In a shocking move, Alex Murdaugh has taken the stand in his double murder trial on Thursday.
Murdaugh has been charged with the June 2021 killings of his wife Maggie Murdaugh, and their 22-year-old son Paul Murdaugh.
Judge Clifton Newman is overseeing the trial and thoroughly asked Murdaugh if he was certain that he wanted to take the stand in his own murder trial -- as it's usually advised against by attorneys. However, the former South Carolina lawyer remained certain he wanted to testify.
Attorneys for Murdaugh have asked the judge to limit the scope of questioning he would face while under cross-examination. His legal team was asking to limit questions regarding his alleged financial crimes, of which he faces 99 charges for financial schemes, including money laundering, insurance fraud, and forgery.
However, the state has countered this point, saying that his financial schemes could have been a motive for the killings.
Newman decided to deny the request, saying that issuing a blanket order limiting the state’s questions was “unheard of to me.”
Murdaugh has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and two weapons charges in the killings on the family’s Islandton, South Carolina home.
His legal team started his questioning with a variety of questions, including asking if he had used a weapon to murder his wife and son, to which he said he did not.
Murdaugh was also asked by his attorneys if he had lied about his whereabouts to the police and investigators, to which he admitted that he did because he was "paranoid."
Prosecutors have not begun cross examination.
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