WALTERBORO, S.C. — Jurors in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial on Friday heard from the family housekeeper, just one of the several witnesses who say they knew the suspect, as the prosecution continues to try and build its case for a motive in the killings.
Murdaugh is accused of killing his wife, Maggie, and adult son, Paul, at the family's large estate in Colleton County in June of 2021. The former prominent attorney is facing separate facing charges of taking millions from his law firm and clients over several years. While he's not directly dealing with those charges in this trial, his alleged financial misconduct has become a crux of the murder case because the prosecution said it shows his mentality going into the night of the murders.
The defense maintains the financial information has no bearing on the case and that, from the beginning, law enforcement and prosecutors have rushed to judgment.
You can find trial updates here every day. Live streaming coverage can be on wltx.com, on the WLTX+ streaming app on Amazon Fire and Roku TV, and on the News19 WLTX YouTube page.
Friday Trial Updates
Tinsley’s testimony picks up Friday morning.
Creighton Waters asks Tinsley if one of the items in the motions was a motion to compel to get the bank and financial records from Alex. Yes
How did you hear about Maggie and Paul? Got a phone call
On June 8, did you have communication from any other lawyers in the boat case? Yes, mainly expressing shock and, of course, that the motions hearing is not going to go forward.
Tinsley identifies an email dated 4 p.m. June 8, 2021, from Judge Hall to Tinsley and lawyers for Parkers officially notifying the parties the motions hearing is not going forward. No date was set to continue.
In wake of the murders, did you understand what happened to Maggie and Paul? Yes
Did the tragedy of Maggie and Paul have any effect on the boat case? Tinsley said it ended the civil case against Alex. Nice people get good verdicts. You need to motivate a jury to get a settlement in a case. If Alex is seen as a victim of vigilantes, the case against him is over. The case against Parkers can still go on because Parkers clearly broke the rules. Alex was a sympathetic defendant.
CROSS by Phillip Barber
Any life insurance on Maggie and Paul? Don’t believe there was life insurance on anybody, including Alex
The motion to compel, if going forward, was another step in a process? There wouldn’t have been an explosion on June 10? Is that your testimony? Tinsley responds: Words to that effect
REDIRECT
Your motion to compel? It was a way to put pressure on Alex to settle the boat case
If an order to compel is granted, what is process? The process starts on Alex’s side. Danny Henderson is Alex’s personal lawyer and reviews every document. Nobody knows what Alex makes more than Henderson. Tinsley said he had subpoenaed Murdaugh's family phone records and Henderson knew what was going on. After the motion to compel, Tinsley would have subpoenaed the financial institutions.
PHOTOS: Alex Murdaugh murder trial - Day 15 (Fri, Feb. 10)
Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson
Simpson is married to a police officer in Hampton and a mother to five. She worked profiling Hispanic gangs in Lowcountry correctional facilities from 2001-2007. She worked in real estate near Brunson and met Alex through the son of a friend. The son had been struck by a car and needed a personal injury attorney. Simpson was bilingual and helped the friend and walked into the PMPED office and met Alex.
She testifies Alex told her he’d take the case as long as Simpson did the translation and assist him on the case. Later, Alex would call her and ask her to translate in other cases. He would pay her and reimburse her for her costs. This led to a position helping Maggie at the homes in Moselle and Hampton.
In 2007, Simpson started the other ladies in the houses cleaning, running errands, and going to the bank for Maggie every other day for the family at the house on Holly Street in Hampton. Simpson worked every 2-3 days. Then there was an incident where someone tried to burn the Hampton house and Simpson went full time. Simpson said she had a stroke and had to stop working and go to rehab in 2015. She was out of work for about four years but went back to work with Maggie shortly after the boating accident after she reached out to Maggie. She helped run errands, clean, and take checks to the bank for Maggie to pay workers at the houses at Moselle and Hampton. The Murdaugh family eventually moved to Moselle.
Simpson and Maggie got close. Maggie would stop and talk to Simpson when they saw each other out.
