Jurors have visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son. Other evidence unsealed by the judge includes reports that Vaughn took the murder weapon to a firing range the night before the murders; a statement by an exotic dancer that Vaughn professed affections for her; and his wife's $1 million life insurance policy that listed him as a beneficiary. Prosecutors had argued against the visit to Moselle, given that the property has changed in the 20 months since the killings, but Judge Clifton Newman ruled in favor of the defense on Monday. See. Vaughn, 36, also spent a half-hour at a Plainfield shooting range the night before the murders, the documents say, firing at targets with a gun later seized by police from between his dead wifes feet. Still, Waters said there is enough evidence to link the killings to the financial crimes and to Alex Murdaugh being the only person with the means and opportunity to kill his wife and son. When the motorist asked if he had been in a car accident, Christopher replied, No, I think my wife shot me.But when the police arrived on the scene, not everything about Christophers story added up. Find more AP coverage of the case: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-murdaugh. Testimony concluded Tuesday in Alex Murdaughs double murder trial, and the jury could begin deliberations as early as Wednesday afternoon. Along the way to see his mom, he made several calls to family members, friends, and even his dead wife. Utah wildlife officials suggest catching, Oregon lawmakers propose bill that would give $1K, Hunter charged for killing pet dogs he thought were, Venus, Jupiter shine during night sky kiss: How, Space just got bigger: Scientists add thousands of, Augusta, USC Aiken women fall in Peach Belt Conference, Vaughn Taylor Championship junior tournament moves, Authorities issue warrants for UGAs Jalen Carter, Does your child have food allergy? Another Osage, Henry Roan, was shot in the back of the head. WebSusan Leigh Smith (ne Vaughan; born September 26, 1971) is an American woman who was convicted of murdering her two sons, three-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander, in 1994 by drowning them in a South Carolina lake.. It was the stuff of nightmares. [10] Her motivation was reportedly to facilitate a relationship with a local wealthy man named Tom Findlay. Earlier on Wednesday, jurors went to the scene of the crime that has been detailed throughout the six-week trial. After the boys had been missing for two days, Susan and David were subjected to a polygraph test. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. This is what happened to the Vaughn family. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool), Several vehicles leave at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Islandton, S.C. Judge Clifton Newman allowed the visit but cautioned jurors about the differences in how the property looks now. Man Accused Of Slaying Family Had Article On Staging Crime Scenes, "making the death appear to be a suicide,", Vaughn shot in the leg, and his wife and children murdered. Rate. Kimberly Vaughn was shot once under her chin, the records say. But there was no blood spatter linking the killings to Alex Murdaugh or anyone else, and prosecutors didnt spend much time laying out how they think Murdaugh could have killed his family, cleaned himself up, disposed of the clothes and weapons, and composed himself in the 15-minute window before GPS data shows he left the property to visit his ailing mother. Closing arguments began Wednesday after jurors took a field trip to the scene of the crime. It showed the killer whom the FBI had arrestedhe was the so-called devil. Alex Murdaugh's theft of millions of dollars was about to be revealed so he killed his wife and son to buy time to figure a way out, a prosecutor said Wednesday during closing arguments in the disgraced South Carolina attorney's murder trial. Court records show the couple had been fighting, and he would sometimes sleep at the office. They were also cautioned to watch for snakes. In the News Published on October 12, 2021. Jurors have visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son. Richer reported from Boston. Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian said the jury must see the sprawling 1,700-acre (690-hectare) property to appreciate the spatial issues.. During the penalty phase, Tommy Pope, the lead prosecutor in the Smith case, argued passionately in favor of sentencing Smith to death. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/ReutersJurors in Alex Murdaughs murder trial homed in on a feed room and inspected a wooded area during their visit on Wednesday to the crime scene where the disgraced lawyers wife and son were fatally shot in June 2021.Their hour-long field trip to the Moselle hunting estate in South Carolina The Illinois CURE Act would allow individuals to try a new alternative form of treatment that is safer and potentially more effective in treating their symptoms. The song "When This is Over", on Hayden's 1995 album "Everything I Long For" is written from the point of view of one of Susan Smith's sons as the car sinks into the lake. In many cases, it doesnt happen because the trial is taking place years later, so the scene has changed and taking jurors there could provide a false impression of what happened. Crime scene visits by juries are relatively rare but have occurred in a number of other high-profile prosecutions, including the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Waters concluded his closing argument on Wednesday by stressing to the jury to use common sense and human nature to give justice to Maggie and Paul who deserve a voice., They need a voice because they can no longer speak. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Jurors in Alex Murdaughs murder trial will get to see for themselves the rural hunting estate where his wife and son were killed, following in the footsteps of other juries that have viewed crime scenes in cases that captured the nations attention. 2023 Atlas Obscura. The attorneys are typically present but instructed by the judge not to say or point out anything to the jurors, Benjamin said. A private investigator demonstrates what he believes happened inside the SUV the day Chris Vaughns family was shot to death. Still, Waters said there is enough evidence to link the killings to the financial crimes and to Alex Murdaugh being the only person with the motive, means and opportunity to kill his wife and son. They asked for jurors to be allowed to visit the property in order to help them understand how small the storage room is where Paul Murdaugh was killed and the distance between the two bodies. Hes smart. Maggie was shot about 12 steps away from where Paul fell. Oilmen, such as J.P. Getty and Frank Phillips, would bid in the shade of a stately tree, which became known as the Million Dollar Elm. The 12 jurors and two alternatives gathered around 9 a.m. at the Colleton County Courthouse before loading into three secured transport vans and leaving 10 minutes later. 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Although the weapons used to kill the victims havent been found, an expert testified that the markings on the bullet casings found near Maggie Murdaughs body matched those found on casings at a shooting range on the familys property. Taken in 1924, the picture showed a seemingly innocent pageant of members of the tribe alongside white settlers, but a section had been cut out. Defense attorney Jim Griffin is expected to begin his closing argument on Thursday morning. Testimony concluded on Tuesday after more than 75 witnesses took the stand over about five weeks. (Family Photo) Sheri Coleman, 31, and her two children 11-year-old Garett and 9-year-old Gavin. Courtesy the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries, Finney No. Someone had planted a bomb under her sisters house that killed everyone inside, including Rita. They were also cautioned to watch for snakes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [7] She married David Smith, and they had two sons. He carried a badge and authority. The timeline puts him there. Investigators said his 22-year-old son, Paul, was shot twice with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, was shot four or five times with a rifle outside of the kennels on their property. He has proven over and over again that he will do anything to keep that hamster wheel going and avoid accountability. When the FBI took up the case, in 1923, agents badly bungled the probe. The cases referenced involved rape-murders made to look like hangings. WebChristopher Vaughn is an American man convicted of the murder of his wife, Kimberly, and the couple's three children in June 14, 2007. The tour of the crime scene happened before jurors were to head back to court in Walterboro to hear closing arguments in the closely watched murder trial. Crime scene expert refutes defense claim that Maggie's shooter was short Sutton testified that the angle of the shots indicated that the shooter had to have been between 5 foot 2 and 5 foot 4. But while testifying in his own defense, he admitted that he lied and that he had been there. A portion of the article talked about making deaths appear like suicides. The jurors are slated to travel to the property, which is under contract for $3.9 million, Wednesday morning amid tight security. In this Sept. 20, 2021, file photo, the gates near Alex Murdaugh's home are shown in Islandton, S.C. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He dozed off in the shortest nap in the history of the South, Waters quipped. But there was no blood spatter or DNA linking the killings to Alex Murdaugh or anyone else, and prosecutors never laid out how they think Murdaugh could have killed his family, cleaned himself up, disposed of the clothes and weapons, and composed himself in the 15-minute window before GPS data shows he left the property to visit his ailing mother. detective issues one last warning to De Niro's silky smooth bank robber. On Wednesday, Vaughn, 31, died while in custody at Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, where he had been housed off and on since his arrest on Dec. 14, 2015. The records inside show his three children Abigayle, 12, Cassandra, 11, and Blake, 8 were each shot twice. Jurors have visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son. Like other Chicagoans, we have ideas about what the next mayor should do. Investigators said his 22-year-old son, Paul, was shot twice with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, was shot four or five times with a rifle outside of the kennels on their property. Court records show Vaughns former private attorneys, who left the case earlier this year, asked a judge not to admit several pieces of evidence. [4], Smith was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. 1525, Found: A Ceiling Dripping With Honey and, Oh, 120,000 or So Bees. The visit in that case was requested by prosecutors, who said jurors needed to see the scene to understand the horror of what happened. In the early 20th century, the members of the Osage Nation became the richest people per capita in the world, after oil was discovered under their reservation. [19], The season three premiere of Arrested Development ("The Cabin Show") features a flashback scene in which Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter), having recently gone off her postpartum medication, is watching a news story about Smith, to which she replies "Good for her! The 54-year-old attorney is standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their Colleton County home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. In desperation, he turned to Tom White, a former Texas Ranger, to take over the case. "One of the things that I think I explained to you was that he was of a theatrical type presence in the courtroom and he could get very emotional doing closing arguments in front of a jury.". He has been doing it for 10 years.. 