Thread by @AveryGWilks

🚨🚨🚨 Alex Murdaugh Double Murder Trial Day 16 (Feb. 13) Megathread begins now 🚨🚨🚨

The state will continue to present witnesses and testimony as we begin week 4 of this trial at 9:30 am. I’ll provide updates below.

#AlexMurdaughTrial #AlexMurdaugh #MurdaughTrial #Murdaugh

Here’s the link to the previous Megathread - day 15 on Friday

https://twitter.com/averygwilks/status/1624027040310562816

Our story from Friday, when Murdaugh’s housekeeper became the second witness to testify that he had approached her trying to sync up stories during the murder investigation

postandcourier.com/murdaugh-updat…

Our daily podcast on the same topic open.spotify.com/episode/6H5KHr…

My dog, Scoop

Our Sunday deep dive - how Alex Murdaugh took advantage of the blind trust others placed in him to steal nearly $9 million postandcourier.com/murdaugh-updat…

I have arrived in Walterboro

Some photos/exhibits from Friday, via pool photographers @WhitakerPhotos and @JAABPhoto

1. Texts between Alex Murdaugh and Tony Satterfield
2. Prosecutors huddle amid an evidentiary fight between prosecutor John Meadors and Dick Harpootlian
3. Murdaugh housekeeper Blanca Simpson

1. Texts between Maggie Murdaugh and Blanca Simpson on the day of the killings
2. An email canceling the scheduled 6/10/21 motions hearing regarding Alex Murdaugh's finances after the slayings of Maggie and Paul.

Joe McCulloch’s pup, Babbie, is hanging out with us today in the media center while McCulloch’s wife is out of town

Court appears to be running a little behind this morning.

We are back.

Two jurors have tested positive for COVID-19. One is symptomatic, with a cough and sore throat.

Jesus.

Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian stands and wonders whether there should be a delay to ensure no more jurors get sick. He says he doesn't want a delay, saying it would be an "economic disaster" for the defense, which has paid for witnesses to appear this week.

Judge Newman says a doctor has recommended the jury be tested again Wednesday.

He recommends the jurors - and everyone else - wear masks.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters rises and echoes Harpootlian is recommending that we delay trial for a few days before excusing any jurors, since more jurors could get sick.

Neither side wants to run the risk of a mistrial because we have run out of jurors.

Judge Newman says he has already released the two COVID-positive jurors from service.

We started with six alternates. Now we are down to three. Yikes alive.

Harpootlian is wearing a mask now while standing in court. He says he got COVID in December and it took him out for three weeks. He doesn't want it again.

Somehow the bomb threat last week was not the greatest existential threat to the Murdaugh trial.

With all due respect, perhaps the people coming from all over to watch this trial for fun should probably go ahead and get out of the courtroom.

Right on cue, Harpootlian requests a mask mandate and Waters asks for some social distancing in the courtroom.

Newman declines to order any social distancing, but he says he can require masks.

Prosecutor Waters says that General Motors reached out to the prosecution on Friday and provided a ton of data this weekend from Alex Murdaugh’s Chevy Suburban. Waters said GM in March 2022 said they had no data and then suddenly found a bunch of it.

The data includes GPS info, speed info, all kinds of stuff that the FBI couldn't glean from decoding and testing the system over the course of a year.

It's a ton of data. Harpootlian says it actually helps the defense.

Waters says the data confirms what has already been established about the timeline of that evening. He says it could be analyzed and presented quickly.

Harpootlian says he wants more time for his own experts to review the data in order to prepare for cross-examination.

Harpootlian on the Suburban data: “It’s scary. They know everything about how you’re operating the vehicle. … We think it will be very helpful with our case.”

Newman rules the defense should be given adequate time to prepare for the GM testimony/evidence.

The jury has been called back in.

The state calls its 48th witness, SLED agent Ryan Kelly.

Our live updates feed, including news that COVID-19 is knocking some jurors out of service postandcourier.com/murdaugh-updat…

SLED agent Kelly testified only about collecting DNA swabs from a number of people, including Curtis Smith, John Marvin Murdaugh and the Beach family.

He steps down.