On June 7, 2021, Simpson was working for the Murdaughs at Moselle. She was there the Friday before and saw Paul. She said Paul walked through the door with a laundry basket and asked her to do laundry for the weekend. She stayed late to do this.
Simpson testifies she had contact with Maggie on the morning of June 7. Maggie was texting to see if Simpson could stop by the grocery on the way in and pick up Capri Suns for Alex. Maggie told Simpson she had a doctor’s appointment and Alex wanted her to come home and left food in the fridge for Simpson and asked her to cook dinner for Paul and Alex. Simpson agreed. Maggie called Simpson and told her Alex wanted her to come home, but Maggie was hesitant and wanted to stay at Edisto because there was work going on there, and Alex wanted Paul to come home and fix the mess CB Rowe left at Moselle. Simpson reiterates Maggie told her Alex wanted both Maggie and Paul to come home that day.
Simpson said she went to Moselle the morning of June 7 and Paul and Maggie were gone, but Alex was there in bed. Alex was not a morning person. Simpson said she was there a few hours before she saw Alex. She says Alex left the house to go to work in khaki pants, a greenish seafoam Polo short-sleeve shirt, and a dark blue sportscoat and brown leather shoes. Simpson fixed Alex’s collar on the shirt when he was leaving because it was sticking up.
Simpson prepared cube steak and gravy with rice and green beans for the family dinner. Before she left, Simpson texted Maggie, telling her she left dinner on the stove, and that she was leaving for the day.
Simpson heard about Paul and Maggie when she was getting ready to go to Moselle the next morning. Alex called and sounded shaky, he said “B, they’re gone.” She didn’t understand and Alex said, “No B, they’re dead.” She said she dropped the phone and doesn’t remember what happened next.
Simpson said Alex said he was at Almeda, so that’s where she went. Alex told her to go to the Moselle house and try to straighten it up the way Maggie would like it but know SLED agents were there. Alex wanted the house to look the way Maggie would have wanted it.
Simpson said she usually entered Moselle through the kennels. She said there was no one at Moselle when she got there on June 8. When she entered the house, Simpson said she knew Maggie wasn’t coming back and she didn’t want to move her stuff. “It was a weird feeling,” she said. Once inside, Simpson testified she didn’t turn on the lights, but walked through to the kitchen and stopped and looked at the stove. There were no pots on the stove. That was unusual because when the Murdaughs ate dinner, the pots usually stayed on the stove. There were no pots - not in the sink or on the stove.
She said if you walk through the kitchen, to left, there are a freezer and refrigerator in the laundry room. Maggie’s pajamas were in the middle of the doorway, laid neatly on the floor in the middle of the doorway – pajama tops and underwear. Didn’t look right to Simpson. Maggie didn’t wear underwear the pajamas, and it struck Simpson odd they were there on the floor with the PJs.
Simpson said opened the refrigerator door and found pots in the fridge with lids.
In the master bath, Simpson testified she found some of Maggie’s clothes next to the garden tub, and by shower on the floor was a puddle of water, a towel, and a pair of khaki pants. In the closet was a white damp towel on the floor, and a t-shirt had fallen off a stack of other shirts in the closet. Simpson said the shirt was clean, so she put it back on the stack and took the towels and khaki pants to the laundry.
When Simpson took care of the house, there are shelves in the closets where clothes were organized, and Alex kept his t-shirts folded. Simpson said Alex’s shorts were kept in a dresser next to his bed.
Simpson is asked to identify a pair of pants and a shirt – she takes care of the laundry and knows they belong to Alex and are usually kept in one of the dresser drawers in the master bedroom. The khakis are not a pair he wore frequently and were clean the last time she saw them. The shirt she had cleaned prior to June 7 and probably put it in the closet if there was no room in the dresser drawer.
Simpson is asked to look at a video and says Alex is dressed in khaki pants, a seafoam-colored Columbia shirt from the closet, and loafers he wore around the house. After June 7, Simpson testifies she never saw that shirt again.