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William, Julie and Sean Grissom were the first three lives taken by serial killer Danny Rolling who spread his terror between two states in the late 1980s into the early '90s. Heres some of whats on our to-do list. As all of these pressures were mounting, the defendant killed Maggie and Paul,' Waters said, pulling out his cellphone and waving it. Jurors began the day with a visit to the crime scene, where a pool reporter said at least one of them carefully inspected the door frame of a storage closet where Paul Murdaugh was standing when he was killed. [13] It took the jury only two and a half hours to convict her of murdering them. Trees planted between the Murdaugh home and the kennels have grown taller and thicker over that period blocking the line of sight they allege would have allowed Murdaugh to see the kennel lights when he says he returned from visiting his mother. The jury ultimately voted against imposing the death penalty. Kim was shot once under the chin, and the children were each shot twice in their SUV on the side of the road. After searching, All rights reserved. In 1923, after the death toll reached more than two dozen, the case was taken up by the Bureau of Investigation, then an obscure branch of the Justice Department, which was later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prior to the murders he sent Smith a letter ending their relationship and expressing that he did not want children. Courtesy Melville Vaughan When the FBI took up the case, in 1923, agents badly bungled the probe. Their hour-long field trip to the Moselle hunting estate in South Carolina came shortly before closing arguments began in what has been dubbed the trial of the century by local media. [11] She said that there was no motive nor did she plan the murders, stating that she was not in a right state of mind. The Oswego family was reportedly taking a day trip to a water park in Springfield when Christopher Vaughn left Interstate 55 and drove onto a frontage road The tour of the crime scene happened before jurors were to head back to court in Walterboro to hear closing arguments in the closely watched murder trial. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. + one copy of McCandless & Company: Insecurities - The Special Edition. ( Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool), A view from where Maggie Murdaugh was found at the Murdaugh Moselle property on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Islandton, S.C.. His defense team argues that his wife shot their children before turning the gun on herself. Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution, "LAWYERS TO REVEAL DEFENSE FOR SUSAN SMITH COULD PLEAD INSANITY OR MENTAL ILLNESS FOR MOTHER OF DROWNED BOYS", "Susan Smith, Mother Who Killed Kids: 'Something Went Very Wrong That Night', "Susan Smith Profile of a Child Killer", "Susan Smith: 20 years later, case still a shocker", "Lawyer keeps even the most loathed criminals off death row", "Former South Carolina prison guard says Susan Smith could kill again if paroled", "Susan Smith, convicted of killing her young sons, could be freed in 2024", "Arrested Development: "The Cabin Show"/"For British Eyes Only", U.S. News Year in Review Susan Smith Trial Dec. 28, 1995, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Susan_Smith&oldid=1139119474, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, People convicted of murder by South Carolina, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by South Carolina, Articles with dead external links from January 2023, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Killers Von Taylor, and Edward Deli, were ex-cons, and on the run from their half-way house. At 5:15 am, a motorist driving on I-55 spotted Christopher Vaughn bleeding and limping away with his parked SUV. degree in 1682. While prosecutors havent set forth a motive, Vaughns wife had a $1 million life insurance policy that listed him as a beneficiary. 71 Metascore. by: JAMES POLLARD and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Associated Press. This conflicted with her statement that she did not see any other cars there when the carjacking took place. Jurors have visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son. It was not immediately clear why they went into the tree area. She had claimed that a traffic light had turned red causing her to stop at an otherwise empty intersection. Earlier on Wednesday, jurors went to the scene of the crime that has been detailed throughout the six-week trial. It permits a 3D appreciation for what has otherwise been a two-dimensional presentation in court, said Benjamin, a past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. A Drug Hit. Kate Rossmaniths micro-documentary, Unnatural Deaths, can be seen on The Guardian. WebJOHN VAUGHAN was his heir. [14] Smith's defense psychiatrist diagnosed her with dependent personality disorder and major depression. The victim was transported to the hospital. [13] In their opening statement, Clarke argued Smith was deeply troubled and experienced severe depression. Christopher Vaughn stands accused of fatally shooting his wife and three children in the family's SUV four years ago. Testimony concluded on Tuesday after more than 75 witnesses took the stand over about five weeks. And it wasnt just Mollies family that was being systematically eliminated. 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