What Buster Murdaugh’s Testimony Could Mean for Father Alex’s Trial

Alex Murdaugh‘s youngest son, Buster Murdaugh, could be set to take the stand in the trial in which his father is accused of killing his wife and older brother, according to reports.

Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, the South Carolina lawyer’s wife and son, were killed on June 7, 2021.

The 54-year-old Alex Murdaugh told the police that he had discovered their bodies at their 1,700-acre hunting estate in Colleton County, South Carolina.

During the trial proceedings last week, the bodycam footage of the police’s first interaction with the suspect at the scene of crime was played.

Police allege that Alex Murdaugh shot and killed both his wife and son and has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

He has pleaded not guilty to these crimes.

Alex Murdaugh has maintained that he wasn’t at the scene of the crime and later discovered the mother and son’s bodies near the dog kennels at the estate.

On Tuesday, February 21, Buster Murdaugh, 26, is expected to be called as the defence’s first witness of the day, according to a CNN report. The defence is also planning to bring in an accident reconstructionist to take the stand.

He has been sitting in on the entire trial since it began three weeks ago, calling into question how he will behave during his stand.

Authorities have not suggested that Buster Murdaugh is connected to the murder in anyway but it remains unclear where he was during the time of his family’s shooting, however.

Newsnation‘s Ashleigh Banfield also reflected on the possibility of Buster Murdaugh giving evidence.

Speaking on her show on Monday night, she said: “Lots of sources are saying that Buster Murdaugh [is going to take the stand], [Buster,] who has been sitting right there in the gallery for the whole thing, all the proceedings.

“You folks who know your court watching, you have been asking the right questions.

“Wait a minute, how does a witness get to sit all through the proceedings before he gets on the stand?

“Doesn’t that, perhaps, taint his testimony? Can’t he massage his testimony to fit what happens on the stand before him.

“I am with you, and by the way, pretty much every state of the union kind of is with you.

“But in this jurisdiction, this judge gets to make the rules and has made the rules about this courtroom.

“Isn’t just Buster who gets to sit in the gallery prior to testifying, it is every witness.”

Banfield also noted that she spoke with a co-worker who has been covering the story and said that Alex Murdaugh’s defence attorney, Dick Harpootlian was “all in” for the decision by the judge.

Newsweek has contacted Alex Murdaugh’s defence attorney Dick Harpootlian for comment.