On June 8, was the shirt there? No. Is that the shirt he wore to work that day? No. Were the shoes there? No. Did you ever see those shoes again? No sir. And where did he keep the shoes? In the closet.
Do you remember any canvas-type shoes? Sperry-type shoes, they used to sit in the closet. After June 7, did you ever see the Sperry shoes in the closet? No sir.
Did you stay on and work for Alex at Moselle? Did your day-to-day change? Yes. After Maggie and Paul were killed, Simpson says, Alex did not stay on the property.
On June 10, after the service, Alex called and asked Simpson and her husband to stay at Moselle and take care of it and maintain the property. Alex paid the couple $1500 a week. The Simpsons also took care of Grady and Bubba, the family dogs. Simpson said she has Bubba in her home. Bubba had his own pen at Moselle and if chickens were out of the coup, Bubba would chase them. Bubba is stubborn and it’d take some time to get the chicken out of Bubba’s mouth.
In August 2021, did you have a conversation with Alex about a shirt? Where did this take place? Simpson responds: At the little house between Johnny Parker and his brother Randy in Hampton. Simpson put all of Alex’s clothes and toiletries at that house. Simpson said the conversation was unusual Simpson was getting ready to leave and Alex asked to talk to her. Alex was pacing and said “something’s not right, you know there’s a video out. Remember the shirt I was wearing -- a Vineyard (Vinny) Vine’s shirt? You know I was wearing that shirt that day.”
Simpson testifies she didn’t remember him wearing that shirt. She remembers him wearing a different shirt because she fixed his collar, and the other shirt is of a different material.
She says she felt confused, and she knew what he was wearing that morning. She didn’t know if he was trying to get her to say that was the shirt he was wearing if she was asked.
Simpson is asked to identify a photo. On September 4, Alex asked Simpson to send a copy of the insurance cards on a Saturday morning. He needed a different set of cards that were in Maggie’s purse and needed the cards to set medical appointments. She took pictures and sent the cards. After that day, Simpson and her husband left Moselle.
Did you ever look at Maggie’s Mercedes to clean it? Simpson said she cleaned the Mercedes after it came back from impound. Simpson said Maggie still had paint samples from Edisto and pillows she was going to return and, when Simpson moved the driver’s seat to clean under it, she found Maggie’s wedding band.
Leading up to the murders, Simpson says Maggie had a conversation with her. Maggie made coffee and they went into the hunting room and closed the door.
In the days leading up to the deaths, was Maggie concerned about anything? Maggie was concerned about money in the boat suit, about $30M was what Maggie said. Simpson says Maggie told her that she felt Alex wasn’t being truthful about what was going on with the lawsuit and Alex didn’t tell her everything.
The video from Paul’s phone is played. Simpson is asked to identify the voices on the video. Simpson says the voices are of Paul, Maggie, and Alex.
Did Maggie go to kennels at night by herself? No, she was scared.
Did she go there when it wasn’t dark? Yes. The dogs, Grady and Bubba, were always with her. In the last few months, she would take one of the two dogs with her to Edisto.
About Alex’s phone use? Alex was always on his phone
About Paul’s phone habit? Paul was always on phone. He’d play music on the phone while in the shower.
On June 8, when you cleaned the house what did you find in the master bathroom? There was a rug with a slight puddle of water, a towel, and pair of khaki pants. No bloody clothes? No.
Have you ever seen that blue shirt again? Not to my knowledge. The shoes? No. The Sperry shoes? No sir
CROSS by Harpootlian
Alex always referred to you as a friend, never as a housekeeper. Yes
In multiple interviews with SLED and others, you describe Maggie as his “all”? Yes sir
What does that mean? He adored her
Asked if you ever saw them having arguments. I never saw arguments, just minor disagreements over the Edisto remodel
No violent fights or over money? Simpson: They would disagree and Maggie would want him to sit still and listen to her and get frustrated
On the morning of June 7 and the morning of June 8. You left before anyone was there on June 7? Yes, I left food on the stove.