The state's 49th witness is SLED agent Rachel Nguyen, who works in DNA analysis. So we might finally get to hear the results of all these DNA tests.

Nguyen has spent the past 20 minutes explaining her testing.

She confirms a swab of the steering wheel of Murdaugh's 2021 Chevy Suburban tested positive for blood.

A few other swabs from the SUV tested + on the presumptive test and negative on the confirmatory one.

Nguyen testifies about getting presumptive (not confirmatory) positive tests for blood on stains on Alex Murdaugh's shirts and shorts. She then forwarded those stains along for further analysis.

FOLKS! We finally can see exhibits in real-time! This is huge and something I have been complaining about for three weeks now. Bravo to the court officials/Court TV folks for getting it figured out.

This is incredible. I can do my job!

Nguyen testifies the blue rain jacket tested negative for blood. Though we know it did have lots of GSR on it.

Nguyen testifies she also swabbed the cuffs, hood and pocket interiors of the blue rain jacket and forwarded the swabs along for DNA analysis. That could help determine the jacket’s primary wearer.

Nguyen doesn't provide the answers to many of these tests. I assume he will hear about them later?

Barber establishes with Nguyen that presumptive blood tests are fallible. They could show as positive for human blood as well as animal blood and a host of chemicals and organic matter, including bacteria.

Under questioning from Barber, Nguyen testifies that someone - not her - conducted a HemaTrace confirmatory test on Murdaugh’s white T-shirt. (We have been told previously that confirmatory test came back negative for human blood).

Nguyen says there was no confirmatory testing for blood on Murdaugh’s shorts or shoes.

Barber establishes with Nguyen that the only positive confirmatory test for blood she got was from the steering wheel of Murdaugh’s 2021 Chevy Suburban.

Nguyen says she can’t explain why the SLED crime scene unit tested Murdaugh’s shirt with LCV - which dyed it blue and rendered it untestable by the defense - after she had already tested it for blood. “I am unsure why that particular test was used by the crime scene unit.”

Nguyen testified she doesn't use LCV testing.

We are on a brief break.

The state calls its 50th witness, SLED DNA analyst Sara Zapata.

Zapata is going at GREAT length to explain DNA analysis and how it works.

English, please.

I'm not going to try to translate this stuff unless I'm confident I know what Zapata is saying.

Zapata has told us that it's 510 million times more likely that Maggie contributed DNA to the .300 Blackout ammunition than any other person

And it's 15 octillion times more likely Paul contributed DNA to the shotgun shells than any other person.

Now onto the feed room. DNA collected there shows it's Paul's. (Or, at least, it's 15 octillion times more likely to be Paul than anyone else).

So now we know definitively that Paul was shot with a shotgun, his DNA was left in the feed room, and Maggie was killed with a rifle.

This may very well all be necessary foundational evidence, but perhaps not at the length of time we're taking to make these very basic points that are not in dispute and have never been in dispute.

Zapata, translated: Maggie and Alex's DNAs were found on a 12-gauge shotgun. (Not great clarity as to which shotgun or the relevance of that gun).

Not sure how much it matters, as we're pretty sure the shotgun used to kill Paul remains missing.

Zapata, translated: A partial DNA profile was collected from a cell phone, but SLED was unable to tell whose DNA it was based on the limited evidence collected and its inability to determine the number of DNA contributors. Prosecutor doesn't bother telling us whose phone it was.

Zapata, translated: Swabs of suspected blood from Alex Murdaugh's 2021 Chevy Suburban steering wheel included (almost certainly) Alex and Maggie's DNA.

So, Maggie and Alex's DNA were found in swabs of suspected blood on both the Suburban steering wheel and a shotgun.

Prosecutor Savannah Goude, basically: Could you try to explain this to us in English?

Zapata, basically: No, not really

Lunch weighs heavily on the mind.

Zapata, translated: Tested Maggie’s fingernails. They excluded a whole bunch of people from contributing to that sample, including Buster Murdaugh, Randy Murdaugh, John Marvin Murdaugh, the Beaches and the boat crash survivors.

Zapata, translated: SLED could not immediately visually exclude Murdaugh groundskeeper C.B. Rowe as a DNA contributor to what was found on Maggie's fingernails

But it was 11 times more likely the DNA came from an unidentified person than C.B. Rowe. So.

