Alex Murdaugh trial: Key players in South Carolina courtroom

The Alex Murdaugh double execution trial entered its sixth week connected Monday arsenic nan defense prepares to telephone its last witnesses to nan stand.

Murdaugh, 54, is accused of fatally shooting his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul, connected June 7, 2021, adjacent a statement of canine kennels connected his Lowcountry hunting property called Moselle successful Islandton, South Carolina.

The analyzable execution proceedings astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse successful Walterboro, South Carolina, includes dozens of witnesses and respective cardinal players who will thief jurors find whether Murdaugh is blameworthy aliases guiltless successful nan murders of his loved ones. 

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Alex Murdaugh

Alex Murdaugh is simply a erstwhile South Carolina lawyer who worked for nan backstage wounded rule patient Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED), now known arsenic The Parker Law Group, earlier he resigned successful September 2021 pursuing his alleged financial crimes pinch nan firm.

Alex Murdaugh is led into nan Colleton County Courthouse successful Walterboro, South Carolina connected Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Murdaugh is connected proceedings for nan murders of his son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, successful June 2021. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital )

Murdaugh's great-grandfather, Randolph Murdaugh, founded PMPED successful 1910. He past became nan location charismatic overseeing 5 different counties successful 1920. The Murdaugh family maintained a stronghold complete nan prosecutor's agency for decades.

The disgraced lawyer is charged pinch 2 counts of execution and 2 counts of possession of a limb during a convulsive crime successful his woman and son's deaths. He is besides facing 99 financial crimes successful which he allegedly defrauded aggregate victims of an estimated $9 million.

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Murdaugh is accused of stealing costs from his ain rule firm's clients arsenic good arsenic friends and chap attorneys. Prosecutors reason he changeable his woman and boy successful June 2021 erstwhile his financial crimes began to travel to light. The allegations temporarily subsided aft Paul and Maggie's deaths until September 2021, erstwhile his patient revisited nan allegations, and he resigned.

A photograph of nan Murdaugh family taken days earlier Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were changeable to death. From left, Buster, Paul, Maggie and Alex Murdaugh. (Defense exhibit)

The South Carolina ineligible scion gave emotional grounds successful his ain trial past week, admitting connected nonstop introspection connected Feb. 24 that he many times lied to investigators, friends and family, claiming he was ne'er astatine nan Moselle canine kennels June 7, 2021, nan nighttime of nan slayings. 

Buster Murdaugh

Richard "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., 26, is Alex Murdaugh's oldest and only surviving son.

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He has shown up to his father's proceedings astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse pinch his girlfriend, Brooklynn White, each time since nan assemblage action began connected Jan. 23.

Buster Murdaugh listens to his begetter Alex Murdaugh's recorded interview, wherever he describes a termination effort he planned, during Alex Murdaugh's double execution proceedings astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse connected Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. (Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool)

Buster Murdaugh besides testified successful his father's proceedings connected Feb. 23.

"He was destroyed, heartbroken," Buster said connected nan witnesser guidelines of his begetter aft Maggie and Paul's murders.

He described his begetter arsenic a doting and devoted genitor who "coached each Little League squad I played on." He besides described a close-knit family, saying he said pinch his mom "every day" and often said pinch his dada and brother, too.

Buster Murdaugh, nan boy of Alex Murdaugh, testifies during his father's proceedings astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse successful Walterboro, S.C., connected Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)

Judge Clifton Newman

Judge Clifton Newman is nan judge presiding complete nan Alex Murdaugh double execution trial, which began much than a period ago.

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Newman was calved successful Kingstree, South Carolina, successful 1951. His begetter was a reverend. 

Judge Clifton Newman listens to a bid of objections during Alex Murdaugh’s proceedings for execution astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse connected Friday, February 10, 2023.  (Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool)

He received his Juris Degree from nan Cleveland-Marshall College of Law successful Cleveland, Ohio, wherever he began practicing law. He returned to South Carolina successful nan 1980s and opened his ain backstage rule firm, Columbia and Manning, wherever he practiced for 24 years. He spent 17 years arsenic adjunct solicitor until nan South Carolina General Assembly elected him arsenic circuit tribunal judge successful 2000.

Newman is simply a joined begetter of 4 and enjoys walking and spending clip "in nan country," according to his biography.

Dick Harpootlian

Richard "Dick" Harpootlian is 1 of Murdaugh’s lead defense attorneys.

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Harpootlian is simply a South Carolina Democratic authorities senator, representing District 20, and a friend of President Joe Biden. His woman is nan Biden-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia. 

Defense lawyer Dick Harpootlian listens during his customer Alex Murdaugh’s proceedings for execution astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse connected Tuesday, February 7, 2023.  (Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool)

He besides served arsenic chair of nan South Carolina Democratic statement betwixt 1998 and 2003, and again betwixt 2011 and 2013.

Before switching sides and becoming a defense attorney, Harpootlian tried a number of high-profile cases arsenic a authorities prosecutor, including serial slayer Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins and erstwhile University of South Carolina President Jim Holderman for corruption.

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Harpootlian, Murdaugh, and Murdaugh's different lead defense attorney, Jim Griffin, each attended nan University of South Carolina School of Law.

Jim Griffin

Jim Griffin is Alex Murdaugh's different lead defense attorney.

Defense lawyer Jim Griffin objects to questioning by Prosecutor Creighton Waters arsenic Alex Murdaugh testifies astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse successful Walterboro, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023.  ( Grace Beahm Alford/The Post and Courier/Pool)

Griffin started his profession arsenic a national charismatic successful nan District of South Carolina earlier focusing connected wellness attraction litigation. 

The lawyer has "obtained multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients successful civil cases," according to his biography.

Like Harpootlian, Griffin has been practicing rule for decades and tried hundreds of cases.

Creighton Waters

Creighton Waters is nan lead charismatic successful nan Murdaugh execution proceedings and main lawyer of nan South Carolina Office of nan Attorney General's expansive assemblage since 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Waters alleges that Murdaugh killed his woman and boy successful June 2021 successful a strategy to distract from his financial crimes totaling astir $9 million.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters questions Alex Murdaugh during Murdaugh’s execution proceedings astatine nan Colleton County Courthouse successful Walterboro, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.  (Grace Beahm Alford/Staff)

Waters cross-examined Alex Murdaugh past week, suggesting nan erstwhile lawyer has utilized his family's sanction and connections to skirt nan law. He besides sewage Murdaugh to attest that he lied to rule enforcement astir not being astatine his family's canine kennels connected nan nighttime of Maggie and Paul's murders.

Murdaugh "told anyone who would perceive that he was not astatine those kennels. But grounds will besides show ... that he was location ... nan cellphones are going to show otherwise," Waters said successful his opening statement.

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"The grounds is going to show that Paul collapsed correct extracurricular that feeding room. Just moments later, moments later, [Alex Murdaugh] ... opened occurrence connected his wife, Maggie, conscionable feet away," nan charismatic said connected Jan. 25. "Pop popular pop ... took her down."

Murdaugh has maintained his innocence since nan June 2021 murders.