Normally, there are pots left on stove? Sometimes. Plates were left on the table, but plates were in the sink
Do you know how many people were at Moselle on the night of June 7? Do you know if anyone that evening moved the food from the stove to the refrigerator? I don’t know
You drove from his mother’s at Almeda to Moselle and instead of coming to the normal route to the kennels, did you see SLED? Yes
Were there police present? No
Was anyone in the house or were you questioned? No
Did you find it strange there were no law enforcement at the scene? No, there were officers at the kennels
Do you remember anyone coming to search the house? Were they going room to room? Yes.
That was after you were there, after you were cleaning? I didn’t pick anything up before agents came through
After they left, that’s where you found the things in the bathroom? After, yes.
About what you saw. Did Alex appear to have on a khaki pair of pants? Yes. He had several pairs of pants
Did Alex take a number of showers during the day? I wasn’t there
It wasn’t unusual to find towels and clothes in the bathroom? No
Do you know on the night of June 7, he wasn’t there when you got there on June 8? Right
When he left on June 7 and went to Almeda, you don’t know what clothes he took with him? No
He had to put on other clothes to go to his mother’s house? I don’t know
You don’t know what he wore to his mother’s? Correct
Did you see blood on the khaki pants? No
In the bathroom, did you see bloody footprints, on the towel or anything to indicate that there? Nothing bloody there
Did you clean the shower? Yes
No one from SLED asked you about any blood? No
Pants were there after SLED left? Yes
About the cell phone service at Moselle. They had Verizon coverage. Any trouble receiving service, or spotty service? Simpson: Yes, some places in the house service would drop, in the kennels, if you moved you might lose the service. Simpson knew where to make calls and texts at the home and kennel. Everyone knew if you moved out of a certain area, you’d lose signal.
About that August conversation after the murders… Simpson responds: It didn’t feel like he was inquiring anything, it felt more like he was trying to convince me what clothes he was wearing that day.
This conversation occurred before Alex, Buster, and Randy were golfing that weekend. About Buster, can you point him out? Yes. He’s a good kid
Did you ever see Paul with guns? Yes. Guns were all over the place? Yes. Did Paul ever leave guns at the hangar? I found one down there, a rifle. In the feed room? Not that I know of
There was a golf cart Paul would drive to the kennels? Sometimes. The majority of the time, he was in his truck or the F-250
And sometimes he had a gun in golf cart? Yes
When you saw SLED did you see them taking photos? I believe so, not positive
Shown pictures of a rain jacket. Ever see that at Moselle? No. Alex ever have a rain jacket that looked like that? No
Alex wore what size? 2XL
In the Snapchat image, is the shirt Alex is wearing with Paul the shirt he was wearing the morning he left? No
Were you aware Alex had clothes he had in his office? Yes, and in the car and at Edisto.
If Alex was in the Moselle area and changed his shirt, would it be in car or at office? I don’t know
Simpson is asked to identify a text message string between her and Maggie. At 7:05 a.m. Maggie asks to Simpson go to the grocery. A text at 3:28 p.m. from Simpson saying dinner is on the stove before she left. Simpson said on the stand that before she left Moselle and sent that text, she saw a white truck at the kennel from the upstairs bedroom and left the front door open. At 4, Maggie texts Simpson about waiting at the doctor and Alex asking her to go to Moselle.
Simpson testifies Maggie was upset Alex was the only one the family called when something happened at Almeda. Alex hadn’t had much sleep and Maggie was frustrated that in the middle of the night, Alex would be the one to take care of things.
Simpson says Maggie preferred to stay at Edisto.
Harpootlian asks if Maggie indicated Paul was going to Moselle and needed Simpson to fix dinner. Simpson testifies Maggie was more concerned about the house in Edisto than returning to Moselle on June 7.
Simpson testifies SLED didn’t ask about Alex’s clothes until recently.
