Week three of Alex Murdaugh's trial begins this morning in the lowcountry courtroom that 's become an international stage for a drama about two murders, three other death investigations and nearly nine million dollars of white collar crime.
The jury wasn't in the room at 9:30 when prosecutors put Allendale attorney Mark Tinsley on the stand to testify about the fatal 2019 boat crash Murdaugh's son was involved in. Paul Murdaugh was killed two days before a civil court hearing on the case was scheduled.
Judge Clifton Newman might make a final ruling Monday on the admissibility of other testimony and evidence concerning Murdaugh's character and the massive indictments for taking funds from clients, his bank and his own law firm out of millions.
SLED investigators insist it's relevant to the motive. The jury is set to return around noon Monday to hear more prosecution crime scene evidence.
Maggie Murdaugh's phone was discovered near the entrance to the hunting estate suggesting someone threw it away leaving the scene, and raising speculation about a second shooter -- the fatal shots were fired form different weapons -- or an accomplice after the fact.
