Thursday 18 August 2022 02:19 PM Lawyers for Alex Murdaugh accuse prosecutors of hiding evidence and leaking ... trends now
View
comments
Lawyers for Alex Murdaugh are accusing prosecutors of allegedly hiding evidence - including blood splatters and phone records - and leaking information about the South Carolina family murders to the press ahead of Murdaugh's looming trial.
'It's trial by ambush,' attorney Dick Harpootlian said in a press conference on Wednesday. 'Give us the stuff. I don't have a shred of paper. I don't have an email. I don't have an exhibit. I don't have any evidence.'
Murdaugh, 54, was indicted in July on murder charges in the deaths of his wife Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, who were killed on June 7, 2021, at the family's home. He has adamantly denied killing them.
The disbarred South Carolina lawyer's trial for the double murders is not set to happen until next year, but drama in the courtroom is already in full swing.
Murdaugh's legal team blasted prosecutors of leaking details to the media instead of handing it over to the defense as required. They also claim they have never received any reports on blood splatter or evidence found on phones.
'We're ready to work. Ready to hire investigators, ready to hire experts,' he said. 'All I know is what I read in some blog. I've never seen any blood spatter evidence. I've never seen any phone downloads. I've never seen any witness statements. Thirty-two days after we make the request, we still don't have anything.'
The defense has filed a motion asking the judge to compel the state to turn over the evidence immediately and to unseal the details of the grand jury indictment.
In a response filing, the state calls the motion a 'blatant attempt to create drama where formerly there was none, saying the state has no desire to preclude the defense from