Did SLED also ask you about June 7? They asked where I was, when I saw Alex, the texts with Maggie. I gave them my phone
Do you feel like a member of the family? Yes
Did you indicate Maggie was not being treated well by people in Hampton? Yes. And Maggie was concerned about Paul because Paul had received threats? Yes
Did you clean the gun room? I went in there but didn’t do anything
Any indication anyone had been in the kitchen the night before? No
REDIRECT
Mr. Harpootlian asked you about the clothes in the closet on June 8, and he asked if there could have been another shirt in the room? Yes
Have you ever worked or been to Almeda? Once previously, to drop something off
The blue raincoat was at Almeda? I don’t know where that came from
Did you ever see the shirt again? No. Once I move belongings to the little house I noticed Alex was purchasing new shirts and things. New Vineyard (Vinny) Vines shirts.
Do you recognize this shirt? It was kept in the closet, on a shelf
Shown two photographs. And this outfit is different from that outfit? Yes
Whose idea was it for Maggie to come to Moselle on June 7? Simpson says Maggie texted her that Alex wanted her to go to Moselle.
RECROSS
After Maggie and Paul’s deaths, did you notice Alex was losing weight? Yes. Dramatic weight loss? Y. So his clothes didn’t fit and needed to buy clothes? I assume so.
This is the Columbia shirt. Doesn’t it have a logo on it? Yes. He did not wear that shirt again? I never saw it.
Check back here for updates throughout the day
Belinda Rast
Rast grew up in Hampton County and is a certified nursing assistant and a private home health care provider for Libby Murdaugh at Almeda. She has been employed at Almeda for four years.
Rast says Libby is her family away from home. Her typical hour shift is 8 pm. to 8 am and 7 pm to 7 am on weekends. In 2021, she was working at Almeda on June 7. Rast testifies she was called and told to come to the house. She had switched a day off with Mushelle Smith. If she had been there, Rast work schedule would have been 3pm until 9 am.
Rast said she had met Maggie but did not know her personally. She said Alex came to see his parents more often than others in the family and he was always polite and offered to help do things for Randolph and Libby – he got ice cream for Libby.
On 8 pm-8 am. shift, how often did Alex come to visit during your shift? Rast: Not often during my shift. Maybe 6-7 times over 4 years.
Before Randolph passed, was there a time he came to visit late at night? Yes. Alex and Maggie came to bring Krispy Kreme the night before, on Sunday. Alex went to his room but Randolph was asleep.
Randolph was told Alex and Maggie came and brought donuts and he was surprised. He thought it strange they came at night. Rast says Mr. Randolph knew what was going on, he had no mental issues.
In your experience with Alzheimer’s patients, how do they rest? Rast answers: Sometimes they’re fine, they may speak but as time progresses, sometimes they cry like babies, and you don’t know what they want. You have to guess until you get it right. Libby was usually put to bed at 8 p.m. and given medications at that time to let her sleep. If family comes, Rast says she will let family wake her but preferred to let Libby sleep.
CROSS EXAMINATION by Harpootlian
Was it strange for Alex to show up at night? It was unusual.
Did you know Alex and Maggie had been at game in Columbia before stopping by Almeda? No
If Alex has stopped there during the day, you wouldn’t know? Correct
Alex and Maggie stayed about 30 minutes Sunday night? Yes. What time, was it late? About 9pm
And Miss Libby, in 2021, she has dementia, what was her demeanor? Rast says Libby couldn’t walk but her caretakers would place her in a wheelchair and she could feed herself. Mentally, she could sometimes recognize her sons.
In June 2021, was she aware her husband of 40 years had died? Rast: We told her and took her to funeral, but weeks after she didn’t remember
When you were there and Paul would come over, would that have a calming effect on Libby? Yes. Paul would remind her of the past
And she’d watch TV? Yes
Matthew Wilde, FBI
Supervisory special agent with FBI, stationed in Rock Hill. Oversees cellular analysis survey team (CAST) analyzes cell phone location data. He uses data from a cell phone and nearby cell towers to find date, time, and location of the cell phone at a certain time and map the location.