Prosecutor Savannah Goude keeps trying to steer Zapata toward explaining these things in a way that makes sense to the audience. It is not working.

Zapata, translated: SLED found only Paul's DNA under his fingernails.

Zapata, translated: Various spots of Alex Murdaugh’s white T-shirt tested positive for both Alex and Maggie’s DNA, both Alex and Paul’s DNA, and both Alex and an unknown person’s DNA.

Zapata, translated: SLED found a bunch of DNA on Alex's shirt, including some from Maggie, some from Paul and even some from Nolan Tuten, one of Paul's friends

A younger, dumber version of me volunteered for this.

Zapata just testified that the cuttings from Alex Murdaugh's white T-shirt - which had Maggie and Paul's DNA on it - tested NEGATIVE for human blood.

Zapata suggests it is theoretically possible that the confirmatory tests could not detect blood because of the LCV testing - which Nguyen previously said she wouldn't have done.

It seems as if the state has shot itself directly in the foot with this LCV testing thing. Dyed the shirt blue, rendered it untestable by the defense, possibly hampered the confirmatory test (which came back negative for human blood), which defeats the whole purpose.

Honest to God, I'm struggling to listen without zoning out, but I'm pretty sure Zapata said she found Alex's, Maggie's and Paul's DNA on Alex's shorts from that night.

SLED did not run confirmatory tests on possible blood on his shorts.

Zapata: Alex's DNA was found on his own shoes.

Finally! We get to the moment we've all been waiting for, the DNA swabs of the controversial blue rain jacket. SLED swabbed the inside of it to see who most likely owned the jacket.

Zapata: No useful DNA found.

Well damn.

We are on a well-deserved lunch break.

Court is back in session.

Jury is coming back now. Prosecutor Creighton Waters says a pathologist will be testifying later today. The testimony/exhibits will be graphic. Harpootlian and Waters agree they don't want those images seen by the public.

Defense attorney Phillip Barber is cross-examining Sara Zapata, the SLED DNA analyst.

Barber elicits testimony that Zapata found male DNA under Maggie’s fingernails that did not belong to Paul or Alex Murdaugh.

Zapata testifies there was a small amount of unidentified male DNA under Maggie’s fingernails. She says investigators did not test any other parts of Maggie and Paul’s bodies/clothes for DNA.

Zapata agrees with Barber that the blood on Murdaugh’s steering wheel is consistent with Alex possibly checking Maggie’s body and then driving the Suburban up to Moselle to retrieve a shotgun.

It's very strange that it is Murdaugh's defense attorney who is doing the job of summing up all this DNA evidence and what it means.

Barber establishes with Zapata that the only part of Alex’s shirt that included Paul’s DNA was on the bottom of the front.

The state hasn't said a word about high-impact blood spatter, so it looks like the defense is going to do it.

Barber asks Zapata if she knows that SLED requested a blood spatter analysis. She said she didn't find out until the request had been made.

Zapata testifies she provided the HemaTrace test results - in which Alex's shirt tested negative for blood - on Nov. 10, 2021. Same day she provided the blue rain coat test results.

Barber asks Zapata if she was aware that in March 2022, SLED received a report claiming that Murdaugh’s shirt was speckled high-impact blood spatter, consistent with being nearby as Maggie and Paul were shot and their blood was discharged into the air.

Barber references a 4/11/22 meeting with the AG’s Office regarding blood spatter. He’s asking about the internal discussions between SLED and the AG’s office regarding purported blood spatter, given that Zapata’s test in November 2021 found no blood on the shirt at all.

Zapata testifies prosecutor Creighton Waters later asked her to research whether HemaTrace tests could come back with a false negative on shirts previously tested with LCV.

Barber is now trying to use Zapata’s own research to show how effective HemaTrace is. That’s the type of test that found no human blood on Alex’s white T-shirt.

Barber references one study in which HemaTrace - in nearly three dozen cases - found human blood even after previous LCV presumptive tests found no blood. Barber suggests that HemaTrace is even more sensitive than LCV in searching for human blood.

