Lawrence Wiggins — Direct
35 linesThe witness, LAWRENCE WIGGINS, was first duly sworn and testified as follows:
COURT CLERK: If you will, have a seat on the witness stand. Repeat your name, and spell your last name for the record.
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: Lawrence Wiggins, W-i-g-g-i-n-s.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MS. GOUDE:
MS. GOUDE: I believe it's Chief Wiggins now. Is that correct?
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: That is correct.
MS. GOUDE: Are you the chief of Allendale? Is it sheriff's office, police department?
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: Yes. So, I'm currently employed as the Chief of Police for the town of Allendale.
MS. GOUDE: And -- but back in 2021, where were you employed?
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: I was employed with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. I was assigned to the Investigative Services, and I worked out of the regional office in Walterboro.
MS. GOUDE: And at that time, were you involved in the investigation of the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh?
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: I was preliminarily.
MS. GOUDE: Did you have an occasion to collect some buccal swabs?
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: I did.
MS. GOUDE: I'm going to hand you State's Exhibit 336 and 337. If you could, take a look at those and tell us what we have there.
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: We have a buccal swabs taken from Mr. Roger Davis and Anthony Cook.
MS. GOUDE: And you collected those swabs?
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: I did.
MS. GOUDE: How do you know you collected them?
LAWRENCE WIGGINS: My initials and --
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: We consent to -- I'll consent to the admission of these rather than going through the process of how he identified them and collected them. She's welcome to do that, but I'm just trying to save a little time here.
JUDGE NEWMAN: All right. Madame Prosecutor?
MS. GOUDE: So, State's Exhibit 336 and 337 into evidence.
JUDGE NEWMAN: All right. They're admitted without objection.
(BUCCAL SWAB MARKED AS STATE'S EXHIBIT NUMBER 336 WAS RECEIVED INTO EVIDENCE.)
(BUCCAL SWAB MARKED AS STATE'S EXHIBIT NUMBER 337 WAS RECEIVED INTO EVIDENCE.)
MS. GOUDE: And, Your Honor, we would have no further questions for this witness then.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: No questions, Your Honor.
JUDGE NEWMAN: All right. Thank you, sir.
(The witness exited the stand.)
MS. GOUDE: Beg the Court's indulgence, Your Honor.
(Break in proceedings.)
MS. GOUDE: May it please the Court, Your Honor?
JUDGE NEWMAN: Yes.