In your role at CAST, you became involved in this case? In July 2021 after being asked by Dylan Hightower. Hightower had received call records from individuals in the case and there were questions if the cell tower near Moselle could provide coverage for the area.
CAST has a piece of equipment that measures signal strength -- where it exists and where it doesn’t. Wilde explained he and his team grabbed 3 of the equipment boxes and drove all around Moselle and the neighboring properties recording signal strength and direction. Wilde testified he personally drove the Moselle property.
He is asked to identify the report generated for this case – cell phone records, cell break downloads from Paul’s phone, signal strength from the drive test, and known locations of cell towers in the area.
Wilde looked at information taken from phones belonging to Alex, Paul and Maggie Murdaugh, Marty Cook and CB Rowe to prepare a map of the general locations where the phones were on the day of the murder. The cell breakdown data from Paul’s phone was provided by SLED.
Wilde is asked to go over the records. Wilde describes the different types of cell towers and antennas that send and receive signals from phones and towers. Towers are separated into 3 sectors; records show tower number and tower sector; and then azimuth and direction of the antenna. From collected data, Wilde was able to create a map of coverage. Another set of records – Verizon RTT records – are an estimation of distance between phone and tower at time of call. All of the data combined shows a cell phone’s location at specific times and the towers and antennas used to transmit calls.
>>> For Paul’s phone, the initial timeframe is 4:53pm-7p.m. June 7.
Paul’s phone tracks at Oakatee 5:30-6:09pm
6:17-6:53 phone is traveling north at 7:05-7:30 near Moselle
7:30-8:40 p.m., phone at Moselle according to RTT and overlapping antenna data
9:03 call and RTT distance of 1.3 miles shows area in Moselle but using different tower
10:34 p.m. still at Moselle
iPhone location data from Paul’s phone (in comparison), downloaded from phone:
7:45-7:56 pm, phone near kennels, within 48 meters
8:00 phone within
8:04-8:05, hits across Moselle Road
8:06:20 phone at Moselle Road, north of drive and moves toward kennel, up driveway to house, within 20 meters. Rapid pings show phone is using some sort of app
8:08:45 is back at house, within 20 meters
8:14 pm ping at house
8:14-8:35:07 pings centered at house, within 20m
8:37 p.m. within 50 meters of doghouse
8:44:55 pm record came from movie file – the video inside the dog kennel is recorded with this timestamp
10:18 and 10:18:13 at dog kennels
Between 8:44 and 10:18, the phone stayed at the kennels
>>> Maggie’s phone from earlier in day, starting 4:25 to 7:05 pm phone is in West Ashley.
Several hits 7:07-7:50, Maggie’s phone is traveling from Charleston area to Moselle. Traveling route 17
7:50 in Walterboro
No more tower hits from Maggie’s phone. Calls to Maggie’s phone after 7:50 but went unanswered
>>> Alex’s phone from 4:10-6:25 pm show phone is near PMPED in Hampton
6:40-9:10 pm. a series of calls show phone near Moselle
9:12-9:18, phone at Moselle
9:20-9:46 phone close to Almeda on SC-278
9:52:59 phone in between Almeda and Moselle, closer to Moselle
10:06:31 phone calls 911 – this is the call that caused FBI to look, pinged at Varnville tower on Moselle property
10:17 pings at Moselle
Remainder of night 10:21 on at Moselle
June 8, phone at Almeda
June 9, phone at Almeda
June 10, phone at
June 11 phone at Almeda
June 12 1:41 at Almeda
Juen13, 9:09 am at Almeda
June 14, 12:04 am, 9 am from Almeda
June 14, 10:27am-12pm tower at Hampton/Almeda
June 14, 4:33-6 phone moves from Almeda to Charleston/Summerville
June 14, 6:08-8:10 in Summerville
June 15, from Summerville 8:10 am-11am
June 15, remains in Almeda
>>> also, CB Rowe and Marty Cooke – those phones were not near Moselle on June 7.
