Paralegal details lies committed by lawyer
WALTERBORO, SC – Alex Murdaugh’s legal assistant testified Wednesday at his double murder trial about the betrayal she felt when she discovered he had lied and manipulated to steal millions of dollars to customers.
Annette Griswold told jurors about Murdaugh’s efforts to steal millions from her family law firm and multiple clients. Murdaugh, 54, has been accused of killing his family in an attempt to distract from his financial crimes and gain time and sympathy.
Griswold described his fear of retaliation and told jurors about Murdaugh’s “Tasmanian Devil” personality that changed after the murders. She said he seemed to have his “ass on his shoulders” and was shouting angrily at the staff.
But Murdaugh was a devoted family man, Griswold said, who couldn’t stay in the family home where the murders took place and struggled to stay focused.
During Griswold’s testimony, lead prosecutor Creighton Waters entered into evidence a text from Murdaugh to Griswold that was sent after Murdaugh’s initial murders and arrests – texts that were sent while the disgraced attorney was in rehab.
The text read, in part: “The worst thing is that I have done the most damage to those I love the most.”
Following Murdaugh’s firing from his family’s law firm in September 2021, Murdaugh released a statement admitting to a long-standing opioid addiction. Later, amid his financial crime indictments, he was also charged with a multi-county drug trafficking scheme.
Following Griswold’s testimony, Michael Gunn, one of the main founders of Forge Consulting, said that Murdaugh’s alleged “fake Forge” activities were not legitimate, nor were they associated with its Forge operations – adding more names to the state’s proposed financial crime coffin.
Wednesday’s testimony was cut short after state agents said a bomb threat was called in the courthouse. The trial resumed around 3 p.m. after police searched the courthouse with testimony about Murdaugh’s vehicle data.
South Carolina law enforcement forensic expert Brian Hudak and FBI expert Dwight Falkofske testified about data from Murdaugh’s vehicle.
Hudak testified that he helped recover the entertainment system and OnStar module from Murdaugh’s 2021 Chevy Suburban, the vehicle Murdaugh was driving on the night of the murders. Falkofske, an electronics engineer and automotive forensics specialist, testified to the FBI’s analysis of this data.
The analysis showed when the vehicle was in and out of gear, but no explanation was given as to what the data meant.
Ahead of the bomb threat on Wednesday, bullet forensics expert Megan Fletcher returned to the stand for cross-examination on bullet primer residue found on hands, clothing, seat belt and a Murdaugh’s blue raincoat found at his parents’ home.
The court will reconvene Thursday morning with cross-examination of Falkofske by Murdaugh’s defense team.
Who is Alex Murdaugh?
Murdaugh, part of a Hampton County legal dynasty, is charged with fatally shooting his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and son, Paul Murdaugh, at their home on June 7, 2021. After a verdict was Found on those charges, Murdaugh, who is jailed in the state capitol on $7 million bond, is next to stand trial on around 100 financial and drug-related charges.
What happened at the courthouse?
A deputy from the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office was seen sprinting across the courthouse grounds, panic in his voice as he yelled at people to clear the area. Court attendees exited the building from the front, sweeping up the stairs – those not normally used by the public.
Murdaugh was taken from the courthouse and driven off the property in a large black van, according to reports from reporters outside the courthouse. There was a heavy police presence in the area and law enforcement formed a perimeter around the courthouse square.
Members of Murdaugh’s family, including his surviving son, Richard “Buster” Murdaugh Jr., and several groups of excursion students, were at the courthouse at the time.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed that a bomb threat was received by staff at the Colleton County Courthouse, part of the 14th Judicial Circuit where Murdaugh’s ancestors once held legal power for more than 85 years as attorneys.
Just hours after jurors began hearing testimony, Judge Clifton Newman ordered the courtroom evacuated. The South Carolina attorney general’s office confirmed that the threat was “telephoned.”
“The building has been evacuated and SLED and the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the threat,” law enforcement said in a statement.
Contributor: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Contact Breaking News reporter N’dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg
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