The double murder trial taking place
in Walterboro late today, jurors heard
testimony that gunshot residue was
found on Murdoch's hand shirt,
raincoat and the seat belt in his car.
The disgraced former attorney is accused
of shooting and killing his wife,
Maggie and son, Paul, in June of 2021.
Sled agent Megan Fletcher testified
the gunshot residue test was done
within six hours of the murders.
She added that the residue can be
detected if someone touched a firearm,
fired a firearm or was in the vicinity
of a firearm when it was fired.
Also today, Murdoch's alleged
financial crimes admitted into
evidence for the first time.
Our Sam Perez is in Colington
County with today's details.
3 witnesses took the stand today and this
time the jury was present for all of it.
This comes after Judge Clifton
Newman ruled that the state can use
Murdoch's alleged money problems
to suggest motive for the murders.
Jeannie Seckinger, Ronnie Crosby and
Megan Fletcher testified on Tuesday.
The entire morning focused on
testimony concerning Murdoch's
alleged financial crimes.
The sickest feeling you could
fill in the world.
I knew that he was stealing all this money.
That's how seconder explained
she felt after discovering.
Murdoch was allegedly misappropriating funds,
taking money from clients and
putting them into a fake account.
Seconder testifies she confronted
Murdoch on June 7th,
2021 about missing money from what
she referred to as the Ferris case.
Later that night,
his wife Maggie and son Paul
were found murdered.
But your mind didn't go to.
Gosh, I bet he killed his wife
and son because I asked him
about the Ferris fee, right?
Jenny Crosby,
another of Murdoch's colleagues,
testified that if he had known about the
decade of alleged misappropriations,
Murdoch would have been fired and
turned over to law enforcement.
Crosby was more than just
a fellow attorney, though.
I knew Paul since he was born.
Both he and Buster had always
referred to me as Uncle Ronnie.
He got emotional on the stand as
he explained his relationship with
the family after the murders,
Crosby says he went to the crime
scene to help clean when defense
attorney Jim Griffin asked about
crime scene integrity and if Crosby
had tried to collect evidence.
We were getting biological material.
I mean, just couldn't be there.
It was bad, you know,
and it was it was overwhelming us.
So no, I did not try to collect.
Evidence. But
Megan Fletcher with the South
Carolina Law Enforcement division
did testify about evidence.
She ran tests on Murdoch's
clothing and a blue rain jacket.
He supposedly hid a few days after
the murders to see if there was
gunshot residue on the jacket.
Fletcher testified she found 38 particles.
Can you look at the ladies and
gentlemen of this jury and tell them in?
European, in your expert opinion,
how that number of particles
of gunshot residue primer,
what is that consistent with?
If somebody was wearing this coat inside out,
I would say that it's consistent
with being in the vicinity to
the discharge of a shooting.
Given that it's on the inside,
in order for it to be
consistent with transfer,
an object or objects with a high
amount of gunshot primer residue on
it would have had to transfer to it.
Recently fired firearm was racked up,
wrapped up inside that jacket.
Would that be consistent with your findings?
There is a possibility of that, yes Sir,
Court has wrapped up for the day,
but Fletcher will take the stand
on Wednesday morning at 9:30
to be cross examined by the
defense reporting in Walterboro.
Sam Perez News 19. WLTX.
And one common theme in today's
testimony was about the law firm
and how interwoven personal
and professional life was for
Murdoch and his coworkers.
Our Rachel Rip has that
part of the story tonight.
Throughout testimony today,
both create and waters with the prosecution.
And Jim Griffin with the defense
asked witnesses how close their
relationships were with the defendant,
asking how long they knew Alec,
what they thought of his family, and how
well they really knew him earlier today.
Jeannie seconder. Alex,
former law firm Chief Financial Officer,
testified that she knew Alex since high
school and worked with him for over 20 years.
She testified that PMP Ed was
like a brotherhood a family,
saying that when Alex's dad was admitted
to the hospital on June 7th, 2021,
everything stopped and the law firm
became a support system for Alec.
Ronnie Crosby,
a former law partner of Alex at the firm,
testified that later that night,
after Maggie and Paul were murdered,
law partners.
Including himself.
Drove to Mozelle as soon as they heard news,
Crosby testified.
He was extremely close to
Paul and gave his eulogy.
Tell me a little bit of how you knew Paul.
Umm.
I knew Paul since he was born.
Both he and Buster had always
referred to me as Uncle Ronnie.
We lived just across the way from
each other, so I got to know him.
I don't know if he's used to
when he got into hunting and
he hunted a lot on my property.
And Buster, I have a farm right here
in Collin County where I grew up.
Crosby testified that Alec told him
repeatedly after the murders how
much his son Paul loved Crosby,
adding that he and Alec got
emotional after those conversations.
Crosby testified that he and
his young son used to hunt and
fish with Paul all the time.
In fact, the night of the murders,
Crosby testified that he and
his son had just finished.
Getting their boat ready to go
on a deep sea fishing trip that
they actually invited Paul to,
but Paul said that he had to
work reporting in Walterboro.
Rachel, Rip News 19 WLTX
and testimony resuming at 9:30
in the morning. Of course,
we will continue to follow the
trial and have much more for you
tomorrow right here on News 19.