vegetation have grown and no one has lived on the property since the killings. By the second day of the investigation, the police suspected that she knew their location and hoped that they were still alive. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Once those rules are established, closing arguments will take place, then the judge will charge the jury before deliberations into the high-profile case begin. They were very curious about how far up they can go up that stairwell, said Raleigh News & Observer reporter Demorris Lee, who went with the jurors, according to a Court TV report. Testimony concluded Tuesday in Alex Murdaughs double murder trial, and the jury could begin deliberations as early as Wednesday afternoon. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Report: Houston ranked No. During my research, I collected an extensive archive of photographs. Someone had planted a bomb under her sisters house that killed everyone inside, including Rita. Testimony concluded Tuesday in Alex Murdaughs double murder trial, and the jury could begin deliberations as early as Wednesday afternoon. According to a pool reporter on the scene, one juror was standing near the feed room, looking up at its doorway, where expert witnesses called by prosecutors have alleged Paul was murdered with a shotgun. In desperation, he turned to Tom White, a former Texas Ranger, to take over the case. At 5:15 am, a motorist driving on I-55 spotted Christopher 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen as soon as next week, Houston rap royalty Bun B on returning to Rodeo for another Takeover, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban, W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office lunch easy, Why the Texans should take Bijan Robinson with the No. Judge Milton Wharton did not release all of the courtroom evidence. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found Vaughn shot in the leg, and his wife and children murdered. Camren Wynter hit a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give Penn State a 68-65 victory against Northwestern. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool), Several vehicles leave at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Islandton, S.C. Defense attorney Jim Griffin is expected to begin his closing argument on Thursday morning. Jurors have visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son. A partially-melted bowl of ice cream had been left on a banister on the first floor. Their hour-long field trip to the Moselle hunting estate in South Carolina came shortly before closing arguments began in what has been dubbed the trial of the century by local media. The accident has been hailed preventable since, and the music world was never the same. "You just can't really appreciate the spatial issues without actually seeing them," defense attorney Richard Harpootlian told the court on Monday. One day in 2012, when I was visiting the Osage Nation Museum, in Oklahoma, I saw a panoramic photograph on the wall. Alex Murdaugh told investigators early in the case that he was not down by the kennels that night and had last seen his wife and son at dinner before finding bodies upon returning home from visiting his mother. 1. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison if he is convicted of either murder count. Over the past nearly six weeks, the jury has heard from over 60 witnesses called by state prosecutors, who have argued that Alex Murdaugh killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and distract from his financial problems. She married William Gwyn Vaughan of Trebarried (died 1752), who was Vaughn also allegedly used the online screen name "dewoodsman" to write about his desires to flee his life and move to the Canadian wilderness. "You asked me what kind of lawyer Alex was, and I told you he was a good lawyer," Crosby said. A portion of the article talked about making deaths appear like suicides. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED); This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 13:21. After an exhaustive investigation, there is only one person who had the motive, who had the means, who had the opportunity to commit these crimes, and also whose guilty conduct after these crimes betrays him, prosecutor Creighton Waters said during his closing arguments. [6], After graduating from high school in 1989, Smith made a second attempt to kill herself after a married man she was in a relationship with ended their affair. 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