Barber asks about a Jan. 5, 2023, meeting about evidence in this case. He asks whether Tom Bevel’s blood spatter analysis was discussed. Or whether deputy Kenneth Kinsey’s report on the same topic was discussed. Zapata testifies she can’t remember. The meeting was a month ago.

Zapata testifies she could not recall any discussion of a blue button-down shirt at that meeting, either.

Prosecutor Savanna Goude doesn't touch the blood-spatter stuff on redirect.

Under final questioning from Barber, Zapata testifies it would not be uncommon to find a wife’s DNA on a husband’s shirt.

Zapata is done. She steps down.

Court is back after a short break.

Shoutout to @jocgrz who just heated up a couple of cinnamon rolls for the @postandcourier table in the media room. Maybe the only good thing to happen today

@jocgrz @postandcourier The state calls its 51st witness, MUSC pathologist Dr. Ellen Riemer.

Riemer conducted the autopsies of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

Riemer is walking the jury through the shotgun wounds Paul Murdaugh suffered. Using a pair of black and red markers to label entry/exit wounds.

I've seen some reporting on this elsewhere, but there is a chance Alex Murdaugh will testify at this trial. It's not a guarantee.

If so, he would be the defense's last witness, meant to explain things no other witness could possibly explain.

A big risk to put him on the stand.

The last I heard (this morning), my sense was that no decision had been made. Perhaps that has changed already. It could also easily change again before the time comes.

Riemer comes off as someone who really loves her job.

She's bright and energetic even as she explains graphic wounds. Reminds me of Mrs. Kreamer, my eighth grade Algebra 1 teacher, teaching fractions.

Riemer explains that Paul could have remained standing after the first shotgun blast to his chest. But the second shot blew his brain out of the back of his head, leaving only the brain stem left inside the skull.

The fact that Paul's face remained intact tells you he was facing his shooter, Riemer testifies.

Riemer is showing the jury graphic images of Paul's body. Thankfully, we are not seeing them as well.

"It's horrible, I know," Riemer tells the jury.

Judge Newman just excused the jury for a break.

Alex Murdaugh is deeply distraught, crying and fidgeting in his seat.

The jury is coming back in.

Riemer testifies she found no defensive wounds on Paul.

Further update on whether Alex Murdaugh will testify: I'm told again the defense has made no decision on whether to put him on the stand.

Dr. Riemer: Maggie Murdaugh's first two wounds featured gunpowder stippling. That indicates her shooter was no more than three feet away, Riemer testifies.

Riemer: Maggie's first three wounds were not immediately fatal. The fourth was. It traveled with an upward trajectory in and out of her chest, up under her jaw and into her head.

“When it entered the left side of the face, it basically destroyed the brain.”

Riemer: The fourth wound had an upward trajectory. She wouldn't have been moving after that.

The fifth wound came at a downward trajectory into the back of her head.

Prosecutors have said Maggie was shot as she ran away.

Riemer supposed the fourth wound - with the upward trajectory - came as she was bent over away from the shooter. That would explain how the trajectory.

Riemer testifies the fifth wound - into the back of Maggie's head - came as she was lying on the ground. It would have been immediately fatal, even if the fourth shot hadn't been.

Waters elicits testimony from Riemer that Maggie’s wounds are consistent with her being circled by her shooter during the shooting. That’s why one shot comes at an upward trajectory from behind her and another shot is to the back of Maggie’s head from the other direction.

Riemer testifies Maggie and Paul's stomachs included roughly the same recently digested food, indicating they had just shared a meal together.

Riemer: No defensive wounds on Maggie or Paul.

Riemer: Maggie had caffeine in her system - but not alcohol or other drugs.

Riemer testifies both deaths were homicides. "Death at the hands of another."

Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian offers to start his cross-examination of Riemer in the morning. He said it would take until 7 if he started tonight. Judge Newman takes him up on that offer.

The jury is excused.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters says the state is still on track to rest its case on Wednesday, even with the new General Motors data, which he calls "confirmatory."

Two more days for the state to wrap up.

Story coming soon.

Full story here: Gets into COVID-19 concerns as well as DNA and autopsy takeaways

https://twitter.com/AveryGWilks/status/1625293298431668224