BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Murdaugh trial: Witnesses detail alleged financial crimes

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

ovp test

mLife Diagnostics LLC: Oral Fluid Drug Testing

Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment

Class to create biodiverse backyard

Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

(NewsNation) — Explosive allegations of years of Alex Murdaugh’s financial swindling from his former law firm and his clients came to a head as his murder trial reached Day Seven on Thursday.

Judge Clifton Newman heard from witnesses outside the presence of the jury to decide whether they can give evidence in the case.

His longtime friend and the firm’s Chief Financial Officer Jeanne Seckinger bluntly outlined evidence the firm found of Murdaugh’s alleged scheme dating back to 2011.

Seckinger testified that Murdaugh sometimes kept entire fees required by rules to be shared with the firm.

“Ya’ll had to pay back $750,000?” prosecutors asked.

“We did,” Seckinger said.

“That Alex spent?” prosecutors asked.

“He did,” Seckinger said.

“Of client money?” prosecutors asked.

“We did. He stole it,” Seckinger said.

Prosecutors said it all came to a crescendo on June 7, 2021, the day of the murders, when Seckinger confronted him that morning about the nearly $800,000 that was missing.

“At that point, I told him that I had reason to believe that he had received the funds himself and that I needed proof that he had not,” Seckinger testified.

“Received those fees himself. And I needed proof that they were not,” prosecutors reiterated.

“Yes,” Seckinger said.

“And what did he tell you?” prosecutors asked.

“He told me again that he assured me that the money was there,” Seckinger said.

Seckinger also testified that during their conversation, Murdaugh got a call telling him his father’s cancer was terminal, which stopped her inquiry in the moment.

Murdaugh’s lawyers said prosecutors are trying to smear Murdaugh with bad behavior not related to the killings to bolster their weak case.

But the jury has yet to hear the testimony, as the defense is arguing that Murdaugh’s financial history should not be admissible in court.

Prosecutors said the testimony speaks to Murdaugh’s state of mind when hours later he allegedly killed his wife Maggie and son Paul.

According to prosecutors, Murdaugh planned the killings to gain sympathy and buy time so he could find a way to cover up the missing money, as he had numerous times before in the past decade or so.

Along with the two murder charges, Murdaugh faces about 100 more counts with most of the charges coming before his murder indictment in July 2022.

The accusations range from money laundering, to stealing millions from clients and the family law firm, tax evasion and trying to get a man to fatally shoot him so his surviving son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy.

He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Murdaugh Murder Trial

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Mist

la

57°F Mist Feels like 57°
Wind
0 mph ESE
Humidity
92%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
52°F Cloudy. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
3 mph WSW
Precip
7%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Crescent