CROSS EXAMINATION by Barber
Looking at a lot of maps with time stamps and pings. Wilde: those are not pings but calls and text messages from the time stamps. Text messages would not show on Maggie’s phone by cell tower records. Wilde explains: Before a call is set up, the phone is scanning for a tower and sector, looking for the best receiver. Phone records will show initial tower/sector the phone thought was best, but the phone will hand off to another tower/sector if there is a stronger signal.
GPS data was available for Paul, but not for Maggie because of something Paul’s phone was running that generated it or something Maggie’s phone was not running. There was no GPS data available for Alex’s phone.
Sometimes you can show phones moving together in tandem? Yes, but did not do it in this case
When doing drive tours, did you go to Moselle? Yes. With consent of Alex? Yes
10:06:31 was 911 call. Wilde is asked about time stamps and what would account for 13 second difference? Wilde explains: There is a slight offset of the different records that the person was looking at
Ever a time difference between call records? Yes. Wilde says there is a small difference between pushing button to start a call and the call being placed.
June 15, 2021, Alex’s phone activity after 2:50 pm indicated travel to Summerville. Location data after June 15? Yes. In this report? Not in this report
Last record is June 15 and Alex is going to Summerville? Yes
Information was gathered on phones owned by CB Rowe and Marty Cooke? Wilde: I was requested to do so
Was information gathered on phones of Eddie Smith or Spencer Roberts? Yes, on Eddie Smith., but I do not have it with me.
REDIRECT
Have you ever pinpointed two phones moving together? Using what data? Wilde: First of all, the phones have to have activity together -- an indication the phones are traveling or are stationary together. No data to compare Maggie’s phone.
Nathan Tuten
Tuten is from Hampton and attended USC, graduating in 2021 with Criminal Justice. Currently road patrol officer with Walterboro Police Department.
Tuten is a childhood friend of Paul Murdaugh and says Paul was the definition of a good friend -- selfless, would do anything for anybody. Paul loved to hunt and fish and hang out with friends. A reliable friend. Tuten said he spent a lot of time with Paul over the years. Paul was on the phone all the time, would call back if missed call.
You got to know Maggie – Tuten said she was one of the sweetest persons he’d ever met, a second momma to him.
You got to know Alex – Yes
You knew the family before they moved to Moselle? Yes
How many entrances or exits were there at Moselle when they moved? One the one leading to the dog sheds, near an old cabin
Tuten freshman semester he and Paul lived together at cabin, close to highway. He says he and Paul would call each other almost every day. Paul went to USC in Columbia and Tuten saw him when he’d come onto town in summer, not during school.
Are you familiar with firearms in gerneral? Yes
Did Paul have a favorite gun? Tuten said there were two guns with us most of the time – a 300 Blackout and a Benelli super black eagle 12-gauge shotgun with camouflage pattern. He and Paul used the Blackout to hunt everything. The 300 had a thermal scope. The Benelli had subtle camouflage pattern Tuten said he could pick out.
Tuten is asked to identify the guns already in evidence. Tuten identifies the 300 as Paul’s rifle and the Benelli 3 super black eagle 12-gauge shotgun as Paul’s shotgun and strap.
Tuten points out differences in Benelli modes 2 and 3: On Paul’s model 3, the forearm grip, the trigger magazine port allows easier loading and button releases the bolt to make firing easier and labled 2 and 3.
Tuten is shown another 12-gauge and identifies it as Buster’s shotgun as a Benelli Super Black Eagle 2.
Tuten is asked if he knew what happened to the tan 300 Blackout. It was stolen in early 2018 at a party.
When was the second entrance to Moselle created? Unsure
Was it common to use that entrance? Paul and his friends would use the entrance by shed and Alex and Maggie would use new entrance.
On Moselle, the kennels are on left, the hangar on right of the driveway. If someone was hanging out at the kennels, was it usual if someone leaving the house to stop by kennels? Yes
Paul’s video was played for Tuten and he’s asked to identify voices he hears. Tuten says the voices belong to Paul, Maggie and Alex, and says they were at the dog kennels. Bubba is Paul’s yellow lab, trained to be a bird dog. Tuten describes Bubba as hardheaded.
