Deputies’ bodycam video released showing Alex Murdaugh crime scene
By: Bodycam video that was shown to the jury in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial during the first week of testimony has been released by the court.
The footage, recorded by first responders on the night of June 7, 2021, shows the crime scene where disbarred Lowcountry attorney Alex Murdaugh told investigators he found the bodies of his wife, Maggie; and their youngest son, Paul.
Judge Clifton Newman ordered the release of the footage after portions showing the victims’ bodies were blurred.
Murdaugh is standing trial in Colleton County for the two deaths. He has maintained his innocence in the killings.
One clip shows a bodycam recorded by Colleton County Deputy Daniel Greene, the first deputy to arrive at the Moselle Road property after Alex Murdaugh’s 911 call.
Greene was also the first person to testify in the Murdaugh trial on Feb. 3, describing a grisly scene in which Maggie and Paul Murdaugh’s bodies lay in pools of blood.
A second bodycam video shows additional footage recorded the night of the killings by Deputy and K9 handler Chad McDowell.
He can be heard telling other responders to try not to disturb evidence because agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were on their way.
McDowell said he recognized shell casings around Maggie Murdaugh’s body as .300 Blackout cases based on personal experience from owning one himself. On the bodycam footage, he asks for crime scene tape to mark casings.
McDowell told Waters he was careful not to disturb any evidence, and said a cell phone was located on top of Paul Murdaugh’s back pocket.
Under cross-examination, McDowell told Harpootlian his role was to move the sheet covering Paul Murdaugh’s body as detectives searched for a possible weapon under his body.
Harpootlian asks what Murdaugh was wearing on the night of the killings. McDowell described Murdaugh in a white shirt and shorts. McDowell testified he did not note any blood on Murdaugh and would have reported it if he had seen any.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigator Jeff Croft insisted during his testimony that during the interview, Murdaugh said of Paul, “It was so bad…I did him so bad.”
But some people in the courtroom heard that portion differently, insisting it sounded like Murdaugh said “they did him so bad,” not “I did him so bad.”
That Murdaugh said “they” instead of “I” was the crux of Griffin’s cross-examination of the interview as he replayed that portion of the interview to the court.
“Did you consider that to be some kind of confession on June 10?” Griffin says.
Croft says it was something they were going to look into.
Griffin would play the clip at regular speed twice before playing the clip slowed down to one-third speed.
“Did you hear ‘they’ then?” Griffin says.
“No sir, I did not,” Croft says.