Tuten is asked if he worked at PMPED? Yes. In Feb 2019, he was a runner for the law firm in general. He says he acted as a courier for law documents, assisted paralegals around the office until May 2022.
You saw upheaval in the aftermath of June 7? Yes
Can you tell us about the last communication you had with Paul? Tuten believes they talked that Saturday, Paul was headed to Charleston.
Tuten got a phone call from his mother and a law partner about Paul and Maggie. He said he did not go to Moselle, but went to the funeral and wake.
After the events, how effect you? It was hard losing really good friend and good person
Continued to work at law firm? Yes
How was Alex? Out of the office, slowly coming back in
Ever run errands for Alex? Yes
Before the murders? Yes. Tuten said he picked up papers and cashed checks for Alex. Alex would frequently send him to Palmetto State Bank to cash the checks and return money to Alex’s office.
Any time Alex would ask you to cash a check, would someone in his office when you came back with the money? Multiple people. One occasion Greg Alexander (Allendale police chief), Corey Flemming, and Chris Wilson. A few weeks before murders, Alex stopped asking Tuten to cash checks.
Who is Jeanne Seckeinger? Tuten said she was his immediate supervisor. Seckinger asked Tuten to help in an investigation by looking through cases in probate, highlight checks, and reporting any discrepancies to her.
In July 4, 2021, did you drive Alex to theairport? Yes. Tuten said he was still a runner and Aled asked him to give him ride to the airport. Alex was going on vacation to the Florida Keys with Maggie’s family.
Did he say anything to you? Yes. He said he’d like to clear Paul’s name and beat the boat case.
CROSS BY Griffin
Very important to clear Paul’s name from the accusations on boat case? I don’t know. That’s what he said but don’t know what he was thinking.
Alex stood by Paul while others turned away? Yes
Are you sure it was July 4? Week of the Fourth, yes
Going on vacation with Maggie’s family? Yes
You went and got cash for Alex and some people were in the office? Yes
You hand the money to ale? Yes
Alex and Maggie were a second set of parents? Yes
You hunted with Buster and Paul? Yes
Lived at cabin at Moselle? Yes
Paul’s go-to guns were the Blackout and Benelli? Correct
Did you go to the party where the gun was stolen? Yes, but gun wasn’t discovered missing for few days
Did you know the 300 was replaced? No
When did you find out it was replaced? At this trial
You saw Paul use the 300 Blackout? Yes.
Are you sure? Tuten: That is the gun I used at Moselle
Paul kept guns in truck? Yes. Paul would clean out truck and forget where he’d leave guns? I’d say so
Paul was a guy who liked to work with his hands outside and loved Moselle? Yes
Liked to work the land and plant fields for game? Yes
Paul would lose his phone while working? Yes
What work would Paul do at kennels? What do you mean?
If Bubba messed in the pen would Paul clean up? Yes. And he’d put down his phone so it wouldn’t get wet? I’d assume so.
Alex was close with Paul, Maggie, and Buster? It was a loving relationship
Alex and Maggie? Same
To your knowledge, after boating accident Paul received threats? Paul said he’d get texts but not in vivid detail
Paul didn’t feel comfortable in Hampton? Correct
REDIRECT
You were asked about threats to Paul. Did Maggie receive threats? Tuten: Not to my knowledge
Were you there when the kennels were cleaned? Sometimes. The kennels had dog beds you had to put on top of the kennel so they didn’t get wet
If anyone was there at night, would you turn lights on? Yes
Enough lights to make it fairly bright? Yes
Visible from house? Yes
Fans left on for dogs? Yes
Counsel asked about Paul’s phone usage. If Paul used his phone, where would he put it, in a pocket? In his back pocket.
The trial is set to resume Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. Live streaming coverage can be on wltx.com, on the WLTX+ streaming app on Amazon Fire and Roku TV, and on the News19 WLTX YouTube page.